La Princesse Jaune
The first of Saint-Saens's operas to hit the stage was created to satisfy the craze for Japan that was sweeping Paris in the 1870s. It cleverly conjures up the colourful sounds of the Orient for western ears. A young doctor falls in love with the picture of a Japanese girl and sets out to bring her to life with a magic potion. Sung in English, with dialogue adapted for radio by Richard Langham Smith.
Saint-Saens Suite Algérienne La Princesse Jaune
BBC Concert Orchestra, conductor Peter Robinson