“The Elephant, ” from Carnival Of The Animals
Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921)
The “Carnival of the Animals” was composed by Camille Saint-Saens as a private joke, quickly written in 1886, and never published in his lifetime. Ironically it would become the composer’s most-popular work, even outstripping the concertos and symphonies in the affections of the musical public.Apart from the obvious pleasure of hearing musical portraits of the animal kingdom, a great deal of the fun of the “Carnival” lies in some of the in-jokes and sly musical subtleties which are woven throughout the work. A particularly droll example can be heard in the musical portrait of the Elephant. In the lumbering slow-waltz of the opening tune we can, of course, envision the bulk and gait of this huge beast. But then, to impart an unexpected touch of elegance (even to a pachyderm!) Saint-Saens slips in an extended quotation from Berlioz’ “Dance of the Sylphs” from the Damnation Of Faust. What makes this especially funny is remembering that a.) the Berlioz original rolls along at a quick tempo; b.) far from being heard in the low register of the orchestra, The Berlioz melody is heard in high, ethereal violins. But even if the listener has no inkling of the musical quotation, the likeness the animal being portrayed is faithful, affectionate, and amusing.
NCO concert
No comments:
Post a Comment