Great Composers: Camille Saint-Saëns

Рет қаралды 27,516

7 жыл бұрын

A look at the elder statesman of French music.
This was a viewer request from KZfaqr Teddy Pena. If you've got a question or request for a future video, leave a comment, shoot me a message through KZfaq, or use the email/Tumblr links below.
----------
Classical Nerd is a weekly video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
----------
Music:
- Camille Saint-Saëns: Violin Sonata No. 1, Op. 75, performed by Paul Huang and Jessica Osborne and available on IMSLP: tinyurl.com/ycoqum7m
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, Op. 1 No. 2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
----------
Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
Tumblr:
classical-nerd.tumblr.com
----------
All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information.

Пікірлер: 62

@Emilpoika 6 жыл бұрын

Finally! There are almost no documentaries about Saint-Saëns; I've been waiting for this (Y)

4 жыл бұрын

Indeed, very few documentaries about any composer (other than Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Wagner etc) which makes this KZfaq series incredibly needed!

@Daniel.Bender 6 жыл бұрын

One minute of Danse macabre... And you will love saint-saëns

4 жыл бұрын

Couldnt agree more! A fine example of perfect form, I've even memorized that piece in it's entirety 😂

@thud6823 2 жыл бұрын

That song there is the reason I’m here!!!

@PauloRicardo-fc4li Жыл бұрын

No one can listen to the adagio of the symphony 3 and not love him too

@abbsbrady7264 Жыл бұрын

One thing about him is he can express emotion so perfectly. He puts you in the shoes of the story and makes your emotion match the song. He’s incredible.

@violinlover4255 2 жыл бұрын

Literally imagine someone going “I’m so sorry about your breakup 🥺 hey it’s okay though, we’ll go see Liszt to make you feel better 🥺”

@kenm.3512 4 жыл бұрын

I truly love the music of Saint-Saens. The five piano concerto's are wonderful. I have 3 sets of them. Roge, Ciccolini and Hough. The Martinon symphony set has long been a favorite of mine. His Requiem is a jewel. So much good music ! That said, I enjoyed the subjective nature of your presentation. CSS was on one hand, a misanthrope. On the other, a man of the world. When Saint-Saens was near death at the inn he was staying in, the entertainment below his room were playing a foxtrot. "Isn't it a pity?", he was heard to have said in reaction to the last music he would ever hear on earth. Thank you, Thomas.

@levistrauss8310 2 жыл бұрын

This is the renaissance for the great French composers, their music, and the instruments they played.

@natalyevivian1798 Жыл бұрын

I’ve loved his work for so long and it was wonderful to have this succinct history. Fabulous!!

@sararose1688 5 жыл бұрын

“Better career as a violist” BRUH OOOF

@thud6823 2 жыл бұрын

He is really slept on, one of the greatest!!!

@LyceumPhil 2 жыл бұрын

We need more Classical Music Nerd's in the world. Thank you! This is a great video. My orchestra (Lyceum Philharmonic) is playing Symphony No. 3 and I'm sharing this video with them. You are way better than wikipedia :-)

@janburris2773 6 жыл бұрын

As always, interesting. Thank you, Thomas.

@jeremyjones6945 6 жыл бұрын

Really interesting - perfect length and amount of detail, thanks a lot for making this video, I have a feeling I'll be checking out a few more. I'm not a big Saint Saens fan overall, but I do think the 2nd, 4th and 5th Piano Concertos are right at the top of the repertoire. Keep up the good work.

@mariosefardi-casella2730 6 жыл бұрын

Jeremy Jones I have bought all five of them on Audite label in hi-res recently 💖

@davidbuddin2383 Жыл бұрын

I've got a feeling you have a lot of time on your hands

@fuckcensorshipforeal 4 жыл бұрын

This guy was bananas. A lot of content here.

@RobertJSedky 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing. 👏👏👏

@JcFiscus42 Жыл бұрын

I just discovered Saint Saens via his variations on a theme by Beethoven for 4 hands. I’ve fallen in love with this piece, and I wish there were more variations on Beethovens themes.

@mariosefardi-casella2730 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much👍👍👍

@colly7963 3 жыл бұрын

Learning the first movement of the 2nd piano concerto. The closer I look, the more counterpoint I see, the textures and moods are cleverly juxtaposed. So much buried anger and frustration, even malice, in the opening section. It really is one of my favourite concertos. I can't think of any other piece of classical music I know that expresses that curious blend of emotions. Even in its most virtuouso passages, it's never emptily showy. Every note has its place. Unfortunately, I'll have to leave the other two movements to the professionals! There are many great pieces out there by Saint Saëns for us to enjoy - his violin concerto and organ symphony are some of my favourites.

@curtpiazza1688 3 жыл бұрын

Thanx ..great lesson!

@noelhutz 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Now I finally know how to pronounce his name!

@defaultgenCQ 3 жыл бұрын

I am just here to hear a non-AI pronounce Camille Saint-Saëns

@Nirias103683 7 жыл бұрын

Great content! Also, DAT BEARD.

