Camille Saint-Saëns

[Spotted Horses]

Which leads to the non-organ symphonies. I have all of the numbered symphonies. But there is a Urb Roma and La Foi. I have the latter on a recording by Michel Plasson on EMI and even listened to it 20 years or so ago when it came out, but I have no memory of it. I discovered that I haven't ripped it yet and that means I would have to sort through some boxes to see if I still have the disc.

[kyjo]

I think Camilla Saint-Saëns is one of those composers who have been a bit overlooked compared to the quality of their output. Whenever someone starts to listen to his works more seriously he/she is oftentimes up for a pleasant surprise. 

Camilla Saint-Saëns was probably the biggest musical prodigy of all times. I think he was an extremely intelligent individual and composing music for him was rather easy compared to other composers. I believe the lack of ambition on surface level in his music is due to this, but it is also deceptive. I think the "ambition" in his music is hidden deeper on higher levels of musical meaning, something that surely would have been interesting for a person with super-high intelligence. Mozart's (another prodigy) art is similar in this sense: Easy to listen to, but astonishingly sophisticated when analysed deeper.

The music of Saint-Saëns gives me this feeling of "really smart things" happening under the simple surface.

Very insightful comments, Poju. I agree with all that you say!

[kyjo]

I have. There's a reason why they play only the 3rd VC and the 1st CC. 

Eh, I don't really agree. The first two VCs and the 2nd CC contain some lovely music, above all the sublime slow movement of the 2nd CC. Best of all, though, are his 5 exhilarating, delicious, sparkling, and characterful piano concerti. Every one of them is a treasurable gem par excellence! Not to mention his numerous shorter pieces for soloist(s) and orchestra, like Rhapsodie d'Auvergne, Africa, La muse et la poète, Introduction et rondo capriccioso, Havanaise, etc....

[Florestan]

Best of all, though, are his 5 exhilarating, delicious, sparkling, and characterful piano concerti. Every one of them is a treasurable gem par excellence!

Wholeheartedly agreed.

[Brian]

The first violin concerto is only 12 minutes long!

[JBS]

The first violin concerto is only 12 minutes long!

And it's a very good 12 minutes.

I was just listening to it and several of the other works for violin and orchestra from the Warner set.

Which Amazon now proudly lists as:
#1 New Release in Traditional Folk

[71 dB]

I'm not one to promote a David Hurwitz video, but...

Your post encouraged me to watch several David Hurwitz.  I find him fun to listen to. His mannerisms are to funny and I like his way to "telling the World how things are". I think I am similar in that sense. What annoys about him to me is his assumption that other people, normal people have access to OOP recordings. He is David Hurwitz! Of course HE has all classical music recordings ever, but I have to actually buy my classical music from whatever sources. It is so annoying to watch his videos "THE BEST this or that" and then find out buying that damn disc is IMPOSSIBLE for mortals! Of course one has to pay 500 dollars for a recording from an obscure label after David Hurwitz has praised it to the heavens 10 years after it went OOP.

[71 dB]

I like Saint-Saëns a lot, but I have always been lazy with his music. I don't have that much of it and I don't listen to it often. Then again these days it is difficult for me to enjoy classical music properly. There is not the kind of connection I had 25-20 years ago. These days the best connection with music is with other kind of music. The way I see the World has changed and I have become 1000 times more cynical which makes it challenging to "take in" the beauty of classical music the way I did years ago...

Very insightful comments, Poju. I agree with all that you say!

Well thanks!  0:)

[Jo498]

Are these the Hoelscher recordings?
Although the most famous Saint-Saens concerti are on a fairly large scale, overall they show that "symphonic" concerti were far from the norm in the 19th century and what we'd rather call concert piece very common.

[Roasted Swan]

In the midst of the current love-in for Saint-Saens could I point folk who are not adverse to downloads to this set;



https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004GBI06U/ref=sr_1_1?crid=34PJJ3LKIMWBY&keywords=99+most+essential+saint-saens&qid=1642241043&sprefix=99+most+essential+saint-saens%2Caps%2C65&sr=8-1

Featuring awful artwork and of course no liner notes BUT hidden beneath this unpromising facade is a superb collection of excellent performances.  Once you're past a serviceable "Carnival of the Animals" the bulk of the performances are from the BIS catalogue and include 4 of the 5 symphonies (No.1 is missing), all 3 violin concerti and both cello concerti, 2 piano concerti, a raft of other concertante works, some genuinely rare orchestral music, a disc's worth of solo organ music and several other treasures too.  OK the Amazon download rate is low (annoyingly so) but great value at £7.99 and useful for the regular Saint-Saens collector as well as the curious......

[JBS]

Are these the Hoelscher recordings?
Although the most famous Saint-Saens concerti are on a fairly large scale, overall they show that "symphonic" concerti were far from the norm in the 19th century and what we'd rather call concert piece very common.

The Warner set uses the Hoelscher recordings.

[Mirror Image]

Your post encouraged me to watch several David Hurwitz.  I find him fun to listen to. His mannerisms are to funny and I like his way to "telling the World how things are". I think I am similar in that sense. What annoys about him to me is his assumption that other people, normal people have access to OOP recordings. He is David Hurwitz! Of course HE has all classical music recordings ever, but I have to actually buy my classical music from whatever sources. It is so annoying to watch his videos "THE BEST this or that" and then find out buying that damn disc is IMPOSSIBLE for mortals! Of course one has to pay 500 dollars for a recording from an obscure label after David Hurwitz has praised it to the heavens 10 years after it went OOP.

