Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921)
Once described as the French Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns was a talented and precocious child, with interests by no means confined to music.
At the age of ten he made his debut as a pianist.
For nearly twenty years he was organist at the Madeleine in Paris.
He also taught at the Ecole Niedermeyer, where he his pupils included Gabriel Faurè and Messager.
In 1871 he founded, together with Romain Bussine, the Société Nationale de Musique to revive the artistic and cultural value of French music.
Saint-Saëns composed large quantities of music for a great variety of instrumental and vocal combinations.
He also made extensive tours in Europe, the United States, South America and the Far East.
By the time of his death in 1921, his popularity in France had waned and many of his works are no longer played.
The Works
The best known of the thirteen operas completed by Saint-Saëns is "Samson et Dalila", a romantic treatment of the biblical story
Saint-Saëns wrote a number of sacred and secular choral works and made a considerable contribution to the body of French solo song.
The third of his three numbered symphonies, the so-called Organ Symphony, is the best known.
Other popular orchestral works include Le Rouet d'Omphale (Omphale's Wheel) and Danse macabre.
Saint-Saëns wrote five piano concertos, three violin concertos and two cello concertos.
Both the Introduction and Rondo capriccioso and Havanaise are familiar in the repertoire for violin and orchestra.
Saint-Saëns was equally prolific in his provision of chamber music, with a series of duo sonatas, including two violin sonatas, two cello sonatas and a variety of other pieces.
His popular zoological fantasy "Carnival of the Animals", for two pianos and orchestra was, in origin, written for the enjoyment of his friends.
Saint-Saëns wrote a lot of pieces for piano: Variations, Etuden, Scherzos, Rhapsodie, etc, and the important Variations on a Thema of Beethoven op.35 for two pianos.
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