@Nirias103683 7 жыл бұрын

Little correction : "église" is pronounced like "eh-gleese" and Madeleine rhymes with pen!

@ShorkGamer 7 жыл бұрын

Out of Context, but: I hope your safe from Hurricane Irma.

@ClassicalNerd 7 жыл бұрын

They say that it's going to be a tropical storm when it hits where I live, so lots of rain in the forecast. Still, it's impossible to know for certain.

@goonyougoodthing 7 жыл бұрын

great video. any chance of one on Aaron Copeland?

@ClassicalNerd 7 жыл бұрын

It'll have to wait until May [ see lentovivace.com/requestqueue.html ] but it'll be done!

@goonyougoodthing 7 жыл бұрын

+Classical Nerd some great stuff in the list. I look forward to it

@pennyrobinson6481 4 жыл бұрын

Hi. Love your videos. Could you do something on Bizet?

@ClassicalNerd 4 жыл бұрын

Duly noted: lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

@wolfgangresch1650 Жыл бұрын

💪💪♥️♥️♥️

@jme104 Жыл бұрын

Sain-Saënssssssssssssssssss.

@swymaj02 Жыл бұрын

my best is that comparing Mozart to Bach is like comparing Steven Spielberg to Charles Laughton.

@rodneyloosley77 11 ай бұрын

Can you do one about Salieri please?

@seanramsdell4172 6 жыл бұрын

Can you do a vid on Artur Rubinstein?

@ClassicalNerd 6 жыл бұрын

Added.

@jdawgchappellicious 6 ай бұрын

I love your videos and yet ask a native French musician about this: by an exception to the normal rules of French pronunciation the final S of "Saëns" is sounded, not silent--and careful, it's not a Z sound, it's an actual hissing S. While you're at it, the two Ls in "Camille" are pronounced as an L, as in the French words "mille" and "ville", not as a Y as in the French word "fille".

@SynthWoof 2 жыл бұрын

Camille is John Williams' real dad

@olivierbeltrami 2 жыл бұрын

The last “s” of his name is not silent.

@ClassicalNerd 2 жыл бұрын

I asked a former French-speaking roommate of mine, and his best guess was the opposite.

@Olivier-Jaquet Жыл бұрын

@@ClassicalNerd It isn't a big deal because I have heard many french natives pronounce his name without the s at the end (although it should be pronounced)... so even many french speakers are confused about his name pronunciation. Thanks for that great video btw

@republiccooper 3 жыл бұрын

Nice work. Isn't Jules Massenet pronounced Jzool Mass-uh-nay, though?

@ClassicalNerd 3 жыл бұрын

Y'know, my roommate is fairly fluent in French and even he has to look up the pronunciation of some of these people. I've heard it pronounced _way_ too many ways ...

@republiccooper 3 жыл бұрын

@@ClassicalNerd no problem, man. I still enjoyed your video. What's a little mispronuncuation? It's nothing.

@user-vg2pe9wf6g 3 жыл бұрын

Why he speeks so fast?

@HomespunBannersglare 11 ай бұрын

1:33 I see what you did there.

@smashissocool65 9 ай бұрын

Is Massenet a cool composer if u like Saint-Saens and Faure or debussy?

@gabriellemoine5555 Жыл бұрын

the "group of proto-communists who took over paris" was the parisian people, the workers who governed their own city after the downfall of the empire.

@stevehinnenkamp5625 3 жыл бұрын

I think the pronunciation includes the letter s. Do a little more research, beloved musicologist.

@ClassicalNerd 3 жыл бұрын

My former roommate is fluent in French and even _he_ wasn't sure how to pronounce it, beloved commenter.

@stevehinnenkamp5625 3 жыл бұрын

@@ClassicalNerd The proper name pronunciation is iindeed an exception to the rules. Love your amazing portfolio detailing each composer. So credible are you in bringing them to life.

@telephilia 6 жыл бұрын

How great is Saint Saens? Not really great. Kind of the Muzak of great composers.

@ClassicalNerd 6 жыл бұрын

I feel the same way about a lot of composers other people like. I've been surprised to run into a lot of Saint-Saëns fans, and I can't for the life of me really quite understand why-but to each their own! (Although _Danse Macabre_ is pretty sweet.)

@Chiko-sc1gz 6 жыл бұрын

Carnival of animals alone makes him great

@crabken4969 4 жыл бұрын

chiko9100 agree, along with Africa

@nikispaniki 3 жыл бұрын

Just because a composer writes in a particular style doesn’t mean he’s conveniently boring. He was a musical master. His talent made him prodigious and his understanding of music from every era was amazing. A seriously under rated composer who you appreciate more and more as you study him deeper.

@OZ_2lit 2 жыл бұрын

Agreed. Something only elitist like us would understand. I wish only to have been able to convey it to him personally. Also, afterwards, invite him to my home where I may demonstrate true mastery of the piano.