Camille Saint-Saëns composed his "Carnival of the Animals" in 1886 for a house concert. For the time being the only performance of the piece took place there, since the composer had forbidden the publication of his work during his lifetime. As a reason for this, he stated that he feared that the suite could become so popular that his other, more important works were not given enough attention. Indeed, the "Carnival of the Animals" is Saint-Saëns's best-known work today, 70 years after his death. "Ma mère l'Oye" was originally a suite for piano four hands, which Maurice Ravel wrote in 1908 for the two children of his friend Cyprian Godebsky and dubiously tit-led Pavane de la Belle au bois. It owes it's later title to the collection of fairy tales by Charles Perrault (1628-1703), "My mother the goose" from the early 17th century, which is still popular in France today. In 1911 the composer wrote an orchestral version, and one year later he expanded it into a seven-part ballet music. On January 29, 1912, the work was premiered at the Théatre des Arts in Paris. The five small pieces that make up the piano suite are preceded in the orchestral version by a prelude and a spinning wheel dance; they are also connected by interludes.