Camille Saint-Saëns’ Fantaisie for Violin and Harp, Op. 124 is filled with charm, virtuosity, and dreamy exoticism.
The 72-year-old Saint-Saëns was vacationing in the city of Bridger in the Italian Riviera when, in 1907, he composed this sparkling miniature. He dedicated the work to a musical duo made up of two sisters, harpist Clara Eissler and violinist Marianne Eissler. Set in a single brief movement and bathed in Italian sunshine, the music feels playful, adventurous and improvisatory. In one section, the composer pays homage to Baroque tradition with a set of variations emerging over a repeating ostinato bass line. The glittering glissandi which open the piece return in the final moments before the serene closing cadence.
Recordings
- Saint-Saëns: Fantaisie for Violin and Harp, Op. 124, Skaila Kanga, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chandos
Featured Image: Villas at Bordighera (1884), Claude Monet