Saint-Saëns, Camille

Saint-Saëns, Camille – Symphonie n° 1 en mi bémol majeur op. 2

(b. Paris, 9 October 1835 – d. Algiers, 16 December 1921)

(1853)

Preface
As a young composer, Saint-Saëns was one of the leading representatives of the progressive tendencies in French music. His career as a composer in France was rather unusual as his works did not correspond to the French taste of the time, which focused primarily on opera. Symphonic music however was only a marginal phenomenon. His music was therefore more successful in Germany (where Franz Liszt in particular championed him) than in France. Towards the end of his long life, he was increasingly seen as a traditionalist and an opponent of modernism, a fact that unfortunately often led to a misinterpretation of Saint-Saëns’ music. Riemann’s music lexicon characterizes it as follows: “In his works, in which he combines his great skill with cool austerity and elegance, formal and technical qualities come strongly to the fore”.
Although opera was at the centre of French musical life and composing symphonies offered little prospect of success, three of the most important French composers wrote works in this genre at the same time: Bizet composed his Symphony in C major (1855), Gounod two symphonies (both also in 1855) and Saint-Saëns even five contributions, including two that were not published during his lifetime, namely the Symphony in A-major (1850) and in F-major (1856). The inspiration for this came from the concerts of the “Société des Concerts du Conservatoire”. Works by German and Austrian composers in particular were performed there, and the numerous performances of Beethoven’s symphonies were legendary. However, the prospects of success for a French composer with a symphony were low. Saint-Saëns wrote in his Portraits et Souvenirs: “The upper crust fell to its knees before Italian music (…). For the common man, the real audience, there was nothing but French and comic opera”. …

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