Camille Saint-Saëns

Camille Saint-Saëns

Source: M Files

Born in Paris on 9 Oct 1835, Camille Saint-Saëns was the only child of an official in the Ministry of Interior who died when Camille was not yet two months old. He was, however, a prodigy who started playing piano at age two. Beginning to compose at age three, his earliest surviving composition is dated 22 March 1839 when he was age four, that a piece for piano housed at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France. At age ten Saint-Saens made his public debut as a pianist in May of 1846 at the Salle Playel in Paris with renditions of Beethoven's 'Piano Concerto No.3' (comp 1800) and Mozart's 'Piano Concerto No.15' in B flat major (K 450 comp 1784). He matriculated into the Paris Conservatoire at age 13 in 1848. He there studied organ while composing numerous works dated circa 1850 including a choral titled 'Les Djinns' after the poem by Victor Hugo, an Overture in E minor, a Scherzo in A major and his 'Symphony in A major' R 159. Data below largely supplied by IMSLP and Wikipedia.

'Symphony in A Major'   Camille Saint-Saens   Op -   R 159   C 1850

ORTF National Orchestra conducted by Jean Martinon   1975

R numbers in Saint-Saens are per Sabina Ratner's Thematic Catalogue of 2002 published by Oxford University Press. Saint-Saens' Op 1, however, isn't assigned an R number: 'Trois Morceaux' pour harmonium composed in 1852, published in 1858.

'Trois Morceaux' for harmonium   Camille Saint-Saens   Op 1   R -

Composed 1852   Published 1858

Piano: Fumecri Himecri

Upon graduating from the Conservatoire in 1853 Saint-Saens became an organist at the Church of Saint-Merri. With more than 26,000 parishioners in that church, basic stipend plus funerals plus a couple hundred marriages per year made Saint-Saens a comfortable musician. His 'Symphony No. 1' in E flat major Op 2 was first performed on 18 Dec 1853.

'Symphony No.1' in E-flat major   Camille Saint-Saens   Op 2   R 161

Premiere 12 Dec 1853 in Paris w conducting by Francois Seghers

Performance above by the Wiener Symphoniker conducted by Georges Prêtre

'Symphony No. 2' in A minor Op 55 arrived to the Salle Pleyel in Paris on 25 March 1860:

'Symphony No.2' in A minor   Camille Saint-Saens   Op 55   R 161

Premiere 25 March 1860 in Paris w conducting by Jules Pasdeloup

Performance above by the Orchestre National de l'ORTF conducted by Jean Martinon   1973

In 1861 Saint-Saens began teaching at the École de Musique Classique et Religieuse, a school founded by Louis Niedermeyer in 1853. Among his numerous works for voice arrived another of several settings for 'Ave Maria' in 1865, that for soprano or tenor and organ in A major. He performed his 'Piano Concerto No.2' in G minor Op 22 R 190 w Anton Rubinstein conducting on 13 May 1868. In 1870 the Franco-Prussian War began, Saint-Saens serving in the French militia. His tone poem (symphonic poem), 'Le Rouet d'Omphale' in A major Op 31 was finished in 1871 toward its premiere in 1872.

'Ave Maria' in A major   Camille Saint-Saens   Op -   R -

Composed & published 1865

Soprano: Emma Halpin   Organ: Michael Herr

St. Michael Catholic Church   Memphis TN   2016

'Ave Maria' in A major   Camille Saint-Saens   Op -   R -

Composed & published 1865

Tenor: Jonathon Hampton  Organ: Paul Ellison

Church of the Advent of Christ the King   San Francisco   2020

'Le Rouet d'Omphale' ('The Spinning Wheel of Omphale')  Camille Saint-Saens   Op 31   R 169

