Camille Saint-Saëns lived from 1835 until 1921.
Although he was born in Paris he died in Algiers, one
of the many places in North Africa which fascinated him
and other French people from the time of Napoleon
Bonaparte, and which influenced Saint-Saëns' music.
"Menuet et Valse" (Opus 56) is an excellent concert
work composed in 1878 for solo piano. In this the
composer has very cleverly joined a minuet of classical
style to a brilliant modern waltz.