Hey Kids, Meet Saint-Saëns
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) French Romantic Era Composer
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was born in Paris, France in 1835. His father died three months after his birth. At the request of his mother, Camille’s great-aunt Charlotte moved in with them and became the first to introduce him to the piano. Beginning lessons at age two, he quickly became known as one of the greatest child prodigies of all time. His first composition for piano is dated March 22, 1839. His talents weren’t limited to music — he learned to read by age three and mastered Latin by age seven.
In 1886 Saint-Saëns premiered one of his most beloved works — Le Carnaval des Animaux (The Carnival of the Animals). He considered it a musical joke and allowed only The Swan (for cello and two pianos) to be published during his lifetime. After his death, the complete suite became one of the most popular and imaginative works in the entire classical repertoire.
Learn about Carnival of the Animals with this fun popsicle stick theater presentation from the MakingMusicFun.net Academy.
Watch Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals from Disney’s “Fantasia 2000.”
Grab the Composing with Kids Scavenger Hunt Worksheet to get started. Then jump into our free app to begin creating your own masterpiece!
Play Saint-Saëns' biggest hits with our free and premium beginner & easy arrangements — print instantly!
Watch a video lesson to learn how to play Saint-Saëns' Egyptian Dance.
Discover one of classical music’s most fascinating composers, Camille Saint-Saëns, with our ready-to-teach worksheets, listening activities, coloring pages, and games. Perfect for the music classroom or the homeschool teacher.
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