Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Piano Concerto no. 2 in G minor, Op.22

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Where the baton meets the heart: Nézet-Séguin and his Montreal orchestra

By Mengguang Huang, 26 June 2025

Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s charismatic leadership and the Orchestre Métropolitain’s seamless unity brought Ravel, Saint-Saëns, and Tchaikovsky to life in a gripping, deeply expressive Hamburg performance.

*****

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*****

Hamburg

26 Jun 2025

Nézet-Séguin and the Orchestre Métropolitain in Hamburg

By Mengguang Huang

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Edinburgh

Spectacular Saint-Saëns from Trpčeski at the RSNO’s Valentine’s Concert

By Simon Thompson, 16 February 2024

Trpčeski sparkles in Saint-Saëns' Second Piano Concerto in an adventurous Valentine's treat, while a slimmed-down fantasia makes Szymanowski's King Roger digestible.

****1

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****1

Edinburgh

16 Feb 2024

Spectacular Saint-Saëns at the RSNO’s Valentine’s Concert

By Simon Thompson

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Seattle

Master of contrasts: Lang Lang excels in Saint-Saëns in Seattle

By Erica Miner, 29 September 2023

A manic 20th-century ride and a Technicolor showpiece bookend the astounding virtuosity of superstar pianist Lang Lang.

*****

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*****

Seattle

29 Sep 2023

Master of contrasts: Lang Lang excels in Saint-Saëns in Seattle

By Erica Miner

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Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Orchestra opens its season with fanfare and frivolity

By Cameron Kelsall, 28 September 2022

The gala audience rejoices in Lang Lang's virtuosic performance of Saint-Saëns’ Second Piano Concerto, while Yannick Nézet-Séguin offers a revelatory reading of Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony.

****1

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****1

Philadelphia

28 Sep 2022

The Philadelphia Orchestra opens its season with fanfare and frivolity

By Cameron Kelsall

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London

Compelling music-making from the London Symphony Orchestra

By David Truslove, 11 November 2021

Clarity of articulation and ensemble underlined gripping performances in a programme that could have been a one-horse race.

*****

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*****

London

11 Nov 2021

Compelling music-making from the London Symphony Orchestra

By David Truslove

Paris

100% Saint-Saëns for the composer's centenary year at the Philharmonie

By Simon Thompson, 03 March 2021

The familiar and the fresh sit next to one another in a concert from Paris in the centenary of the composer's death.

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Paris

03 Mar 2021

100% Saint-Saëns for the composer's centenary year at the Philharmonie

By Simon Thompson

Bordeaux

Fruits musicaux de la France: Saint-Saëns and Berlioz from Bordeaux

By Alexander Hall, 01 March 2021

Bertrand Chamayou proves an ideal soloist for the quixotic and energy-driven Saint-Saëns Second Piano Concerto, but what happened to the “fix” in the idée fixe of the Berlioz Fantastic Symphony?

***11

***11

Bordeaux

01 Mar 2021

Fruits musicaux de la France: Saint-Saëns and Berlioz from Bordeaux

By Alexander Hall

London

Prom 51: Hearty Elgar from Oramo and the BBCSO

By Mark Pullinger, 22 August 2017

Is traditional English pub grub popular in Helsinki? Perhaps Sakari Oramo got a taste for it during his Birmingham years for there was something “stout and steaky” about last night’s hearty performance of Elgar’s Third Symphony.

***11

***11

London

22 Aug 2017

Prom 51: Hearty Elgar from Oramo and the BBCSO

By Mark Pullinger

Melbourne

Fraternity and frivolity: from Bizet to Elgar in Melbourne

By Nicholas Young, 28 July 2017

Under Benjamin Northey's baton and Kristian Chong's fingers, Bizet's Carmen Suite and Saint-Saëns' Second Piano Concerto dazzle, but it's Elgar's Sospiri and Enigma Variations that truly made the evening.

