RT Book, Whole DB /z-wcorg/ DS http://worldcat.org ID 40979980 LA English T1 Saint-Saëns : a critical biography A1 Studd, Stephen., PB Cygnus Arts ; Fairleigh Dickinson University Press PP London; Madison [N.J.] YR 1999 SN 0838638422 9780838638422 1900541653 9781900541657 AB "Quoting extensively from his letters, Stephen Studd presents an accurate and balanced account of Saint-Saens's life and work, placing him in the context of nineteenth-century French music."--BOOK JACKET. "The child prodigy became the eternal scholar who, besides being a prolific composer, was also one of the greatest organists of his day, a touring pianist of awesome technique, the producer of scholarly editions of other composers works, a contributor to a variety of newspapers and journals, a writer on literature, philosophy and the sciences - especially astronomy - as well as music, a poet and a playwright, and an inveterate traveller Feted by royalty and a member of the Legion d'Honneur, he had the rare distinction - for a musician - of being alive to see the unveiling of a statue of himself."--BOOK JACKET. "The often violent extremes of opinion which he aroused in others created a legacy of prejudices and assumptions which has for three-quarters of a century remained largely unchallenged and has militated against a more sober assessment of his music and its place in musical history."--BOOK JACKET. "Stephen Studd's biography offers just such an assessment. Together with an extensive bibliography, appendices with selections from the composer's essays and poetry, and an up-to-date discography of the ever-growing number of recordings, this biography is much needed and timely."--BOOK JACKET.