This famous jewel was the only movement from the "Carnival of the Animals" that the composer allowed to be published in his lifetime. The Swan became famous in its orchestral version for cello and two pianos - the pianos representing the water, the cello playing the swan itself. For lovers of music for two pianos there can never be a big enough variety of things to play, and over the years I have made many arrangements and transcriptions. This version, with the melody surrounded by pianistic ripples of sound, is based on Godowsky�s labyrinthine paraphrase for solo piano. It would make an excellent encore.