Familienkonzert: »Karneval der Tiere«

Le Carnaval des Animaux is a delightful orchestral suite that anthropomorphizes the animal kingdom through witty musical characterization. Saint-Saëns crafts a menagerie of creatures—from majestic lions to scurrying hens, from graceful swans to lumbering elephants—each rendered in distinctive instrumental colors and melodic styles. The work progresses through fourteen movements, alternating between comic and lyrical episodes that showcase the composer's gift for musical humor and parody. Famous melodies are cleverly distorted and reimagined: Rossini's operatic grandeur becomes a rooster's crow, while a tortoise stumbles through Offenbach's can-can. The finale brings all the animals together in a riotous procession, celebrating the diversity and absurdity of nature. Originally composed as a private entertainment, this enduring masterpiece transforms the concert hall into a carnival of sound, inviting audiences of all ages to delight in music's capacity for playful storytelling.