# Love Saint Seans



## Niklaus (Apr 21, 2014)

I have always had a great respect for this composer and my favorite pieces by him are dance macabre and aquarium.
-Niklaus


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

I don't think he quite gets his due. He's the victim of a kind of snobbery that only befalls composers who were born a couple decades too late for the upper echelons.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

If a composer's musical output is high quality, it will endure. If it isn't, it won't. It's as simple as that.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I enjoy his orchestral techniques and I recall a concerto - maybe a violin concerto? -- that uses violin harmonics, an eerie effect. I do think I would enjoy him more if he had come along a bit earlier or a bit later. He seems mired in the romantic excesses of his time, or maybe that's the way he's often played/interpreted.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Well his Carnival of Animals certainly is a delightful piece. Probably the most difficult thing about him is figuring out how to pronounce his name.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

He's got some good ones. I think his fourth piano concerto is highly underrated (though 2 and 5 are also great). The "organ" symphony is cool too


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## Aecio (Jul 27, 2012)

Nice music chamber, too, specially his first Sonata for Violin & Piano and the two trios


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

hpowders said:


> If a composer's musical output is high quality, it will endure. If it isn't, it won't. It's as simple as that.


Not true. So much gold that has never seen the light of day. It's like saying Lang Lang is the best pianist today because he is the most famous.

Piano concerto 2, 4 & 5 is some of the best there is.


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## AH music (Mar 25, 2014)

The 4th piano concerto is a particular favourite of mine too, my most regular piano concerto to listen to in the whole repertoire.


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

And what about symphony no 3 (organ)? Its UP there with the rest. And dance macabre 




Introduction and rondo capricio 




Le rouet d'omphale


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

Love the Symphony No. 3--just bought a new recording of it the other day. I really like how the main theme reoccurs throughout all the movements; I don't think I noticed that when I was younger listening to it.


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## AH music (Mar 25, 2014)

His (seemingly virtually unknown) symphony no 1 in E flat, Op 2, is another favourite. I like all the four movements a great deal. Discovered thanks to getting the Martinon set of the symphonies.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

AH music said:


> His (seemingly virtually unknown) symphony no 1 in E flat, Op 2, is another favourite. I like all the four movements a great deal. Discovered thanks to getting the Martinon set of the symphonies.


Definitely underrated--the second movement is my favorite. I once had that tune on my mind and could not for the life of me think of what it came from.


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

Those Concertos are GREAT™! Piano ones are among the top 15 Romantic Piano Concertos.

Dance Macabre is calming and The Animals work is short but interesting.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I picked up his piano concertos at a whim at Barnes & Noble a few months ago and was pleasantly surprised. I'm not much of a concerto fan, but these keep me interested. He knows his way around an orchestra.


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

Saint-Seans? Is he Scottish?

Along with Copland, one of the composers who, if the concert programmers are to be believed, wrote a Third Symphony without writing a First and Second.

Still, the piano concertos and the Organ Symphony are great works.


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## SilenceIsGolden (May 5, 2013)

It's interesting that's he's best known for compositions like _Danse Macabre_ and _Carnival of the Animals_, which are charming to be sure but not as substantial as his piano concertos or many of his very fine chamber works. His music has an elegance and refinement that I admire.


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## Rhythm (Nov 2, 2013)

Saint-Saens Piano Concerto #2 was a piece I took on mid-adolescence, and since haven't let it go.

Rubinstein played it here with Previn. Playing with reserve, as Rubinstein did, is considered conservative today.

As decades take us further from the composer, performances of those piano pieces could jar listeners when comparing today's performances to original performance intentions by the composer. Pieces may endure, but how are they performed in the 21st century?

Consider: historically informed performances. Many times, publicly performed works are pianistically proficiently poor by way of CEOs' and other handlers' demands with regard to predetermined performance time constraints, and demands for shows of too much physicality at the keyboard. In today's world from my point of view, it's about marketing, showmanship, and a pleasant countenance for photo ops. And that's a pity, really.

