The Carnival of the Animals

Well, I'm very honored, and whoever did the work, I thank them.

Now, we played your Carnival of the Animals with Andre Previn, Patricia Prentice Jennings, and Joseph Villa.

Edward Greenfield said it was the best of show.

It got a rosette from the Penguin Guide to recordings.

And from that moment on, music was very central to me.

And so I went through Carnival of the Animals and Peter the Wolf and all the kind of children's classics that my mother was happy to supply me with.

As I got older, obviously the music changed and I learned to play first keyboard, then drums, then I was in bands, and I became a musician for a while.

So music has been a thread, and it still is.

But also...

It's a story about knowing one of today's titans of music and rehearsing with her, and also of a collaborative work, because this Carnival de las Indias, it's a piece that's in a way, it's in dialogue with the famous Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals.

although each creature is based on a Latin American mythological creature.

And I did this, the person who did the text was Gonzalo de Maria, who is a fantastic playwright.

So first, actually, a very, very interesting question.

First, I knew I came up with instrumentation before because I wanted it to be the same for like the Saint-Saëns piece.

He's a carnival of the animals.

So it has flute, clarinet, percussion, narrator, strings and two pianos.

Absolute Saturday in Sydney magic.

At the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Carnival of the Animals is on for the classical crowd.

Family friendly and gorgeous.

Over at ICC Sydney in the Darling Harbour Theatre, it's Jim Henson's Labyrinth in concert.

A smoky start, then sunny 21 in town, 23 out west, 20 at Bondi kind of day, a three vehicle crash on Parramatta Road at Homebush eastbound, and a breakdown at Auburn westbound, so Parramatta Road is a bit tender.

Huge track work across the network, so check your app before you leave the house.

And today the city is offering the Kuwi Festival at Blacktown, the Sharks and Cowboys in an NRL elimination final at Allianz, the Saki Festival at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Carnival of the Animals at the Opera House, Labyrinth in Concert at ICC, Ash at the Metro, Violent Soho at the Enmore, Infinity Song at Manning Bar, Heather's The Musical Matinee at Roslyn Packer, Spring Fairs at Winona and Redlands, Family Markets at Lane Cove Canopy, Race Day at Rose Hill, an 80s and 90s boat party on the harbour and a full slate of comedy and clubs after dark.

Be kind to yourself.

Oh.

The first part of that program will have a performance of Carnival of the Animals.

Yes.

Okay, big deal.

You know who the magicians Penn and Teller are? I don't.

Wait, are they coming to here? One of them is coming.

Which one? Teller, the guy who doesn't speak in the act, is writing whole new poetry and poems for the Carnival of the Animals to narrate.

That is so cool.

Now let's hear the other group, the pitched percussion that can actually play a tune.

One of my favorite examples comes from the Saint Sons and the Carnival of the Animals, which we explored in episode 157.

In the movement called Fossils, he uses a xylophone to sound like old rattling bones, a perfect, slightly spooky use of those crisp wooden bars.

Hear how the xylophone plays a real melody and not just a rhythm? That's the difference between our two groups, and it's a great one to listen for.