Animalia Family Concert: The Carnival of the Animals

Conceived in collaboration with the École normale de Musique de Paris – Alfred Cortot, this concert forms part of the ‘Animals in Music’ series, designed to complement the exhibition ‘Animalia. Bestiary from the Al Thani Collection’.

For centuries, animals have fuelled the imagination of composers. Their songs, their movements, their evocative power and their symbolic significance inspire works of great richness, blending poetry, fantasy and virtuosity.

Designed for families, this second concert invites young and old alike to discover two iconic works from the repertoire, as beautiful as they are accessible: Maurice Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye and Camille Saint-Saëns’ Le Carnaval des animaux. A musical journey brimming with poetry, humour and imagination, where tales, animals and characters come to life through music.

Featuring: 

Daniel Strasberg & the Arco Iris ensemble, piano and string quartet.

‘The Carnival of the Animals’

Daniel Strasberg & the Arco Iris Ensemble, piano and string quartet

Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)

Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose) – Version for solo piano by Jacques Charlot

Pavane from Sleeping Beauty

Tom Thumb

Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas

The Conversations of Beauty and the Beast

The Enchanted Garden

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921)

The Carnival of the Animals

Introduction and the Lion’s Royal March

Hens and Roosters

Hemiones — Swift Animals

Turtles

The Elephant

Kangaroos

Aquarium

Long-eared characters

The Cuckoo Deep in the Woods

Aviary

Pianists

Fossils

The Swan

Finale

The École Normale de Musique de Paris – Alfred-Cortot is a private higher education music institution founded in 1919 by the renowned pianist and teacher Alfred Cortot. Located in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, it trains musicians of the very highest calibre, including concert performers and teachers. It is one of the world’s most prestigious institutions for higher music education and welcomes nearly 600 students, 70 per cent of whom are international, hailing from nearly 50 different countries. Its 120 teachers are renowned musicians and educators, ranked amongst the best in France.

The School’s teaching of the highest standard is recognised worldwide, making it an ambassador for French culture abroad. The École Normale de Musique de Paris also boasts a magnificent concert hall, the Salle Cortot, built in 1929 by the architect Auguste Perret, which can seat 400 people; recognised as having ‘some of the finest acoustics in Paris’, it hosts numerous concerts each year featuring the greatest musicians of our time.

For several years now, the École Normale de Musique de Paris has been partnering with major museums and heritage institutions to develop concert series linked to their collections and exhibitions. This project has three objectives: to foster dialogue between the artistic disciplines, to support young musicians’ entry into the profession, and to reach out to new audiences.

These regular events invite visitors to discover the works from a fresh perspective, through the dialogue between music and the visual arts. They enable the School’s musicians to perform in prestigious venues, whilst offering museums a high-quality, bespoke musical programme.