By the age of ten, Saint-Saëns had memorized all of Beethoven's piano sonatas, demonstrating his prodigious talent.
Composer Biography
Camille Saint-Saëns, like Mozart and Mendelssohn, showed remarkable musical talent from a very young age, beginning piano lessons at two and a half.
Performer Biography
Fanny Clamagirand, the violinist on this recording, won First Prize at both the Monte-Carlo Violin Masters (2007) and Fritz Kreisler (2005) competitions.
Instruments
Fanny Clamagirand, the violinist, performs on a 1700 Matteo Goffriller violin.
Critical Reception
Towards the end of his life, Saint-Saëns's reputation in France had somewhat diminished, as the musical landscape shifted to composers like Debussy and Stravinsky.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Saint-Saëns was known for his intellectual curiosity, which led him to advocate for both contemporary music and the revival of works by earlier composers.
Historical Context
After the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, Saint-Saëns was instrumental in founding the Société Nationale de Musique, an organization dedicated to promoting French music.
