There are two basic types of composers: those who write relatively few works, but hone them until they are as perfect as they can be (Ravel, for example); and those who write and write and write, and good, bad or ugly, they just keep writing. Saint-Saëns surely belongs in this second category. How did this guy manage to write so many letters while at the same time write so many compositions?

Luckily for us, he does, indeed, have a few great works which seeped through all that clutter. And luckily for him, these works are the ones which became really popular. I think, of course, of Samson and Delilah, of the Cello Concerto, of some of the piano concerti, of Carnival of the Animals (and not just The Swan, incidentally, but virtually the entire work, which is charming save for but one or two movements). Even the Danse macabre does not lack for charm.

But in the symphonic realm, his most popular (and best) work, by far, is the Third Symphony. It is chock full of good tunes, interesting developments, and, of course, imaginative orchestration (including not just the organ, but also pianos, both in 2-hand and 4-hand passages). Here is a sample from the second movement (there are but two in this work).