for flute (piccolo), clarinet (B flat / C), harmonica, xylophon, piano I, piano II, violin I, violin II, viola, cello, double bass
Conceived as a humorous piece of circumstance on the occasion of the Carnival concert of his friend the cellist Charles-Joseph Lebouc in March 1886, the Carnival of the Animals was so successful that Saint-Saëns asked for it shortly afterwards. ban on execution and publication. He feared, in fact, that this "Great Zoological Fantasy" - consisting of 14 short pieces for eleven instruments - would overshadow his serious compositions. Only five months after the composer's death, it was nevertheless printed and then began - in its original version as in the form of innumerable arrangements - its victorious procession in the whole world. This is how the Carnival became the truly most popular work of the French composer, while its musical originality allows it to be frequently approached in musical education or played by student orchestras. Thanks to the combination of the study edition and the edition of the separate parts (for which additional parts can also be ordered in case of larger string formations), the G. Henle editions now offer optimal material.
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