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5.0 out of 5 stars
----Saint-Saens is a much underrated master----, Jan 27 2004
I received this disc today and--after having listened to it twice consecutively--can easily understand why such a charming disc was Gramophone magazine's CD of the month! It fizzes with charm and high spirits, offering cultivated, civilized delights!Saint-Saens is a horribly underrated composer because, generally, he sought to entertain and give pleasure, rather than consistently plumbing the depths or striving for the sublime heights a la Mozart or Beethoven. Saint-Saens' chamber music, in particular, I believe to be neglected and underestimated. If you enjoy this CD--and you will--your next stop should be a disc of Saens' chamber music for woodwinds. He wrote three sonatas (one each for bassoon, oboe, and clarinet) right near the end of his life, and they contain some utterly beautiful, poignant, and ravishing music. There is a beautifully performed and recorded disc on the MD&G label that can be found by searching for catalog #3040395--I strenuously recommend that disc as much as I do this one! Also, Saens' cello sonatas and violin sonatas are wonderfully well served by two CDs on the Hyperion label. The violin sonata disc in particular contains a beautiful but rare piece, the Berceuse, that will have you reaching for the repeat button on your CD player. Finally, the second of Saens piano trios is an immediately winning, charming piece, and the performance of it on a Naxos CD performed by the critically acclaimed Joachim Trio is a bargain that you should acquire without delay! Long live Saint-Saens!
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