Camille Saint-Saëns, in addition to being a virtuoso pianist and organist, he was also a conductor, caricaturist, playwright, poet, philosopher and essayist on botany and ancient music. He wrote with authority on science, mathematics, astronomy and archaeology. He was a critic and a scholarly editor of music and composed nearly 400 works, touching every field of music. He began playing the piano at two and quickly showed himself to be one of the most precocious of all musical prodigies. After studying at the Paris Conservatoire, he was appointed to France’s most prestigious organ post, that of the Madeleine in Paris. He remained there for nearly two decades, developing his legendary gift for improvisation. On hearing Saint-Saëns perform there, Liszt declared the Frenchman the greatest organist in the world. At the early age of 32, Saint-Saëns was awarded the Légion d’honneur. By the end of the 1860s, he was numbered among the supreme living composers.