Au clair de la lune Au clair de la lune "" (, lit. "By the Light of the Moon") is a French folk song of the 18th century. Its composer and lyricist are unknown. Its simple melody () is commonly taught to beginners learning an instrument. Some sources report that "plume" (pen) was originally "lume" (an old word for "light" or "lamp"). 19th-century French composer Camille Saint-Saëns quoted the first few notes of the tune in the section "The Fossils", part of his suite "The Carnival of the Animals". Claude Debussy, composer of the similarly named "Clair de lune" from his "Suite bergamasque", uses "Au
Caucasian Sketches, Suite No. 1 near the end, when after a second cadenza, slows its tempo down again. The title of a third, "In a Mosque", reflects the abundance of mosques in the once Turkish Caucausus and Circassia, and the listener can hear the Muezzin's call to prayer in the music. The most famous and admired portion is the final piece, "Procession of the Sardar", a Persian title for a military commander, leader or dignitary. Notable recordings of this suite include: Caucasian Sketches, Suite No. 1 "Caucasian Sketches, Suite No. 1", Op. 10 (Russian: "Кавказские эскизы, Сюита №1") is an orchestral suite composed in 1894