Suite, op. 16 (Saint-Saëns)

Camille Saint-Saëns wrote the first version of the cello suite in 1866. This work is considered the launching point of the composer's career. Originally, the suite did not have the two dance movements the order followed as such: "Prélude", "Sérénade", "Scherzo", "Romance", and "Finale". The Finale had a recapitulation of the Prelude at the end, which is more typical of a Serenade. In fact, the work has a closer resemblance to Antonín Dvořák's String Serenade than a Baroque suite. Saint-Saëns' interest was revived in 1919, with the help of Cellist Joseph Hollmann, for whom the 2nd Cello Concerto was written, to orchestrate his suite of five pieces. However, the composer felt that the Scherzo and Finale much to pianistic to be orchestrated. Saint-Saëns came to a decision to replace the two movements with a "Gavotte" and a "Tarantelle". The Gavotte was first written in "G Minor", but upon orchestration Saint-Saëns transposed it into "D Minor". The Romance already existed in orchestrated form, from the time the composer took the piece from the original suite and transcribed it for Horn, for Henri Chaussier . [Saint-Saëns, Camille, "The Complete Shorter Works for Cello and Piano" ed. Isserlis. An introduction by Sabina Teller Ratner, 2.] The orchestrated version was published by "J. Hamelle" in 1920.

Recordings

Cello and Piano
*Roger Drinkall (Cello) and Dian Baker (Piano)
*Christoph Henkel (Cello) and Hüseyin Sermet (Piano)
*Maria Kliegel (Cello) and François-Joël Thiollier (Piano)
*Lucia Swarts (Cello) and Leo van Doeselaar (Piano)

Cello and Orchestra
*Steven Isserlis (Cello) and Michael Tilson Thomas (London Symphony Orchestra)
*Maria Kliegel (Cello) and Jean-François Monnard (Bournemouth Sinfonietta)
*Mischa Maisky (Cello) and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
*Christine Walevska (Cello) and Eliahu Inbal (Orchestra National de Monte-Carlo)

References