Sinfonia Varsovia Plays Chamber Music “Kamionek 1901” | December

Veterinary fantasy

Carnival of the Animals (1886) is one of the best-known works by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921). The suite is composed of 14 miniatures, which the composer himself called “a grand zoological fantasy”. The movements are short pieces that represent different species of fauna – lion, chicken, elephant, turtle, swan, kangaroo or… pianist practicing scales. The composer was very appreciative of his composition and received positive comments after each private performance of the piece. However, in order to maintain his reputation as a serious and respected artist, he arranged to have the work published only after his death.

Carnival – originally composed for two pianos, string quintet, flute, clarinet, glass harmonica, and xylophone – has inspired numerous adaptations and transcriptions. The Sinfonia Varsovia Wind Quintet, complemented by percussion, will premiere the arrangement of the piece by Andreas N. Tarkmann, who added new movements to Saint-Saëns’s original composition and adapted several animal-themed pieces by other composers. The individual movements are bound together by an oral narrative. The entire version will be performed at the former Institute of Veterinary Medicine at 272 Grochowska Street on the eve of the centenary of Saint-Saëns’s death.

Łukasz Strusiński