Camille Saint-Saëns

Romantic · 1835–1921

A child prodigy at the piano, Camille Saint-Saëns gave his first full recital in Paris at ten and later spent nearly twenty years as organist at the Madeleine church, where Liszt heard him improvise and came away astonished. He wrote fluently in almost every form and kept composing into his eighties.

He was endlessly curious outside music too: he published writing on astronomy and archaeology, traveled widely, and in 1908 wrote one of the first original film scores. The Carnival of the Animals, his comic zoo portrait for small ensemble, was a private joke he refused to publish in his lifetime, allowing only the Swan into print.

Start with the Carnival of the Animals, then the Symphony no. 3, the Organ symphony, which saves its biggest sound for the very end.

168 works in the catalog, across 5 genres. Log what you listen to with Opus, the classical music journal for iPhone.

Chamber

Carnival of the Animals Fantasy for 2 pianos and chamber ensemble
6 Duos, for piano and harmonium, op. 8
Allegro appassionato in B minor, for cello and piano, op. 43
Barcarolle in F major, for piano and string quartet, op. 108
Bassoon Sonata in G major, op. 168
Berceuse in B flat major, for violin and piano, op. 38
Caprice on Danish and Russian Airs, for flute, oboe, clarinet and piano, op. 79
Cavatine, for trombone and piano in D flat major, op. 144
Cello Sonata no. 1 in C minor, op. 32
Cello Sonata no. 2 in F major, op. 123
Chant saphique, for cello and piano, op. 91
Clarinet Sonata in E flat major, op. 167
Elegie in F major, for violin and piano, op. 160
Elegy no. 1 for Violin and Piano, op. 143
Fantaisie in A major, for violin and harp, op. 124
Fantaisie in A minor, for harp, op. 95
Gavotte, for cello and piano in G minor
L'air de la pendule in A minor, for violin and piano
Oboe Sonata in D major, op. 166
Piano Quartet in B flat major, op. 41
Piano Quintet in A minor, op. 14
Piano Trio no. 1 in F major, op. 18
Piano Trio no. 2 in E minor, op. 92
Prière, for cello and organ, op. 158
Romance for Flute and Piano, op. 51
Romance for Horn and Piano in E major, op. 67
Romance for Piano, Organ and Violin in B flat major, op. 27
Septet for Trumpet, String Quintet and Piano, op. 65
Sonata for violin and piano
Sonate inachevee, for violin and piano
String Quartet no. 1 in E minor, op. 112
String Quartet no. 2 in G major, op. 153
Suite for Cello and Piano, op. 16
Sérénade, for chamber ensemble in E flat major, op. 15
Triptyque in D major, op. 136
Violin Sonata no. 1 in D minor, op. 75
Violin Sonata no. 2 in E flat major, op. 102
Wedding Cake, caprice-valse for piano and strings in A flat major, op. 76

Keyboard

3 Préludes et Fugues, op. 99
3 Préludes et Fugues, op. 109
3 Rhapsodies on Breton themes, op. 7
6 Bagatelles, op. 3
6 Etudes, op. 52
6 Etudes, op. 111
6 Etudes, op. 135
6 Fugues, op. 161
7 Improvisations, op. 150
Album, op. 72
Allegro appassionato in C sharp minor, op. 70
Berceuse in E major, for 2 pianos, op. 105
Bénédiction nuptiale in F major, op. 9
Caprice arabe, for 2 pianos, op. 96
Elévation, ou Communion in E major, for organ or harmonium, op. 13
Fantasie no. 1 in E flat major
Fantasie no. 2 in D flat major, op. 101
Fantasie no. 3 in C major, op. 157
Feuillet d'album in A flat major, op. 169
Les cloches du soir in E flat major, op. 85
Pas redoublié in B flat major, for piano 4-hands, op. 86
Romance sans paroles
Scherzo, for 2 pianos, op. 87
Suite in F major, op. 90
Thème varié, op. 97
Valse mignonne in E flat major, op. 104
Variations on a Theme of Beethoven in E flat major, for 2 pianos, op. 35

