Poster Satellite image of the Nile River delta, Egypt
Satellite image of the Nile River delta, Egypt
NASA image galleries - Public Domain - via Wikimedia Commons
Performance Today®

Saint-Saens's Egyptian Concerto

During a trip down the Nile, composer Camille Saint-Saens became captivated by an old authentic Nubian song. Captivation led to inspiration, and he transformed the tune into a piano concerto. On Wednesday's Performance Today, we'll hear pianist Stephen Hough and the Nashville Symphony play the "Egyptian" Concerto by Camille Saint-Saens.

Episode Playlist

Hour 1

Mikhail Glinka: Nocturne "Parting"
Alexei Lubimov, piano
Der Bote - Elegies for Piano
ECM 1771

Mason Bates: Mercury Soul
Alexander Fiterstein, clarinet; Michael Brown, piano
BPL Chamber Players, Dweck Cultural Center, Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, NY

Piano Puzzler: This week's contestant is Kristen Zoetewey from Grand Rapids, MI

Mikhail Glinka: Three Dances from A Life for the Tsar
German Symphony Orchestra; Alan Buribayev, conductor
Philharmonie, Berlin, Germany

Hour 2

Camille Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals (selections)
Renaud Capucon, violin; Esther Hoppe, violin; Beatrice Muthelet, viola; Gautier Capucon, cello; Frank Braley, piano; Emmanuel Pahud, flute
Le Carnaval Des Animaux
Virgin 45603

Jean Rivier: Grave et Presto
Equus Saxophone Quartet
Classical KING FM 98.1, KING FM Studios, Seattle, WA

Johann Sebastian Bach: Prelude & Fugue No. 22 in B-flat minor, BWV 891
National Music Festival Chamber Players
National Music Festival, Decker Theater, Gibson Center for the Performing Arts, Washington College, Chestertown, MD

Camille Saint-Saens: Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major, Op. 103 "Egyptian": Movements 1-3
Stephen Hough, piano; Nashville Symphony; Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Nashville Symphony, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nashville, TN

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About Performance Today®

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American Public Media’s Performance Today® is America’s most popular classical music radio program and a winner of the 2014 Gabriel Award for artistic achievement. The show is broadcast on hundreds of public radio stations across the country, including at 1 p.m. central weekdays on Minnesota Public Radio. More information about our stations can be found at APM Distribution.

Performance Today® features live concert recordings that can’t be heard anywhere else, highlights from new album releases, and in-studio performances and interviews. Performance Today® is based at the APM studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, but is frequently on the road, with special programs broadcast from festivals and public radio stations around the country. Also, each Wednesday, composer Bruce Adolphe joins host Fred Child for a classical musical game and listener favorite: the Piano Puzzler.

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