Saint-Saëns was a piano virtuoso and a composer of bravura brilliance. His Six Fugues, Op 161 are masterly and complex character studies, devoid of academic leanings, whilst his famous Allegro appassionato, Op 70 possesses brilliance and lyrical depth. The Thème varié, Op 97 is witty and explosive, the Suite, Op 90 full of charm, and the Allegro, Op 29 possessed of dazzling breadth.