Complete Works for Piano & Orchestra

i have both the collard/previn and hough/oramo versions of these delightful concertos; i wish there were more available. to my ear there are three main differences between them.the sonic difference grabbed me first, and sonic differences always mean that your recording equipment matters. so it's the least reliable judgment. to my ear the hough/oramo versions the piano is closely miked yet the overall sound is peculiarly muffled, especially in the bass strings and the brass choir. in the collard/previn the recording is better balanced between piano and orchestra and the sound stage more spacious.the second point is the orchestra. oramo drives the city of birmingham symphony orchestra as if it were a fire truck, and the city of birmingham symphony orchestra responds by squirting everything it can muster into the recording horn. and by golly, they can squirt a lot -- kudos, kids, a really fine job.on the whole, it's a sousa effect, loud on loud. there's no gentleness, airyness, fairyness to the places where gentle breezes should blow and cadences linger like a fragrance on the ears. there's business to be done here, there are antics and acrobatics to be performed. and this includes hough, who runs through the most magical and ethereal parts of the concertos with etude fingers. there's a sense that hough/oramo are working at cross purposes to the extent they don't seem to have the same conception of the concerto, unless it's the mood monotonic "OK, my turn." in the collard/previn there is a better esthetic shading, a feeling of ensemble, and you can actually imagine a gilded opera house filled with white bow ties and ostrich hair listening contentedly to musical tales that are, at their core, childlike confections.which brings me to the third difference: projected audience. hough/oramo play as if they are auditioning for a slot and you're the deciding judge. not sure which slot, but the playing here on both sides is "wow, let's knock this out of the park." you know it when you hear it -- very crisp, very articulated, punctato; the louds will test your drywall and the softs will -- well, who needs soft when you can have more loud? i cannot go so far as vulgar, since everyone here seems to be having a dashing good time ... but thank you for your service.the collard/previn is closer to my conception of what the brandied and buffoonish upper classes of 19th century france would have enjoyed most as their leisure, something that can be both dreamy and efficient, wistful and resolute, dramatic and stately, nimble and majestic, all the while infused with the utter contentment of an elite beloved of decaying royalty and despised by impoverished anarchists. music to soothe the souls that already sleep on silk sheets.

For those not familiar with the music of Saint Saens, these CDs are a wonderful introduction. And for those who do not know the pianist Stephen Hough, the treat is equally enlightening. Saint Saens went through a period in the late nineteenth century of some derision - his music was up against that of Wagner and eventually Debussy and Ravel, formidable competition in a post-romantic age of experimentation and newness. But if one listens to the Fifth Piano Concerto (the "African") one finds n amazing vista of colors, passion, fantastic orchestration and both virtuosic and moving piano passages. Saint Saens does two things with these pieces: he echoes the past and its rich romanticism and presages the future since one can find bits of rag time and the colorations that Rachmaninoff would use years later. Saint Saens musicality is enormous and pays tribute to the fact that he was every bit as precocious as Mozart at an early age and certainly as inventive. When I listen to the Fifth Piano Concerto, from the first note on, I am made happy - something music should do beyond analytic appreciation and comparison with other artists. Try him; you will love him!

I'm shocked. Truly. I think Hough is a phenomenal pianist. I generally buy his recordings without regard to what he's playing, and I love them all. And while these works are not my favorites, I thought for sure that if anyone could make me love them, it would be Hough.Wrong. He is technically brilliant, as always, but there's little beauty of line here; it's just pyrotechnics with an orchestral accompaniment, though sometimes it seems as though they were playing independently of each other.I haven't listened to my other recording of these works - the old one with Collard and Previn - in a long time, but I remember them having moments of great beauty. I just didn't get that here.I debated whether to give this two stars or three. I leaned towards two, but given Hough's virtuosity I gave him the benefit of the doubt. However, given the price and quality differentials, if you like these works (or even if you don't), get the other one.

This is a superb recording by Hyperion which will delight devotees of these works and audiophile listeners . Hyperion have captured the sound of a beautiful instrument, tonally suited to these works, and well balanced with a fine contribution from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakiri Oramo.In particular, I enjoyed Stephen Hough's performance of the 5th piano concerto which contains some really beautiful melodies. I found myself marveling over small details of expression and touch which added immeasurably to my listening experience. If you have other performances of these concertos don't hesitate over buying this new recording. It is really worth hearing.

Wow..... Hands down the best recording of Saint-Saens Piano Concertos. Nothing else comes close. Try to sample tracks from the third movement of the 5th Piano Concerto and you will see my point. Pretty good recording quality.

Stephen Hough's playing on this 2-CD set is outstanding.- full of colour and vigour. The CBSO led by Sakari Oramo is equal to the task of accompanying this brilliant modern pianist.This is technically a remarkably clear recording by Hyperion, and a joyful addition to my collection. The last track the 'African Fantasie for piano and orchestra Op.89 is especially worthwhile.

Hough and Saint-Saens. You can't go wrong!

The piano is way forward. Somewhat unusual. The power of the piano here is intoxicating. May be musically incorrect. But it's an audiophile's dream.

I bought this for piano concertos 1,3 and 5, since I am already a lover of numbers 2 and 4, which I already have on another recording.However, I was amazed by the extra level of expression in 2 & 4 compared with the many other versions I have heard, though I would expect nothing less from the unquestionable genius of the Hough.I'm by no means an expert, but am a huge fan of Saint-Saens, and these recordings stand out above all others I have heard.

Brilliant performance and recording of these works

Excellent recording with this combination of great musicians. A bit pricey for a CD's these days , hence four stars.

I have had this recording for some time now and never tire of hearing it.......absolutely beautiful!

Another fin recording by Steven Hough