Why would a composer cancel his own music? Camille Saint-Saëns - Carnival of the Animals.

Episode 18 - It’s 1886 and by now 51 years old Camille Saint-Saëns is a serious public figure. A conservative composer of traditional music ... or is he?
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Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns
Work: Le Carnaval des animaux (ed. Durand)
Performer: Renaud Capucon, Gautier Capucon, Emmanuel Pahud, Beatrice Muthelet, Florent Jodelet, Esther Hoppe, Frank Braley, Paul Meyer, Janne Saksala, Michel Dalberto
Year: 2003
Label: Erato
Catalogue No: 5456032

[@ricucci-hillmusic]

Ok.... thirty seconds in and I had to pause to just take it all in... *deep breaths* Saint-Saëns as a furry is cursed, and was not where i expected this to be going but also, I'm a little shocked I didn't expect it going in.

[@janetestherina7169]

it's called carnival of the animals for a reason 😉😉

[@eyalmeirbarnea8706]

I hate furries , they ruining the fun for everyone who is genuinly interested in the fascinating world of animals and evolution . WHY DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO BE SEXUAL ?! PORN IS A BAD THING ! Seriously , why people normalize furries ? they are one of the wrost communities on the internet . and i could easily ignore them if they were not trying to make everything animal-related a furry thing and shout "ONE OF US" at people who are clearly don't interested on being a furry . and yes , it did happen to me . I am Sorry for expressing my great interest for lizards and birds .

[@jarekwrzosek2048]

Saint-Saens being a closeted furry is the funniest thing ever, are you kidding me? XD

[@ricucci-hillmusic]

@jarekwrzosek2048 oh I agree, I just didn't expect it but also shocked I didn't see it coming lol

[@Generalissimo_David-B]

That's His Onesie 🤣🤣

[@golden_runes8432]

most underrated channel on youtube. this channel should have at LEAST a million subscribers at this point

[@mosesbrown4126]

I have thought that since subbing after they published Rite of Spring. They had a little hiatus there for a minute, but seem to be back to a regular upload schedule now. Already have seen the sub count go up by 10+thousand, and I suspect if they stay regular we'll see that million mark sooner rather than too much later.

[@lilliedoubleyou3865]

Between 'Carnival of the Animals' and 'Danse Macabre,' Saint-Saens seems like one of the amusing, most fun composers.

[@robertagregory7177]

His Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah is kinda fun, too. 😂

[@emilyglass5313]

I find it funny that Saint-Saens would act like a serious composer in public when, in actuality, he was a bit of a geek, and yet I love it. 😂

[@Rgoid]

11:49 “What would happen if you gave a yo-yo to a flock of flamingos?” (Who wrote this?) -James Earl Jones, Fantasia 2000

[@Rgoid]

May he rest in peace.

[@ladymacbethofmtensk896]

Then, in 1995, Saint-Saën's acceptably serious Third Symphony would be used as a main theme in a moving picture about talking animals and a sheep-pig. I wonder what he would have done if he knew that would come.

[@vylbird8014]

A weak imitation of it. That movement needs a Mighty Organ to play it right - the type of instrument that shakes the building. It's made to play loud.

[@eddiejc1]

"And so it was that in all the hubbub of noise and confusion, two figures stood alone, side by side. And although everyone in the arena was at a complete loss of words, the man who in his life had spoken fewer words than any of them knew exactly what to say 'That'll do, pig. That'll do.' "

[@kittymervine6115]

Children LOVE THIS. All the other teachers were "Peter and the Wolf" (fine but... eh....kids love animals!). Having pictures of the animals and a "parade", and making costume. No wolf for us in preschool/kindergarten! Animals!

[@Charon.1]

That's cute :)

[@ClassicsExplained]

Thank you so much for all of your kind words and support.

[@emilyglass5313]

Next to the swan movement, the aquarium is my favorite movement from this piece. It just has such a nice tone that I can close my eyes and relax to. Edit: Who'd have thought that Alan Menken would be inspired by Aquarium to write some of the music for Beauty and the Beast, one of my favorite Disney movies?

