Carnival of the Animals, The (arr Curnow)

Camille Saint-Saëns

Subtitle: Grand Zoological Fantasy

General Info

Year: 1886 / 2008
Duration: c. 5:55
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Two pianos and other instruments
Publisher: Curnow Music Press, through Hal Leonard
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $65.00 | Score Only (print) - $12.95

Movements

1. Introduction and Royal March of the Lions – 2:00
2. The Elephant – 0:55
3. The Swan – 2:05
4. Finale – 0:50

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

Bass Drum
Bells
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Tambourine
Triangles (2: small and large)
Xylophone (optional)

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

Commissioned by the Urbana Middle School Bands, Karen E. DeBauche, Director, in honor of Gene Amberg, and his dedication to music in the Urbana School District. Dr. Amberg served as superintendent from 1992-2007 and was a great supporter of the Urbana, Illinois, band programs.

- Program Note from score

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
Audio CD: Minnesota Symphonic Winds (Travis J. Cross, conductor)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Havre de Grace (Md.) High School Combined 9th Grade/Concert Band – 15 May 2019
Minnesota Winds (Edina, Minn.) (Travis J. Cross, conductor) – 19 December 2008 (2008 Midwest Clinic)

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) (1870/1972)
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
Saint-Saens, C,; Curnow, J. (2008). Carnival of the Animals [score]. Curnow: Wilmore, Ky.