The entire suite consists of the following fourteen songs:
(1) Prelude and March of the Lion King;
(2) Cock and Hen;< /p>
(3) Antelope;
(4) Turtle;
(5) Elephant;
(6) Kangaroo;
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(7) Aquarium;
(8) Wild ass;
(9) Cuckoo in the forest;
(10) Big bird Cage;
(11) Pianist;
(12) Fossils;
(13) Swan;
( 14) Finale.
1. Prelude and March of the Lion King: Starting from the prelude of two pianos, a majestic march appears, indicating the appearance of the lion; this king of beasts, taking majestic steps, leads the animals their ranks.
2. Rooster and hen: The hen is represented by the clarinet, and the rooster is represented by the highest pitch of the piano.
3. Wild Ass: Played by a piano at a galloping pace, it describes the Tibetan wild ass running and chasing on the vast grasslands of Tibet.
4. Turtle: This piece of music is taken from the overture of composer Offenbach's "Orfeo in Hell", a lively and fast cancan dance melody; in this piece, the slow It was played slowly, in sharp contrast to the previous section.
5. Elephant: After the waltz rhythm of the piano, the double bass played the melody of the Dance of the Goblin in Berlioz's "Legend of Faust" and Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" " Scherzo in ". Saint-Sa?ns used these brisk music to describe the clumsy steps and ridiculous dance steps of elephants.
6. Kangaroo: Kangaroo uses its long and strong hind legs to kick the ground and jump forward. The kangaroo's surprisingly long and large tail also helps it jump and balance. Saint-Sa?ns used decorative phrases played alternately by two pianos to describe the brisk movements of the kangaroo.
7. Aquarium: The piano plays gentle arpeggios, which are like the fluctuations of clear water in a glass aquarium. The flute and string instruments play a peaceful melody, describing the fish swimming leisurely in the water.
8. Long-eared animals: The first and second violins alternately play the sounds of long-eared animals.
9. Cuckoo in the forest: The piano chords express the quiet forest, and the clarinet imitating the cuckoo repeatedly plays two single notes: Goo! Goo!
10. Big Birdcage: The vibrato of the string instrument represents the sound of a bird flapping its wings, the flute lead expresses the bird's leap, and the piano imitates the cry of the bird in the birdcage.
11. Pianist: This is really an incredible "animal". The song repeatedly plays Hanon's etudes, satirizing how pitiful piano students are constantly practicing the monotonous scales.
12. Fossil: The xylophone and orchestral ensemble produced the melody of the dancing skeletons in Saint-Sa?ns' own composition "The Dance of the Skeletons".
13. Swan: Accompanied by the arpeggios of the piano, it represents the clear lake water, followed by the beautiful and charming melody played by the cello, describing the situation of the swan floating with nobility, elegance and tranquility.
14. Finale: This is the final happy reunion scene where all the animals are active and lively together. Finally, it merges into a joyful atmosphere and ends in a brilliant and joyful climax.
This song was composed in 1886 AD and had its first private performance on March 9, 1886, with only a few friends participating. Saint-Sa?ns only regarded this work as a small work that he usually performed to communicate with friends, and did not regard it as a formal work. Except for "Swan", several other songs have not been released in his life. It was not until Saint-Sa?ns' death in 1921 that this work was made public, and the official public premiere would not be until February 25, 1922.
The Carnival Of The Animals is also known as "Zoo Fantasy". Composed in 1886, it is a very unique piece! One of the unique features is the instrument arrangement: it is a chamber music composition consisting of two pianos and nine instruments (two violins, one viola, one cello, one double, one flute, one clarinet, and one xylophone).
The second uniqueness is that the suite is composed of as many as fourteen movements. The third uniqueness is that the author extensively uses simple sound imitation techniques that are usually considered the least desirable, but they are full of beauty and cuteness. . The fourth and most unique point is that the work not only uses his own previous musical themes, but also quotes many melodies from other composers, exaggerating, deforming and caricaturing them. It's hard to tell whether this was a "good-natured joke", a childlike "prank" or a mean-spirited satire.
In fact, this work was written by the author just for his own amusement. Since it quotes some tunes from other composers, most of which have been changed without good intentions and often have a satirical meaning, therefore, the author During his lifetime, except for a secret performance for friends in Paris in February 1887, Saint-Sa?ns prohibited the performance or publication of this work during his lifetime, with the exception of "The Swan".
After Saint-Sa?ns' death, people saw that his will had lifted various restrictions on this work. Since then, "Carnival of the Animals" has often appeared in concerts in various countries as an orchestral suite. on stage.
In "Animal Carnival", the author uses vivid techniques to describe various funny and interesting situations of animals in the lively festival procession.
Reference: Animal Carnival_Baidu Encyclopedia