Although he lived well into the twentieth century, Saint-Saëns never pursued "modern" trends in musical composition. His works are harmonically conservative and melodically oriented; his professionalism and training show up as expert craftsmanship. He wrote in all genres, but is best known for the opera Samson et Dalila and a handful of orchestral works, including the "Organ" Symphony and concertos for piano, violin, and cello. The Carnival of the Animals was conceived on a smaller scale: it was intended for the amusement of the composer's piano students and friends, and it asks for only solo string instruments rather than an orchestral string section. (Nonetheless, it is usually performed as an orchestral work.) The piece received several performances while the composer was alive, but these always required his explicit permission. It was not until his death, via a provision in his will, that he permitted the work to be published. (The exception was "The Swan," which Saint-Saëns quickly made available in a separate arrangement for cello and piano and which continues to be a favorite encore choice for cellists in recital.) Since its publication, the piece's wit and infectious character portrayals have made it an audience favorite.
Most of the movements are self-explanatory, but a few make inside jokes that benefit from explanation. In "Tortoises," the string melody is the famous cancan from Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, played in exaggerated slow motion to suggest the extreme sluggishness of these animals. "Characters with Long Ears" are, as is evident from the violins, braying donkeys, but Saint-Saëns also intended this movement (and its title) to poke fun at another "ear-oriented" character, the music critic. "Pianists" are not zoo animals, but the composer (himself a superb pianist) found amusement in their ritualistic approach to practicing scales. In "Fossils," Saint-Saëns "unearths" some well-known tunes by various French composers, and even refers to his own Danse Macabre through the characteristic use of the xylophone. The Finale retrieves music from several of the earlier movements, creating the festive atmosphere of all of the animals appearing together.