French composer Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) is certainly one of the most fascinating and important figures in the music history of the 19th and early 20th century. World-renowned for
The Carnival of the Animals
, his oeuvre encompasses more than 600 compositions, many of them key works for the respective musical genre. The present volume brings together 21 articles: they investigate not only Saint-Saens' compositions - from operas and other stage works to his chamber and piano music and to his recordings - but also his writings and his many travels all over the world, which provided the basis for the many aspects of exoticism and orientalism of his music. The presentation of these essays can be seen as a seminal building block for further studies, also in view of the centenary of his death to be commemorated in 2021.