[@SeadogDriftwood]

As a piano teacher, I can confirm the statement on scales made at 9:20 : scales are BOTH. They're an absolutely essential pain in the neck. I like to tell my students that one of the aims for scales is to play them entirely without emotion, which is actually much harder than you'd think. If you can play with emotion AS WELL AS without emotion, you have that much more control as a performing artist.

[@johanneswerner1140]

That's hard work... (yeah, on other instruments as well...)

[@idnyftw]

hearing czerny and hanon after decades gave me weird flashbacks hahaha

[@rayati2284]

LOVE this piece, you can't imagine my excitement when I discovered you were going to cover it!!!

[@LuckyLiegeLady246]

2:07 This poor swan can’t catch a break. It got eaten in the last video, and now it’s been frankensteined with a cello!

[@Rgoid]

With human legs no less.

[@TristanMA]

You mentioned Rossini in this presentation! He did not just do Barber of Seville. He also did William Tell (featuring a famous overture with a storm and a galop), Thieving Magpie (also with a famous OVerture), La Cenerentola, Semiramide, etc.

[@christopherwilson2332]

for me Saint-Saens has been France's answer to Russia's Prokofiev - especially in "Peter and the Wolf" - both works has instruments interpretations on animals - both are brillante introductions for children to the orchestra.

[@user-culkepta]

And both are known to have beef with their contemporaries!

[@TristanMA]

Famous Children's Favorite for Earth Day with a Finale featuring Flamingos in Fantasia 2000. Other works by Saint-Saens are his Danse Macabre and Samson et Dalila.

[@alegendamongmen]

So?

[@Lucius1958]

*"The silver Swan, who living had no note,* *When death approached, unlock'd her silent throat;* *Leaning her breast against the reedy shore,* *Thus sung her first and last, and sung no more;* *'Farewell all joys; o Death come close mine eyes;* *More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise.' "* - Orlando Gibbons

[@goldiefoggy]

My prayers were heard!!!

[@tangentartists6876]

While I loved this! And thanks so much for mentioning Alan Menkin's tribute!

[@SeadogDriftwood]

If you ever do a video on Janáček, I hope you can do a callback to this one when you touch on "The Cunning Little Vixen"!

[@dariomosbo4270]

This is such a great channel! The way of talking about classical music, giving it its necessary historical context and diving into the musical analysis with such a great animation and humour. I'm so excited about the next video. Personally, I would like to see something along the line of Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto or Bizet's Carmen. Or maybe something a little more unknown like Manuel de Falla's El Amor Brujo or Albeniz's Suite Española. Again, thank you very much for creating such a fun way to teach classical music! 😁😁

[@ClassicsExplained]

Watch this space!

[@meganlewis2377]

@@ClassicsExplained Can you do Ravel’s Bolero, Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Smetana’s Bartered Bride, Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, Respighi’s Pines of Rome, and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons?

[@Garryzilla]

10:00 now hang on why wasn’t there any human dino fossils in saint saens carnival of the animals cause I can imagine seeing someone with dinosaur fossils being in there but not human skeletons not unless their caveman fossils which in this case sure it’s just you need dino fossils and other prehistoric animal fossils to join the fossil section

[@RodnaJankovic]

Fantastic series. Should be part of every School Curriculum. So informative, interesting, amusing and entertaining.

[@kathrynoneill81]

This was very informative and the HILARIOUS beginning is a bonus! Still chuckling. I'm subscribing.

[@sydposting]

The Ben Stiller cameo at 10:21! 😂 Amazing. This might be your best yet! The writing and tone are just right for the subject materials, and the little cartoon Saint-Saëns was just adorable.

[@itamarbar9580]

I think that's Ben Stiller.

[@sydposting]

@@itamarbar9580 omg you're right 😱 I think I was confusing the Night at the Museum movies with the National Treasure movies...