But, life moves on! We listeners and performers are experiencing a global music transition, and who knows where we're headed. We just keep listening and comparing.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

I'll never forget I knew this guy online who really only listened to rock, especially metal, and he was not interested in classical. And he wasn't one of those people who said "it's boring" and dismissed it all--he had heard a lot of it and just didn't like it. And I can accept that. But one day I sent him a link to the second movement of Saint-Saens' Piano Concerto No. 2 (that super joyful happy-go-lucky movement) and he said it was "awesome" (and that meant a lot coming from him) and that he couldn't stop smiling while listening to it.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

piano concertos are good


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

His best works, IMO are the organ symphony and, yes, the piano concertos.

If cornered, I would have to say I like the 4th piano concerto the best, even though the second has been the most popular.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

I'll also say that the first piano concerto is a delightful work, with a surprisingly deep middle movement. The third concerto doesn't really sit well with me...I have to give it more listens perhaps.


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## julianoq (Jan 29, 2013)

The piano concertos are amazing! Also the Cello Concerto No.1 and Violin Concerto No.3 are great. Saint-Saens was one of the first composers that I enjoyed.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Saint-Saens wrote quite a bit of chamber music - quartets, trios, sonatas, etc. - and it's definitely worth exploring. His life was long, his output was large, his craftsmanship impeccable, but his style is curiously hard to pin down, and I think I might be hard pressed to guess the composer of many of his works. He writes plenty of memorable tunes, but doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, and this may be why so many of his works are so little played in spite of their very high quality.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

maestro267 said:


> Saint-Seans? Is he Scottish?


Nope, he was French.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> Saint-Saens wrote quite a bit of chamber music - quartets, trios, sonatas, etc. - and it's definitely worth exploring. His life was long, his output was large, his craftsmanship impeccable, but his style is curiously hard to pin down, and I think I might be hard pressed to guess the composer of many of his works. He writes plenty of memorable tunes, but doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, and this may be why so many of his works are so little played in spite of their very high quality.


Tchaikovsky said of Saint-Saens that he combined the grace and charm of the French School with the depth and earnestness of the great German master-- I think that pretty well sums it up.


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## Sudonim (Feb 28, 2013)

violadude said:


> Nope, he was French.


It was a joke, violadude - based on the misspelling of the composer's name ("Seans" instead of "Saens").


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

Do you have a favourite Samson et Dalila, MB? I have the Barenboim Domingo/Bruson/Obtraztsova which I really rate, particularly Elena as the leading lady. I think she sings it super!









Also I have this hopefully 'venerable old recording' a Live recording from the mid-fifties with Vinay & Stignani on my Spotify list, to listen-to! Perhaps you've heard it & can advise one way or the other?


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## Jonathan Wrachford (Feb 8, 2014)

hpowders said:


> If a composer's musical output is high quality, it will endure. If it isn't, it won't. It's as simple as that.


Well, sometimes. There have been some composers who's works seemed to have vanished, but if you listen to their music, it's actually quite brilliant


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## IBMchicago (May 16, 2012)

I admit that Saint-Saens is my most guilty pleasure in all of classical music. Beautiful piano concertos, his famous short pieces/suites (e.g., Danse and Carnival) are sheer delight. I have particular fondness for Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. And "Wedding Cake" is lovely little work that never fails to please.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Marschallin Blair said:


> Tchaikovsky said of Saint-Saens that he combined the grace and charm of the French School with the depth and earnestness of the great German master-- I think that pretty well sums it up.


That's a lovely and uncharacteristically generous tribute from Piotr Ilyich, who I seem to recall didn't care for some of those great German masters all that much. Not sure I'd go as far, but it nicely balances the common view that Charles Camille was all facility and technical polish without depth or heart, a view I suspect he himself may have encouraged with his jack-of-all-musical-trades and man-of-the-cultural-world image. Besides, nobody actually had more facility or technical polish.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

JCarmel said:


> Do you have a favourite Samson et Dalila, MB? I have the Barenboim Domingo/Bruson/Obtraztsova which I really rate, particularly Elena as the leading lady. I think she sings it super!
> 
> View attachment 40650
> 
> ...


---
Hi Jules. I have heard it. I have it. I like it. It's the only one I own though so I have no way of knowing how it stacks up to anything else. . .

