ℹ️ Work Information Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921) Title: The Carnival of the Animals (Le Carnaval des animaux) Composed: 1886 First Private Performance: March 9, 1886 (Paris) First Public Performance: February 26, 1922 (posthumously) Form: Suite of fourteen musical tableaux Period: Romantic Duration: Approximately 22–25 minutes Instrumentation: Chamber ensemble for two pianos, strings, flute (doubling piccolo), clarinet, xylophone, and glass harmonica (or glockenspiel in modern performances) _________________________________ Why Did a Great Composer Hide the Most Playful Work of His Career? Some compositions are written to astonish. Others are born from an irresistible need for artistic expression. Then there are those rare works that seem to exist simply because their creator delighted in making them. The Carnival of the Animals belongs unmistakably to that last category. At first glance, it appears to be an enchanting musical stroll through an ima...
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