Saint Saens - Piano Concerto No.4 2nd movement - Philippe Entremont

[pipobasel]

Phantastic, got tears - have seen Entremont in the age of this video in the Musiksaal in Basel, I was about 25 and he got standing ovations

[duskglow]

I never seem to get tired of Entremont's interpretation. I've heard several others and this is by far the best. He takes it at speed, with the requisite amount fo fire, always seeming hurried but never rushed. The recording with Ormandy, you can even hear the pedal.

[jgesselberty]

@duskglow Yes, Entremont was one of the greats. I have to agree with others on here, also, that Saint-Saens does not get his due. Most know him only through the Organ Symphony. The opera afficianado will be familiar with Samson et Dalila. But, the concerti (piano, violin, cello) are all gems. No. 4 for piano is a favorite, which I was introduced to through a performance by Robert Cassadesus (another neglegted keyboard giant).

[jorgeluissuriel]

The brass fanfare is precise and percussive. The arpeggiated piano chords and cadenzas remind me of an endlessly flowing river.

[atlatahuac]

heard Philippe at TCU's Ed Landreth Auditorium 10 years ago. Saunters in, briefest nod of the head, sits at edge of bench, as in above vid ...paunchy, tired of face ... then those huge hands approach the keyboard to play Debussy and other Fr gts of 1800/1900's. Thought he was going to lift the roof off. Effortless yet powerful, self assured. Every piece, one after the other, a cascade of imagery, light, passion ... soon the piano, the crowd, the stage disappeared ... just great music!

[profesorsergio]

So unforgettable masterpiece. Favourite and shared!!!!. Regards!!!, Sergio.

[Doc10Nemo]

@OrangeSodaKing: Does anyone have Entremont's recording of Rachmaninoff's Variations on a Theme of Paganini?  I heard this years ago, and still think it is one of the best recordings of this piece. Thanks.

[Doc10Nemo]

Thanks for sharing this rare gem of a performance. I've always liked Entremont's playing of the Saint-Saens piano concertos. It is too bad that this seems to be the only one available on YouTube.

[OrangeSodaKing]

@Doc10Nemo I can fix that. ;) I just got a record of Entremont playing Saint Saen's 2nd and 4th piano concertos. It was with Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra!

[mercantilist0]

@OrangeSodaKing I still have a recording on reel to tell tape that I bought in the mid 60s.

[trschaefer]

He plays so effortlessly... Bravo!

[outereconch04]

OMG, He was handsome! LOL!

[Mamasan41]

@outereconch04 He still IS handsome!!!!

[arachnoidcysts]

How does this not have more views?

[mercantilist0]

I purchased this recording many years ago on 7" reel tape (unfortunately the recorder now needs a belt). Karl Haas played and raved about the recording (say 45 years ago). Haas was a big fan of the Philadelphia and Ormandy any way. I believe he used to call the Orchestra the best sounding.

Like assindiastignani I would repeatedly listen to the latter part presented here.

[carlosantuckwell]

I first heard Entremont playing Grieg pf conc. on a CBS vinyl back in about 1966.

(Rachmaninov's Rhapsody...Theme of Paganini on the flip side.)

Eugene Ormandy cond. Philadelphia Orch.

I've never heard anyone come close to that performance. I actually Google'd that piece but haven't found it - how I would love to see footage of Phillipe playing the Grieg Am in his glory days.

A truly great rhapsodic pianist - looks like he was trained in Leschetizky technique too. : )

[allworking]

The technical demands of the Finale of this Concerto absolutely run the gamut (moreso even than the Finale of the Fifth Concerto), and Entremont hardly seems to break a sweat. Although I am partial to Aldo Ciccolini's versions of Saint-Saens, I wish Bell Telephone had taped the entire C-minor Concerto with Entremont (yes, he can play the other movements as well!)

[brtherjohn]

Entremont's cycle of all 5 concerti, Plasson, is still quite good, though the field is now more competitive with Roge and Collard in there. Very fine cycles. Still, his earlier pairing of concertos 2 and 4, with Ormandy has not been surpassed.

[tedbohne]

surely the finest pianist extant

[TitinioBayagbag]

senseless fireworks.....

[tedbohne]

@TitinioBayagbag A MORON! WE'VE DISCOVERED A REAL MORON. IT'S TINITIOSITBYAGAGBAG!!!

[dedbusted]

Entremont with Ormandy conducting is my favorite!

[bl88bl]

How I love this man's artistry. He has to be one of the top two or three pianists of the 20th century. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I surely wish there were some more videos of him on here.

[tedbohne]

@bl88bl HOW ABOUT THE FINEST PIANIST EXTANT!!

