Piano Concerto No.5 "The Egyptian" in F major, Op.103

Camille Saint-Saëns composed his last Piano Concerto No. 5 while in Egypt in the winter of 1895-1896. It was published in 1896 with a dedication to the pianist Louis Dimmer (1843 - 1919), who performed it several times. Its premiere on 6 May 1896, at which Saint-Saëns himself was soloist, marked the 50^th anniversary of the composer's debut at the Salle Pleyel in Paris in 1846. The music of this imaginatively written work was very well received by the critics. The name Egyptian was added later to the concerto, linked to its place of composition, in the temple city of Luxor, and to the 'exotic' nature of the music. The Piano Concerto No. 5 appeared 20 years after his Piano Concerto No 4. In between were Violin Concertos No. 2 and 3, his Caprice in Waltz Form for piano and orchestra, Havanese for violin and orchestra Op. 83, in E major, and the colourful orchestral suites Algerian Suite Op. 60 (1880) and Africa Op. 89 (1891). According to Saint-Saëns, the work recreated a sea voyage. The "exotic" character of the concerto, as well as the suites, is related to Saint-Saëns' harmonic language. In the Concerto, he used the minor key with an augmented sixth and seventh degree, which gives the music an "Eastern" character; he also included various sounds he heard on his Nile voyage, a "Nubian love song," etc. The first movement begins with a melody in the piano that develops harmoniously as a hint of exotic destinations. Two contrasting themes alternate. And the pulsating texture of the piano and orchestra seem to remind us that we are traveling on the sea. In the composer's words, the second movement takes us on a journey to the Far East. Saint-Saëns points out that he heard the main theme, a "Nubian love song," from boatmen on the Nile and recorded its melody on one of his sleeves. The end of the movement is characterized by impressionistic sounds representing frogs and the chirping of Nile crickets. The third movement is epic and energetic, full of coloristic effects. It is the delight of a sea voyage. The complex cadenza in the third movement was later included in the examination works of advanced pianists at the Paris Conservatoire. On the thematic material of the third movement of the Concerto, Saint-Saëns composed in 1899 the "Toccata", which concludes the series of "Six Etudes" for piano op. 111. It is dedicated to Raoul Puño, known for his brilliant technique.