Septet (Saint-Saëns)

The Septet in E♭ major, Op. 65, was written by Camille Saint-Saëns between 1879 and 1880 for the unusual combination of trumpet, two violins, viola, cello, double bass and piano. Like the suites Opp. 16, 49, 90, the septet is a neoclassical work that revives 17th-century French dance forms, reflecting Saint-Saëns's interest in the largely forgotten French musical traditions of the 17th century. The work was dedicated to Émile Lemoine, a mathematician and founder of the chamber music society La Trompette, who had long requested Saint-Saëns to compose a piece featuring the trumpet.

The septet consists of four movements, each around four minutes in length: Préambule (Allegro moderato), Menuet (Tempo di minuetto moderato), Intermède (Andante), and Gavotte et Finale (Allegro non troppo). The outer movements mix Baroque influences with Romantic elements, the Menuet uses "Baroque clichés", and the Intermède is the only fully Romantic movement.

The septet was successfully premiered on 28 December 1880 and published in March 1881. Hugo Wolf and others praised the work, and some consider it a neglected masterpiece in Saint-Saëns's oeuvre, admired for its skillful writing, musical humor, and effective balancing of the unusual instrumental forces.