Saint-Saëns, Goss & Franck: Piano Concertos

Emmanuel Despax is a rising star on the UK and international piano scene, who has performed at the Wigmore and Cadogan Halls in London, the Salle Gaveau and Louvre Auditorium in Paris, and with orchestras including the CBSO.

This debut concerto recording, with the Orpheus Sinfonia under Thomas Carroll, features the premiere recording of Stephen Goss’s Piano Concerto, inspired by the designs of Thomas Heatherwick (the work’s premiere performance was the first classical concert in which audiences were invited to bring their ipads and tablets, to watch an interactive display designed to accompany the music). The work is accompanied by two similarly expressive and characterful works, Saint-Saëns’ ever-popular Piano Concerto No 2 and Franck’s Variations symphoniques.

SIGCD349  68 minutes 54 seconds
'Impressive is the fact that all three works were recorded (with a couple of patching sessions) in a single live concert. Despax’s first concerto disc is, altogether, a noteworthy achievement' (Gramop ...
'Throughout these pieces Despax is finely accompanied by Carroll and the Orpheus Sinfonia. They get to show their serious metal in the Franck, their joie de vivre in the Saint-Saens and their sheer te ...