SAINT SAENS, Camille [1835-1921]: Autograph letter with place, date and signature. Eigenhändiger mit Ort, Datum und Unterschrift. Hamamm R'ichza Dept d Alger, 2. Mai 1919. Quarto 27 x 21cm. 3,5 pages.

"Music nowadays is in general on a wrong way!" A great Saint Saens letter, very rich in content and with significant statements about the musical scene of his time. He writes about concert plans, pieces he will and will not perform, makes critical remarks about the musical reception of his time and of a music that is on the wrong track, written to Pierre-Barthélemy Gheusi (1865-1943, French theater director, librettist, journalist and writer) who was director at the Comic Opera in Paris 1914-1918 and then at the Théatre Lyrique du Vaudeville (1919-1920). Saint Saens reports to the music director, who is a friend of his, about the pieces planned for upcoming symphony concerts, that he has some unused material for it, but that unfortunately one always plays or wants to hear the same: the overtures of "Le Timbre d'Argent", "Les Barbares", "Festouvertüre" op.133, the overture to an unfinished opera op.140, incidental music "Parysatis", which had not yet been performed in Paris, "La Foi - Trois tableaux symphoniques" op. 130 etc. If Gheusi had gold mines, then one could also think of works for orchestra and choir. But he does not want to play Romeo and l'Enfance de Christ by Berlioz, nor the remarkable overtures of "Le roi Lear" and of "Le Corsaire". Saint Saens complains about the current reception of music, which leaves aside everything that does not come from a certain "clan", that the flamboyant Stravinsky is not heard and no one suspects what excellent pieces there are from the Italian school of Antonio Bazzani and others. The climax of his indictment of the prevailing wrong musical taste is that "in our country those who make sensible music are put on the index. Paul Lacombe (1837-1927), who deserves to be appointed correspondent of the Institute, is totally ignored." For concerts with orchestra and choir, he then prefers to recommend "Christ on the Mount of Olives" and the "Ruins of Athens" by Beethoven, or the "wonder of all wonders," the "Seasons" by Haydn. For such performances of great works, he thinks, success will be assured. The letter ends with a final significant verdict that contemporary music in general is on a wrong path and people think they are making great music under false pretences. - Transcription and translation of this letter is available.