Saint-Saens, it would appear, had a tendency to lift ideas from other composers. The grand tune from the first movement of the 2nd Piano Concerto is said to have come from an unpublished Tantum Ergo of Faure. The big waltz at the end of the 4th Piano Concerto has drawn comment for its similarity to a popular waltz of the day by Offenbach. So much for possibly lifting from sung composers. Did he do it to unsung composers?
Well, consider the famous organ hymn that opens the final section of the 3rd Symphony. A few years ago our own California Jim commented that it sounded suspiciously like the opening theme of Anton Rubinstein's Fantasy in C, Op. 84, a work long consigned to the dusty, unused shelves of a few music libraries. The work has, however, been graced by a single recording. Checking this (I've yet to locate a score), I found Jim was right. The Saint-Saens is simply the parallel third above (or minor 6th below) the Rubinstein: same key, same note durations for the most part.
The familiar Saint-Saens, from...what was it...1883?...has the following, all in quarter notes except as noted:
e'' d'' e'' c'' d'' e'' g'' a'' g'' (this last a dotted whole note), followed by
g'' a'' f'' e'' f'' d'' e'' f'' g'' d'' (the last again a dotted whole and final E-F as eighth notes).
Now the Rubinstein, from 1869, is as follows, again all in quarter notes:
c' b c' a b c' d' e' e' g' e' d' e' b c' d'
Transpose the Saint-Saens down a major third and you have the Rubinstein.
Isnt' that a bit uncanny?
Now we know that Rubinstein and Saint-Saens were friends. It was at Rubinstein's request that Saint-Saens wrote, in 1868, his 2nd Piano Concerto. April of 1870 has Rubinstein in Paris for the French premiere of his new Fantasy, followed by concerts in other major French cities. Then in May Rubinstein returns to Paris where he plays the Schumann concerto under the direction of his friend, Saint-Saens.
Given this chronology and the friendship of the two principles, it seems to me inconceivable that Saint-Saens would have been unaware of Rubinstein's new work. And, given Saint-Saens reputation for allegedly lifting things...well, who knows?
Well, consider the famous organ hymn that opens the final section of the 3rd Symphony. A few years ago our own California Jim commented that it sounded suspiciously like the opening theme of Anton Rubinstein's Fantasy in C, Op. 84, a work long consigned to the dusty, unused shelves of a few music libraries. The work has, however, been graced by a single recording. Checking this (I've yet to locate a score), I found Jim was right. The Saint-Saens is simply the parallel third above (or minor 6th below) the Rubinstein: same key, same note durations for the most part.
The familiar Saint-Saens, from...what was it...1883?...has the following, all in quarter notes except as noted:
e'' d'' e'' c'' d'' e'' g'' a'' g'' (this last a dotted whole note), followed by
g'' a'' f'' e'' f'' d'' e'' f'' g'' d'' (the last again a dotted whole and final E-F as eighth notes).
Now the Rubinstein, from 1869, is as follows, again all in quarter notes:
c' b c' a b c' d' e' e' g' e' d' e' b c' d'
Transpose the Saint-Saens down a major third and you have the Rubinstein.
Isnt' that a bit uncanny?
Now we know that Rubinstein and Saint-Saens were friends. It was at Rubinstein's request that Saint-Saens wrote, in 1868, his 2nd Piano Concerto. April of 1870 has Rubinstein in Paris for the French premiere of his new Fantasy, followed by concerts in other major French cities. Then in May Rubinstein returns to Paris where he plays the Schumann concerto under the direction of his friend, Saint-Saens.
Given this chronology and the friendship of the two principles, it seems to me inconceivable that Saint-Saens would have been unaware of Rubinstein's new work. And, given Saint-Saens reputation for allegedly lifting things...well, who knows?