Symphonic poem in A major   Composed 1871   Published 1872

Performance above by the Philharmonia Orchestra led by Charles Dutoit

Saint-Saens first ventured into theatre with the brief one-act 'Yellow Princess' Op 30 premiering at Opéra Comique (Salle Favart Theatre) in Paris on 12 June 1872. The year 1874 brought another of his four symphonic poems, 'Danse Macabre' in G minor Op 40, published the next year. Half a century later Leopold Stokowski conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra in a rendering of 'Danse Macabre' that was the first electrical recording of a classical orchestra, gone down on 29 April 1925 toward issue on Victor 6505. The first electrical recordings, after thirty-five years of acoustic scratch on either cylinders or discs, were actually made by Columbia beginning with pianist, Helen Clark, on 10 February 1925. Neither that nor other early Columbia recordings on successive dates were issued, leaving Victor to make the first electrical recordings toward commercial release per 'A Miniature Concert' gone down on 26 February 1925. Containing several titles featuring popular singers like Henry Burr, Albert Campbell and Billy Murray, that was issued in June on Victor 35753. The first issue of electrical recordings was actually in April 1925 on Victor 19626, though recorded later on 16 and 20 March by the Mask and Wig Glee Chorus ('Joan of Arkansas' on side A) and the International Novelty Orchestra ('Buenos-Aires' on side B). Pianist, Alfred Cortot, recorded titles on 21 March 1925 toward Victor 6502 along with other classical pieces released on 1101, 6612 and 1271 [DAHR].

'Dance Macabre' ('Death Dance')  Camille Saint-Saens   Op 40  R 171

Symphonic poem in G minor   Composed 1874   Published 1875

Performance above by the Philadelphia Orchestra led by Leopold Stokowski

Violin: Thaddeus Rich

First electric recording of an orchestra on 29 April 1925 in Camden NJ

Issued on Victor 6505 / Gramophone

'Dance Macabre' ('Death Dance')  Camille Saint-Saens   Op 40  R 171

Symphonic poem in G minor   Composed 1874   Published 1875

Performance above by the Marcin Józef Żebrowski Music School SO led by Zygmunt Nitkiewicz

Grand Theatre in Warsaw   2013

During the sixties and early seventies Saint-Saens had been living with his mother in a large fourth-story apartment. In 1875 that changed, Saint-Saens entering into an unhappy marriage. His first full-length opera arrived to the Théâtre de la Gaîté on 23 Feb 1877 per 'Le Timbre d'Argent' ('The Silver Bell'). Saint-Saens had composed that back in '65 w libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. He dedicated the work to one Albert Libon, who died three months later, leaving Saint-Saens a beneficiary of his legacy such that he would never have to be employed again. That working out better than his marriage, he quit playing church organ altogether in 1877.

'Le Timbre d'Argent' ('The Silver Bell')  Camille Saint-Saens   Op -   R 289

Premiere 23 Feb 1877 at the Théâtre de la Gaîté in Paris

Libretto: Jules Barbier / Michel Carré

Performance above by Les Siècles led by François-Xavier Roth

Saint-Saens premiered his next opera, 'Samson et Dalila' Op 47, at the Grand Ducal Grossherzogliches Theater (now the Staatskapelle) in Weimar on 2 Dec 1877. He was elected to the Institut de France in 1881, the same year he permanently parted from his wife. The Institut du France was founded in 1795 to eventually umbrella several Academies in arts, humanities and sciences.

Possibly Saint-Saens' most famous work was for chamber, 'The Carnival of the Animals' R 125 which initial private performance was held on 9 March 1886. Movement 13 (of 14) is his popular 'Le Cygne' ('The Swan'). Saint-Seans conducted his concertante, 'Symphony No.3' ('Organ Symphony') in E minor Op 78 the same year in London at St. James Hall on 19 May, that a huge success and the first of a number of notable appearances in England.

'Le carnaval des animaux' ('The Carnival of Animals')  Camille Saint-Saens   Op -   R 125

Premiere (private) 9 March 1886   Published posthumously 1922

Performance above by the Chamber Ensemble Music Academy in Zagreb, Croatia   2012

'Symphony No.3' in C minor ('Organ Symphony')   Camille Saint-Saens   Op 78   R 176

Premiere 19 May 1886 at St. James Hall in London w conducting by Saint-Saens

Performance above by the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Paavo Järvi in London   2013

Saint-Saens' 'Egyptische' titles 'Piano Concerto No.5' Op 103 R 205, an exotic concertante pairing off orchestra with solo piano, which Saint-Saens performed at its premiere on 6 May 1896 at his own Jubilee Concert (since his first performance at the Salle Playel in 1846).

