Saint-Saëns: Mélodies avec orchestre

Featuring

Markus Poschner
Yann Beuron
Tassis Christoyannis
Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana
Camille Saint-Saëns

Did you know?

1/7

Recording & Production

This album was recorded in Lugano, Switzerland, from August 8 to 12, 2016, at the Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI.

Composition History

Camille Saint-Saëns began composing and orchestrating mélodies at a very young age; for example, L'Enlèvement was orchestrated when he was only thirteen.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Saint-Saëns aimed to defend a classical conception of verse and prosody, often criticizing contemporary composers for their 'faulty caesuras and enjambments'.

Compositional Technique

Saint-Saëns's 'Ars gallica' involved a significant focus on orchestral color, applying instrumentation work to the mélodie genre.

Historical Context

Camille Saint-Saëns's commitment to the mélodie genre was partly motivated by a desire to promote French music and combat the growing influence of German music and foreign opera in France.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Camille Saint-Saëns believed that songs with orchestral accompaniment were a "social necessity" to combat the dominance of operatic arias in concerts.