The Carnival of the Animals
It is his best known work. Camille Saint-Saëns did not want it to be published. The music piece itself tells its story.
The “Carnival of the Animals” is his best known work. Camille Saint-Saëns never wanted to publish it during his lifetime. On the 100th anniversary of the composer's death in December 2021, the music piece itself tells us how the dwindling act of birth occurred in the composer's mind. It is the notes that tell us of its suffering and of its triumph on the great stages of the musical world.
According to the will of its creator, Camille Saint-Saëns' "Carnival of the Animals" was to be performed only once, in March 1886, on Shrove Tuesday. And now this piece has stolen the show from Camille Saint-Saëns' other works for a hundred years. Directors have brought Saint-Saëns' music to Hollywood. At the Cannes International Film Festival, "The Aquarium" is the signature tune.
The film shows that "Carnival" is more than the musical characterization and exaggeration of various species. There are numerous contemporary historical and biographical references in "Carnival", as revealed by Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero, French-Belgian cellist Camille Thomas, and U.S. organist and composer Cameron Carpenter.
For the documentary, musical notes were elaborately animated, telling us the story from the perspective of the piece of music. The role of the narrator was taken over by German actor Sebastian Koch. An orchestra specially assembled for the film lets the music of the "Carnival of the Animals" resound.
Duration 52 minutes
Production year 2021
Co-Production Company WDR
Co-Producer Christian Nurtsch-Wesener
Director Holger Preuße, Philipp Quiring
Producer Claus Wischmann
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN...

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre: Rice
Poorhouse International
A recording of this master piece of Modern Dance choreographed by Lin Hwi Min and paying tribute to Asia's staple food, Rice.

New Ring des Nibelungen from Deutsche Oper Berlin
NAXOS Audiovisual Division
Deutsche Oper and Naxos set to film Stefan Herheim's exuberant staging featuring an outstanding cast of Wagner singers, conducted by Sir Donald Runnicles.

THE LAUNCH OF CONTENT.AGENT
IMZ International Music + Media Centre
The official launch of the search engine + digital B2B marketplace for the global film licence trade – Content.Agent

IMZ Academy 2022 on Live Multi-Camera Directing in Gothenburg
IMZ International Music + Media Centre
Apply now at Early Bird Rate + be part from 26-28 April 2022 on-site in Gothenburg for the IMZ Academy on multi-camera directing for concert coverage in the digital age!