Description

In his symphonic poem "Danse macabre," Saint-Saëns adapts a poem by Henri Cazalis, which he had previously composed as an art song. In this work, the Devil animates the deceased through the music of his violin. Despite receiving a lukewarm response during its initial performances, and at times facing outright rejection, the orchestral piece gained immense popularity and international acclaim in subsequent years. Among the numerous arrangements and variations that followed, including those by Franz Liszt, Saint-Saëns' own arrangement for violin and piano is particularly noteworthy for its success.

Céline Drèze's forthcoming edition for the "Saint-Saëns Complete Edition of the Instrumental Works" represents the first modern scholarly edition of this renowned composition. This Urtext edition is based on the original 1877 print, correcting numerous misprints and inconsistencies by referencing the autograph.