Search - Camille Saint-Saens, Charles Dutoit, London Sinfonietta :: Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals

A humorous zoological fantasy & popular symphonic poems...

J. E. ASENCIO-NEGRON | Guaynabo, Puerto Rico USA | 05/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you have visited "Impressions de France" at EPCOT, Florida, I am sure that you heard (maybe unknowningly) the AQUARIUM from Saint-Saëns at the beginning of the video presentation (180-degrees screen) exhibited there every 20 minutes or so. It reminded me of "Reflects dans l'eau" from Debussy (1909: Images, set 1, #1), and "Jeux d'eau" from Ravel (1902). They evoke so elegantly the soothing effect of water, that you could easily relax while playing them. This humorous & popular zoological fantasy "Le carnaval des animaux" (1886)(Carnival of the Animals), for two pianos and orchestra was originally aimed as an intimate piece only for the enjoyment of the composer's close friends and not for the public audience. Saint-Saëns said he wrote it almost as a joke, so he forbade performances in his lifetime because he thought it would "damage" his "serious" reputation. The composer died on 1921, thus it was performed for the first time on 2/25/1922.Of the thirteen operas completed by Saint-Saëns, it is "Samson et Dalila" (1877) the one which has held the stage on the 20th century. It is a romantic treatment of the biblical story with its strongly appealing scenes (and excellent milieu of the powerful & dramatic voice of the tenor Plácido Domingo as "Samson"). He also wrote 'exotic' works (you should listen the Egyptian mood of the 2nd movement ("Andante") of the 5th piano concerto). The symphonic poems included here: Phaéton (1872), Le Rouet d'Omphale (1874), and the Danse Macabre (1874), in a style influenced by Liszt & using thematic transformation, came as an innovation for the frenchmen in the 1870's, and they have been very popular since (this music has been used on cartoons for half a century). I enjoyed them all through the convincing & able conducting of Charles Dutoit!..."

I thoroughly enjoyed this CD.

06/12/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD was great! It was a treat to my ears! Camille Saint-Saens brought me on an incredible journey to the zoo with the Carnival of the Animals, to Ancient Greece with Phaeton, into the world of Hercules with Le Rouet d'Omphale, and to the graveyard with Danse Macabre. I have heard many Danse Macabres, and I rate this the best I've heard. The Carnival of the Animals was, however, my over all favorite. I heard it when I was young, and have been searching for it ever since. I finally found it in this CD. I enjoyed the Introduction and Royal March of the Lion for its majesty and grandeur, the Aquarium for its liquid grace, the Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods for its quiet dignity, and Wild Asses for its speed. Altogether, I greatly enjoyed this CD and recommend it to everyone."

Carnival of the Animals

Vivian Elizabeth Mcclure | 01/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The music is beautiful. I used it for a music lesson for Kindergarten on how to interpret animals using music. It is also very soothing in the background for working."