The Piano Concerto No. 4 in C minor, Op. 44 was composed by Camille Saint-Saëns in 1875. It was premièred on October 31, 1875, at the Théâtre du Châtelet of Paris, with the composer as the soloist. The concerto is dedicated to Anton Door, a professor of piano at the Vienna Conservatory. It continues to be one of Saint-Saëns' most popular piano concertos, second only to the Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor. Structure The fourth piano concerto is the composer's most structurally innovative piano concerto. In one sense it is structured like a four-movement symphony, but these are grouped in pairs. That is, the piece is divided into two parts, each of which combines two main movements (I. A moderate-tempo Theme and Variations in C minor; II. A slower, related Theme and Variations in A major; III. Scherzo in C minor; IV. Finale in C major). However, in each part there is a bridge-like transitional section, between the two main "movements" – for example, a fugal Andante in part II functions as an interlude between the two main triple-meter sections. Instrumentation The concerto is scored for solo piano, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani and strings. References Recordings Alfred Cortot, piano, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, conducted by Charles Munch 1935. Report CD Naxos 2000 Lélia Gousseau, piano, Orchestre National de la RTF, conducted by André Cluytens (Live 11/12/1956). CD INA 2014 Jeanne-Marie Darré, Complete piano concertos, Orchestre de la Radiodiffusion française, conductedby Louis Fourestier. Recorded 1955-1957. 2 CD Emi 1996 Alexander Brailowsky, piano, Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Charles Munch. LP His Master's Voice 1954 Grant Johannesen, piano, Philarmonia Orchestra, conducted by Georges Tzipine. LP His Master's Voice 1958 Robert Casadesus, piano, New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Bernstein. 1962. Report CD Sony 1993 François-René Duchable, piano, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strsbourg, conducted by Alain Lombard (with piano concerto n°2). CD Erato 1982. Stephen Hough, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sakari Oramo. CD Hyperion 2001. Gramophone Awards record of the year 2002. Diapason d'or, Choc Le Monde la Musique Jean-François Heisser, piano, Les Siècles, conducted by François-Xavier Roth. CD Actes Sud 2010 Alexandre Kantorow, piano, Tapiola Sinfonietta, conducted by Jean-Jacques Kantorow (with piano concertos n°3 & 5). SACD Bis 2019. Diapason d'or, Choc de Classica External links Daniel M. Fallon, "The Genesis of Saint-Saëns'