Bachtrack top ten: Camille Saint-Saëns

Camille Saint-Saëns, photographed in 1910 by Pierre Petit

By Mark Pullinger, 09 October 2021

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“I produce music as an apple tree produces apples”

SangKwon Lee, 1st August

This summer, Myung-whun Chung leads one of Asia’s leading orchestras on its first ever tour through Europe, with an energetic programme featuring young piano soloist Bruce Liu.

Anna Lapwood: top ten organ works

Anna Lapwood, 24th August

Star organist, conductor and broadcaster Anna Lapwood is our guest curator, presenting her top ten – for today – favourites works for her instrument.

Bachtrack top ten: Frédéric Chopin

Mark Pullinger, 1st March

Ten works revealing the paradox of Chopin: a composer outwardly delicate, inwardly steely; rooted in Polish dance rhythms, yet formed in Parisian sophistication.

Bachtrack top ten: Gaetano Donizetti

Mark Pullinger, 29th November

A hugely successful composer of bel canto opera, Gaetano Donizetti had a lasting impact, with many of his operas entering regular rotation in houses around the world for almost 200 years.

Bachtrack top ten: Johann Strauss II

Mark Pullinger & Elisabeth Schwarz, 25th October

Music ran through the veins of Johann Strauss II and – despite his father’s opposition – he went on to compose many of the greatest waltzes ever.

Bachtrack top ten: Richard Strauss

Mark Pullinger, 11th June

From the early succès de scandale of Salome to a golden Indian summer, Richard Strauss’ long career spanned eight decades. Enjoy some highlights in our playlist.

Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.