Hailed by Franz Liszt as the world's greatest organist Camille Saint-Saëns was revered by his contemporaries for his ingenious improvisations his mastery of the art of registration his virtuosity and his eclectic organ compositions . Saint-Saëns's technique and style developed out of what remained of the French classic tradition that survived into the 19th century. use bridged the entire career of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and continued well into the 20th century. Rollin Smith author of The Organ Works of César Franck provides an insightful biographical view of Saint-Saëns as organist and composer including detailed chapters on the construction and settings of instruments he played (the harmonium the Aeolian organ and the Cavaillé-Coll organs among others). Within the eleven appendices are essays by and about Saint-Saëns; recordings of his performances; specifications of selected organs that he played; and a thematic catalogue of his works for harmonium and organ.

Rollin Smith: