Composed during a period of social readjustment in post-war France, the First Cello Concerto marked Saint-Saëns’ acceptance as a composer among the establishment, and has long been one of his most admired works. Recognition for the fiendishly technical Second Cello Concerto took longer, although its tranquil central movement contains one of the most sublime melodies Saint-Saëns ever wrote. Cellist Gabriel Schwabe also performs The Swan from Carnival of the Animals alongside the less well-known Bach-inspired Suite in D minor, Allegro appassionato and Romance, to present a program of Saint-Saëns’ complete works for cello and orchestra.
Saint-Saens: Works for Cello & Orchestra
