Saint-Saens, C :: Carnival of the Animals

Musicians Publications presents Camille Saint-Saen s Carnival of the Animals arranged for flute choir plus by Bill Holcombe. Scored for 4 C flutes, alto flute, and bass flute, this arrangement also includes an optional bassoon or cello, bass clarinet, and/or contra bass flute part to help fill out the bass. This arrangement is advanced in difficulty.

Camille Saint-Saens had no intention of offering The Carnival of the Animals to the public when he composed the piece early in 1886; he simply thought to provide an entertainment for his friends at Carnival time. Following the first private performance, Saint-Saens old friend and supporter, Franz Liszt, requested that the suite be given again. Thinking the work to be too frivolous to be considered as serious music, Saint-Saens then specifically prohibited further performances, allowing only one piece of the fourteen-section composition to be performed during his lifetime The Swan. On February 26, 1922, a little more than two months after the composer s death, the public premiere took place, and The Carnival of the Animals quickly became one of Saint-Saens most popular works.

Recognized as a whimsical introduction to classical music, The Carnival of the Animals consists of 14 movements, with each movement using different parts of the orchestra to embody the sounds of an animal, from roosters to elephants to kangaroos. The original score called for only eleven instruments: two pianos, a flute, a clarinet, a glass harmonica xylophone, string quartet, and double bass. Today, the strings are usually beefed up to orchestral proportions and some performances include recitation of verses written for the work by one of several poets or humorists. -cpyb.org