The Carnival of the Animals The Carnival of the Animals The Carnival of the Animals (Le carnaval des animaux) is a humorous 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,
The Carnival Is Over de Oever van de Rotte". It is played in a cafe scene in the 1988 film "The Unbearable Lightness of Being". Tom Springfield adapted the melody from the Russian folk song, and also wrote the lyrics, after a trip to Brazil, where he witnessed the Carnival in Rio. The melody is played repeatedly in an early episode of TV series "The Twilight Zone" – Season 1 Episode 3, entitled "Mr. Denton On Doomsday", first aired in 1959. The playing of "The Carnival Is Over", sung by The Seekers, has been sometimes used at the close of special events in Australia.