Camille Saint-Saëns

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Biography

Born: Oct 9, 1835; France   Died: Dec 16, 1921; Algeria   Period: Romantic
Camille Saint-Saëns was something of an anomaly among French composers of the nineteenth century in that he wrote in virtually all genres, including opera, symphonies, concertos, songs, sacred and secular choral music, solo piano, and chamber music. He was generally not a pioneer, though he did help to revive some earlier and largely forgotten dance forms, like the bourée and gavotte. He was a conservative who wrote many popular scores scattered Read more throughout the various genres: the Piano Concerto No. 2, Symphony No. 3 ("Organ"), the symphonic poem Danse macabre, the opera Samson et Dalila, and probably his most widely performed work, The Carnival of The Animals. While he remained a composer closely tied to tradition and traditional forms in his later years, he did develop a more arid style, less colorful and, in the end, less appealing. He was also a poet and playwright of some distinction.
Saint-Saëns was born in Paris on October 9, 1835. He was one of the most precocious musicians ever, beginning piano lessons with his aunt at two-and-a-half and composing his first work at three. At age seven he studied composition with Pierre Maledin. When he was ten, he gave a concert that included Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto, Mozart's B flat Concerto, K. 460, along with works by Bach, Handel, and Hummel. In his academic studies, he displayed the same genius, learning languages and advanced mathematics with ease and celerity. He would also develop keen, lifelong interests in geology and astronomy.
In 1848, he entered the Paris Conservatory and studied organ and composition, the latter with Halévy. By his early twenties, following the composition of two symphonies, he had won the admiration and support of Berlioz, Liszt, Gounod, Rossini, and other notable figures. From 1853 to 1876, he held church organist posts; he also taught at the École Niedermeyer (1861-1865). He composed much throughout his early years, turning out the 1853 Symphony in F ("Urbs Roma"), a Mass (1855) and several concertos, including the popular second, for piano (1868).
In 1875, Saint-Saëns married the 19-year-old Marie Truffot, bringing on perhaps the saddest chapter in his life. The union produced two children who died within six weeks of each other, one from a four-story fall. The marriage ended in 1881. Oddly, this dark period in his life produced some of his most popular works, including Danse macabre (1875) and Samson et Dalila (1878). After the tragic events of his marriage, Saint-Saëns developed a fondness for Fauré and his family, acting as a second father to Fauré's children.
But he also remained very close to his mother, who had opposed his marriage. When she died in 1888, the composer fell into a deep depression, even contemplating suicide for a time. He did much travel in the years that followed and developed an interest in Algeria and Egypt, which eventually inspired him to write Africa (1891) and his Piano Concerto No. 5, the "Egyptian". He also turned out works unrelated to exotic places, such as his popular and most enduring serious composition, the Symphony No. 3.
Curiously, after 1890, Saint-Saëns' music was regarded with some condescension in his homeland, while in England and the United States he was hailed as France's greatest living composer well into the twentieth century. Saint-Saëns experienced an especially triumphant concert tour when he visited the U.S. in 1915. In the last two decades of his life, he remained attached to his dogs and was largely a loner. He died in Algeria on December 16, 1921. Read less

Featured Camille Saint-Saëns CDs & DVDs:

Saint-saëns: Violin Concerto No 3, Etc / Kang, Wit
Saint-saëns: Violin Concerto No 3, Etc / Kang, Wit
Release Date: 10/04/1994   Label: Naxos  
Catalog: 8550752   Number of Discs: 1
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Saint-saëns: Piano Trios No 1 & 2 / Joachim Trio
Saint-saëns: Piano Trios No 1 & 2 / Joachim Trio
Release Date: 05/23/1995   Label: Naxos  
Catalog: 8550935   Number of Discs: 1
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Saint-saëns: Cello Concertos, Etc / Kliegel, Monnard, Et Al
Saint-saëns: Cello Concertos, Etc / Kliegel, Monnard, Et Al
Release Date: 04/08/1997   Label: Naxos  
Catalog: 8553039   Number of Discs: 1
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Saint-saëns: Piano Trios No 1 And 2 / Yuval Trio
Saint-saëns: Piano Trios No 1 And 2 / Yuval Trio
Release Date: 02/18/1997   Label: Centaur Records  
Catalog: 2292   Number of Discs: 1
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D'indy, Saint-saëns: Piano Quartets / Prometheus Quartet
D'indy, Saint-saëns: Piano Quartets / Prometheus Quartet
Release Date: 07/29/2003   Label: Centaur Records  
Catalog: 2625   Number of Discs: 1
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Work: Havanaise

Browse 1-25 of 49 Available Recordings
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  • 1.
