Saint-Saëns Essay Example for Free

Saint-Saà «ns Essay Saint-Saens’ third violin concerto is Romantic in style. The melodic line rapidly rises and falls, and rhythmic values are varied from fast, running notes to longer more lyrical lines. At times (such as the beginning of the second movement), the melodic line is fluid and elegant. This trait is typical of the composer and of French music in general during the late nineteenth century. In fact, the author of the textbook remarks that Saint-Saens displays â€Å"an elegance of melodic line in [his] music, which is not unlike the fluidity of the French language. † This characteristic can be attributed to the composer’s nationalism. The accompanying orchestra is rather large (though not as large as those employed by Bruckner or Strauss), another sign of the composer’s Romantic and anti-German tendencies. The music is tonal, with cadences articulating the ends of musical sections. Form Though, as the author of the textbook remarks, â€Å"French composers were also trying to create new forms of music whenever possible,† Saint-Saens’ concerto is in the traditional three movement format. The three movements – allegro non troppo, andantino quasi allegretto, and molto moderato e maestoso – follow the traditional fast-slow-fast pattern established with the Viennese composers Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. Saint-Saens does, however, depart from the traditional double exposition sonata form employed by such composers in first movements. Saint-Saens’ concerto opens directly with the violin playing the main theme, accompanied by the orchestra. Subject Matter In terms of subject matter, this concerto is an example of absolute music: there is no accompanying narrative.