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Saint-Saens
Quoting extensively from his letters, Stephen Studd presents an accurate and balanced account of Saint-Saens's life and work, placing him in the context of nineteenth-century French music.
The child prodigy became the eternal scholar who, besides being a prolific composer, was also one of the greatest organists of his day, a touring pianist of awesome technique, the producer of scholarly editions of other composers works, a contributor to a variety of newspapers and journals, a writer on literature, philosophy and the sciences - especially astronomy - as well as music, a poet and a playwright, and an inveterate traveller Feted by royalty and a member of the Legion d'Honneur, he had the rare distinction - for a musician - of being alive to see the unveiling of a statue of himself.
The often violent extremes of opinion which he aroused in others created a legacy of prejudices and assumptions which has for three-quarters of a century remained largely unchallenged and has militated against a more sober assessment of his music and its place in musical history.
Stephen Studd's biography offers just such an assessment. Together with an extensive bibliography, appendices with selections from the composer's essays and poetry, and an up-to-date discography of the ever-growing number of recordings, this biography is much needed and timely.
The child prodigy became the eternal scholar who, besides being a prolific composer, was also one of the greatest organists of his day, a touring pianist of awesome technique, the producer of scholarly editions of other composers works, a contributor to a variety of newspapers and journals, a writer on literature, philosophy and the sciences - especially astronomy - as well as music, a poet and a playwright, and an inveterate traveller Feted by royalty and a member of the Legion d'Honneur, he had the rare distinction - for a musician - of being alive to see the unveiling of a statue of himself.
The often violent extremes of opinion which he aroused in others created a legacy of prejudices and assumptions which has for three-quarters of a century remained largely unchallenged and has militated against a more sober assessment of his music and its place in musical history.
Stephen Studd's biography offers just such an assessment. Together with an extensive bibliography, appendices with selections from the composer's essays and poetry, and an up-to-date discography of the ever-growing number of recordings, this biography is much needed and timely.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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November 21, 2015
Saint-Saens has been one of my favorite composers and I have collected recordings of his works for more than 50 years. I read this biography when it first was published, and just recently re-read it. As the description indicates it is indeed the most complete and fullest examination of Saint-Saens' life and work in English to appear to date. but an excellent examination of his work remains to be written. Happily,recordings of his music have become increasingly available. I can remember when it was virtually impossible to find a recording of the odd numbered piano concerti, let alone the chamber works. The unpublished symphonies were unknown until the 1970's. There are still riches to be found: many of the operas have never been recorded. Saint-Saens' Henry VIII is a great work and will hopefully be revived and will receive a fully realized recording soon (there are 2 recordings of live performances, both have merit), leading to recordings of all of the operas. Stephen Isserlis, the great cellist has mentioned that Saint-Saens deserves a festival of his music- let us hope that will be realized, and getting more of his works heard in the concert halls will be possible. His influence was, and remains, vast.
Displaying 1 of 1 review