***11

***11

Melbourne

28 Jul 2017

Fraternity and frivolity: from Bizet to Elgar in Melbourne

By Nicholas Young

Atlanta

Beautifully played Vaughan Williams crowns program in Atlanta

By William E Ford, 23 February 2017

Conductor Michael Francis and pianist Benjamin Grosvenor have an auspicious debut with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

****1

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Atlanta

23 Feb 2017

Vaughan Williams 5 crowns program in Atlanta

By William E Ford

Manchester

BBC Philharmonic and Ben Gernon: Relishing in Revolution

By Rohan Shotton, 04 February 2017

An uneven evening of magnificent Debussy and Saint-Saëns alongside an Eroica which fell flat

***11

***11

Manchester

04 Feb 2017

BBC Philharmonic and Ben Gernon: Relishing in Revolution

By Rohan Shotton

Birmingham

Jaw-dropping brilliance: Abduraimov's Saint-Saëns impresses in Birmingham

By Clive Peacock, 13 December 2016

Behzod Abduraimov's playing marks the highlight of the CBSO's latest matinee programme.

****1

****1

Birmingham

13 Dec 2016

Jaw-dropping brilliance from Abduraimov

By Clive Peacock

Vienna

The Russian–French Connection in the Musikverein

By Chanda VanderHart, 03 December 2016

In the first and last sections dance themes and virtuosic solo work bustle about, playing with percussive elements and darting from thought to thought like a child whirling elatedly through a festival

****1

****1

Vienna

03 Dec 2016

The Russian–French Connection in the Musikverein

By Chanda VanderHart

Liverpool

Spectacular Saint-Saëns from Ian Fountain and Cristian Mandeal in Liverpool

By Richard Ely, 10 November 2016

Cristian Mandeal and the RLPO offer an evening of mixed fortunes, with Brahms' Third Symphony not reaching the same level of inspiration as Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto no. 2.

***11

***11

Liverpool

10 Nov 2016

Spectacular Saint-Saëns in Liverpool

By Richard Ely

Sydney

Alan Holley's ornithological interlude between two masterpieces in Sydney

By Tony Burke, 11 November 2015

Alan Holley's Oboe Concerto formed the centrepiece of Miguel Harth-Bedoya's Sydney Symphony programme.

*****

*****

Sydney

11 Nov 2015

An ornithological interlude in Sydney

By Tony Burke

Houston

Dragging tempos pull back a glowing Houston Symphony program

By Sydney Boyd, 20 February 2015

Hans Graf conducts the Houston Sympony and proves even a line-up of symphonic favorites can be foiled by a tepid tempo.

**111

**111

Houston

20 Feb 2015

Dragging tempos pull back a glowing program

By Sydney Boyd

London

Prom 43: Delius, Saint-Saëns and Tchaikovsky with the RPO

By Tom Hancox, 14 August 2012

If this year's Delius anniversary glut – he was born in 1862 – has taught us anything, it is how difficult his music is to capture: beautifully idiosyncratic at best, but plain boring if wrong.

***11

***11

London

14 Aug 2012

Prom 43: Delius, Saint-Saëns and Tchaikovsky with the RPO

By Tom Hancox

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Paris

La rencontre de l'inimitable Lang Lang et de Klaus Mäkelä à la Philharmonie

By Alain Lompech, 12 June 2024

Le pianiste chinois a proposé un Concerto n° 2 de Saint-Saëns aux allures de « Offenbach chez Disney » ; quant au directeur musical de l'Orchestre de Paris, il a montré tout son art de la direction d'orchestre.

***11

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***11

Paris

12 Jun 2024

La rencontre de l'inimitable Lang Lang et de Klaus Mäkelä à Paris

By Alain Lompech

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Zurich

Erfolg für den Einspringer: Pianist Louis Schwizgebel mit dem CBSO in Zürich

By Thomas Schacher, 23 October 2023

Eklat bei der Schweizer Tournee des City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra: Starpianist Fazıl Say wurde wegen einer Israel-kritischen Äusserungen kurzfristig ausgeladen. Eine Chance für den Einspringer.