    Pierre Monteux: The Complete RCA Stereo Recordings / Boston Symphony, Rome Opera Orchestra
    Pierre Monteux: The Complete RCA Stereo Recordings / Boston Symphony, Rome Opera Orchestra
    Label: Sony   Catalog: 19075816342 Release Date: 05/25/2018   Number of Discs: 8
    Composer:  Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky,  Igor Stravinsky,  César Franck,  Léo Delibes  ... 
    Performer:  Leonid Kogan,  Henryk Szeryng,  Roberta Peters,  Risë Stevens  ... 
    Conductor:  Pierre Monteux
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Boston Symphony Orchestra,  Chicago Symphony Orchestra,  San Francisco Symphony Orchestra  ... 
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  • 2.
    Saint-Saens: Works for Violin & Orchestra / Yang, Schwabe, Soustrot, Malmo Symphony
    Saint-Saens: Works for Violin & Orchestra / Yang, Schwabe, Soustrot, Malmo Symphony
    Label: Naxos   Catalog: 8573411 Release Date: 11/10/2017   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer:  Tianwa Yang
    Conductor:  Marc Soustrot
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Malmö Symphony Orchestra
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  • 3.
    Erick Friedman: The Complete RCA Album Collection
    Erick Friedman: The Complete RCA Album Collection
    Label: Sony   Catalog: 88985395042 Release Date: 06/02/2017   Number of Discs: 9
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach,  Ludwig van Beethoven,  Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco,  Ernest Chausson  ... 
    Performer:  Jascha Heifetz,  Erick Friedman,  Bruce Prince-Joseph,  Brooks Smith  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Malcolm Sargent,  Seiji Ozawa,  Walter Hendl,  Erich Leinsdorf
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  New Symphony Orchestra of London,  London Symphony Orchestra,  Chicago Symphony Orchestra  ... 
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  • 4.
    Fantasies, Rhapsodies & Daydreams / Steinbacher, Foster, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic
    Fantasies, Rhapsodies & Daydreams / Steinbacher, Foster, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic
    Label: Pentatone   Catalog: 5186536 Release Date: 09/09/2016   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Franz Waxman,  Pablo de Sarasate,  Ralph Vaughan Williams,  Camille Saint-Saëns  ... 
    Performer:  Arabella Steinbacher
    Conductor:  Lawrence Foster
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
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  • 5.
    Saint-saens: Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso; Chausson: Poeme; Ravel: Tzigane
    Saint-saens: Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso; Chausson: Poeme; Ravel: Tzigane
    Label: Warner Classics   Catalog: 552975 Release Date: 11/06/2015   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Camille Saint-Saëns,  Ernest Chausson,  Maurice Ravel
    Performer:  Itzhak Perlman
    Conductor:  Jean Martinon
    CD: $11.99
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  • 6.
    Yo-Yo Ma: The Classical Cello Collection
    Yo-Yo Ma: The Classical Cello Collection
    Label: Sony   Catalog: 513074 Release Date: 10/02/2015   Number of Discs: 15
    Composer:  Johann Sebastian Bach,  Luigi Boccherini,  Franz Schubert,  Ludwig van Beethoven  ... 
    Performer:  Yo-Yo Ma,  Ton Koopman,  Emanuel Ax,  Edgar Meyer  ... 
    Conductor:  Ton Koopman,  Claudio Abbado,  Kurt Masur,  Lorin Maazel  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra,  New York Philharmonic,  ORTF National Orchestra  ... 
    CD: $47.99
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  • 7.
    Itzhak Perlman: The Complete Warner Recordings
    Itzhak Perlman: The Complete Warner Recordings
    Label: Warner Classics   Catalog: 552439 Release Date: 09/25/2015   Number of Discs: 77
    Composer:  Niccolò Paganini,  Pablo de Sarasate,  Johann Sebastian Bach,  Felix Mendelssohn  ... 
    Performer:  Itzhak Perlman,  Pinchas Zukerman,  Ray Still,  Samuel Sanders  ... 
    Conductor:  Lawrence Foster,  Daniel Barenboim,  Itzhak Perlman,  Bernard Haitink  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,  English Chamber Orchestra,  Israel Philharmonic Orchestra  ... 
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  • 8.
    First Loves
    First Loves
    Label: Visionintoart   Catalog: 6 Release Date: 09/11/2015   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Fritz Kreisler,  Jules Massenet,  Franz Waxman,  Sir Edward Elgar  ... 
    Performer:  Tim Fain,  Robert Koenig
    CD: $19.99
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  • 9.
    Maestro Vladimir Spivakov: Anniversary Edition
    Maestro Vladimir Spivakov: Anniversary Edition
    Label: Melodiya   Catalog: 1002300 Release Date: 09/11/2015   Number of Discs: 5
    Composer:  Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky,  Rodion Shchedrin,  Pablo de Sarasate,  Jean Sibelius  ... 
