The Swan. Excerpt from "The Carnival of the Animals" Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) By Valérie Duchâteau. The Swan is the thirteenth movement of "The Carnival of the Animals" by Camille Saint-Saëns. Composed for cello and piano, this piece in 6/4, in G major, uses many legato and glissando effects for a figurative effect. As an anecdote, Saint-Saëns considered the other movements of his "Carnival" too frivolous, and thought that they would have damaged his reputation as a serious composer if they had been played in public. The proposed version has been arranged for two guitars by Valérie Duchâteau.