[@DDlambchop43]

frankly, Night at the Museum doesn't get enough attention. It was a really good film.

[@EricPS]

Talk about a work by a serious composer just trying to have a little fun in his life turn him into a legend amongst children at schools everywhere. I know both of my kids heard this in school when they were young.

[@gustavoscalabrin5028]

At 5:06, you can see Elgar and his wife walking 👀

[@Eva-zg2tb]

I’m really glad channels like yours exist! It really goes against the “boring classical music” stereotypes.

[@hosefmarten9164]

Love the cameos in the background!

[@georgeluft7881]

I thought the swan got eaten by drunkards! Watch episode 17 to understand (at your own risk).

[@DDlambchop43]

quick little fact about the glass armonica: Franklin considered it one of his favorite inventions and a lot of composers wrote stuff for it. There was a problem tho; since it used leaded glass, people would get lead poisoning from playing it, which led to rumors that it was "cursed" so it fell out of favor. They're being made again, with quartz glass now tho they're super expensive.

[@ClassicsExplained]

Great fact, thank you!

[@miladeskandari7]

Great video. Hope to see a video on Shostakovich someday

[@JeffreyLByrd]

This is totally unhinged. "Serious Composer Face!" I can't

[@midnightmoth1]

he was a BABOON afterall! I'm impressed; The Carnival of the Animals was the first Sain-Saëns piece I heard, so I had the opposite impression, that he was a very carefree and playful composer.

[@SamuelCalangian-xm3hv]

5:06 Is that Elgar and his wife?!

[@Generalissimo_David-B]

Boi the Animation Is So Funny a And Relatable. Even I Played l'Elephant on the Violin, By Bowing Only the G STRING.

[@Rgoid]

Was this the same Saint-Saens who, at Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, claimed, “If that’s a bassoon, I’m a buffoon”?* *”If that’s a bassoon, I’m a baboon.” Of course it loses something in the translation (baboon = babouin), so I took the liberty of replacing “baboon”with “buffoon”.

[@ClassicsExplained]

Yes!

[@finnlewis2528]

I love this channel it explains Classical music in a fun a engaging way keep up the good work btw how much money do I have to throw at you to get Gumball-level animation?

[@ClassicsExplained]

For Gumball style [2D + CGI and photoshop collage backgrounds] it's an estimated $330k (they keep their budget secret) per 11 min ep. If you'd like to support, tell friends about us and pick up a Tshirt or Mug from the classicsexplained.com shop - thanks for the support.

[@mybachhertzbaud3074]

I have always enjoyed the French composers from this era. They are just fun. I frequently use MIDI'S of DeBussy and revoice through my synthesizers.😁🎶🎹🎹🎶 Play On

[@anaguillerminafernandez-ca4323]

Hello there!!! 👋 Would you like to do Schubert's der erlkönig for next, please? I would be pleased for it!! One more, the carnival of the animals sounded great!! 😊 See you later!!

[@KyleNathanielGuillermo]

9:06 Elgar ref.

[@jarekwrzosek2048]

YEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!

[@TristanMA]

Offenbach, whosse Can-Can from Orhpeus in the Underworld was slowed for the tortoise, is also best known for his Tales of Hoffman featuring a famous Barcarolle.

[@flutechannel]

Been looking forward to this for a long time!

[@dimasgirl2749]

You completely left out the fact that Ogden Nash wrote a set of poems for the Carnival of the Animals.

[@matthewcole4753]

Oops, he forgot the one obscure detail nobody cares about anyway.

[@xibial8925]

this is freaking hilarious

[@johnopalko5223]

Have you ever heard Clara Rockmore's performance of The Swan on theremin with piano accompaniment? It's exquisite.

[@davikersulks9525]

hell naah camile saint saens was a furry 💀

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

What is a fuurry(fury???)

[@davikersulks9525]

@@marilynwoolford-chandler1161 It is people that dresses as animals

[@luisdavidllense2293]

Things are just getting better with this channel. Love it!

