Saint-Saens

C Saint-Saens:


6 etudes, op. 111

No. 1. Tierces majeurs et mineurs
This first etude is interesting in its use of the primary difficulty as an atmospheric sound, where most composers use the primary technique as the center point. The difficulty here is trilling, usually thirds, but there are also several measures where it alternates between sixths and fifths.

No. 2. Traits chromatiques
As the title suggests, this is an etude on chromatic passages. This etude seems to me like a combination of flight of the bumblebee with Chopin’s etude in C-sharp minor. I like the idea of this etude, being that the figure is always in a manageable grouping, rather than a whole scale. This suggests that the etude is really meant to help, and not just hard for the sake of being hard.

No. 3. Prelude et Fugue
The prelude is an etude in alternating thirds with the outer fingers of the hand. At the end Saint-Saens makes slight use of a rhythmic study, which would certainly be harder than most would imagine. The idea of having a prelude and fugue as an etude is very original, and really interesting. The fugue must study some specific technique, other than fugue playing. I would assume that the countersubject is used as a finger exercise while the subject is an etude in melodic projection.

No. 4. Les cloches de Las Palmas
This etude uses two right hand figures: the one at the intro, and the repeated-note “sparkling” figure. Along with this there are legato sixths in the left hand. Overall I would say that the primary difficulty here is one of continuity and timbre.

No. 5. Tierces majeurs chromatiques
This etude is not very difficult to figure out. The study is in chromatic thirds, as listed in the title, for right hand. The character reminds me of a Chopin etude, more so than the rest of the set.

No. 6. Toccata
It seems that Saint-Saens uses the form of toccata to explore all the techniques remaining at his disposal. Of these there are double-note thirds, octaves, broken octaves, syncopated octaves, large chords, arpeggios, repeated notes, difficult scalar figurations, and hand crossing.


Album op. 72 for piano

No. 1. Prelude
Saint-Saens explores a much larger array of characters than I expected for a prelude to a short work album. In many ways this feels toccata like for me, especially because I am listening to it immediately following the etudes. He makes full use of the keyboard in a very effective way. It is interesting to note the specific devices which he makes use of in each independent register.

No. 2. Carillon
This is definitely the first instance of a 7\4 rhythm we have observed in piano lit this year. It is interesting that the music is so fitting that one doesn’t even notice that there is an abnormal rhythmic structure. The bass pattern reminds me of Liszt’s Funerailles.

No. 3. Toccata
This is an excellent example of a piece that has an upper note but not a melody. The other virtuosic works displayed a melodic line that was enhanced with extreme figurations. This melody is rather unimportant, and I would say that this trait is what makes this decidedly a toccata.

No. 4. Valse
This piece serves as an example of a piece that is composed with motivic units rather than long phrases. I don’t like this piece as much as the others, I think this is due to the lack of varying accompaniments. Saint-Saens seems better at virtuosic concoctions than he does with fluid character pieces.

No. 5. Chanson Napolitaine
The composer displays his knack for the dark and mischievous in this composition. The character here changes frequently, varying accompaniment and timbre. This piece is highly enjoyable, furthering my argument that this is the composers best avenue.

No. 6. Final
I have noticed that in every music history, analysis, or appreciation class I have ever had it seems that every composer is listed as “having a great gift for melody”, I disagree with this in many cases, and in this instance I feel that I can certainly say that Saint-Saens had a gift with pianism, but not or melody. He seems to contain all the wonderful virtuosic devices of Liszt and Rachmaninoff, but I don’t believe you will ever really find yourself singing along with any of his compositions.


Rhapsodie d'Auvergne, Op. 73
I believe that the version for piano and orchestra is far greater than that of the solo piano version. The gypsy sounds seem to contain greater mischief and atmosphere when there are multiple instruments available. I enjoy his use of repeated notes, which tend to give the music a folk-dance quality, I do find that at times I find the ongoing patterns to be a bit boring. The lyrical passages at the end are quite beautiful, and I do wish that this work had more of them.


Variations on a theme by Beethoven, Op. 35
This work is obviously too long to comment on every variation so I will do my best to summarize appropriately. I enjoy the ways in which Saint-Saens keeps the feeling of Beethoven-like sounds. So far I cannot hear many techniques that would lead me to see this as a decidedly romantic work. The piece never seems to culminate into any grand vision for me. I found that if I stopped and started at random places on the track that I was unaware there was any change at all. I do think the craftsmanship of the variations is good, I might have liked a more interesting theme.