The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1921-12-25
NOTED FRENCH PIANIST,
SAINT-SAENS, is DEAD

Camille Saint-Saens, noted French
composer died suddenly at Algiers, in
Africa, on December 10th.
or Camille Saint Sacns, the famous
Wagner said, some forty years ago:
"He is the greatest living French
composer. He was the man Of whom
List also once said: 81 and Saint
Sacns arc the only two men left in
Europe who know how to play the
piano" Saint-Saens was everywhere
acknowledged rs one Of the greatest
musicians of his time and his career
ovellapped three generations Of
music-loyers.
Making his premier public appear
ance as pianist in Paris two years
before the French Revolution OF rs,
he lived to experience the tragedies
Of the great European War into
which his country was plunged in
1914, and though then so, he was still
IN possession of such vigorous energy
that he undertook a mission across
the seas as the French governments
representative at the Panama Pacific
Exposition in San Francisco in 1915,
and also to deliver a series Of lectures
in America as the First Delegate to
the Franco-American Commission for
the Development of Political, Eco
nomic, Literary and Artistic Rela-
tons"
The early life of the great COM
poser was that of a "wonder-child"
Born Oct. 3, 1885 in Paris, ii is said
he was hardly out of his nurses arms
before he developed a passionate in
terest in sounds. my greatest pleas
ure, he said in his own account, twas
the symphony OF the kettle on the
hob"
At two and a half years he played
the piano; be played with taste and
skill at s. He studied under Benoist
and Halevy, devoting himself to
piano, organ and theory to such pur-
pose that he became prize winner
IN the Conservative.
His first symphony was written and
performed when he was II, with sue
cess by the Societe de Sainte Cecilie.
He became organist of the Church of
st. Mcrr in 1858, and organist OF
the Madeleinein, 1858. He did some
teaching, also, at that time, but gave
most of his time to his beloved oc-
cupation of composing, His facility
in that direction was the basis of
many stories. There are few erasures
on his manuscripts. He put ideas
down rapidly on paper, chatting some
times the while, and he needed no
piano to assist him. He wrote his
opera "Proserpine" without having an
instrument in reach.
As student of the music of other
masters, he was probably without
rival Yet one of the peculiarities of
Saint -Saens and his wol'k-it is said
TO be a distinction which he alone of
recent composers Of consequence pos
sosses-was his complete indepen-
dence Of Richard Wagner. He, alone,
in the opinion of most authorities,
would have been what he has been
if Wagner had never existed. And
vet he helped France to understand
Wagner. As he himself said: ~
admire the works of Richard Wag-
ner profoundly, in spite of their &C.
centrieities. They are superior and
powerful, which suffces me. But |
have never belonged, do not belong,
and ! shall never belong to the Wag
merriam religion"
NJ. Saint Saens's most celebrated
musical compositions are, with the
date of their publications: Les Noces
de Promethee," 1867; la Prineesse
Jaune," 1872; lie Timbre d'Ardent,
1877; Samson ct Dalila," 1915
"Etiennc Mercel," 1879; "Rouet