Symphonie Espagnole (+ Saint-Sa‰ns: Violin Concerto 3) [Masters]

Saint-Saëns's reputation rests on a few popular works--Danse Macabre, Symphony No. 3, The Carnival of the Animals--but his output was far more vast and varied than most people realize. The Third Violin Concerto is one of the great Romantic masterpieces for the instrument, yet it's much less popular than it once was. Whatever the reasons, they certainly aren't Itzhak Perlman's fault, for he simply plays the daylights out of both this piece and Lalo's ever popular Symphonie espagnole. I'm always amazed, when listening to the Saint-Saëns composition, just how well-written it is, and how good it always sounds. Perhaps his level of sheer craftsmanship was so high that people lose sight of the music's genuine inspiration. --David Hurwitz