Camille Saint-Saens

Camille Saint-Saëns showed all characteristics of a musical prodigy: he started playing the piano, when he was three years of age and before he was ten (when he made his formal début at the Salle Pleyel in Paris) he had recieved composition lessons and instruction on the organ. His long life was musically very successful, not only as piano vituoso, but also as composer.

Saint Saëns composed his Feuillet d?Album [Album Leaflet] for piano four hands (Opus 81) in November 1887 and dedicated the piece to the young pianist Rachel Léon, whose parents were friends of his.

The piece was published in its present form one year later, in April 1888, with the name of Paul Taffanel (1844-1908), the flautist and leader of the Société des Instruments à vent, on the title page as the arranger.

Album Leaf was a popular title in the Romantic Era in music for a short character piece, usually for piano. Saint-Saëns, of course, wrote many short pieces, all of impeccable workmanship and generally with charming melodies and uncomplicated spirit. This one was written in 1887 for piano duet. Soon thereafter Saint-Saëns authorized a version for flute and piano by his friend, the younger composer Paul Taffanel. In either version it is a highly enjoyable little piece, less than four minutes long, rather in the style of Charles Gounod.