The stage works of Saint-Saëns range from grand open-air pageants to one-act comic operas, and include the first composed film score. Yet, with the exception of Samson et Dalila, his twelve operas have lain in the shadows since the composer's death in 1921. Widely performed in his lifetime, they vanished from the repertory - never played, never recorded - until now. With four twenty-first-century revivals as a backdrop, this timely book is the first study of Saint-Saëns's operas, demonstrating the presence of the same breadth and versatility as in his better known works. Hugh Macdonald's wide knowledge of French music in the nineteenth century gives a powerful understanding of the different conventions and expectations that governed French opera at the time. The interaction of Saint-Saëns with his contemporaries is a colourful and important part of the story.

圣桑的舞台作品从盛大的露天盛会到单幕喜剧，包括第一部创作的电影配乐。 然而，除了《参孙与达利拉》之外，自这位作曲家 1921 年去世以来，他的 12 部歌剧一直处于阴影之中。在他有生之年被广泛演出，它们从剧目中消失了——从未演奏过，从未录制过——直到现在。 这本及时的书以四次二十一世纪的复兴为背景，是对圣桑歌剧的第一次研究，展示了与他更知名的作品相同的广度和多功能性。 休·麦克唐纳 (Hugh Macdonald) 对 19 世纪法国音乐的广泛了解使他对当时支配法国歌剧的不同习俗和期望有了深刻的理解。 圣桑与其同时代人的互动是故事中丰富多彩且重要的部分。