General Overview (Part 1)

In Japan, many people have likely heard this piece during music appreciation classes at school. Numerous CDs are available, and opportunities to hear it in concerts are frequent. Consequently, we tend to believe we know it well, yet in reality, we know nothing; it is rare to find a piece so full of mystery. The only thing we can say for certain is that Saint-Saëns prohibited its public performance and publication during his lifetime, with the exception of "The Swan". The reasons behind this prohibition also remain unclear. This is because if the reasons were acceptable enough to be revealed, there would have been no need to prohibit it in the first place. Saint-Saëns entrusted the management of his estate after his death to his secretary, and thanks to this excellent secretary, numerous letters have been preserved to this day. It is also highly probable that documents containing overly personal content, which he did not wish to be seen, were destroyed. Thus, letters mentioning the reasons for the prohibition are mysteriously absent, and of course, it was never mentioned in Saint-Saëns' countless other works. It remains a mystery. We shall examine this in detail separately.

This piece was written in 1886 for a private concert organized by the cellist Charles Lebouc (on March 9, 1886, Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday). Lebouc himself was not a particularly prominent figure; he was known more as an organizer of concert series than as a cellist. However, the premiere featured an impressive lineup of performers, including the composer himself and Louis Diémer on piano, and Paul Taffanel on flute. This period coincided with the composition of his Symphony with Organ, and his letters reveal that he enjoyed composing The Carnival as a diversion.

Currently, the title The Carnival of the Animals is well-established in Japan. "Shakunikusai" (謝肉祭) refers to Carnival. It is perfectly fine to imagine the famous Rio Carnival. It is a splendid parade with floats, and if you keep this image in mind, the titles of each movement become easy to understand. Its subtitle is Grand Zoological Fantasy, and with Saint-Saëns' keen insight, deeply knowledgeable in natural sciences such as astronomy and botany, he "observes" the procession of animals. This website is dedicated to introducing piano pieces, and while it should ideally provide commentary on the four-hand version, this version was arranged and published by someone else after the composer's death and did not receive his endorsement. Furthermore, since the crucial aspect of performing this piece on piano four-hands is to express the coloristic qualities of the original orchestration, we will provide commentary on the original version.

Introduction and Royal March of the Lion

As the lion is the king of beasts, this is a "royal march," with a majestic and dignified melody played in unison by the strings, followed by both hands of the first piano in unison. The accompaniment features sustained harmonic perfect fifths lacking the third (though on the piano, notes cannot be held for long, so chords are rapidly repeated instead). This combination of a unison melody supported by sustained perfect fifths is a prototype of Saint-Saëns' "Orient" style, already found in the famous ballet "Bacchanale" from his opera Samson and Delilah. One might criticize it as stereotypical and clichéd, and given that it was the colonial era, it is often criticized as "condescending." However, the composer himself traveled abroad frequently and actively sought to learn about foreign cultures, so it would be more accurate to say that he adapted to the knowledge level of the audience at the time. This is because no matter how much Saint-Saëns listened to and researched music from various parts of the world and showcased his findings in his own works, if the audience's knowledge and education did not keep pace, it would not be recognized as such. For example, while Japonisme was popular in late 19th-century Paris, and in the field of art, actual objects were imported, allowing people to examine originals firsthand, in an era without records, it was extremely difficult to easily listen to foreign music. Please consider that the public's understanding at the time was still low. Incidentally, the "Orient" here refers to the "East" from a French perspective; even Greco-Roman classical culture was already "Eastern" to France, and the Spanish taste popular at the time also played a part in the Orientalism of the era, conveying the lingering scent of Islamic culture. While lions are associated with Africa, Africa was also considered "Orient" by the French at the time, and this broad categorization reflects the limited worldview of an era when the exchange of people and goods was difficult.

Hens and Roosters

If we apply the kishōtenketsu (introduction, development, turn, conclusion) structure, this piece is still in the 'development' phase, thus it is pure descriptive music without any hidden malice. Although the rooster is now familiar in Japan as a sportswear brand logo, it is a symbol of France and the French people, and thus a familiar figure, making its position at the forefront of the procession natural. Later, Poulenc also composed a ballet piece on an animal theme, Les Animaux modèles, in which "The Two Roosters" incorporates patriotic messages, reflecting the era of occupation. The hens cluck in short, rapid bursts, "koko-koko-koko-keh, koko-koko-koko-keh," while the rooster crows loudly, as if cutting them off, "kokke-kokko-koh." Incidentally, onomatopoeia varies across languages; in French, a rooster crows "cocorico" or "coquerico," but Saint-Saëns' depiction of the rooster's crow (number of notes) does not correspond to these four syllables. The rooster announcing dawn in the symphonic poem Danse Macabre also crows with five syllables. Perhaps it's "kokko-koko-ri-koh"...

Wild Asses (Asiatic Wild Asses)

The Asiatic wild ass is a species found from the Middle East to Mongolia. As it is unfamiliar in Japan, it is often translated as "donkey" or "mule" for convenience. However, since it is a species adapted to the desolate lands mentioned earlier, it possesses high athletic ability and can gallop at a fast pace. In the original piece, it is played in unison by two pianists, an octave apart, resembling a "race."

