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.

With donations trickling in today, we're almost at the 30% mark. We still have a ways to go before I can make the bills. But thanks to you, and to your friends and the people you've told about Newstalgia to, we're slowly getting there. Many thanks to all of you who have donated and left kind words. I'm here because you're here, and I'll keep being here as long as I can, hopefully bringing you sounds you may not be familiar with or have forgotten all about. So whatever you can do, whatever you can donate - there is no sum too small that doesn't help chip away at this crisis. We can make it. My deepest appreciation to you all.

The name Florent Schmitt doesn't ring many bells these days. A prolific composer and respected critic, Schmitt composed some 150 works, ranging from instrumental and chamber pieces to Ballets and Orchestral works.

But out of that 150 compositions, only a tiny fraction have ever been recorded, let alone performed, since their premiers.

While still tackling the mountain of French Radio transcriptions from the 1940's and 1950's, I ran across Oriane et le Prince d'amour, which I don't think has ever been recorded commercially. This performance comes by way of a broadcast concert given by The French National Orchestra, conducted by the legendary Jean Martinon. Since none of these transcriptions have recording dates on them, my best guess is it comes from the 1956-1957 period.

Someone else you may not be familiar with, or someone you are, but may not be familiar with this piece.

In any case, enjoy and (cross fingers) we'll be back next week.