[@pogeman2345]

If you guys ever do another Saint-Saens piece, I'd love to suggest his Egyptian Concerto.

[@vincentwhitehead]

What about the tune that became the recurring motif in the “babe” movie scores?

[@TheOboeCrack]

@@vincentwhitehead Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony

[@vincentwhitehead]

@@TheOboeCrack yeah.. maybe they can do a video on that

[@_rstcm]

YAAAAAYYYY!!!!!!! MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!!!!!

[@pdqbachfan]

So nobody’s gonna mention Elgar at 5:05?

[@LuckyLiegeLady246]

And Dan the dog at 2:00

[@myouatt5987]

Fantastic fun - I thoroughly enjoy (all) these videos! Cheers! :)

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

I thoughtv😢 lost this marvellous cartoon. c’est tres bien pour les enfants and I am going to recommend it as a therapy de musique for groan ups qui 🥰 la musique. Ester que ils don’t Musicians Aussie. (Aussi/ also? As well?? ) I’m improvising with Frenglish 🎉

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

😂😢😢😢could you do the Dave Clark Five @“it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing? “ Jazz It’s classic- all something One non swinging classical 🕵️‍♀️ - ano 🫖 Cher really needs your help

[@TristanMA]

The Swan also appears in Sibelius' Swan of Tuonela, along with Wagner's Lohengrin & Parsifal, & Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.

[@TheSantiAcademy2024]

YEAHHHHH!!!!! MY FAVORITE SAINT-SAËNS PIECE WHEN I WAS 9 YRS OLD!!!!!!!!

[@thevalarauka101]

I'm learning the organ part of his 3rd symphony right now - the one he delayed while he wrote this. It's not bad at all.

[@hayleysteindorf670]

Is anyone going to mention Richard Baxter Townsend taking selfies? Also, I like the part where Camille Saint-Saëns is wearing headphones while playing the glass harmonica.

[@aloof_cardinal]

I already said it and ill say it again: Camille Saint Saens is a piano supremacist!

[@joseleonido3479]

12:30 I CAN’T BELIEVE THE FISH IS KIM KARDASHIAN

[@larrylloco]

Holy shit. It’s happening! This is not a drill!

[@orffrocks5667]

As usual…freaking amazing :). I use Cof the Anim teaching my first graders about Program Music

[@PuffyOne1898]

The finale of the piece could also symbolize a yoyo-ing flamingo among a flock of regular flamingos.

[@gsresener]

this channel is just amazing! great work!

[@adrikrotten880]

I was having a bad day up until this video was released. Thank you!

[@SamuelCalangian-xm3hv]

12:47 Mozart: Huh, we should hang out sometime.

[@jan-laurensdierickx196]

Love your channel, all your videos are amazing! Would love to see an episode on Bach’s Mathew Passion. He made so many expressive choices to reflect the story into music.

[@oldcowbb]

so xylophone=skeleton started back in the 1800s

[@Lucius1958]

Hollbein depicted a skeleton playing a xylophone in his 'Dance of Death' back in the 16th century.

[@Numbuh296]

My classical music hot take is that Christophe Beck's Ant-man theme is the missing movement of Carnival of the Animals

[@psychokinese]

Saint-Saëns is a furry 0_0

[@corner559]

so glad you started making videos again. I almost gave up. Keep it up so you can get more subs cuz the youtube algorithim will not be kind if you don't consistently upload.

[@TristanMA]

You mentioned Fauré early in this discussion. He is best remembered for his Pavane (which quotes Dies Irae), Sicilienne, Élégie for cello & piano, etc.

[@sirhoverhaft8039]

Omg finally!🎉🎉🎉

[@SEELE-ONE]

For all the jokes, the music does evoke the animals perfectly 😂

[@NullCyan]

9:50 my favourite part

[@Selyidar]

Interesting. I never knew.

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

Can anyone enlighten me as to the badge/ brooch on the King’s lapel?

[@_zyphis_2281]

Damn a 2 day wait 😭😭

[@ClassicsExplained]

Okay, we'll release it sooner. But only because you added two crying emojis.

