Saint-Saëns, Camille 1835 - 1921
Author: Nakanishi, Mitsuya
Last updated：April 27, 2015
Author: Nakanishi, Mitsuya
Regarding the composer Saint-Saëns, apart from well-known works such as The Carnival of the Animals and Symphony No. 3 'Organ Symphony', his long life and the vast number of works he continuously composed during that period are largely unknown to the general public. In such a scarcity of information, rumors often spread unchecked. Pianists who are somewhat familiar with Saint-Saëns may be aware of the rumor that he made a scathing remark to Alfred Cortot. The story goes that when Saint-Saëns visited a solfège class at the Conservatoire, he asked Cortot, "What is your instrument?" Cortot replied, "It's the piano," to which Saint-Saëns retorted, "You mustn't joke." This anecdote appears in the writings of an American music critic born in 1915, but to properly evaluate this incident, one should not forget the fact that Cortot, despite coming to Paris from Switzerland, failed his first entrance examination for the Conservatoire (Paris National Conservatory of Music). Nevertheless, even if this were merely a rumor, it is an anecdote that seems entirely plausible for Saint-Saëns.
Firstly, he was a scathing critic—to put it bluntly, his personality was not always pleasant—but putting that aside for his honor, he was a first-rate pianist. Saint-Saëns did not hold a teaching position, except for a four-year period in his twenties. He also relinquished his organist position at the Madeleine Church to Théodore Dubois at the age of 42. The reason for this was that it interfered with his performance tour schedule around the world. In other words, he made his living through composing and performing. Although he later gained a seat at the Académie des Beaux-Arts, his decision to forgo teaching and church organist positions—which were common sources of stable income for composers in France at the time—underscores his brilliant musical career. Thus, he traveled the world on concert tours throughout his life, which means he never neglected his piano practice. Cortot himself recounts in his work French Piano Music the anecdote that Saint-Saëns "spent two hours daily on finger exercises." Therefore, Saint-Saëns's harsh criticism of Cortot was by no means unfounded; it stemmed from his pride as a seasoned professional pianist who had built a career performing his own concertos, among other achievements. And it was entirely natural that such a person would compose etudes for the piano, with pieces that are virtuosic and highly difficult.
※To the series 'The Traveling Pianist: Saint-Saëns'
Author : Kikuchi, Tomoko
Last Updated: January 1, 2010
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Author : Kikuchi, Tomoko
Camille Saint-Saëns, who published a wide range of writings not only as a composer but also as a writer, possessed keen interest and insight across various fields. From an early age, he was acclaimed as a child prodigy in piano and organ performance, touring various places. At the Paris Conservatoire, he achieved brilliant results in performance and composition, and after graduation, he secured a position as an organist. In his twenties, he gained immense fame as a virtuoso, demonstrating his unique insights into musical culture by being an early admirer ofWagner and consistently performingSchumann, who was not widely recognized at the time.
Fauré was one of Saint-Saëns's students when he taught, and their deep friendship continued beyond the teacher-student relationship thereafter. He then co-founded the Société Nationale de Musique (National Society of Music) with Bussine, Franck, and others, and began organizing concerts with important and well-crafted programs to promote new music by French composers.
Many of his piano works were written after 1870 and often consisted of salon music incorporating dance elements. These were attempts to revive the merits of 17th-century French music and reflected his desire to rediscover his homeland's musical traditions. In addition to leaving behind excellent works such as neoclassical compositions and variations with a scale comparable to concertos, he also undertook the publication of works by composers like Lully and Rameau. His approach to music profoundly influenced later composers.
Works(89)
Concerto
concerto (5)
Concerto pour piano et orchestre No. 1 Op.17
Key: D-Dur Composed in: 1858 Playing time: 26 min 00 sec
Concerto pour piano et orchestre No. 2 Op.22
Key: g-moll Composed in: 1868 Playing time: 25 min 00 sec
Concerto pour piano et orchestre No. 3 Op.29
Key: Es-Dur Composed in: 1869 Playing time: 30 min 00 sec
Concerto pour piano et orchestre No. 4 Op.44
Key: c-moll Composed in: 1875 Playing time: 29 min 00 sec
Concerto pour piano et orchestre No. 5 "L'Egyptien" Op.103
Key: F-Dur Composed in: 1896 Playing time: 29 min 00 sec
Works with orchestral accompaniment (3)
Piano Solo
pieces (3)
etude (3)
mazurka (3)
waltz (5)
caprice (1)
CAPRICE Sur les airs de ballet d'ALCESTE Gluck
Key: G-Dur Composed in: 1867 Playing time: 11 min 00 sec
character pieces (4)
Reduction/Arrangement (2)
transcription (2)
Various works (4)
Piano Ensemble
pieces (3)
variation (1)
Variations sur un thème de Beethoven Op.35
Key: Es-Dur Composed in: 1874 Playing time: 18 min 00 sec
march (3)
Reduction/Arrangement (8)
Various works (17)
Chamber Music
sonata (2)
Various works (2)
Chamber music (2)
etc