Sheet Music

[Louis Venus]

Does anybody know where to find harp sheet music for Camille Saint Saens’ Aquarium from Carnival of the Animals? It is a lovely piece but I cant find the sheet music anywhere!

[catherine-rogers]

You’re right, it’s a lovely piece and sounds like a natural for the harp, but it can be the siren song luring you to the rocks. However, if you want to work on making a playable arrangement for yourself, it can be an interesting lesson.

I don’t know if there are any significant differences from the original, which is for two pianos, but I’ve been trying (when time permits) to make a playable arrangement from a solo piano version. The first 16 bars are playable (with some minor alteration) but then you get to eight bars of the most chromatic music you’d (n)ever want to try to play. I’ve been trying to distill it into something usable but it’s been tough going. In this section, every measure has three or four pedal changes even if you play only the treble. With the bass added, it’s worse because of the tempo and the fact that often the pedals are on the same foot. Changing the key does not help.

There’s also a descending chromatic scale for four measures near the end, kind of like adding insult to injury. Plus it’s marked 72 to a half note, so…

Someone like Yolanda Kondonassis or Emmanuel Ceysson might play it as written, but pas moi. I’m not giving up but it’s been rather frustrating.

[dawn-penland]

It’s available for 4 harps at http://artsinfusion.myshopify.com/

[HBrock25]

You can check this link for Camille Saens’ music :

http://www.myliszt.com/index.php?searchstr=Camille+Saint+Saen&sheet=on&download=on

[Louis Venus]

Thanks Everybody, That’s A Lot Of Help.

[helen-rudd]

I too have been looking for a solo version ever since hearing /watching this-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS2gus37mV4

[helen-rudd]

and…I just checked out the link posted and it is their version! I had no idea she was publishing it. Too bad I don’t know 3 other harpists to play it with!

[eleanor-turner]

Hi All, It’s Eleanor Turner here – I am the one responsible for the 4 Harp version….I have just spent all day arranging it for solo harp, as it’s obviously popular! I have been loving playing it myself today and am going to include it at no extra cost in with my mailing to Helen, and as I didn’t have it done in time to mail it to Dawn or Louisa, I’m going to email it to you guys just as a jpg file or something 🙂 Enjoy! oh….I should warn you, it’s quite hard….lots of pedals….and doesn’t quite live up to the 4 harp version, but really fun to play!Ellie x

[helen-rudd]

Hello Eleanor,
Thank you very much for the solo version!
Helen

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