Le Carnaval des Animaux

Camille Saint-Saëns

Subtitle: Carnival of the Animals

General Info

Year: 1886 / 2000 / 2012
Duration: c. 15:00
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Two pianos and other instruments
Publisher: Brain
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $125.00 | Score Only (print) - $15.00

Movements

1. Introduction et Marche royale du Lion
2. Poules et Coqs
5. L'éléphant
6. Kangourous
7. Aquarium
9. Le coucou au fond des bois
12. Fossiles
13. Le cygne
14. Final

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo I-II
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra-Alto Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Flugelhorn
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III-IV
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V, including:

Bass Drum
Chimes
Crash Cymbals
Cuckoo
Glockenspiel
Marimba
Ratchet
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Tam-Tam
Triangle
Vibraphone
Vibra-slap
Whip
Whistle
Wind Chimes
Wood Block
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The Carnival of the Animals (Le carnaval des animaux) is a musical suite of fourteen movements by the French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The work was written for private performance by an ad hoc ensemble of two pianos and other instruments, and lasts around 25 minutes.

Following a disastrous concert tour of Germany in 1885–86, Saint-Saëns withdrew to a small Austrian village, where he composed The Carnival of the Animals in February 1886. It is scored for two pianos, two violins, viola, cello, double bass, flute (and piccolo), clarinet (C and B♭), glass harmonica, and xylophone. From the beginning, Saint-Saëns regarded the work as a piece of fun. O He had apparently intended to write the work for his students at the École Niedermeyer, but it was first performed at a private concert given by the cellist Charles Lebouc on Shrove Tuesday, 9 March 1886.

- Program Note from Wikipedia

Camille Saint-Saëns’ "grande fantasie zoologique" is originaly a collection of 14 short movements, each with a specific animal subject. This suite was originally scored for two pianos and chamber orchestra. Yo Goto consulted Saint-Saens' score to set nine of the 14 movements for concert band. For humor, color and clarity he added piano and various percussion. Also, phrases were added for continuity and impact, particularly in the "Final".

- Program Note from Tierolff Publishing

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Dallas (Tx.) Winds (Jerry Junkin, conductor) – 14 January 2020
Texas Christian University (Fort Worth) Wind Symphony (Eddie Airheart, conductor) – 16 April 2019

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Le Carnaval des Animaux (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Onodera) (1886/2018)

All Wind Works

Aquarium (arr. Moore) (1886/2011)
Bacchanale (arr. Balent) (1877/2002)
Bacchanale (arr. Egner) (1877/1926)
Bacchanale (arr. Hubbell) (1877/1991)
Bacchanale from "Samson and Delila" (arr. Hanna) (1877/)
Carnival of the Animals (arr. Brand)
The Carnival of the Animals (arr. Bocook) (1886/2006)
The Carnival of the Animals (arr. Curnow) (1886/2008)
Carnival of the Animals, The (arr. Goto). See Le Carnaval des Animaux
Chorale for Wind Band and Melodic Percussion (arr. Giroux) (2015)
Danse Bacchanale (arr. Steiger) (1877/1985)
Danse Bacchanale (arr. Bocook) (1877/2004)
Danse Bacchanale (arr. Singleton) (1877/)
Danse Macabre (arr. Bender)
Danse Macabre (tr Hindsley) (tr. Hindsley) (1874/197-?)
Danse Macabre (arr. Laurendeau) (1874/1903)
Danse Macabre (arr. Brian Sheldon) (1874/)
Danse Macabre (arr. Slawson) (1874/2013)
Part One, "Organ Symphony" (no. 3 (tr. Hindsley) (1886/197-?)
Finale, Symphony No 3 in C (arr. Slocum) (1886/1974)
Finale to "Hail! California" (ed. Martin) (1915/2015)
Finale from "Symphony No. 3" (arr. VanDoren) (1886/2022)
First Movement, "Organ Symphony" (no. 3) (tr. Hindsley) (1886/197-?)
Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (arr. Kessler)
La Princesse Jaune (arr. Odom) (1872/1980)
La Princesse Jaune (arr. Lake) (1872/1929)
La Princesse Jaune (arr. Schyns) (1872/2002)
Le Carnaval des Animaux (arr. Goto) (1886/2000/2012)
Le Carnaval des Animaux (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Onodera) (1886/2018)
March-Scherzo (arr. Marcus) (1853/2015)
Marche Dédiée aux Étudiants d'Alger (orch. Bouchel) (1921/1925)
Marche Heroïque (arr. Winterbottom) (1871/1906)
Marche Interalliée (orch. Balay) (1918/2014)
Marche Militaire Francaise (tr. Hindsley) (1908/1958)
Marche Militaire Francaise (arr. Lake) (1908/1913)
Mon Coeur s'ouvre à ta voix (tr. Niese) (1877/2012)
Morceau de Concert (arr. Respresas Carrera) (1887/2013)
Morceau de Concert (tr. Nelson) (1887/1979)
Orient et Occident (ed. Whitwell) (1869)
Orient et Occident (arr. Hauswirth) (1869)
Orient et Occident (ed. Reynish) (1869/1995)
Orient et Occident (arr. Schissel) (1869/2005)
Pas Redoublé (arr. Frackenpohl) (1887/1972)
Prelude and Processional (arr. Elkus) (1883/1957)
Second Movement, "Organ Symphony" (no. 3) (tr. Hindsley) (1886/200-?)
Sur les bords du Nil (ed. Hauswirth) (1908/2019)
Theme from "Samson and Delilah" (arr. Davis) (1877/1964)
Vers la Victoire (orch. Dondeyne) (1918/2014)

Resources

The Carnival of the Animals, Wikipedia Accessed 23 March 2016