Memories of a Musician: Reminiscences of Seventy years of Musical Life

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

135-6

text excerpt

The concert on June 15th was most interesting, for it was the occasion of the first appearance in England at an orchestral concert of the celebrated French composer and pianist, M. Camille Saint-Saens. I had engaged him to come over from Paris and play one of his own concertos, not previously heard here, the now well-known one in G minor, No. 2, which was afterwards to become a favourite piece of all the great pianists at home and abroad. Needless to say, the audience was enchanted. I was thus the first to have given Saint-Saens the opportunity of playing one of his concertos here, and I continued to engage him for three consecutive seasons. None of the London Orchestral Societies gave him the chance of being heard at their concerts, and I am therefore very proud of having brought him before the public. I have alluded elsewhere to him, and I much treasure a valuable breast-pin which he presented to me.

excerpt from 'Memories of a Musician: Reminiscences of Seventy years of Musical Life' pp. 135-6 (160 words)

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