Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (10/9/1835 – 12/16/1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic era. He was also a poet and playwright. In his younger years, he was enthusiastic for music of the modern day, including Schumann, Wagner, and Liszt. However, he remained a traditionalist committed to musical structures by earlier French composers.
Saint-Saëns wrote in many genres, including opera, symphonies, concertos, songs, sacred & secular choral music, solo piano, & chamber music. He was a prodigy, beginning piano lessons at age two and a half, and performing at a Paris salon when he was five years of age.
Because of his commitment to historical structure, however, he was conflicted with composers of the impressionist and dodecaphonic schools of music. His later music was therefore viewed as less appealing, less colorful and more reactionary. He was still giving recitals three months before his death (he went on a concert tour of Algiers and Greece at the age of 85). When he announced his retirement in August 1921, he had been before the public for 75 years.
View our entire collection of texts as set by Camille Saint-Saëns:
https://www.ipasource.com/composer/s/saint-saens-camille-1835-1921.html
Learn more about Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns here.
Organized by opera and voice type, here are links to the IPA text for 8 arias as set by Camille Saint-Saëns. Most include listening links:
Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila
Maudite à jamais soit la race (High Priest: perfect for baritone)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/maudite-a-jamais-soit-la-race.html
Listen to: Ernest Blanc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WRBr3_X3ek&t=26s
Amour! viens aider ma faiblesse (Dalila: perfect for mezzo)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/amour-viens-aider-ma-faiblesse.html
Listen to: Tatiana Troyanos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBCCZU7nCG0
Printemps qui commence (Dalila: perfect for mezzo)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/printemps-qui-commence.html
Listen to: Denyce Grave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bp8P5dnAWQ
Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix (Dalila: perfect for mezzo)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/mon-coeur-s-ouvre-a-ta-voix.html
Listen to: Marilyn Horne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwynxOAoKjo
Vois, ma misère (Samson: perfect for tenor)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/vois-ma-misere.html
Listen to: Jon Vickers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvMlou8dcvk
Saint-Saëns: Henry VIII
Qui donc commande, quand il aime? (Henry VIII: perfect for baritone)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/qui-donc-commande-quand-il-aime.html
Listen to: Philippe Rouillon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocSijzQVHDo
Qui donc élève ici la voix? (Legate: perfect for bass)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/qui-donc-eleve-ici-la-voix.html
Saint-Säens: Oratorio de Noël
Domine, ego credidi (perfect for tenor)
IPA Text: https://www.ipasource.com/domine-ego-credidi.html
Listen to: Erland Hagegård
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV7650DGJ40
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