This month's composer is Saint-Saen was born in Paris in 1835 and is recognised as a pioneer in French music, known for his symphonic poems—the first of that genre to be written by a Frenchman. Saint-Saëns was a gifted pianist and organist and a writer of poetry, essays, and plays. He was a child prodigy on the piano and had perfect pitch at the age of two. He gave his first public concert at five. He wrote his first symphony at 16!

 

He wrote Le Carnaval des animaux (The Carnival of Animals), a humorous fantasy, for small orchestra. However, he never published it as he was afraid, he would no longer be taken seriously. A year after he died Le Carnaval des animaux was published and is now one of his most popular pieces of work.

The Aqaurium:https://youtu.be/oCUtOKsmOZ8

Did you know the opening credits to Babe uses a Saint-Saëns piece? Symphony No. 3 was used in the film Babe: https://youtu.be/HJasPsSewtM