Charles Camille Saint-Saëns (9 October 1835 - 16 December 1921) was a French composer and performer, best known for his orchestral work The Carnival of the Animals. Camille Saint-Saëns' long life spanned nearly the entire duration of the Romantic period of music. He was part of the heyday of the movement and witnessed its death and the dawn of 20th-century music.