Music 1010 Semester Presentation by Sydney Johnson Charles

Music 1010 Semester Presentation by Sydney Johnson

Charles Camille Saint-Saens Composer, Organist, Conductor and Pianist

The Early Years • Born October 9, 1835 Paris • • Started Piano at age 2 Composing at age 7 Conservatoire de Paris Incredible Memory

Struggles after the Conservatoire • Prix de Rome • Orgainist at Saint-Merri and Madeleine • 2 Symphonies • Piano Professor

On to the Opera • Le Timbre d’Argent 1864 • La Princesse Jaune 1872 • Samson et Dalila 1877 • Ettienne Marcel 1879

The Golden Years • Legion d’honneur 1868 • Franco- Prussian War • European Concert Tours • Danse Macabre • 1 st Cello Concerto, Op. 33

Snapshot of Camille’s Personal Life • • • Traveler Archeologist Writer Reclusive Death of his sons Divorce Africa, South America, Russia, Far East, Middle East

18801889 • • 9 New Operas French Institute 1881 Op. 83 for Violin 1887 Le Carnaval des Animaux 1886

The Ending Chapters • Change in public opinion • Became prejudiced • Died December 16, 1921 Algiers • State Funeral in Paris

A History- Danse Macabre • Written 1874 • Very well known • 7 Minutes Long • Orchestral Composition • Death as Violinist • Mixed Reviews

Danse Macabre Listening Guide • 0: 00 Introduction: Harp mimics the clock chiming midnight. Strings play 2 major chords. The lower strings creep in without accompaniment. Solo violin enters sounding dissonant. • 0: 30 Flute introduces main theme. Violins play an ascending motif and the dynamic changes. Solo violin enters playing a smoother solo line than before. Strings pizz. And woodwinds play the main theme. • 1: 00 Solo violin and orchestra mimic each other. Solo violin plays the dissonant theme from the intro. Orchestra takes theme.

Danse Macabre Listening Guide Cont. • 1: 30 Strings play the waltz melody from earlier. Solo violin plays ascending motif and octave higher than before. Percussion mimics rhythm. Dissonant solo is played. • 2: 00 Variation on waltz solo played by strings. Different sections trade off theme. • 2: 30 New theme introduced. It fades and the waltz theme is played by Solo Violin with a variation

Danse Macabre Listening Guide Cont. • 3: 20 Strings play ascending and descending scales repeatedly. Main theme is played again. Lower strings play waltz theme. Trumpet plays melody. Orchestra begins a descending pattern. • 4: 00 Main theme is played twice. Solo violin plays dissonant solo from before. Strings pizz. And woodwinds begin intro for next section. • 4: 30 Main theme played against a new melody played by Solo Violin. The orchestra crescendos.

Danse Macabre Listening Guide Cont. • 5: 09 Strings play main theme while brass plays waltz theme. An intro into the next section is played by strings and timpani's. The orchestra joins in. It’s very conjuct. • 5: 45 Variation on main theme. Chaotic. Misleading ending. Clarinet plays solo while the orchestra plays a sustained note in the background. Solo violin enters with a haunting melody and ends with a trill • 6: 45 The strings play ascending scales while the orchestra plays quietly. The piece ends with 2 notes of pizzicato.

La Cygne (The Swan)- History • 13 th of Le Carnaval des Animaux • Written & Released 1886 • Legato & Romantic

La Cygne Listening Guide • 0: 00 Piano plays repeating motif and cello enters. Piano plays fast while the cello part is slow and melodic. Main theme is introduced • 0: 30 Variation on main theme is slightly minor. Piano’s motif grows moodier. The variation adds an arc shape to the end of the phrase. • 1: 15 Melody continues. Starts quietly and crescendos while it ascends. Phrase is repeated with a minor variation.

La Cygne Listening Guide Cont. • 1: 40 Original theme is played once more. • 2: 00 Melody beings its descent. Piano stops playing repeated motif and cello begins its final ascension. Piano enters the end of the statement. This is repeated. Cello plays last notes • 2: 30 Piano plays same motif just an octave higher and begins to descent. It ends as the piano finishes its scale

Aquarium- The History • • 7 th of Le Carnaval des Animaux Written 1886 Performed 1921 Represents Fish

Aquarium Listening Guide • 0: 00 Piano and upper strings introduce main theme. • 0: 30 Piano plays descending melody. Violins tremolo. Main theme is played again, slightly louder • 1: 15 Piano plays descending melody again. The original theme is repeated with a slight variation

Aquarium Listening Guide Continued • 1: 45 Simple piano scale is played. The low strings play long sustained notes. • 2: 00 The scale is replaced with an ascending and descending sequence by the piano. The strings play harmonics. The piano takes us to the end of the piece decrescendoing to an ascending scale.

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