Omphale's Spinning Wheel (Le Rouet d'Omphale) is a symphonic poem composed by Camille Saint-Saëns in 1871. It is one of four mythological symphonic poems by Saint-Saëns, alongside Danse macabre, Phaëton, and La jeunesse d'Hercule.
The piece is inspired by the legend of Omphale, the Queen of Lydia, who enslaved Hercules and forced him to wear women's clothing while performing domestic tasks, including spinning wool. Saint-Saëns uses delicate, swirling orchestration to represent the spinning wheel, while deeper, more dramatic passages symbolize Hercules' frustration and humiliation.
The Anthony Galla-Rini arrangement is for: accordions 1-5, bass accordion, timpani, percussion, harp (optional).
