Transcript Composer of the Month

Composer of the Month-October
Camille Saint-Saens
Camille Saint Saens
Born in Paris, France on October 9, 1835
Died in Algiers, France on December 16, 1921
Camille’s home country: France
Milestones…
• At age 2 – perfect pitch
• At age 3 – learned to
read and write
• At age 4 – composed his
first piece of music
• At age 5 – performed in
his first concert
Camille’s Interests
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Music
Geology
Mathematics
Botany
Poetry
The Carnival of the Animals
was performed privately in 1886. It
wasn’t published until after his death.
•
Danse Macabre
Camille wrote an art song
in 1872 for voice and piano
based on a French poem
and then, two years later,
expanded it into a
tone poem.
Danse Macabre tells the
story of “Death” calling on
skeletons to come out and
dance at midnight on
Halloween night. When
the rooster crows, they
must return to their graves
until the next year.
http://www.retroist.com/2009/10/06/danse-macabre-cartoon-1980/
Tone Poem
• Started around 1850
with Liszt
• Also called a symphonic
poem
• Based on poetry or a
story
• Programmatic- the
music is about
something
Examples:
• Danse Macabre,
Saint Saens
• The Sorcerer’s
Apprentice, Dukas
• Ma Vlast, Smetana