Piano Concerto No. 4 (Saint-Saëns)

It was premièred on October 31, 1875, at the Théâtre du Châtelet of Paris, with the composer as the soloist.

[1] The concerto is dedicated to Anton Door, a professor of piano at the Vienna Conservatory.

In one sense it is structured like a four-movement symphony, but these are grouped in pairs.

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.

The concerto is scored for solo piano, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani and strings.