The venerable old recording with Vinay and Stignani is currently outside of my ken. But perhaps those opera wizards Greg Mitchell and Woodduck can help. . . I wish I could :/


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> That's a lovely and uncharacteristically generous tribute from Piotr Ilyich, who I seem to recall didn't care for some of those great German masters all that much. Not sure I'd go as far, but it nicely balances the common view that Charles Camille was all facility and technical polish without depth or heart, a view I suspect he himself may have encouraged with his jack-of-all-musical-trades and man-of-the-cultural-world image. Besides, nobody actually had more facility or technical polish.


. . . except of course for that guy who used too many notes.


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## Funny (Nov 30, 2013)

Listen to the first movement of Saint-Saens' 2nd piano concerto, then the first movement of Rachmaninoff's 2nd. Remember that Rachmaninoff had been in a totally blocked period before doing hypnotic therapy and then the dam broke and Rachmaninoff poured out the music into the 2nd concerto. I'm convinced that Rachmaninoff was familiar with Saint-Saens' and was not aware of how much he was ripping off / paying homage to the latter. The correspondences, starting with the ponderous, low-register piano solo, are too many to be mere coincidence.

Anyway, this is a long-winded way of saying yeah, Saint-Saens piano concertos are fantastic stuff.


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## Tarneem (Jan 3, 2022)

hey guys,,, I would dedicate the following days listening to his compositions. Of course I would listen to the symphonies, concertos and the animal works.... but are there any hidden gems I should also consider putting in my list????


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Tarneem said:


> hey guys,,, I would dedicate the following days listening to his compositions. Of course I would listen to the symphonies, concertos and the animal works.... but are there any hidden gems I should also consider putting in my list????


Sample his chamber music. All of it is lovely. And his Requiem.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Tarneem said:


> hey guys,,, I would dedicate the following days listening to his compositions. Of course I would listen to the symphonies, concertos and the animal works.... but are there any hidden gems I should also consider putting in my list????


Like @Art Rock mentioned, don't neglect the chamber music! Some chamber works to check out: _Piano Trio No. 2_, _Septet_, the _Oboe Sonata_, all of the _Cello Sonatas_ and _Violin Sonatas_, _Fantasie for violin and harp_ and, last but certainly not least, the SQs. Also, he wrote some exquisite operas, but do check out _Samson et Dalila_, which is a bonafide operatic masterwork. Of course, don't neglect the orchestral music, but, more importantly, the byways within his orchestral music --- works like the symphonic poems _Le Rouet d'Omphale_, _Phaéton_ and _La jeunesse d'Hercule_ and other orchestral works like _Suite algérienne_, _Spartacus Overture_ and the _Trois tableaux symphoniques d'après La foi_. But wait...there's more: also check out his solo piano works (most notably the _Études_). I hope this helps and it should keep you busy for awhile.

Special note - Part I: I didn't mention any of the symphonies, concerti or _Le Carnaval des animaux_ since you already mentioned them. Of course, don't neglect these works either! This composer wrote so much exquisite music.

Special note - Part II: I didn't even mention the choral works or the mélodies, because there are a plethora of great works here, too. Again, just so much music!


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

Even though not for me, thanks for these recommendations. I have a special affinity for this composer based on his 3rd symphony, 3rd violin concerto, Danse macabre and Danse bacchanele. I suspect my affinity will only grow when listening to his piano concertos tonight! And all the other recommendations that have been mentioned


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

EvaBaron said:


> Even though not for me, thanks for these recommendations. I have a special affinity for this composer based on his 3rd symphony, 3rd violin concerto, Danse macabre and Danse bacchanele. I suspect my affinity will only grow when listening to his piano concertos tonight! And all the other recommendations that have been mentioned


You're welcome! I hope you continue to find much to enjoy within this composer's rather vast oeuvre. Do you own much Saint-Saëns in your collection?


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

A work I heartily recommend is _La Foi_ (I think it was mentioned before). The 2nd movement is sheer magic, absolutely ravishing, and it contains one of the most unforgettable tunes Saint-Saëns ever penned (I want to think it did come from him). It can be found on this recording:


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

MusicSybarite said:


> A work I heartily recommend is _La Foi_ (I think it was mentioned before). The 2nd movement is sheer magic, absolutely ravishing, and it contains one of the most unforgettable tunes Saint-Saëns ever penned (I want to think it did come from him). It can be found on this recording:


Yep, I mentioned it above. It came also be found on this recording with Thierry Fischer on Hyperion:










Other than these two recordings, I think that's it.


