Songs:The Swan (73961)
From WWR
Contents |
Trivia, story behind the song, etc.
Le Carnaval was composed in February 1886 while Saint-Saëns was vacationing in a small Austrian village. It was originally scored for a chamber group of flute, clarinet, two pianos, glass harmonica, xylophone, two violins, viola, cello and double bass, but is usually performed today with a full orchestra of strings, and with a glockenspiel substituting for the rare glass harmonica.
Saint-Saëns, apparently concerned that the piece was too frivolous and likely to harm his reputation as a serious composer, suppressed performances of it and only allowed one movement, Le Cygne, to be published in his lifetime. Only small private performances were given for close friends like Franz Liszt.
Saint-Saëns did, however, include a provision which allowed the suite to be published after his death, and it has since become one of his most popular works. It is a favorite of music teachers and young children, along with Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf and Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra.
Le Cygne (The Swan)
Two pianos and cello: This is by far the most famous movement of the suite, often performed solo and is used to showcase the interpretive skills of the cellist. The lushly romantic cello solo is played over rippling sixteenths in one piano and rolled chords in the other.
Listener comments about The Swan (73961)
Tags
 | Classical 107 items |
 | Folk 5,412 items |
 | Cello 329 items |
 | Peaceful 325 items |
 | Pretty 2,073 items |
 | Quiet 268 items |
 | Instrumental 3,668 items |
 | Acoustic 9,556 items |
 | Piano 2,370 items |
| The information below this box is from the Whole Wheat Radio databases and cannot be changed by editing this page. You can add to or edit everything above this box by clicking the "edit" link in the row of tabs at the top of the page. To add music to the library see information for artists. |
| |||||
on the album
|
|
Listener rankings: 5 stars=Dean ♦ Kelli ♦ Oldcajun ♦ Pickster ♦ Keystone traveler ♦ Atuuschaaw ♦ Mert 4 stars=Jim ♦ jjascob ♦ DogNut ♦ countrydave ♦ Fine-line ♦ CooleyBufo ♦ Pyrite ♦ Kazookid ♦ Flying Trout ♦ Kimchifox 3 stars=Hexaba ♦ Anagram ♦ Sol® ♦ 12-stringer ♦ Doctordoug |
|||
Categories: Classical | Folk | Cello | Peaceful | Pretty | Quiet | Instrumental | Acoustic | Piano
