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A Rediscovered Choral Motet by Camille Saint-Saëns

Sep. 18, 2020

Fittingly coinciding with the commemorative year in 2021 to mark the 100th anniversary of Camille Saint-Saëns’s death, a rediscovered choral work by the composer will be published for the very first time. “Super flumina Babylonis” will be available in three versions. Musicologist Yves Gérard unearthed this treasure in the Médiathèque Jean Renoir in Dieppe in France: during his many years of research, he came across an unknown and unpublished manuscript penned by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921). 

The score is wrapped in thin, reddish-brown paper, scuffed at the edges and has its title “Super Flumina Babylonis” carelessly written in pencil. “Psaume 136” seems to have been added later in ink. Not a treasure at first glance – but at the second, third, fourth, for it is the top four instrumental parts which make this manuscript something of a sensation. Placed under each other are “Saxophone Soprano en Si b”, “Saxophone Alto en Mi b”, “Saxophone Ténor en Si b” and “Saxophone Baryton en Mi b”, strings, soprano solo with chorus and organ. 

This discovery also has a direct impact on music history. Jean-Baptiste Singelée (1812–1875) was previously credited with having written the first saxophone quartet, his opus 53, which he completed in 1857. However, under the first page of the Dieppe treasure, which is pasted over and also even stitched, the date 1854 is to be found. Saint-Saëns’ work was thus written three years earlier than that of Singelée’s. 

Click here to learn more about the discovery of this fascinating new musical treasure.


                                                                  

To learn more about Saint-Saëns, visit baerenreiter.com

Camille Saint-Saëns
Super flumina Babylonis (1854)
edited by 
Christina M. Stahl
S-solo/Mixed Choir SATB
0.0.0.ssax.asax.tsax.bsax.0.0.0.0-org-str
12'

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