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

Neo Romanza said:


> You're welcome! I hope you continue to find much to enjoy within this composer's rather vast oeuvre. Do you own much Saint-Saëns in your collection?


I have only 3 disc saved, so these recommendations of yours should get me a hell of a lot more


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

EvaBaron said:


> I have only 3 disc saved, so these recommendations of yours should get me a hell of a lot more


If you've got $60 to burn, then just buy the Warner box set --- loads of great performances in that set.

The set in question:


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Neo Romanza said:


> Yep, I mentioned it above. It came also be found on this recording with Thierry Fischer on Hyperion:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That Hyperion recording was a disappointment as a whole. I'll stick with the EMI CD.


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## PeterKC (Dec 30, 2016)

He Is my homeboy!


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## Ethereality (Apr 6, 2019)

maestro267 said:


> Along with Copland, one of the composers who, if the concert programmers are to be believed, wrote a Third Symphony without writing a First and Second.


I want to write a 50th symphony and work my way backwards, like 42nd, 33rd and people will say "too bad they never got around to writing their 26th."


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

MusicSybarite said:


> That Hyperion recording was a disappointment as a whole. I'll stick with the EMI CD.


I didn't mention anything about the performance itself. I only mentioned that there was another recording of _Trois tableaux symphoniques d'après La foi_ besides the Plasson you mentioned. As for the performances, since _you_ brought it up, I like both performances very much. Both conductors have a different view of the piece and are both great in their own way.


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## Tarneem (Jan 3, 2022)

So yeah, I went through his compositions and overall nothing was mind-blowing

don't get me wrong, he is very elegant and beautiful. but not for me 

I must say I absolutely adore his violin concerto no.2. and the overtures + the symphonic poems are nice too


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

Tarneem said:


> So yeah, I went through his compositions and overall nothing was mind-blowing
> 
> don't get me wrong, he is very elegant and beautiful. but not for me
> 
> I must say I absolutely adore his violin concerto no.2. and the overtures + the symphonic poems are nice too


Not even the organ symphony?


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Tarneem said:


> So yeah, I went through his compositions and overall nothing was mind-blowing
> 
> don't get me wrong, he is very elegant and beautiful. but not for me
> 
> I must say I absolutely adore his violin concerto no.2. and the overtures + the symphonic poems are nice too


I have my doubts you simply "went through his compositions". Do you know how vast his oeuvre actually is? You've probably heard enough to formulate your current opinion --- this I don't doubt.


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## Tarneem (Jan 3, 2022)

EvaBaron said:


> Not even the organ symphony?


I usually listen to its third movement.


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## Tarneem (Jan 3, 2022)

Neo Romanza said:


> I have my doubts you simply "went through his compositions". Do you know how vast his oeuvre actually is? You've probably heard enough to formulate your current opinion --- this I don't doubt.


you got me bro!


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Tarneem said:


> you got me bro!


Honesty get's you everywhere.  beside that , it's no crime not to love his music.


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## Eva Yojimbo (Jan 30, 2016)

Listening to a full-range recording of the Organ Symphony with a great organ on a system with a great subwoofer that can cleanly produce sub-bass is one of the more memorably experiences of my classical/audio life. At times it feels like you're floating on an immense cloud of bass tones as the other instruments just float majestically over the top of it. This is one recording that does that:


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Tarneem said:


> you got me bro!


I'm not sure if "I got you" as I'm not out "get" anyone, but...I was more or less commenting that Saint-Saëns' oeuvre is large that I had doubts you went through his works or perhaps I was simply misunderstanding what you actually meant. Either way, as @Rogerx pointed out, there's no crime for not liking a composer. You're under no obligation to like anything actually. With this out of the way, I do hope you continue to listen to his music, because I do find him a rewarding composer and, honestly, like you, I was underwhelmed initially by much of the works I heard. Of course, I'm whistling a rather different tune these days and this is because something finally clicked for me and I've been enjoying his music immensely --- so much so that he's actually become one of my favorite composers.


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