Cello excerpt
Saint-Saëns, Le Carnaval des Animaux, XIII. Le Cygne
Andantino grazioso
The most famous solo in the cello repertoire, the swan glides over rippling piano arpeggios.
At a glance
- Instrument
- Cello
- Composer
- Camille Saint-Saëns
- Work
- Le Carnaval des Animaux, XIII. Le Cygne
- Movement
- Andantino grazioso
- Era
- Romantic (c. 1820–1880)
- Composed
- 1886
- Key
- G
- Metre
- 6/4
- Tempo
- Andantino grazioso · ♩ ≈ 60
- Clef
- Bass clef
- Level
- Comfortable, community and youth orchestra
- Audition list
- Not a standard excerpt
How to practise it
The bow style, the trouble spots, and the stylistic decisions that come up most often on this excerpt.
Bowing
Long, gliding bow, seamless string crossings, no audible bow change.
Style
Serene. Don't over-vibrate.
Tags
Work on the technique underneath
Arco's cello curriculum builds the bow strokes, positions, and clef reading this excerpt assumes, with recorded cello playback throughout.