Orchestral

Cello Concerto no. 1 in A minor, op. 33
Danse macabre, tone poem, op. 40
Introduction et Rondo capriccioso, for violin and orchestra, op. 28
Le Rouet d'Omphale, symphonic poem in A major, op. 31
Phaéton, symphonic poem in C major, op. 39
Piano Concerto no. 2 in G minor, op. 22
Piano Concerto no. 4 in C minor, op. 44
Piano Concerto no. 5 in F, op. 103, "Egyptian"
Symphony no. 3 in C minor, op. 78, "Organ"
Violin Concerto no. 3 in B minor, op. 61
Africa, fantaisie for piano and orchestra in G minor, op. 89
Aquarium, for orchestra
Caprice andalous, for violin and orchestra in G major, op. 122
Cello Concerto no. 2 in D minor, op. 119
Cyprès et lauriers, for organ and orchestra, op. 156
Havanaise in E major, for violin and orchestra, op. 83
La jeunesse d'Hercule, symphonic poem in E flat major, op. 50
La muse et le poète, for violin, cello and orchestra, op. 132
Marche du couronnement, op. 117
Marche héroïque in E flat major, op. 34
Morceau de concert, for violin and orchestra in G major, op. 62
Morceau de concert in F minor, for horn and orchestra, op. 94
Odelette, for flute and orchestra in D major, op. 162
Orient et Occident, for band, op. 25
Piano Concerto no. 1 in D major, op. 17
Piano Concerto no. 3 in E flat major, op. 29
Rhapsodie D'Auvergne, for piano and orchestra, op. 73
Romance for Flute and Orchestra in D flat major, op. 37
Romance for Horn in F major, op. 36
Romance for Violin and Orchestra in C major, op. 48
Sarabande et rigaudon in E for Strings, op. 93
Spartacus Overture in E flat major
Suite Algérienne, op. 60
Suite for Cello and Orchestra, op. 16bis
Suite for Orchestra in D major, op. 49
Suite in D minor, op. 16bis
Symphony in A
Symphony in F, "Urbs Roma"
Symphony no. 2 in A minor, op. 55
Tarantella, for flute, clarinet, and orchestra, op. 6
Une nuit a Lisbonne in E flat major, op. 63
Violin Concerto no. 1 in A minor, op. 20
Violin Concerto no. 2 in C major, op. 58
Wedding Cake, caprice-valse for piano and orchestra, op. 76

Stage

Samson et Dalila, op. 47 Opera
Ascanio Opera
Henry VIII Opera
Javotte Ballet
L' Assassinat du Duc de Guise, film score, op. 128
La princesse jaune, op. 30
Le Timbre d'Argent

Vocal

2 Choruses, for chorus with piano ad lib, op. 68
2 Choruses, op. 71
2 Choruses, op. 141
3 Choruses, for female chorus, op. 151
Aimons-nous, song for voice and orchestra
Aux aviateurs, for male chorus, op. 134
Aux conquérants de l'air, op. 164
Aux mineurs, for male chorus, op. 137
Ave Maria, motet for chorus, op. 145
Ave Maria in A major, for chorus and organ
Ave Maria in E major, for baritone and organ
Ave Maria in F major, for chorus and organ
Ave verum, motet for 4 female voices, organ and horn in D
Ave verum corpus, for chorus and orchestra
Chant d'automne, for male chorus, op. 113
Choeur de Sylphes, for soloists and chorus
Deus Abraham, for chorus and organ
Extase, song for voice and piano
Hymne au printemps, part song for men's chorus, op. 138
Il Canto del cigno Song
Inviolata in F major, for chorus and organ
Ivanhoe Cantata
La cloche, for soprano and orchestra
Le Déluge, oratorio for voices, chorus, and orchestra, op. 45
Le matin, for male chorus, op. 129
Le matin, song for voice and piano
Le Pas d'armes du Roi Jean, song for voice and orchestra
Le retour de Virginie, for choir and piano
Le Rossignol Song
Les cygnes, for 2 voices and orchestra with chorus ad lib
Les guerriers, for male chorus, op. 84
L’Attente Song
Messe solenelle, for voices, chorus, orchestra and organ, op. 4
Mélodies persanes, 6 songs for voice and piano, op. 26
Ode a Sainte-Cecile, for voice and orchestra
Oratorio De Noël, op. 12
O salutaris, motet for soprano, alto, baritone abd organ in B flat major
O salutaris in A flat major, for chorus and organ
O salutaris in E major, for chorus and organ
Panis angelicus, for tenor and string quintet in F minor
Pastorelle, for 2 voices
Pourquoi rester seulette Song
Requiem, for soloists, chorus and orchestra, op. 54
Romance du soir, for chorus, op. 118
Saltarelle, for male voices, op. 74
Si vous n'avez rien à me dire, song for voice and piano
Sub tuum, motet for soprano, alto and organ in F minor
Sérénade d'hiver, for 4 male voices
Tantum ergo, motet for 2 sopranos, alto, organ and chorus ad lib in E flat major
Thème varié Song
Une flûte invisible, song for voice, flute, and piano
Veni Creator, motet for chorus and organ ad lib

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