Camille Saint-Saëns composed his two Romances for Horn for two of the most respected French horn players of the time: Opus 67 in E major from 1866 is dedicated to Henri Chaussier; Opus 36 in F major from 1874 was written for Henri Garigue. Despite the illustrious recipients, they are not virtuosic showpieces but – as the term Romance suggests – short “Songs without words”. Alongside the orchestral version, Saint-Saëns also prepared a piano accompaniment for chamber music performances. The first editions even also had an alternative part for violoncello, on which our edition is based.
