Camille Saint-Saëns

    After hearing "Carnival of the Animals", I wanted to learn about the composer himself. Camille Saint-Saëns was born October 9, 1835 in Paris, France. When he was only three years old, his father died of tuberculosis. Charlotte Masson, his aunt, taught him how to play the piano. At age two he could already play the piano, and at age 3 he composed a piano piece. His first public performance was at age four. At the age of five Saint-Saëns composed a song titled "Le Soir". At the age of ten, Saint-Saëns could play Beethoven's piano sonatas. He also had a more formal public performance on May 6, 1846. In that same year the Société Sainte Cecile gave him an award, they later produced his first symphony. He was an organist at Saint Séverin in 1852. After leaving there, he then became the organist at the Church of Saint-Merry from 1852 until 1857. He last move was to La Madeleine from 1858 to 1876. Saint-Saëns become a professor at the Ecole Niedermeyer from 1860 to 1867. Franz Liszt and Saint-Saëns were good friends.

   Saint-Saëns joined the National Guard during the Franco-German war. In 1871, he and other composers, one being Gabriel Fauré, started a group which would promote French music. This group was called the Société Nationale de Musique. Saint-Saëns was very close to his mother. In 1888, she died. This affected him deeply. He traveled a lot during the 1890's. In 1893, he was awarded a doctorate in music by Cambridge University, and by Oxford University in 1913. He was also awarded the Grand-Croix of the French Legion of Honor in 1913. 

   Saint-Saëns had many works. Some of his most notable included, "Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor, Opus 22" (April 1868), "The Swan-Le Cygne" (Carnival of the Animals), "Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso", "Symphony No.3 in C minor", "Samson and Delilah" (an opera) and "Dance Macabre".