Over to Paris this week for a concert by Orchestre de Paris, conducted by Alain Altinoglu and featuring Pianist Romain Descharmes in a program of music by Chabrier, Saint-Saens and Florent Schmitt.

The venerable war-horse Espana by Emmanuel Chabrier opens the concert, followed by a wildly well-received Saint-Saens Piano concerto Number 2, with Pianist Romain Descharmes, who follows with two encores. The concert concludes with the seldom heard (at least here in the U.S.) La Tragèdie de Salomè by the early 20th century composer Florent Schmitt.

A good concert of mostly familiar music done as only a French orchestra can.

The concert is broken up between two players - the Chabrier and the Saint-Saens (and encores) are on the top player and the Schmitt is on the bottom player.

For you note takers:

16 mai 2012
En direct de la Cité de la Musique : Chabrier, Saint-Saëns, Schmitt

Emmanuel Chabrier
España (1883)

Camille Saint-Saëns
Concerto N°2 en sol mineur Op.22 (1868)

Florent Schmitt
La Tragédie de Salomé Op.50 (1907)

Romain Descharmes, Piano
Orchestre de Paris
Alain Altinoglu, Direction
Coproduction Cité de la musique, Orchestre de Paris.

Enjoy.

Some meat-and-potatoes this week from Madrid. The Orquesta Nacional de Espana conducted by the great Rafael Fruhbech de Burgos and featuring piano icon Emanuel Ax in a program of Beethoven and Berlioz, recorded live in concert by Radio Nacional Espana on January 22, 2012.

Here's the rundown:

Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España
Transmisión directa desde el Auditorio Nacional de Música de Madrid.

BEETHOVEN: Concierto para piano y orquesta nº 5 en Mi bemol mayor, Op. 73 “Emperador”.

BERLIOZ: Sinfonía fantástica, Op. 14.

Emanuel. Ax (p.), Orq. Nacional de España. Dir.: R. Frühbeck de Burgos.

The Beethoven is on the top player and the Berlioz is on the bottom player.

Happy Anti-Road Rage Wednesday!