About this edition
Composed in less than two weeks during Advent of 1858, when the twenty-three-year-old Saint-Saëns was organist at the Église de la Madeleine in Paris, the Oratorio de Noël is one of the most beloved sacred works of the French Romantic repertoire. Its Latin text is drawn from the liturgy for Christmas, and its ten movements unfold from a serene instrumental prelude — marked "dans le style de Séb. Bach" and cast in a gently rocking pastoral 12/8 — through a sequence of arias, duets, and ensembles for five soloists and chorus, crowned by the radiant choral finale "Tollite hostias." Scored with unusual restraint for strings, harp, and organ, it achieves a luminous intimacy that has kept it at the center of Christmas concert programs for more than a century and a half.
This printing reproduces the full score issued in Paris by A. Durand & Fils (plate D. & F. 4494, undated, ca. 1891). Durand was Saint-Saëns's principal publisher for most of his career, and the firm's editions — engraved and released during the composer's lifetime and with his ongoing involvement — remain the standard reference texts for his music. The clear engraving and orderly layout of this Durand score have served conductors, répétiteurs, and singers for generations.
About this edition:
- Complete full orchestral score (five soloists, chorus, strings, harp, and organ)
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches
- Reproduced from a public domain historical edition
- Published by Purple 4R Publishing
We're happy to make this classic easy to own: the historical score reproduced here has entered the public domain, and we've prepared it as a clean, affordable printed edition for performers, students, and scholars to study, mark, and perform. We hope it brings this gentle masterpiece to many more music stands.
