# Is Saint-Saëns' 2nd Piano Trio a favorite that nobody talks about?!



## Livly_Station (Jan 8, 2014)

This piano trio is just gorgeous! All of its five movements! Isn't it absolutely amazing?!

Is it just me who thinks that?! Am I crazy?! 

I just went through an extensive "advanced search" for Saint-Saëns in this whole forum and I didn't find any distinctive mention of this piano trio... that's ridiculous!

Here's the 1st movement! Look for the others yourselves, you lazy bunch!





I'm curious to see if anyone will reply


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

There may not be a separate thread on the second piano trio, but it has been mentioned in several threads, and it came 37th in the Talk Classical top125 recommended piano trios (link).

In general, I think his chamber music deserves more attention. It's a pity that many classical music enthusiasts mainly know him from a handful of works.


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## Livly_Station (Jan 8, 2014)

Art Rock said:


> There may not be a separate thread on the second piano trio, but it has been mentioned in several threads, and it came 37th in the Talk Classical top125 recommended piano trios (link).
> 
> In general, I think his chamber music deserves more attention. It's a pity that many classical music enthusiasts mainly know him from three works.


Oh, I was looking for threads with "Saint-Saëns" at the title, and all the discussion I read didn't go in depth with most of his music, especially his chamber works. Only his 3rd Symphony got an individual thread, which is really sad considering he is one of the most consistent composers of all time, full of really beautiful music across all genres of the romantic period.

I'm happy to see that this Piano Trio ranked in the Top 40, although I wonder if it shouldn't be even higher!


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## Highwayman (Jul 16, 2018)

lucashomem said:


> Here's the 1st movement! Look for the others yourselves, you lazy bunch!


This is one of my favourites by Saint-Saëns and I agree it`s somewhat underrated but I cannot say I like this performance (at least the first movement). I think my favourites are the ones by Joachim Trio (Naxos) and Trio Latitude 41.


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## Livly_Station (Jan 8, 2014)

Highwayman said:


> This is one of my favourites by Saint-Saëns and I agree it`s somewhat underrated but I cannot say I like this performance (at least the first movement). I think my favourites are the ones by Joachim Trio (Naxos) and Trio Latitude 41.


I've been listening to Chamayou a lot in the past weeks since becoming a fan of his Ravel complete piano works, so this interpretation clicked with me rather easily. That said, I agree that Trio Latitude 41 did an even better rendition (it was the one that made me discover this Piano Trio, so I'm biased haha), but I wanted to post a video of only the 1st movement to be more encouraging to people.






I'll check out the Joachim Trio recording.


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## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

Absolutely! It's one of my favorites. However, since you're throwing stones at us ("lazy bunch"), where have you been the last 7 years?! You joined over 7 years ago and are now just bringing it up. Lucashomem, I shall alert the lazy bum police of your transgression and turn you in for unforgivable negligence. :lol: You'll need good representation. Of course, since you admit to being crazy, you can plead insanity. 

By the way, The Florestan Trio released a great disc of Saint-Saens Piano Trios. I listen to it frequently.


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## Livly_Station (Jan 8, 2014)

SearsPoncho said:


> However, since you're throwing stones at us ("lazy bunch"), where have you been the last 7 years?! You joined over 7 years ago and are now just bringing it up. Lucashomem, I shall alert the lazy bum police of your transgression and turn you in for unforgivable negligence. :lol: You'll need good representation. Of course, since you admit to being crazy, you can plead insanity.


Hahaha! I'm not crazy, I swear! But I can defend myself with a sword, so be careful!

Well, I joined here years ago to "research" some random topics I was curious about, but that was the extent of my presence here as I was not interested in being part of the discussion. However, since recently I've been more obsessed with classical music again (I'm a seasonal person), I decided to enjoy the forum more.

Can't promise I'll stay active for long, though.


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## Bruckner Anton (Mar 10, 2016)

The second trio is a great piece, much different from his first in style (and better IMHO). So sad my favorite Beaux Arts Trio only recorded the first one.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

lucashomem said:


>


The guy in the middle looks like


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I am not a great fan of Saint-Saens but I love a good few of his works. The 2nd piano trio is one I enjoy a lot. I also love Tchaikovsky's piano trio from which Saint-Saens may have borrowed the first movement theme.


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## Livly_Station (Jan 8, 2014)

I adore all of Saint-Saëns' pieces I know, and his chamber music is my favorite from any of the romantic composers (please, don't kill me!). I really like his sense for melody, his polished sound, the sentimental but elegant flair of his music.


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## JohnP (May 27, 2014)

lucashomem said:


> I adore all of Saint-Saëns' pieces I know, and his chamber music is my favorite from any of the romantic composers (please, don't kill me!). I really like his sense for melody, his polished sound, the sentimental but elegant flair of his music.


You'll get no beef from me (much less a hit squad). You have the right to adore what you will, and I'm glad you feel something that deeply. For me, Saint-Saens's Piano Trios are great favorites.

Btw, if you don't know them, he did some terrific Bach transcriptions. The brilliant pianist Nadejda Vlaeva has a wonderful album of them on Hyperion. It's not chamber music, but you might enjoy it.


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## Livly_Station (Jan 8, 2014)

JohnP said:


> You'll get no beef from me (much less a hit squad). You have the right to adore what you will, and I'm glad you feel something that deeply. For me, Saint-Saens's Piano Trios are great favorites.
> 
> Btw, if you don't know them, he did some terrific Bach transcriptions. The brilliant pianist Nadejda Vlaeva has a wonderful album of them on Hyperion. It's not chamber music, but you might enjoy it.


Yes! I love this transcription! And it's my favorite Bach cantata too.

Btw, composer and youtuber David Bruce did an amazing piano rewriting of this work (although he took Bach's 3rd Violin Partita since it uses the same melody as the BWV 29 Cantata). It starts at 1:20:


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

JohnP said:


> Btw, if you don't know them, he did some terrific Bach transcriptions. The brilliant pianist Nadejda Vlaeva has a wonderful album of them on Hyperion. It's not chamber music, but you might enjoy it.


I listened to the transcription and was disappointed. This piano version sounds weak to me, and I noticed two or three awkward tempo moments. Well, transcriptions aren't my thing, so folks should probably take my comments with a grain of salt.


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## Livly_Station (Jan 8, 2014)

Bulldog said:


> I listened to the transcription and was disappointed. This piano version sounds weak to me, and I noticed two or three awkward tempo moments. Well, transcriptions aren't my thing, so folks should probably take my comments with a grain of salt.


Perhaps you disliked the interpretation? Here you can hear a more straightforward performance of the transcription while following the sheet music, and there are no tempo changes throughout the piece (with the exception of a standard ritardando before the end):


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