Which composer wrote 'The Carnival of the Animals'?

Camille Saint-Saëns wrote The Carnival of the Animals.

Saint-Saëns composed the humorous suite in 1886 for two pianos and a small chamber ensemble. It contains 14 movements portraying animals and musical characters, including “The Swan,” “The Elephant,” “The Cuckoo,” and the famous “Aquarium.” The music uses wit, parody, unusual instrumental combinations, and quotations from other composers and popular tunes.

Saint-Saëns considered the work a lighthearted diversion and restricted public performances during his lifetime because he worried that its comic character might damage his reputation as a serious composer. He allowed “The Swan” to circulate separately, however, and that movement became especially popular.

The complete suite was published in 1922, the year after Saint-Saëns died, and then entered the standard concert repertoire. It is sometimes associated with narrated poems by Ogden Nash, but those verses were added decades later and are not part of Saint-Saëns's original composition.