Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Concerto pour piano n° 2 en sol mineur, op. 22
concerto pour piano n° 4 en do mineur, op. 44
Concerto pour piano n° 5 en fa majeur, op. 103 "L'Egyptien"

Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)
Fantaisie en la bémol majeur

Albert Périlhou (1846-1936)
Fantaisie pour piano et orchestre

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
Fantaisie en sol majeur

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
Aubade

Marguerite Roesgen-Champion (1894-1976)
Idylle & Passepied

Jean Françaix (1912-1997)
Concertino
Concerto pour piano et orchestre

Henri Sauguet (1901-1989)
Concerto pour piano n° 1 en la mineur

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Concerto pour piano pour la main gauche en ré majeur
Concerto pour piano en sol majeur

Jeanne-Marie Darré, piano
Alfred Cortot, piano
Kazuko Kusama, piano
Marcelle Herrenschmidt, piano
Lucien Wurmser, piano
Jean Doyen, piano
Francis Poulenc, piano
Marguerite Roesgen-Champion, piano
Jean Françaix, piano
Arnaud de Gontaut-Biron, piano
Jacques Février, piano
Emile Passani, piano

This set brings together twelve French-trained pianists performing thirteen French works for piano and orchestra of which ten are premiere recordings. Most of the performers knew the composers and worked with them and four works are performed by their composers. It’s hard to imagine a more definitive view of this repertoire, recorded at a time when French pianism still had a very distinctive personal voice, and as such, these recordings, many little known, area permanent legacy of their time.