Composer of the Month-October
Camille Saint-Saens
Camille Saint SaensBorn in Paris, France on October 9, 1835
Died in Algiers, France on December 16, 1921
Camille’s home country: France
Milestones…
• At age 2 – perfect pitch• At age 3 – learned to
read and write• At age 4 – composed his
first piece of music• At age 5 – performed in
his first concert
Camille’s Interests
• Music• Geology• Mathematics• Botany• Poetry
The Carnival of the Animalswas performed privately in 1886. It
wasn’t published until after his death.
Danse Macabre• http://www.retroist.com/2009/10/06/danse-macabre-cartoon-1980/
Camille wrote an art song in 1872 for voice and piano based on a French poem and then, two years later, expanded it into a tone poem.
Danse Macabre tells the story of “Death” calling on skeletons to come out and dance at midnight on Halloween night. When the rooster crows, they must return to their graves until the next year.
Tone Poem• Started around 1850
with Liszt• Also called a symphonic
poem• Based on poetry or a
story• Programmatic- the
music is about something
Examples:
• Danse Macabre, Saint Saens
• The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Dukas
• Ma Vlast, Smetana