Gabriel Fauré 1845–1924
Pelléas et Mélisande Suite, op. 80
Camille Saint-Saëns 1835–1921
Piano Concerto no. 5, op. 103 - ‘The Egyptian'
Francis Poulenc 1899–1963
Sinfonietta for orchestra, FP. 141
duration concert → 1h 45min
including 20min intermission
A trip across the seven seas by steamer – this is how Saint-Saëns saw his Fifth Piano Concerto. French subtlety meets Eastern sound effects full of Oriental dreams. Pianist Hannes Minnaar easily conjures up the irresistible flair and subdued humour of this concerto. Poulenc did not like to see his work as grand, but all the same, his Sinfonietta became an elated masterpiece. A sophisticated trip in the hands of the Belgian conductor David Reiland.
