SACD

C. Saint-Saëns: Piano Concertos Vol. II

Saint-Saëns, Camille

WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln | Malikova, Anna (piano) | Sanderling, Thomas (conductor)

To attribute a seriousness of purpose to Anna Malikova’s recent recording on Audite with the WDR Sinfonie Orchester Köln under Thomas Sanderling to the mere fact that her performance is the only one in this survey to have been recorded in Germany is surely over-simplistic. But there is little doubt that both soloist and conductor have approached the work from a more symphonic angle attempting to make the rhapsodic first movement sound as structurally lucid as possible. In the finale, Malikova opts for a surprisingly slow tempo, but such is the rhythmic incisiveness of her playing and the powerful support from the orchestra that the movement really builds to an impressive and convincing climax.