Conversation so far:
Where did Camille Saint-Saëns begin his early career?
On leaving the Conservatoire in 1853, Camille Saint-Saëns accepted the post of organist at the ancient Parisian church of Saint-Merri near the Hôtel de Ville.
How long did Camille Saint-Saëns hold the post of organist at the Parisian church?
In early 1858 Camille Saint-Saëns moved from Saint-Merri to the high-profile post of organist of La Madeleine, the official church of the Empire.
What else did Camille Saint-Saëns do in addition to becoming a high-profile post of organist?
With enough spare time to pursue his career as a pianist and composer, Camille Saint-Saëns composed what became his opus 2, the Symphony in E♭ in 1853.

Question: Was he popular?
Self-contained rewrite: Was Camille Saint-Saëns popular during his early career?