Performance

How does a majestic lion sound, or chirping birds, an elephant, shimmering fish, or a noble swan? Can we musically capture the slowness of a turtle? We can find out in our latest children’s ballet performance, Carnival of the Animals, based on the suite by Camille Saint-Saëns. The composer masterfully and humorously portrays the characteristics of animals—or rather, mostly animals, since one of the miniatures is titled "Pianists."

 

Despite the immense sense of humor found in The Carnival of the Animals, Saint-Saëns forbade the full performance of the piece during his lifetime. Why? As a serious composer and musical genius—who gave his first concert at the age of five and began his studies at the Paris Conservatory at the age of 13—he did not want to be known for what he called a "zoological fantasy." However, fate had its own plans for him, as The Swan and The Elephant from The Carnival of the Animals have become the works most commonly associated with his name.

 

This lighthearted and humorous ballet performance for the whole family will be presented by the ballet dancers of the Grand Theatre in Łódź as part of the family-friendly Sunday Mornings series. Curious about what kind of animals play the piano? Join us!

 

A ballet performance for children aged 4 and up.

Music from a recording. The performance takes place on the proscenium.

Poster design by Iwona Marchewka.