clarté
French composer
Definition
Clarity. Saint-Saëns's fundamental aesthetic value — transparency of texture, precision of articulation, and avoidance of sentimentality or excessive pedal.
Interpretive Guidance
Clarté in Saint-Saëns means each voice must be audible and the texture must breathe. Resist the Romantic temptation to blur with pedal; instead pedal sparingly and change it frequently. The clarity of a good harpsichordist is the ideal, even on the modern piano.