Saint-Saëns: Orchestral Works

Featuring

Jun Märkl
Guillermo Pastrana
Euskadiko Orkestra Sinfonikoa
Camille Saint-Saëns

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Composer Biography

Camille Saint-Saëns, born in Paris in 1835, was an extraordinary musical prodigy who made his concert debut as a pianist at age ten.

Composition History

The Suite in D major, Op. 49, was originally composed for harmonium in 1863, an instrument popular in 19th-century France, before Saint-Saëns prepared an orchestral version in 1869.

Performer Biography

Guillermo Pastrana, the Spanish cellist on this recording, began his studies at age six and now lives in Basle, enjoying an active international career.

Composer Biography

Saint-Saëns was a keen traveler, with Egypt and Algeria being his preferred holiday venues, and he died in Algeria in 1921.

Composition History

The Serenade in E flat major, Op. 15, composed in 1865, is notable for its eccentric original scoring of piano, organ/harmonium, violin, and viola/cello, and was dedicated to Princess Mathilde Bonaparte Demidoff, who exempted Saint-Saëns from military service.

Performer Biography

Jun Märkl, the conductor, was honored by the French Ministry of Culture with the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2012 for his tenure with the Orchestre National de Lyon and his Debussy cycle.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Saint-Saëns' compositional approach evolved from championing progressive figures like Wagner and Liszt in his youth to a more conservative stance later in life, reacting against innovators like Debussy and Stravinsky.