The Carnival of the Animals

The Carnival of the Animals is a musical suite of 14 movements by the French romantic composer Camille Saint Saens. It was composed in 1886 and is usually performed today in an orchestral form with the support of two pianos.

As the title suggests, the work follows a zoological program and progresses from the first movement (Introduction and Royal March of the Lion), through portraits of elephants and donkeys (People with Long Ears) to a finale reprising all the earlier motifs. The most famous movement is the penultimate one (The Swan) which is a lyrical cello solo to the accompaniment of one piano. The ballet The Dying Swan is choreographed to this music.