    Performer:  Marina Gusak-Grin,  Vladimir Spivakov,  Inaki Fresan,  Araks Davtyan  ... 
    Conductor:  Yuri Temirkanov,  Vladimir Spivakov
    CD: $54.49
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  • 10.
    Itzhak Perlman - Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon
    Itzhak Perlman - Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon
    Label: Deutsche Grammophon   Catalog: 002298802 Release Date: 05/26/2015   Number of Discs: 25
    Composer:  Alban Berg,  Igor Stravinsky,  Sir Edward Elgar,  Ernest Chausson  ... 
    Performer:  Itzhak Perlman,  Pinchas Zukerman,  Daniel Barenboim,  Myor Rosen  ... 
    Conductor:  Seiji Ozawa,  Daniel Barenboim,  Zubin Mehta,  James Levine  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Boston Symphony Orchestra,  Chicago Symphony Orchestra,  New York Philharmonic  ... 
    CD: $103.49
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  • 11.
    Kyung Wha Chung - Complete Decca Recordings [19 CDs & 1 DVD]
    Kyung Wha Chung - Complete Decca Recordings [19 CDs & 1 DVD]
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 002217700 Release Date: 01/06/2015   Number of Discs: 20
    Composer:  Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky,  Felix Mendelssohn,  Jean Sibelius,  Fritz Kreisler  ... 
    Performer:  Kyung-Wha Chung,  Phillip Moll,  Radu Lupu,  Myung-Wha Chung  ... 
    Conductor:  Charles Dutoit,  André Previn,  Rudolf Kempe,  Sir Georg Solti  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Montreal Symphony Orchestra,  London Symphony Orchestra,  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra  ... 
    CD: $68.99
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  • 12.
    Complete Vengerov: Recordings 1991-2007 [19 CDs & 1 DVD]
    Complete Vengerov: Recordings 1991-2007 [19 CDs & 1 DVD]
    Label: Warner Classics   Catalog: 631514 Release Date: 06/10/2014   Number of Discs: 20
    Composer:  Ludwig van Beethoven,  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,  Felix Mendelssohn,  Johannes Brahms  ... 
    Performer:  Itamar Golan,  Maxim Vengerov,  Alexander Markovich,  Daniel Barenboim  ... 
    Conductor:  Zubin Mehta,  Kurt Masur,  Mstislav Rostropovich,  Claudio Abbado  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Israel Philharmonic Orchestra,  Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra,  London Symphony Orchestra  ... 
    On sale! $91.98
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  • 13.
    Saint-saens: Complete Works For Violin & Orchestra, Cello & Orchestra
    Saint-saens: Complete Works For Violin & Orchestra, Cello & Orchestra
    Label: Zig Zag   Catalog: 335 Release Date: 01/28/2014   Number of Discs: 3
    Composer:  Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer:  Liya Petrova,  Jolente de Maeyer,  Tatiana Samouil,  Harriet Langley  ... 
    Conductor:  Christian Arming
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Soloists of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel
    CD: $37.49
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  • 14.
    Selections - The Best Of James Ehnes
    Selections - The Best Of James Ehnes
    Label: Analekta   Catalog: 29768 Release Date: 03/08/2011   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Antonín Dvorák,  Fritz Kreisler,  Camille Saint-Saëns,  Jules Massenet  ... 
    Performer:  James Ehnes,  Eduard Laurel,  Luc Beauséjour
    Conductor:  Yoav Talmi
    CD: $18.99
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  • 15.
    Pierre Monteux Edition Vol 6 - Debussy, Liszt, Scriabin
    Pierre Monteux Edition Vol 6 - Debussy, Liszt, Scriabin
    Label: Rca Victor Gold Seal   Catalog: 61890 Release Date: 05/12/2010   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Claude Debussy,  Camille Saint-Saëns,  Alexander Scriabin,  Franz Liszt
    Performer:  Leonid Kogan,  Roger Voisin
    Conductor:  Pierre Monteux
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Boston Symphony Orchestra
    ArkivCD $16.99
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  • 16.
    Ravel: Tzigane; Saint-Saens: Violin Concerto / Szeryng
    Ravel: Tzigane; Saint-Saens: Violin Concerto / Szeryng
    Label: Philips Silverline Classics   Catalog: 420887 Release Date: 04/08/2010   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Camille Saint-Saëns,  Maurice Ravel
    Performer:  Henryk Szeryng
    Conductor:  Edouard Van Remoortel
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Monte Carlo Opera Orchestra
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  • 17.