Tortoises

First, it's important to remember that this is a "Carnival parade," featuring a masquerade procession. And what is the tortoise disguised as on the float? It's a dancer, vigorously performing the French can-can with its legs sticking out from a frilly dress—though one might imagine it couldn't lift its short legs. The main point of this piece is for the audience to burst into laughter. The hidden theme, slowed down to the pace of a tortoise, is from Offenbach's operetta Orpheus in the Underworld, famous in Japan under the title "Heaven and Hell." While some cynical interpretations suggest it criticizes Offenbach, there's no need to go that far. This is because, at the time, there was a significant difference in prestige between opera and operetta, and they were completely separate industries. Saint-Saëns, from the outset, had no interest in popular operettas and solely desired success in opera.

Elephants

This piece is also famous as a parody, quoting "Dance of the Sylphs" from Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust and the "Scherzo" from Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Since both original pieces feature fairies, the elephants are depicted marching with cute fairy wings attached to their enormous bodies. Please imagine this surreal scene and laugh heartily. Furthermore, this was purely intended to create a visually humorous effect for the masquerade procession, and cynical interpretations, such as it criticizing Berlioz, are unnecessary. Berlioz was one of Saint-Saëns' benefactors who promoted him in his youth, and one of the composers he revered.

Kangaroos

This is descriptive music that musically expresses the hopping motion of kangaroos, and since the piece is short, there is likely no deeper meaning.

Aquarium

Is an aquarium an animal? Of course not. As explained at the beginning, this is a Carnival procession, and since fish cannot walk, a fish tank is placed on a float. The sight of fish gracefully swimming in an aquarium tunnel tank, viewed from below, is truly fantastical, and this piece describes that scene and impression. In terms of orchestration, what first draws attention is the sound of the glass harmonica (an instrument with the same sound production principle as the glass harp), which dominates the piece's tone. However, one should not overlook the subtly introduced low-to-mid range of the flute, which anticipates the use of the flute frequently employed in Impressionism and other styles after Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune.

Persons with Long Ears

Due to its rather suggestive title, it has sparked much speculation, with some theories suggesting it satirizes rival critics. However, without the composer's own testimony, it can only be described as a mystery. At the very least, what is certain is that upon hearing this title and the actual music (the braying sound produced by the violins), the first thing a French person would imagine is a donkey. Therefore, the safest answer is that this title is an animal guessing game. However, in France, the donkey is actually synonymous with a slow-witted person. In French schools of the past, one form of punishment for unruly students who didn't do their homework was the "donkey hat." They would be made to wear a hat shaped like donkey ears and stand in a corner of the classroom. Since the title mentions "persons," it might depict someone being made to wear a donkey hat and march in the Carnival procession. If so, it would be a public humiliation, quite degrading, suggesting there might have been someone the composer disliked that much. Originally, this piece was written for a private gathering, so those present might have smirked, thinking, "Ah, that's about him/her." But now, it remains a mystery.

The Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods

This scene depicts the sound of a cuckoo, hidden deep within the woods, heard from afar. Trees are carried on a float in the procession, but the cuckoo is shy and does not come out or fly away, so a birdcage like in the next piece is not needed. Only its call is heard. The clarinet, imitating the cuckoo's call, is played offstage, creating a sense of distance both visually and acoustically. The piano is played una corda, expressing the dense, fantastical atmosphere of the forest through the richness of its chords.

Aviary

In contrast, ordinary birds would fly away if left unrestrained, so a large birdcage is set up on the float. The bird observed and followed by the composer flies freely within the cage, its movements depicted by the flute, while string tremolos represent the fluttering of other birds' wings, and the piano expresses their chirping.

Pianists

To be discussed in General Overview (Part 2).

Fossils

Up to "Aviary," the piece has been in the 'development' phase (shō of kishōtenketsu), expressing humor by translating the visual spectacle of animals in a Carnival (masquerade) procession into auditory musical effects, with the exception of the mysterious, suggestive title of "Persons with Long Ears." From this point, the next two pieces represent the 'turn' (ten), featuring strange entities that are difficult to call animals. Indeed, these two pieces are the most important in The Carnival of the Animals, so we will discuss them in separate sections.

The Swan

Thanks to music appreciation classes in schools, this piece is very familiar even to those who are not classical music fans. Unfortunately, Lebouc, who organized the premiere evening and played the cello at the premiere, does not seem to have been a particularly capable cellist. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume that this beautiful piece was placed just before the finale to give credit to the organizer of the event. It also functions as a palate cleanser and a refreshing interlude after the preceding black humor, and the piece's structure is skillfully crafted.

Finale

Up until now, we have been observing the Carnival parade up close, but here, we are looking down on the entire scene from a slightly elevated position. The motifs that actually appear in the piece are the lion, wild asses (Asiatic wild asses), hens, kangaroos, and donkeys. With all of them making an appearance, the parade concludes splendidly.