Composer of the month: Camille Saint-Saëns

I'm very late into the month to post our composer focus, but I do have an honest excuse. We've enjoyed listening to Holst so much that I've just let that run it's course. I ended up buying a cd with all of "The Planets" and a few other of Holst's works so we can listen in the car. The other reason is that I've been so busy deciding about a new curriculum path.

So, to keep it fairly simple this month, and in honour of our newest pet "Cheekie", we're going to look at Camille Saint-Saëns.

Now here is a most gifted person. Perfect pitch by the age of 2; fair mastery of Latin by age 7; and talk about integrating subjects ... whilst a member of the Astronomical Society of France, he had a telescope made to his own specifications and also planned concerts to coincide with solar eclipses (hmmm - I see now that this is a good follow-on from Holst!)

Well, we're going to focus on his most famous work: Carnival of the Animals. This was written for a private performance and was only played once for his friends. After Saint-Saëns death, his will stated he'd allow the work to be published. Now this is he's most memorable piece, whilst he actually composed many more serious symphonies, concertoes, operas, songs, chamber works, solo pieces and sacred music.

There is a lovely review of all the movements here of "Carnival of the Animals", but if you're looking for more specific lesson plans, then I recommend skipping to this document for a summary.

Guydgazit has made a collection of Claymations (clay animations) based on Carnival of the Animals. The children think they're quite funny:



Here is the finalé performed by the Houston Ballet:


If there is ever an Australian performance of this, we'll be going! :)

Of course, for reading material you can easily borrow library books on each animal. Barrie C. Turner also has a book written based on this work.