****1

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Zurich

23 Oct 2023

Erfolg für den Einspringer: Louis Schwizgebel mit dem CBSO in Zürich

By Thomas Schacher

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Brussels

Stéphane Denève et le Brussels Philharmonic dans la démesure à Flagey

By Valentin Gautron Lavarone, 26 November 2021

Après un concerto très poétique aux côtés de David Kadouch, Stéphane Denève et son Brussels Philharmonic déploient des moyens titanesques (avec notamment une belle octobasse) dans la Symphonie fantastique.

****1

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Brussels

26 Nov 2021

Stéphane Denève et le Brussels Philharmonic dans la démesure

By Valentin Gautron Lavarone

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La Coruña

Sobrehumano Denis Kozhukhin con la Sinfónica de Galicia y Nuno Coelho

By Pablo Sánchez Quinteiro, 19 November 2021

La Sinfónica de Galicia nos llevó del desasosiego de la música de Zimmermann a la amabilidad de Haydn pasando por un vertiginoso concierto de piano de Saint-Saëns bajo la elegante batuta de Nuno Coelho.

****1

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****1

La Coruña

19 Nov 2021

Sobrehumano Denis Kozhukhin con la Sinfónica de Galicia y Nuno Coelho

By Pablo Sánchez Quinteiro

Châteauroux

Le Carnaval des Lisztomanias, par Nathanaël Gouin et Paul Lay

By Alain Lompech, 16 October 2021

Des transcriptions d'œuvres de Saint-Saëns jusqu'aux improvisations à quatre mains, le talent et l'esprit de Nathanaël Gouin et Paul Lay ont illuminé le festival castelroussin.

****1

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Châteauroux

16 Oct 2021

Le Carnaval des Lisztomanias, par Nathanaël Gouin et Paul Lay

By Alain Lompech

Madrid

Dos románticos clásicos para Rouvali y Fernández: Saint-Saëns y Schubert con la Orquesta Nacional

By Leonardo Mattana Ereño, 16 January 2021

Santtu-Matias Rouvali dirigió Schubert y Saint-Saëns frente a la Orquesta Nacional de España en dos obras que mantienen afinidad por su riqueza melódica, su impulso y sus contornos nítidos.

***11

***11

Madrid

16 Jan 2021

Dos románticos clásicos para Rouvali y Fernández

By Leonardo Mattana Ereño

Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Stravinsky retrouve Ravel : l'OFJ, Gabel et Chamayou à Saint-Jean-de-Luz

By Arthur Macé, 02 September 2019

Le Festival Ravel a accueilli l'Orchestre Français des Jeunes, dirigé par Fabien Gabel. Berlioz, Saint-Saëns et Stravinsky ont suscité l'enthousiasme de l'auditoire réuni dans l'église de Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

*****

*****

Saint-Jean-de-Luz

02 Sep 2019

L'OFJ, Gabel et Chamayou à Saint-Jean-de-Luz

By Arthur Macé

Geneva

L’Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne à la sauce finnoise : électrisant !

By Thomas Muller, 19 October 2016

L’Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne en voyage à Genève a fait montre d’une très belle cohésion sous la baguette énergique de Santtu-Matias Rouvali.

****1

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Geneva

19 Oct 2016

L’Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne à la sauce finnoise : électrisant !

By Thomas Muller

Paris

Jeudi symphonique à Radio France : Krivine ne démérite pas

By Suzanne Lay-Canessa, 03 March 2016

Si l’on ne doute pas que les programmes prévus pour les 3 et 5 mars sous la direction du chef napolitain auraient fait merveille, Emmanuel Krivine ne s’est pas contenté de sauver les meubles, et a assuré, avec humilité et maîtrise, un concert tout à fait mémorable.

****1

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Paris

03 Mar 2016

Jeudi symphonique à Radio France : Krivine ne démérite pas

By Suzanne Lay-Canessa