The Swan
“Le Cygne” or “The Swan” from The Carnival of The Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns is a staple piece in the cello repertoire. Its beauty and depth has allowed it to transcend the classical sphere and become a universally recognized and loved piece.
The first time I heard The Swan was in elementary school at a concert to showcase different instruments. I was instantly drawn to the music, but not the cello. I really wanted to play violin or saxophone! Learning to play an instrument was something I had been looking forward to for a long time. Since I can remember, music felt like it fit naturally into my existence. I remember humming “background music” for my daily activities, as if in a show or movie. Life was better set to music.
When I went home to tell my parents about the concert, my Father showed me more videos of the cello. When it came time to join orchestra in the fourth grade, that was my choice, and I never looked back. I often cite it as love at first sight - once I touched the instrument I was enamored. Joining my school orchestra felt very important to me, as it allowed me to finally become a musician. I had always wanted to surround myself with music, and to make music myself was the ultimate experience. It changed my life completely.
My cello teacher allowed me to learn The Swan for the solo and ensemble event in 7th grade. It was thrilling but nerve wracking. I felt at the time that I did not play it the way I had envisioned it in my head - seamless and beautiful, yet full of feeling. However, the piece stayed with me and I was lucky enough to perform it again with my community orchestra. That time felt closer to my vision, and I hoped I would have made my 7th grade self proud. It is still a piece I carry with me and hope to perform again.
I arranged this piece for 2 cellos because I have all of my private students play it. It’s a rite of passage piece in my opinion. Every cellist needs to experience it. On the page it looks simple, but there is a wealth of learning to be done with the piece, from both a technical and musical standpoint. All of my students fall in love with it as I did, and I love working on it with them and hearing them interpret it. I arranged this piece so I can play it alongside them. It is nice to have to give students an idea of full piece. It can be used as practice before meeting with a pianist or in place of one if that is not an option.
I know this is not the first 2 cello arrangement of The Swan, but I had some ideas of my own that I did not see in other arrangements. First, I thought the second cello part needed to be pizzicato, to create a different timbre closer to that of the original cello/piano version. I tried playing the piano part exactly for cello 2, but it was somewhat tiring and difficult to keep up with at a more swift tempo. I simplified it in a way that keeps the integrity of the chords as well as the motion of the line.
I have tried it out with two of my students to far and it was helpful in their preparations of the piece. Look below for sheet music as well as sample recordings. If you try it out, let me know your thoughts! Or, tell me about a piece that is special to you. The Swan feels like an important part of my cello history. Do you have a piece like that? I look forward to hearing about it.
Thank you for reading,
Sarah