Sheet Music: Aquarium

TitleAquarium
from The Carnival of the Animals
Alternate titlesAquarium from Le Carnaval des Animaux
ComposerCamille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921)
InstrumentationFlute and Piano
KeyC major
RangeC4–E6
Time signature4/4
Tempo64 BPM
Performance time2:30
Difficulty levelintermediate
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (188 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (2.1 MB)
Play-along accompanimentMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (2.1 MB)
Date added2009-09-07
Last updated2009-09-07
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 3.5 (popular)
Categories
Romantic, Written for Flute

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Monday 7 September 2009

Tune of the Day: Aquarium

from Camille Saint-Saëns's “The Carnival of the Animals“
aquarium

This is one of the musically richest movements from Le Carnaval des Animaux (“The Carnival of the Animals”), a musical suite of fourteen movements by the French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The melody is played by the flute, on top of tumultuous, glissando-like runs in the piano. These irregular piano figures are evocative of a peaceful, dimly-lit aquarium.

“Aquarium” has been featured in the trailers for the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the 1974 film The Godfather Part II, the 1994 film Only You, and the 2006 film Charlotte's Web. It also appears to be one of the influences on the main theme in Walt Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and is especially prominent in the cue titled “The West Wing”.

As Trevor Wye points out in his popular Practice Books, this piece makes an excellent tone exercise.

Other Movements from the same Work

7.Aquarium Flute & Piano
10.Aviary Flute solo
12.Fossils Flute duet
13.The Swan Flute & Piano
14.Final Flute solo

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