[bl88bl]

Amen, brother. Through the years I've had the great privilege of hearing him in person three times! And I have number of his recordings.

[assindiastignani]

I got his recording of the 2nd and 4th Saint-Säens Concertos with Philadelphia and Ormandy as a b'day present when I was a kid, and wore out the last mvt. of the 4th within a week - I must have listened to a at least 200 times. Now, how many years later, it's still the best Saint-Säens 4th.

[MCarey0608]

Philippe Entremont's interpretation of Rachmaninoff's 1st and 4th piano concerti are my favorite recordings of these masterworks.

[tedbohne]

The damnable misery is that no where can one find perhaps the finest performance ever of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exihbition,' as played by Phillipe Entremont. Or all of his renditions of

[tenorismo]

And the Greig . I love his recording of the Greig piano concerto

[tedbohne]

i found six copies of Mr. Entremont rendering Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, as well as Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor. EBAY!

[3a8o]

yo tengo un cd en donde el interpreta Sonata Nº14 en Do Mayor, Op. 27 Nº2 (Claro de Luna) de Beethoven. Esta impresionate como toca Presto agitato

[PhilPhilUSA]

Just wonderful!! I met Mr. Entremont backstage once around 1965...he was so gratious. Both his Liszt concertos are great, and for me both his Ravel concerto and his Nights in the Gardens of Spain (Ormandy) are the best ever recorded. (his Tchaikovsky with Bernstein is absolutely 'huge' and his Bartok 2 & 3 with Bernstein are very exhuberant. Mr. Entremont has suffered from jealousy but his great playing will not go away.

[Grigor99]

Entremont's version of the fourth concerto is without equal!

[Frozentoes1]

You need to listen to Pascal Rogé.

[mistyvapors]

I love this guy! I love his sound. I agree with the other person, there should be Entremont to watch.

[gmallada]

Como engordo este muchacho! miren una foto actual! ES UNA PELOTA!!! y en este video debia pesar 60kg! ahora debe pesar 110kg facil!

[marcussalieri]

trop sec trop brusque.c est pas du liszt///c est un eleve de marguerite long vive madame long mais son eleve tape trop fort sur le clavier

[snaaptaker]

Wonderful! I've enjoyed his recording of Saint-Saens' Concerto No.2 for many years, but I've never heard him play No.4 before.

And this is the first time I've been able to watch him play since I saw him in Washington,DC, back in the 50s, when he first came to the US and played the Tchaikowsky No.1.

We need more Entrement on YouTube.

Thank you very much for this.

[EdiEllerymissing]

Entremont is a great pianista, and hi is heir of Ravel trough his teacher. He plays like nobody Rachamninoff piano concerto no.4, and his Saint-Saens is just great.

[JorPove]

En la decada de los 60 vino a tocar a Costa Rica. Por diferencias con el Director de la Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional no salio en mitad del segundo concierto que ofrecia. A raiz de ese problema el gobierno de mi pais se preocupo de mejorar la calidad de la orquesta sinfonica .Algunos le recordamos mas por sus grabaciones y las de Saint Sanz eran sus preferidas.

[ornowhereisdark]

Entremont is one of the unsung heroes of twentieth century French pianism. His precision, clarity and bravura is in a school all his own. The same holds true of Saint-Saens, who despite being unknown to many, is arguably the greatest pianistic prodigy of all time--yes even more than Mozart or Mendelsohnn. Just listen to this piece again. Notice how hard it rocks.

[trschaefer]

I have always been a very big fan of Entremont. Thank you for posting this wonderful clip!

[flouz2]

I discovered him lately about 6 years ago (shame on me i'm french as well) playing Edvarg Grieg concerto.........MARVELLOUS !!!!!!

Thanks for sharing this video, if you have some more please...................

[crazynutalltheway]

He has for years been one of my most beloved pianists. I watched him live from about 8 feet away, in San Francisco, when he played the Hungarian Fantasy with the orchestra. It was just dazzling. This was away back in the early 1960's and he was young like in the video above. I'm thrilled that someone put in on YouTube!!!!! And especially that it is this concerto -- it is so exciting.

[Grigor99]

NOBODY plays this concerto better. Entremont has always owned this piece!

[jrbcd]

The Best Of 1967. Too bad we aren't treated to this greatness anymore in 2008 via the general media. We get bad singers instead. Entremont would never be an American Idol. I love Entremont. Let's get more of this stuff.

[ScurvyOaks]

This performance captures the moment perfectly. The high culture of the 1960s, before the onslaught of hippie barbarism, was a pinnacle of good taste. I was born in 1962, into a family that listened to classical music all the time, and this aesthetic has stayed with me powerfully.

[maxi937]

I have always liked Philippe's flamboyancy. charismatic pianist too. My kind of pianist!