    A Virtuoso Violin
    Label: Pavane   Catalog: 7527 Release Date: 01/26/2010   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Karol Jozef Lipinski,  Camille Saint-Saëns,  Gioachino Rossini,  Niccolò Paganini  ... 
    Performer:  Antoni Brozek,  Piotr Jasiurkowski
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  • 18.
    Bruch: Violin Concerto; Virtuoso Pieces / Michael Rabin
    Bruch: Violin Concerto; Virtuoso Pieces / Michael Rabin
    Label: Audite   Catalog: 95607 Release Date: 09/08/2009   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky,  Pablo de Sarasate,  Camille Saint-Saëns,  William Kroll  ... 
    Performer:  Michael Rabin,  Lothar Broddack
    Conductor:  Thomas Schippers
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Berlin RIAS Symphony Orchestra
    CD: $14.99
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  • 19.
    Thibaud Plays French Music - Lalo, Chausson, Saint-saens
    Thibaud Plays French Music - Lalo, Chausson, Saint-saens
    Label: Opus Kura   Catalog: 2082 Release Date: 05/12/2009   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Edouard Lalo,  Ernest Chausson,  Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer:  Jacques Thibaud
    Conductor:  Ernest Ansermet,  Eugène Bigot,  Pierre Monteux
    On sale! $18.98
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  • 20.
    Icon - Jascha Heifetz - The Master Violinist
    Icon - Jascha Heifetz - The Master Violinist
    Label: Warner Classics   Catalog: 17312 Release Date: 10/28/2008   Number of Discs: 6
    Composer:  César Franck,  Niccolò Paganini,  Ludwig van Beethoven,  Antonio Vivaldi  ... 
    Performer:  Artur Rubinstein,  Jascha Heifetz,  Arpád Sándor,  Benno Moiseiwitsch  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir John Barbirolli,  Sir Malcolm Sargent,  Sir Thomas Beecham
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  London Symphony Orchestra,  London Philharmonic Orchestra,  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
    On sale! $42.98
    CD: $39.99
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  • 21.
    Violin Showpieces / Erick Friedman
    Violin Showpieces / Erick Friedman
    Label: Rca Silver Seal   Catalog: 61210 Release Date: 08/21/2007   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Pablo de Sarasate,  Henri Wieniawski,  Camille Saint-Saëns,  Niccolò Paganini  ... 
    Performer:  Erick Friedman
    Conductor:  Sir Malcolm Sargent,  Walter Hendl
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  London Symphony Orchestra,  Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    CD: $17.99
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  • 22.
    Ultimate Violin Classics - The Essential Masterpieces
    Ultimate Violin Classics - The Essential Masterpieces
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 000895302 Release Date: 06/12/2007   Number of Discs: 5
    Composer:  Felix Mendelssohn,  Max Bruch,  Camille Saint-Saëns,  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart  ... 
    Performer:  Ruggiero Ricci,  Henryk Szeryng,  David Oistrakh,  Lev Oborin  ... 
    Conductor:  Piero Gamba,  Sir Alexander Gibson
    CD: $21.99
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  • 23.
    The Best of Maxim Vengerov
    The Best of Maxim Vengerov
    Label: Warner Classics   Catalog: 63780 Release Date: 04/24/2007   Number of Discs: 11
    Composer:  Franz Waxman,  Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky,  Jean Sibelius,  Dmitri Shostakovich  ... 
    Performer:  Maxim Vengerov,  Alexander Markovich,  Revital Chachamov,  Itamar Golan
    Conductor:  Zubin Mehta,  Claudio Abbado,  Daniel Barenboim,  Mstislav Rostropovich  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Israel Philharmonic Orchestra,  Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra,  Chicago Symphony Orchestra  ... 
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  • 24.
    Jacques Thibaud - The Complete Solo Recordings 1929-36
    Jacques Thibaud - The Complete Solo Recordings 1929-36
    Label: Apr (Appian)   Catalog: 6003 Release Date: 09/12/2006   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Camille Saint-Saëns,  Manuel de Falla,  Enrique Granados,  Maria Theresia Paradis  ... 
    Performer:  George De Lausnay,  Jacques Thibaud,  Tasso Janopolou,  Alfred Cortot
    Conductor:  Ernest Ansermet
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Suisse Romande Orchestra
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  • 25.
    Legendary Treasures - Ricardo Odnoposoff Vol. 1
    Legendary Treasures - Ricardo Odnoposoff Vol. 1
    Label: Doremi Records   Catalog: 7874 Release Date: 05/23/2006   Number of Discs: 6
    Composer:  Johannes Brahms,  Antonín Dvorák,  Niccolò Paganini,  Felix Mendelssohn  ... 
    Performer:  Ricardo Odnoposoff
    CD: $94.99
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