I'm not a Hurwitz fan, but he was spot-on in much of the opening commentary in his Saint-Saëns video. A lot of times I find Saint-Saëns to be unfairly maligned by listeners. The reality is most listeners don't have a damn clue about his oeuvre beyond the popular works. Have they ever heard his Piano Trio No. 2 or the La muse et le poète? Seriously doubtful.

As for your point about OOP CDs, well, if a recording isn't available for purchase, I've learned to do without. Pretty simple.

[71 dB]

I'm not Hurwitz fan, but his Saint-Saëns was spot-on in much of the opening commentary. A lot of times I find Saint-Saëns to be unfairly maligned by listeners. The reality is most listeners don't have a damn clue about his oeuvre beyond the popular works. Have they ever heard his Piano Trio No. 2 or the La muse et le poète? Seriously doubtful.

Hurwitz talks about the music history and how it is wrong in its way of favoring Germanic composers. Saint-Saëns is French so of course in music history his place is a 2nd ot 3rd rate composer, but this is wrong, because he was a first rate composer. I agree a lot with this notion of music history being wrong and I have wrote about that on this forum, especially long ago when this forum had not yet broken my spirit and self-confidence.

I have had the Saint-Saëns' Piano Trios for over 20 years (Naxos 8.550935), I have not listened to it for over 10 years! Why not? Because I have been listening to other music! However La muse et le poète I have not heard. I only have about a dozen CDs of his music.

As for your point about OOP CDs, well, if a recording isn't available for purchase, I've learned to do without. Pretty simple.

Well, there is not much choice but to be without, but it is annoying to learn how your beloved Naxos disc is actually mediocre and far from the performances I SHOULD have bought years ago when available. It triggers the long mental process of

1) Forgetting what David Hurwitz said.
2) Re-assuring myself I actually enjoy the Naxos disc despite of what David Hurwitz said.

So, knowing what the best performances are is only beneficial if you actually can purchase them. If you can't, the knowledge is actually negative!

[Que]

So, knowing what the best performances are is only beneficial if you actually can purchase them. If you can't, the knowledge is actually negative!

Seems like a streaming subscription would be the perfect thing for you...

Very affordable and access to an almost unlimited supply of music.

[Brian]

Seems like a streaming subscription would be the perfect thing for you...

Very affordable and access to an almost unlimited supply of music.

Yep, DH recommended an out of print Shostakovich Ninth Symphony (Kosler and the Czech Philharmonic, for the especially good woodwind and trumpet solo players) and even though there aren't many copies of the CD, I quickly found and enjoyed it on a streaming service.

[71 dB]

Seems like a streaming subscription would be the perfect thing for you...

Very affordable and access to an almost unlimited supply of music.

Streaming is not owning. I can hear a work on radio, but that doesn't mean I own the music. I have just experienced it once. It is "musical tourism." I can listen to a lot of praised performances online (Youtube, Spotify etc.) but that is NOT owning. When I have the CD I "own" the music, it is officially part of my life like my clothes and coffee mug.

The insanity of streaming is there is no limits except time. With streaming one can listen to 1000 hours of new music every day. There is no curation and limiting of anything into digestible chunks of music. Also, I don't like the dependence on streaming services. Each to their own. I am an  old school guy collecting CDs for music and Blu-rays for movies. Those are the formats of my choice. Yes, my choice. I want to choose myself instead of big companies choosing for me again and again every 10 years or so how to consume music.

I don't need a streaming service. I need to revisit my CD collection, because hundreds and hundreds of CDs haven't got a spin for 10 years! 

[Que]

Streaming is not owning. I can hear a work on radio, but that doesn't mean I own the music. I have just experienced it once. It is "musical tourism." I can listen to a lot of praised performances online (Youtube, Spotify etc.) but that is NOT owning. When I have the CD I "own" the music, it is officially part of my life like my clothes and coffee mug.

The insanity of streaming is there is no limits except time. With streaming one can listen to 1000 hours of new music every day. There is no curation and limiting of anything into digestible chunks of music. Also, I don't like the dependence on streaming services. Each to their own. I am an  old school guy collecting CDs for music and Blu-rays for movies. Those are the formats of my choice. Yes, my choice. I want to choose myself instead of big companies choosing for me again and again every 10 years or so how to consume music.

I don't need a streaming service. I need to revisit my CD collection, because hundreds and hundreds of CDs haven't got a spin for 10 years! 

Well, I see reason whatsoever to complain about purchasing restrictions then. GO and listen to these hundreds of CDs! 

[71 dB]

Well, I see reason whatsoever to complain about purchasing restrictions then. GO and listen to these hundreds of CDs! 

What I complained about was David Hurwitz having the attitude of assuming it is easy for anyone to purchase OOP discs. That's what most annoys me about him. Otherwise I enjoy his enthusiam.

I have been revisiting my CD collection. The problem is connecting with classical music properly as I mentioned.

[Symphonic Addict]

Eh, I don't really agree. The first two VCs and the 2nd CC contain some lovely music, above all the sublime slow movement of the 2nd CC. Best of all, though, are his 5 exhilarating, delicious, sparkling, and characterful piano concerti. Every one of them is a treasurable gem par excellence! Not to mention his numerous shorter pieces for soloist(s) and orchestra, like Rhapsodie d'Auvergne, Africa, La muse et la poète, Introduction et rondo capriccioso, Havanaise, etc....

Those mini-concertinos of works are bom-bons in the good sense of the word. Realy fine compositions. There is one for harp and orchestra. Just charming, carefree and romantic music.

[Symphonic Addict]

Very insightful comments, Poju. I agree with all that you say!

Except for that it is Camille, not a more-female Camilla.   

The rest, yes, +1