Charles Camille Saint-Saens, one of the better composers to emerge from the industrial soup of Paris in the mid-1800s, spins a wonderous spell through this melodically intense and notoriously difficult opus. Albert Spalding,
the first American violinist to appear with the Paris Conservatory Orchestra, does Saint-Saens a good turn with this wonderfully nuanced performance. With Andre Benoist providing brilliantly undestated support on the piano,
Spalding channels the composer for just a little over four minutes on this Edison waxing. The first takes were recorded in July of 1913, but this is a later one - take "J" - so the exact date is not known. The sonic qualities
are beautiful, and the record was played on good equipment so there was very little wear.
