Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 – 1921) composed his grand opera Ascanio in 1887-88 and it received its premiere in 1890 at the Palais Garnier. Reception was poor with Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw famously remarking “I need not waste my words on the music of it. There is not an original phrase in it from beginning to end.” Despite the poor reception of the opera overall, perhaps Paul Taffanel recognized the potential popularity of a particular section of the ballet music and thus an arrangement of it was published by Edition Durand-Schoenewerk in 1890, titled Airs de Ballet d’Ascanio.

This new score and set of parts came about upon the request to create a modern edition of the work, updating the engraving and correcting errata along the way. Though originally for a full ballet orchestra, because of the minimal parts for the winds, this arrangement has been created such that it can be played with just a string orchestra and harp (optional).

Instrumentation:

• Solo Flute

• Harp (optional)
• Violin I
• Violin II
• Viola
• Cello
• Contrabass