Dr. Camille Saint-Saëns Author(s): M. D. Calvocoressi Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 53, No. 832 (Jun. 1, 1912), pp. 365-367 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/907323 Accessed: 10-02-2016 08:49 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Musical Times. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 84.88.136.149 on Wed, 10 Feb 2016 08:49:34 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.-JUNE I, I912. 365 that despite his youth, he-naturally enough- found Halivy's teaching uncongenial to him: for SZe lusical~imes he followedthe course duringa fewmonths only. AND SINGING-CLASS CIRCULAR. In 1852 he enteredthe competitionfor the 'Prix JUNE I, 1912. de Rome,' but withoutsuccess. He was to renew the attempt,though to no better purpose,in I864, just beforereaching the limitage of thirty. DR. CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS. The same year (1852) his firstpublished work- a set of threepieces forthe harmonium-appeared; M.-D. CALVOCORESSI. By and his 'Ode t Sainte-C6cile' (unpublished) Among French composers of to-day,none has obtained the firstprize at a competitionopened enjoyed so long or so glorious a career as by the Socidtd Sainte-C6cile, and was performed Dr. Camille Saint-Saens, none has displayed so with great success. In 1853 the same concert great and so manifold an activity,and none Society-which renderedmany services to musical art in France at a when concerts (except, perhaps, M. Massenet) is as popular in period were few his own countryand abroad. And, it should be and poor-performed his firstSymphony (Op. 2, E which he had added, none is more fullyentitled not only to the flat), submittedwithout disclosing as its author praise of those who admire himwithout restriction, himself (a device to which he had recourse more than but to the respect of those whose musical ideals once, probably from the happen to be different. conviction that works known to be writtenby Nature, indeed, has been generous with Dr. youngFrench composerswere foredoomed). The workwas received with favour. Camille Saint-Saans,endowing him not only with great intellectand talents,but also withenergy, buoyancy, In I853 also, he became organistof the church and an inexhaustiblecapacity for work. He was Saint-Merry,Paris, and occupied this post until when he was of born in Paris, October 9, I835. Having had the I858, appointed organist misfortuneto lose his father (who was from la Madeleine, one of the most importantparishes of At the of Normandy; his mother was from Champagne) the capital. age twenty-sixhe at early, he was brought up by his mother and a became pianoforte professor the Ecole great-aunt. From his earliestchildhood he evinced Niedermeyer(where among his firstpupils was his a greatliking for music, and extraordinarymusical M. Gabriel Faur6, junior by ten years). During capacities. It is told that beforehaving completed all that period he composed sedulously,producing a of his thirdyear, he received from his great-aunthis fair quantity music-symphonic, instrumental firstlessons in pianoforteand in musical and vocal; and he played a great deal in public, theory;"* fame as a and that at the age of five he could play at sight, deservedly achieving virtuoso. His and has faultlessly,Gr~try's music in pianofortescores, and playing was, remained, remarkable for and had begun to compose small songs withpianoforte purity, perspicuity, ease; the only qualities He himself in his not displayed by him were poetic intensityand accompaniment. relates, 'Essay fervour. on the multipl'eresonance of bells,' that he was In factit is not as a that he reveals gifted with a very discriminatingmusical ear: only pianist 'Often, one would strike common household a certain coldness, an imperturbabilitygreater than one is wont to meet with who articles of any description; candlesticks,glasses, in musicians, as a the most excitable of artists. Some &c., and ask me to name thenote thereby produced ; are, rule, twelve under review the which I alwaysdid withoutthe slightesthesitation.' years ago, passing M. Romain He soon became acquainted withthe principles composer's fertile career, Rolland remarked that 'he is tormented no of orchestralmusic: a friendof the familyhaving aptly by made him a present of a copy of Mozart's 'Don passion; nothing whatever alters the lucidityof His favourite as Giovanni' in orchestralscore, he used to studyit his mind.' motto, expressed in his book 'Harmonie et is: daily with the utmosteagerness. t At the age of Mdlodie' (i885), 'Avoid all and striveto maintain the seven, he began to receive pianofortelessons from exaggeration of health.' To this Stamaty,and to studyharmony with a little-knownentirety intellectual motto he but earnestand culturedmusician named Maleden. has remained unswervinglytrue-a