Track Listing

1. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 1, Introduction and royal march of the lion
2. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 2, Cocks and hens
3. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 3, Wild asses
4. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 4, Tortoises
5. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 5, Elephants
6. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 6, Kangaroos
7. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 7, Aquarium
8. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 8, People with long ears
9. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 9, Cuckoo in the heart of the woods
10. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 10, Aviary
11. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 11, Pianists
12. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 12, Fossils
13. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 13, The swan
14. Carnival of the Animals, zoological fantasy for 2 pianos & ensemble: No. 14, Finale
15. Pha�ton, symphonic poem in C major, Op. 39
16. Le Rouet d'Omphale, symphonic poem in A major, Op. 31
17. Danse macabre, symphonic poem in G minor, Op. 40

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9386 in Music
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Customer Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed this CD.
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.

A humorous zoological fantasy & popular symphonic poems...
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!...

Carnival of the Animals CD, composer Saint Saens
As an instructor of a college level Music Appreciation course, I consider this CD to be a very handy item in my teaching arsenal. Believe it or not, these young adults appreciate being engaged in hands-on listening lessons, and the format of the composition allows for that. The quality and clarity of the sound is outstanding, and the orchestra of French musicians pays homage to their native son Camille Saint Saens. Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals
Thank you, J. Esquilin