One cannot help but think of Chopin when speaking of mazurkas. Saint-Saëns, who made his debut as a pianist prodigy in 1846, could certainly have met Chopin. However, his teacher, Stamaty, did not permit it. Saint-Saëns later wrote that Stamaty pressured him not to attend Chopin's performances, even threatening excommunication. As Saint-Saëns analyzed in that text, Stamaty was likely afraid of being compared to Chopin. To such an extent, Chopin was a threat to pianists of that era. Despite such interference from his teacher, Chopin's influence was nonetheless undeniable. Saint-Saëns studied Chopin's music and performance techniques indirectly through musicians who were close to Chopin, such as the singer Pauline Viardot (1821-1910). Saint-Saëns contributed an article titled 'A Word on the Performance of Chopin's Works,' wrote a preface for Édouard Ganche's biography of Chopin (1921), and even outbid others at auction for the manuscript of Ballade No. 2 in F major, which he donated to the library of the Conservatoire (Paris Conservatory), and wrote an article analyzing the work's genesis. Saint-Saëns's approach, which can be considered a pioneer in source studies and manuscript research, will likely be discussed separately in the future in relation to his own piano performance techniques. In any case, there is no doubt that Saint-Saëns revered Chopin's music.  

As for Saint-Saëns's own mazurkas, three pieces remain. Each is a short piece dedicated to ladies of high society, conveying the elegant atmosphere of the salons of that era. Nevertheless, all are in minor keys, also depicting the melancholic mood of the Romantic period.

Mazurka No. 1 in G minor, Op. 21

Composed in 1862. Poco vivace. The piece is based on the Mazur, with the middle section being a Kujawiak. It adopts a ternary form and frequently employs chromatic progressions. Dedicated to Princess Pauline von Metternich (1836-1921). She resided in Paris with her husband, who became the Austrian Ambassador to France, and wielded influence in Emperor Napoleon III's court and high society during the Second Empire. Deeply knowledgeable in the arts and acquainted with many musicians, she is said to have interceded with the Emperor for the Paris premiere of Wagner's Tannhäuser in 1861. It is understandable that Saint-Saëns, then a young, budding composer, dedicated the piece to such an important figure, hoping for patronage. Although it was an era with limited social advancement for women, the influence of women's intercession in aristocratic society (where salons, like pseudo-courts as depicted by Proust, persisted even into the republican era) parallels the era of Fujiwara no Michinaga, who wielded great power through maternal relatives. Saint-Saëns also advised Fauré not to neglect seeking assistance from ladies during the election for his appointment as a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. While writing about such behind-the-scenes details might seem to diminish the romance, it might be of interest from a historical perspective.  

Fortunately, due to Saint-Saëns's longevity, technological advancements allowed for recordings of his performances to be preserved. Regarding this first mazurka, there is a CD of a piano roll playback recording from 1917 (Label: Dal Segno, Catalog No.: DSPRCD009), but the subtle nuances of touch are undeniably superior in the CD containing the actual performance recording from 1919 (Label: Marston, Catalog No.: 52054-2), so those interested are highly encouraged to listen to it.