fact which no On at the Salle he doubt helps to account for the prosperityof his May 6, 1846, Pleyel, appeared artisticcareer. forthe firsttime in public as a pianist,performing and Mozart's Concerto in B flat and works by Bach, Even fromthis early date, notwithstanding the fact of his to obtain the consecration Handel, and Beethoven. The followingyear, he failing all the 'Prix de entered Benoit's organ class at the Paris awarded to 'good pupils,' Rome, Eugene for the records of Conservatoire(in this class he obtained the second (a failuremore regrettable the Conservatoire than for his life runs prizein 1849, the firstin 1851) and began to study himself), and his have little to composition with Hal]vy. It is to be presumed smoothly; biographers recount except sedulous labour, progress and * Octave S&rC: 'Musiciens fran~ais d'aujourdhui,' Paris, 1912. The successes. At times, it is true, he met with article in Grove's Dictionary adds the detail, that 'To this day the unaccountable opposition. For instance, though composer keeps the little old-fashioned instrumenton which this dearly- most classical in tastes and in deeds, he found loved relative gave him his firstlessons.' t C. Saint-Sans: 'Charles Gounod et le "Don Juan" de Mozart' himselfbranded as a dangerousanarchist. A critic (Paris, s893). once wrote that 'he ought to be condemned to This content downloaded from 84.88.136.149 on Wed, 10 Feb 2016 08:49:34 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 366 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-JUNE I, 1912. listen to Beethoven's symphonies: this would Charpentier'sincidental music to Molibre's 'Le surely be to him an insufferablepunishment.' * malade imaginaire,'edited the score of Gluck's His best opera, 'Samson et Dalila' (begun in 1868), 'Echo and Narcisse,' and is the general editor of was rejected by all Parisian directors,ultimately Rameau's complete works issued by the firm to finda champion in Liszt, who caused the work A. Durand et fils. to be produced at Weimar in I877. Other Besides, he is fond of dabbling in literature dramaticscores of his, 'La Princesse Jaune' (Paris, and science; he has writtena book of poems Op6ra-Comique, 1872), 'Le Timbre d'Argent' ('Rimes familibres,'I890); farces (' La crampe (Paris,Th6itre Lyrique,1877), werebut moderately des 6crivains,'played at Algiers in 1891; 'Le successful. Another opera, 'Etienne Marcel,' Roi Apipi,' played at B6ziers in 1903 ; shared the fate of 'Samson et Dalila' in failingto 'Botrioc6phale,' played at Biziers in 1908); an please the Parisian directors. It was produced at introduction to Dr. Filix Regnault's book, Lyons (1879). 'Hypnotisme et religion' (1897); essays on 'The The composerhad evidentlysowed the seed of phenomena of mirage' (Soci6t6 Astronomiquede suspicion throughenlisting among the champions France, 19o05), and on 'The relationshipof plants of modern art. As early as I871, the better to and animals' (Nouvelle Revue, 1905). His essays protest against the universal antipathy evinced on musical and theatricalsubjects-part of which toward living French composers, he associated collected in his books 'Harmonie et Mdlodie,' with Romain Bussine in the foundation of the I885, and 'Portraits et Souvenirs,' 1899,--are Socidt6 Nationale de Musique, whose object was numerous. But--a noteworthylacuna-he has to produce new works of the French school.f never writtenany workintended for the musician's Moreover, being gifted with a most spirited practicaleducation. pugnacity,he was never loth to defend his own In an account of the opera ' Djanire' (Musical and his brother-composers'cause in articleswhich Times, January,1912), Dr. Saint-Saans's peculiar stungadversaries to the quick. positionamong French composers of to-day- that But despite these and certain other hostilities,of a quondam leader of the progressive party he was not long in findingrecognition as a writerbecome a leader of the conservative-has been of instrumentalmusic. His symphonic-poems,in alluded to and brieflycommented upon. It is whichhe so intelligentlyfollowed the example of merelythe outcome of his sturdyfidelity to his Franz Liszt withoutslavishly imitatinghim ('Le own ideals: he is nowadays exactlywhat he was Rouet d'Omphale,' 187i ; 'Phadton,' 1873; 'La at the outset of his career. One of his admirers, Danse Macabre,' I874 ; 'La Jeunesse d'Hercule,' the late Hughes Imbert, has made the remark 1877); his Pianoforteconcertos (1858, 1859, 1869, that 'he holds his own among the intelligentand 1877); his chamber-music(Quintette, 1858; firstindependent spiritswho did not fear to confront Trio, 1863; Pianofortequartette, 1875), and also new ideas, but who were not daring enough to his songs and his oratorio,'Le Diluge' (1875), met, attempt capital reforms.': Without lingeringon in general rule, withsuccess.