(Leader, MONTAGUE BREARLEY)
Conducted by JOHN ANSELL
Saint-Saens' first opera, The Yellow Prince88, was written in 1872, in a Paris scarcely recovered from the cruel consequences of war; it was not particularly successful. The story centres round a princess painted on a Japanese fan and a scientist to whom the princess seems to come to life in his dreams. The music is said to be too cold in feeling for the somewhat exotic libretto, but the overture has survived as an effective and popular concert piece.