Camille Saint-Saëns

Poemes symphoniques

With his four works 'Le Rouet d'Omphale', 'Phaéton', 'Danse macabre' and 'La Jeunesse d'Hercule', composed between 1872 and 1877, Camille Saint-Saëns decidedly put himself in the tradition of Hector Berlioz, who heralded a new epoch with his 'Symphonie fantastique' premiered in France 1830, as well as the symphonic poems by Franz Liszt, who established the term for this genre in Germany. During Saint-Saëns‘ lifetime the four 'Poèmes symphoniques' had become part of the repertoire all around the globe. They were recorded numerously - but the piece to hold its ground in the concert halls until today is 'Danse macabre' alone. The critical first editions which are currently issued as part of the 'Oeuvres complètes instrumentals' afford the opportunity for new interpretations based upon reliable sources.