[@goldenager59]

Day by day, people seem to edge ever closer to the Jetson mentality. ("Oh, great - the cleaners' is 500 miles out of my way! It'll take an extra 30 seconds just to _get_ there!") 🤨🙄😕🤭😉

[@danielhughes441]

Saint-Säens set the Tortoise movement to the “Can-Can” because he HATED Offenbach

[@olle_boulle3348]

Yess! One of my early favorites

[@knellpeek1920]

Fish song my beloved My elementary school went to a ballet performance of this! Dancers in really nice costumes, my favorite costume was the fish bc it was so shiny. Also gave me a lifelong obsession with this part of the piece. Some plot about the lion doing a The Bachelor and rejecting all the animal gals except the swan, who he married.

[@tea-and-guitars]

Do Mendelssohn's Fingal’s cave and 3rd symphony. I want to see a cute animated Mendy ❤😮

[@jamescorvus6709]

I heard all this music in Ren and Stimpy when I was a kid

[@Oblivitana]

This video hit like a train

[@kininiwong5350]

WOW! HE MADE A VIDEO AFTER A MONTH! VERY RARE!

[@liamosburn9824]

I’m dead 😂😂😂😂😂

[@15tefera]

Yes, finally, you've made something.

[@aravindappat]

Cant wait for the video to come out! ❤️🔥

[@georgeluft7881]

Mahler Symphony No. 2?? Please??

[@paulsevenitz616]

Or Nr. 5 or 6?

[@lisys511]

Or mahler 1

[@luxiam9148]

Man, I never imagined that Camille was a furry...

[@MarcusB-qr1hk]

Another great video!

[@NotOrdinaryInGames]

I dare you to cover a piece of modern orchestral soundtrack music, from ANY country. Modern = anything in the last 60 years. Pick anything that you feel is of high enough quality.

[@finnlewis2528]

it would probably have to be from a film score because Philp Glass can be gassed as far as I'm concerned

[@NotOrdinaryInGames]

@@finnlewis2528 Vidya of all kinds is just as good a candidate.

[@Rgoid]

How about something from Vangelis?

[@TristanMA]

Try Respighi's Pines of Rome next as it also appears in Fantasia 2000.

[@meganlewis2377]

Yes! Do it! Do it!

[@Rgoid]

Episode 24!

[@JudeJadeJune]

Love it so much, aquarium is one of my favorite pieces. The animal suits were a special touch.

[@oceanelf2512]

I loved this piece ever since I was a kid. Still do.

[@oaw117]

YES! this is one I was hoping for!

[@hanf.hofmann]

i would love to see you explaining peter and the wolf ;)

[@oceanelf2512]

I second that. Both along with The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra were favourites when I was growing up, and I have them on my playlist now.

[@willardwalrusboggs4821]

Okay. This is the last episode and season finale of Season 1 ending with animals! How amazing is that? George Boggs will be so happy!

[@saracruz9832]

¡Gracias!

[@ClassicsExplained]

Thank you so much! You are an absolute legend. The support really helps us keep doing what we're doing.

[@wesleyhunt7599]

So anyway, I wrote some accompanying poems for the piece over on my channel. Check them out if you want. This piece is sort of "Baby's Introduction to the Orchestra". And does a good job highlighting all the different instruments.

[@mandiocatostada3859]

NICE!?

[@ClassicsExplained]

Nice!

[@meganlewis2377]

@@ClassicsExplained gonna do Bolero, Barber of Seville, Bartered Bride, Pastoral Symphony, and Pines of Rome next?

[@mandiocatostada3859]

@@ClassicsExplained NICE I MISWROTE THE INTERROGATION MARK

[@GreenBoy9000]

@@meganlewis2377 Bolero and Pines Of Rome have been done.

[@danielhughes441]

The final “s” in Saint-Säens IS pronounced. That’s how he pronounced his name. (Names in French often don’t follow pronunciation rules; e.g.- “Poulenc”)