Saarländisches Staatsorchester

Sibelius Valse triste Op. 44 No. 1
Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 5 Op. 103 « The Egyptian »
Sibelius Symphony No. 6 Op. 104
Liszt Hungarian Fantasy S. 123 for piano and orchestra

Much like the long dark locks brushing his face as he plays, his unique style and charm strike an unusual chord on the classical music scene. This Frenchman with a Mexican mother and Lebanese father exudes a distinctive, fresh, multicultural aura. For his first performance two seasons ago, he played a programme around Liszt’s iconic Sonata in B and its resonances in South-American music. Last season, audiences were treated to an evening of unusual musical selections and guest performers. This evening, he tackles Saint-Saëns and Liszt. In addition to being a piano virtuoso and renowned organist, Saint-Saëns was also a composer, and his catalogue includes five piano concertos. The last concerto, No. 5 composed in 1896, is full of the perfumes of the East, evoking the musician’s trip to the banks of the Nile (hence the subtitle “Egyptian”). This score is rich in harmonies with subtle contrasts in ambiance and unusual blends of timbres which make it a significant work in the concerto repertoire. It provides fertile ground for this pianist’s musical sensitivity.

Production Grandes Scènes Musicalta