Le Carnaval des Animaux: Poules et Coqs, Tortues, L'Elephant
Three movements from Saint-Saens’ masterwork are included in this edition. Bass bells are featured in The Elephant. Carnival of the Animals was composed by Saint-Saens in 1886, and he originally scored it for two pianos, strings, flute and piccolo, clarinet, glass harmonica, and xylophone. Cellist Charles Lebouc staged the first performance at a private concert on March 9, 1886. Saint-Saens was insistent that the work not be published in his lifetime for fear that it would mar his reputation as a composer of serious music. He later allowed publication of The Swan, the next-to-last movement, for cello with piano accompaniment. After his death, the firm of Durand in Paris published the entire work, which remains popular today. The arrangements are each set with varying characteristics (such as stopped techniques for the chickens, plodding triplet rhythms for the turtles, and a low, deliberate melody for the elephant) to reflect the animals they portray. All three works are relatively short.