Le Carnaval des Animaux (The Carnival of the Animals)

Instrumentation: 1(picc).0.1.0 – 0.0.0.0 – glass harmonica.xyl – 2pno – str: 1.1.1.1.1 (or in chorus)

“… quite unexpectedly, kangaroos with starched white caps start hopping about between the rows of seats, offering refreshments.” The “Great Zoological Fantasy” was composed in February 1886 for a carnival concert in Paris.

After the first concerts, Saint-Saens prohibited all further performances and declined to have the work published during his lifetime. He was justifiably fearful that this “occasional” work could eclipse his more ambitious pieces.

The present Urtext edition by Peter Jost is based chiefly on the autograph, which diverges in certain essential points from the standard first edition available up to now. Loriot’s well-known text is printed in the Appendix to the score.