The first piece was composed in 1892, and the rest were composed in January 1899 in Las Palmas (de Gran Canaria), Canary Islands, then a Spanish territory. Details of the premiere are unknown.

Saint-Saëns was originally frail and could not endure the cold winters of Paris, so he traveled to North Africa almost every year to escape the cold. Algeria and Egypt were his main destinations, but he also visited Las Palmas a total of seven times. His first visit to Las Palmas was in 1889. The previous year, Saint-Saëns' mother had died, and having lost his spiritual anchor (he was, in other words, a mama's boy, though to his credit, his father died shortly after his birth, making his mother's influence absolute), he embarked on a period of wandering, concealing his identity like a kite with a broken string, and it was this place he chose as his temporary residence. Thus, it was a hideaway for Saint-Saëns. Canary Waltzes was indeed written during this period of seclusion.

The fourth piece, "The Bells of Las Palmas," is like viewing a painting; unlike the church bells ringing from belfries under the cloudy skies of Europe, one can imagine a gust of sea breeze sweeping over the island's white chalk churches under the tropical sun and blue sky.

Other important aspects of this collection are the dedications to individuals significant to Saint-Saëns: namely, the first piece (Arthur De Greef), the third piece (Charles Malherbe), and the sixth piece (Raoul Pugno).

Piece No. 1: Major and Minor Thirds

Allegretto: G-sharp minor: 4/4 time

Saint-Saëns hardly changed his style throughout his life. Listening to his submissions for the Prix de Rome during his student days, one can appreciate the subsequent refinement of his writing, but generally speaking, he had already established his own writing style and compositional approach in his youth to an extent that is often difficult to discern. In his later years, a sense of serene simplicity can be felt, similar to other composers, but this is only discernible after comparing many of his works. Nevertheless, the emotional expression in this first piece is more refined compared to his Études Op. 55, and Cortot's dismissal of it as dry and uninspired in French Piano Music seems somewhat excessive. However, it is undeniable that this was a common contemporary assessment of Saint-Saëns, and this prejudice persists, hindering the wider dissemination of his works.

Piece No. 2: Chromaticism

Allegretto: A minor: 3/4 time

Piece No. 3: Prelude and Fugue

Moderato agitato (Prelude), Moderato espressivo (Fugue): E-flat minor: 2/2 time (Prelude), 4/4 time (Fugue)

For the significance of "Prelude and Fugue" to Saint-Saëns, please refer to the commentary on his Études Op. 52.

Piece No. 4: The Bells of Las Palmas

Andantino: G-sharp minor: 6/8 time

Piece No. 5: Major Thirds with Chromatic Progression

Vivace: D major: 4/4 time

Piece No. 6: Toccata

Molto Allegro: F major: 2/4 time

The dedicatee, Raoul Pugno, was a renowned pianist, perhaps best known today for his partnership with violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. To describe the content of the piece in a word, it is "a transcription of the final movement of the Piano Concerto No. 5 (Egyptian) as a virtuosic concert piece for solo performance, in response to the requests of fans." In a sense, it underscores Saint-Saëns' success as a musician.