The Carnival of the Animals

A concert for children

Camille Saint-Saëns

“The Carnival of the Animals”

(Zoological Fantasy)

The Astana Opera presents a new creative project – a concert of music and poetry for children. “The Carnival of the Animals” suite by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns, which is considered to be one of the most popular compositions for young spectators, will be performed. The children will listen to the symphony orchestra instruments and find out the way they can imitate animals and birds’ voices and behavior. Along with the artists the children will find themselves in the city zoo at the Carnival of the Animals.

The suite was first performed on 9 March 1886. The composer regarded this work as a piece of fun and specified in his will that it should be published posthumously. Thus, until the composer’s death in 1921, “The Carnival of the Animals” was performed only in private houses and salons.

“The Swan” for cello and piano was the only movement of the suite, which the composer allowed to publish and perform. During his lifetime it came to stay in the repertoire of musicians. The choreographic composition “The Dying Swan” staged by Mikhail Fokine for the great ballerina Anna Pavlova has boosted its popularity.

However, “The Carnival of the Animals” is full of humour and ‘quotations’ or parodies on famous musical works can be heard in some of its movements.

Performed by:

Astana Opera Chamber Orchestra. Conductor – Ruslan Baimurzin

Presented by:

Saule Mauletova (Russian)

Tolegen Nazarbekov (Kazakh)