The eminent composer, Camille Saint-Saëns, was born in Paris, October 9,
1835. While yet an infant he manifested an innate gift for music. We are
informed by the most reliable of his biographers, his grand-aunt, that,
observing the deep attention with which the child listened to music, she
gave him his first lessons on the piano when he was scarcely three years
old. It would not be easy to find a record of earlier precocity. His
mother relates, when her son began to play the first exercise, C, D, E,
F, G, she discovered him playing it with only the right hand, using the
other hand to press the weak little fingers down, in order to sound each
note distinctly. It was ingenious, almost virtuosity! That a child like
Saint-Saëns should make rapid progress was inevitable. When his fingers
were sufficiently strong to strike the keys of the pianoforte without
great effort, his grand-aunt, believing that she had reached the end of
her task with him, placed him in charge of a professional teacher of the
pianoforte. It was not long before this teacher was replaced in turn, by
a master worthy of such a pupil, and wholly capable of guiding his
studies. This master was Stamaty, and the choice was admirable. In
addition to Stamaty, who was only a teacher of the pianoforte, M.
Maledan, an able instructor in harmony and theory and a man of decided
talent, was engaged to guide the more serious musical studies of young
Saint-Saëns.
The boy was ten years old when his mother resolved that he should make
the acquaintance of some of the notabilities of the musical world before
making his first appearance in public. To this end she gave a private
soirée at her house, the result of which was echoed through the press of
Paris. The lad performed, with Stamaty, one of Mozart’s Sonatas for four
hands with surprising ease and in remarkable sympathy with the
composer’s style. Then, with a quartet accompaniment, he performed some
of the works of the great masters, including fugues by Bach, a concerto
by Hummel, and Beethoven’s concerto in C minor.
A few months later, he made his début before the public in a concert
given in the Pleyel Salon, so much favored of artists, and where Chopin
and Rubinstein, not to name other great pianist-composers, also made
their first bow before a Parisian audience. Little Camille, as he was
then styled, achieved a flattering success. The most eminent critics
sang his praises and predicted a great future for him. Never did they
prophesy with more true foresight than they did on that occasion.
_L’Illustration_ published his portrait, and there were some who went so
far as to draw a comparison between him and the incomparable Mozart!
This brilliant début in nowise spoiled the young pianist; on the
contrary, its effect only increased his zeal for study. He attended the
course of lessons in composition under Halévy at the Conservatoire as an
_élève auditeur_, literally, a listening pupil, for one year. He then
obtained admission to the organ class where he won the first prize.
Encouraged by his success he next appeared as a competitor at the
Institut (Prix de Rome), but failed. He never again crossed the
threshold of the Institut de France until long afterward, when he was
received with honor and glory as a member of the “Section Musicale.”
When he competed for the Prix de Rome, he was only seventeen years of
age, but he had already attained celebrity as a pianist and an organist,
and had also distinguished himself as the composer of several important
scores. One of these was an ode to St. Cecilia, for chorus, solo, and
grand orchestra, which was performed by the Société Sainte Cécile, of
which Seghers was the leader. The newspapers were as severe upon
Saint-Saëns as a composer, as they had been satisfied with his début as
a pianist. “In the absence of inspiration of the first order, or of
brilliant genius,” writes the critic of the Gazette Musicale, “it could
be wished that the composer showed a little more _fougue_ and dash, were
it only in a few paltry flights which reveal a young artist’s desire to
create for himself an individual style.”
With Saint-Saëns inspiration came later, and it was pure inspiration,
without fault, and was not wanting in originality.
The young composer soon avenged himself for these harsh criticisms, by
composing his first symphony, in E flat, which was also executed by the
Société Sainte Cécile. The great artist of the future had not then
reached his sixteenth year. The work was well calculated to encourage
the highest hopes for the future of the symphonist, and these hopes were
abundantly realized by his last and admirable symphony in C minor, a
composition which indeed may be considered a genuine masterpiece. The
first symphony by the lad of sixteen met with a full measure of
applause; it has been published and is still frequently played with
success. It appears in the catalogue of his complete works as the
musical leaflet No. 2. The second symphony, in F major, was performed
for the first time in 1856 by the Philharmonic Society of Bordeaux, and
also met with a warm welcome. A third symphony in D does not appear in
the catalogue, which also does not mention the second symphony, the only
symphonies named being those in E flat, in A minor (Leaflet 56) and in C
minor (Leaflet 78). It would seem, therefore, either that two of the
five symphonies written by Saint-Saëns have not been published, or that
this _complete_ catalogue, printed by his publishers, Durand et
Schoenewerk, of Paris, is _incomplete_.
I have purposely omitted to mention four concertos for piano and
orchestra, because these productions, which are of a high order, have
brought to mind an incident which is worthy a special place in this
biography.
These four fine works were brilliantly performed on the same evening in
the Salle Pleyel by Mme. Marie Jaëll, the pianist so famous for her
extraordinary, not to say marvellous, powers of execution. This was,
indeed, a feat on the part of the virtuoso as well as an interesting
exhibition of artistic talent, and its success was complete. The
performances began at nine o’clock in the evening and ended at half-past
eleven. Throughout this long and difficult test there was not the
slightest momentary defect, either in the playing of the orchestra or in
that of the experienced and skilful pianist. For the success of so
difficult a task the most subtle artistic feeling and exceptional
muscular force were necessary. Mme. Jaëll possessed these qualities in
such measure that the soirée devoted to the four concertos of
Saint-Saëns will never fade from the memory of those who were present.
Besides these concertos we should mention a concerto-fantaisie for piano
and orchestra written in 1891 for Mme. Roger-Niclos, which she played
with great success at the Colonne concerts. This work has recently been
published.
In his work entitled “Virtuoses Contemporains,” our dear master and
friend, Marmontel, has felicitously described the style of piano playing
characteristic of Saint-Saëns. “Saint-Saëns is as accomplished a pianist
as he is an organist. He attacks the piece in hand with great energy,
and keeps perfect time. His fiery and brilliant execution is flawless
even in the most rapid passages. His powerful but admirably modulated
playing is full of majesty and breadth; and the only fault that can be
found with his masterly execution is, perhaps, the excess of rhythmical
precision. Ever master of himself, Saint-Saëns leaves nothing to chance
and does not, perhaps, always yield sufficiently to the pathetic. On the
other hand, the virtuoso always acquits himself with irreproachable
accuracy.”
For many years Saint-Saëns has quitted Paris in the winter, to seek the
warm sunshine under the blue skies of those favored countries to which
the sun remains ever faithful. In order to travel and pass his time free
from all annoyance, the composer has adopted the excellent custom of
departing from Paris without any flourish of trumpets, without informing
anyone where he intends to sojourn, and often without knowing, himself,
exactly where he will pitch his tent. On leaving Paris on the 30th of
November, 1889, he charged his worthy friend and colleague, Guiraud, of
the Institut, now no more, alas! in case the Académie de Musique should
authorize the rehearsals of his “Ascanio,” to begin during the
composer’s absence. It was put in hand, and M. Guiraud, with score
before him, followed the rehearsals with the utmost care and assiduity.
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