Camille Saint-Saëns - Fantaisie for violin and harp Op. 124 (audio + sheet music)

Saint-Saëns’ Fantaisie for Violin and Harp, Op. 124, is representative of the general “thinning“ of texture we find in the composer’s output after the mid-1890s. His piano parts became lighter, and he even replaced the piano with the thin sound of the harp in several works, including the Fantaisie, Op. 95, for harp alone and the Morceau de concert, Op. 154, for harp and orchestra, in addition to the Fantaisie, Op. 124. Saint-Saëns composed the Fantaisie for Violin and Harp while touring in the Mediterranean in February and March of 1907. After attending a performance of his Le timbre d’argent in Monte Carlo, the composer moved on to the Italian Riviera city of Bordighera to rest. There he composed the Fantaisie for Violin and Harp, published later the same year as his Op. 124. The work is dedicated to the sisters Marianne and Clara Eissler. In four sections, the delicacy of the piece exemplifies Saint-Saëns’ recently developed ideas on clarity. The first section shows a clear division of labor between the instruments as the violin plays a single melodic line over arpeggios and broken chords in the harp. Although rigorously organized, the section has an improvisatory feel. In the second section, the violin part is less melodious, with frequent, aggressive double-stops, while the harp accompaniment takes on a heavier pulse and pentatonic passages. A more equal exchange between the instruments marks the third section, in which the violin and harp at first follow one another. Later, the violin sounds low pitches, which the harp decorates in a fanciful manner, completely reversing the roles of the instruments in the first section and creating refreshing timbral contrast. In the fourth section, the harp returns to its accompanimental role, repeating groups of notes as the violin pursues invigorating lyrical outbursts. Saint-Saëns closes the piece with a return to the opening melody and its accompanimental texture. (AllMusic) Please take note that the audio AND sheet music ARE NOT mine. Feel free to change the video quality to a minimum of 480p for the best watching experience. Performers: Nandor Szederkenyi (violin), Katrina Szederkenyi (harp) ( Original sheet music: ,(Saint-Saëns,_Camille) (Durand, 1907)