Camille Saint-Saëns was something of an anomaly among
French composers of the nineteenth century in that he
wrote in virtually all genres, including opera,
symphonies, concertos, songs, sacred and secular choral
music, solo piano, and chamber music. He was generally
not a pioneer, though he did help to revive some
earlier and largely forgotten dance forms, like the
bourée and gavotte. He was a conservative who wrote
many popular scores scattered throughout the various
genres: the Piano Concert...(+)
Camille Saint-Saëns was something of an anomaly among
French composers of the nineteenth century in that he
wrote in virtually all genres, including opera,
symphonies, concertos, songs, sacred and secular choral
music, solo piano, and chamber music. He was generally
not a pioneer, though he did help to revive some
earlier and largely forgotten dance forms, like the
bourée and gavotte. He was a conservative who wrote
many popular scores scattered throughout the various
genres: the Piano Concerto No. 2, Symphony No. 3
("Organ"), the symphonic poem Danse macabre, the opera
Samson et Dalila, and probably his most widely
performed work, The Carnival of The Animals. While he
remained a composer closely tied to tradition and
traditional forms in his later years, he did develop a
more arid style, less colorful and, in the end, less
appealing. He was also a poet and playwright of some
distinction.
Saint-Saëns' Oratorio de Noël is a solid composition
of an extremely appealing work. Scored for five
soloists, chorus, strings, harp, and organ, the
oratorio lies within the capabilities of good church
and community choirs, and could easily find a place in
the repertoires of groups looking for an alternative to
Messiah to celebrate the Christmas season. It's warmly,
but not gushily Romantic, with gratifying vocal and
choral writing, and both harmonic and contrapuntal
richness and variety. Much of it resembles what
Mendelssohn might have sounded like had he lived long
enough to adopt a late-Romantic idiom. Several of the
movements are strongly memorable, particularly the
Prelude and Consurge, Filia Sion (with their nods to
Bach's Weinachtsoratorium), the duet, Benedictus, and
the trio Tecum principium. One of the standouts of this
performance is the organ of Hans-Joachim Bartsch, whose
sensitive playing and colorful choice of registration
is especially striking.
Although originally written for Chorus (SATB) and
Orchestra, I created this arrangement of the "Domine,
ego Credidi" from Oratorio de Noël (Opus 12 No. 4) for
Wind Ensemble (Piccolo, Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, Bass
Clarinet, French Horn & Bassoon).