'Piano Concerto No.5' in F major ('Egyptische')   Camille Saint-Saens   Op 103   R 205

Composed in Cairo 1896

Premiere 2 June 1896 at the Salle Playel in Paris w piano by Saint-Saens

Performance above by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra   Amsterdam   2011

Piano: Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Saint-Saens published his prose work 'Portraits et Souvenirs' in 1900. He is the earliest-born composer in the VF History to commercially record, not on cylinder, but flat disc, the latter for G & T (Gramophone and Typewriter Company) on 26 June 1904 in Paris. Five solo titles went down including 'Africa', 'Piano Concerto No.2' and 'Rhapsodie d'Auvergne', along with four tracks supporting mezzo-soprano, Meyriane Héglon. Saint-Saens also perforated at least fifty piano rolls beginning in 1904. Saint-Saens isn't, however, the first classical composer of note to document his music on flat disc. DAHR has 'Semper Fidelis' and 'The Gladiator March' going down by the Souza Band for Berliner prior to 1895. Brahms had recorded 'Hungarian Dance No.1' on cylinder for Edison in 1889. Female composer and pianist, Cecil Chaminade, recorded on flat disc in London in 1901, followed by Edvard Grieg in 1903 ('To Spring' et al). Claude Debussy recorded 'Pelleas et Melisande' sometime in 1904, a duet w soprano, Mary Garden. Saint-Saens visited with Gramophone in Paris again on 24 and 26 November of 1919 for eight more recordings including his last two which were takes of 'Havanaise' Op 83. Most data below supplied by Marston Records.

From 'Africa' Op 89 R 204

Camille Saint-Saens for the Gramophone and Typewriter Company (Gramophone)

Recorded 26 June 1904 in Paris   G T 0 355 06   3464f

From 'Piano Concerto No.2' Op 22 R 190

Camille Saint-Saens for the Gramophone and Typewriter Company (Gramophone)

Recorded 26 June 1904 in Paris   G T 0 355 09   3467f

From 'Rhapsodie d'Auvergne' Op 73

Camille Saint-Saens for the Gramophone and Typewriter Company (Gramophone)

Recorded 26 June 1904 in Paris   G T 0 355 10   3474f

From 'Rhapsodie d'Auvergne' Op 73

Piano roll by Camille Saint-Saens for Welte-Mignon   1905

Saint-Saens is also the earliest-born composer in the VF History to appear in film, that a silent produced in 1914 by Sacha Guitry of Saint-Saens performing 'Valse Mignonne' Op 104 (1896). That was or has been synced by one Jack Gibbons to Saint-Saens' 1919 recording of the same.

'Valse Mignonne' Op 104 R 47   Camille Saint-Saens

Silent film of 1914 synced to Gramophone recording of 24 Nov 1919

Having entered the 20th century yet touring throughout Europe, Saint-Saens is also among the earliest composers in the VF History to have visited the United States, reaching New York in 1906 and 1909 to considerable celebration. Others preceding him to America had been Johann Strauss II in the summer of 1872, Anton Rubinstein later that year, Leopold Godowsky in 1884, Fritz Kreisler in 1888, Ferruccio Busoni, Paderewski and Tchaikovsky in 1891, and Antonin Dvorák in 1892.

Saint-Saens' endeavor to boycott German music from Paris during World War I had little success. Though young Maurice Ravel would form a high opinion of Saint-Saens, he early disagreed with the latter's wartime rejection of German music, believing it the equivalent of packing music into shell casings to be used for bombs. In 1915 Saint-Saens published his text, 'On the Execution of Music, and Principally of Ancient Music'. It was the same year that his conservatism put distance between himself and a younger generation of composers, including Debussy, comparing the latter's "atrocious" 'En Blanc et Noir' of 1815 to Cubism. Though not real similar, Saint-Saens had early championed romantics like Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner about a generation older than he. He would develop some criticism of Wagner along the way, while "wretched" sums up Wagner's consideration of Saint-Saens.

In 1919 Saint-Saens published 'Musical Memories'. He gave his last concert in Paris at age 86, as lively as ever, then went to Algiers where he died of heart attack on 16 December 1921, the earliest-born composer in the VF History to live past World War I. His last assigned Opus is 'Feuillet d'Album' Op 169 published posthumously in 1922.

'Feuillet d'Album' Op 169 R 58   Camille Saint-Saens

Composed 1921   Published posthumously 1922

Piano above by Geoffrey Burleson   2012

There is long a tendency to roost by composers and performers of conservative Church music, secular musicians ever more mobile, a comparison true across genres since the troubadours of France. As for romantic Saint-Saens, he himself was a Deist (belief in God based in metaphysics) and toured extensively, said to have performed in 27 countries, also placing him among the first truly international classical musicians.