We're up to S in the marathon that is listening to all the classical CDs that have accumulated in our possession over the years (OK, let's be honest, I've bought a lot of music, probably indulgently at times).
Saint-Saens is much under-rated, as are most composers of art music, IMHO. I was enjoying again his Fifth Piano Concerto, the 'Egyptian' (not genuinely Middle Eastern, by any stretch of the imagination), and wondering whether I might get another concerto opportunity in the next couple of years. S-S wrote some unusual chamber works - particularly the Septet (piano, trumpet and strings). This is an odd piece, almost a compilation of ditties and 'training' moments, but full of surprises and beauty, too. This time round I could have sworn that the trumpet's main melody in the second movement is 'These are a few of my favourite things' from The Sound of Music.
