Suite pour piano op. 90

During the 19th century, the idealisation of the past brought about the revival of the piano suite, which was then further boosted by the development of musicological research. Saint-Saëns himself contributed to the rediscovery of Rameau: he was involved in the celebrations for the centenary of that composer’s death, as well as a concert devoted to his works in 1876, and he edited the monumental edition, whose first volume was published by Durand in 1895. The modernisation of the Baroque suite also allowed the French to set themselves apart from German musicians, who were masters of the sonata and the symphony. After Boëly (Quatre Suites dans le style des anciens maîtres, op. 16, in 1854) and Castillon (Suites nos. 1 and 2 of 1868 and 1872), Saint-Saëns distinguished himself in the genre with his Suite pour piano, op. 90, dated 1891-1892. Dedicated to Louise Marcotte, mother-in-law of the publisher Jacques Durand, the work obeyed the principle of the unifying tonic employed in the Baroque period, since the four pieces are all in F major. Beginning with a Prélude et Fugue, this suite shows the influence of Johann Sebastian Bach rather than that of the French harpsichordists, particularly given that the Menuet and Gigue also contain contrapuntal writing. However, Saint-Saëns strays from the ancient model in his disregard for the characteristic features of the dances: the Menuet employs the rhythmic cell typical of a saraband and, in places, sounds more like a waltz. Furthermore, he introduces some original colours, like the ninths in the Gavotte. This is a fine homage to Rameau who had, in his time, revolutionised harmony.