LES CARNAVAL DES ANIMAUX (THE CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS) is a musical suite of fourteen movements by the French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921). It is a set of orchestral character pieces, each of which is meant to describe a particular animal, usually by mimicking the sounds it makes or characterizing the way it moves or carries itself. This whimsical and imaginative work includes a whole zoo of instruments! Pianos, Flute/piccolo, Clarinet, Violins, Viola, Cello, Double bass, Glass harmonica, and Xylophone.
The composer did not want the carnival to be performed in public because he was afraid that it would hurt his reputation as a serious composer. The Carnival of the Animals was published after Saint-Saens's death, and it has since become one of his most popular works! Along with Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf and Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, it is one of the most popular classical pieces for young audiences, a favorite of children and adults alike!