Featured: Camille Saint Saens Valse Mignonne Op. 104

You just have to love technology! Here is footage from a silent film taken in 1914 of Saint Saens playing synced with an audio recording recorded only five years later, giving us an opportunity to step back in time and experience and hear this great composer playing one of his piano works. 

Saint Saens recorded 50 piano rolls and 17 phonograph records between 1904 and 1919 despite the fact that he was in his seventies and eighties. His playing is remarkably clean, focused, and very musical. Being able to see his performance in the video footage shows us his relaxed ability to communicate from the piano, much of this due to his very proper posture and positioning.

This is a great glimpse into the very early beginnings of audio and video recording. Enjoy!