Discussion Guide for “Carnival of the Animals” and “Mother Goose Suite”

On May 18, 2025, we’re excited to present a family concert featuring beloved pianist Sandra Wright Shen and Tristen Chen, in a four-hand version of Saint-Saëns “Carnival of the Animals” and selections from Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite.”

We’ve prepared this guide for children ages 5 and up, and for parents who would like  to discuss the music before or after the concert.

Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals

Carnival of the Animals is a fun, playful piece of music written by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns in 1886. It’s a suite of 14 movements, each representing a different animal or group of animals. The music is meant to sound like the animals it portrays, and it’s often used to help kids learn about animals and music at the same time.

Movements:

1. Introduction and Royal March of the Lion
   
   Sounds like: A majestic lion walking proudly.
   What to notice: The music is bold and strong. Listen for the trumpets that make the lion roar!
2. Hens and Roosters (Poule et Coq)
   Sounds like: Hens clucking and roosters crowing
   What to notice: The music is quick and light, like the pecking of hens and the loud crowing of the rooster.
3. Wild Asses (Le Cheval Sauvage)
   
   Sounds like: Wild donkeys running fast.
   What to notice: The music is fast and bouncy, just like donkeys galloping.
4. Tortoises (Les Tortues)
   
   Sounds like: Slow-moving tortoises.
   What to notice: The music is slow and steady, with a funny, clumsy rhythm.
5. The Elephant (L’éléphant)
   
   Sounds like: A heavy elephant walking.
   What to notice: The music is deep and slow, with a very big, heavy sound. Listen for the low sounds from the double bass!
6. Kangaroos (Les Kangourous)
   
   Sounds like: Kangaroos hopping.
   What to notice: The music is bouncy, with lots of jumps and energy!
7. Aquarium
   
   Sounds like: Fish swimming in an aquarium.
   What to notice: The music is soft and flowing, like water and fish gliding peacefully.
8. Personages with Long Ears (Personnages avec longues oreilles)
   
   Sounds like: Donkeys or other animals with big ears.
   What to notice: The music is playful and a bit funny, with lots of high-pitched sounds.
9. The Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods (Le Coucou au fond des bois)
   
   Sounds like: The cuckoo bird calling from the woods.
   What to notice: The music repeats the sound of the cuckoo’s call, like a bird saying “cuckoo!”
10. The Aviary (L’Oiseau en cage)
    
    Sounds like: Birds in a cage chirping.
    What to notice: The music is light and fluttery, like birds hopping and chirping around in a cage.
11. Pianists
    
    Sounds like: Pianists playing the piano.
    What to notice: The music is very fast and tricky, like someone playing the piano with lots of energy
12. Fossils (Les Fossiles)
    
    Sounds like: Bones of dinosaurs and ancient creatures.
    What to notice: The music is spooky and sounds like an old, eerie dance.
13. The Swan (Le Cygne)
    
    Sounds like: A graceful swan swimming.
    What to notice: The music is very smooth and elegant, with flowing sounds from the cello, like a swan gliding on water.
14. Finale
    
    Sounds like: A big ending to the carnival.
    What to notice: The music brings everything together, like saying goodbye to all the animals at the carnival.

Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite

Mother Goose Suite was composed by Maurice Ravel in 1910. It’s a beautiful piece of music based on fairy tales. The music tells the stories of well-known characters from children’s fairy tales, using lovely and magical sounds to bring each story to life.

Movements:

1. Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty (La Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant)
   
   Sounds like: A dreamy dance for the Sleeping Beauty.
   What to notice: The music is slow and graceful, like a fairy tale princess in a peaceful, enchanted sleep.
2. Tom Thumb (Le Petit Poucet)
   
   Sounds like: The tiny Tom Thumb and his adventures.
   What to notice: The music is full of surprises, like Tom Thumb getting lost in the forest, with little quick notes jumping around.
3. The Ugly Duckling (Laideronnette, impératrice des pagodes)
   
   Sounds like: The transformation of the ugly duckling into a beautiful swan.
   What to notice: The music has a magical, shimmering quality, like the duckling changing into a swan.
4. The Enchanted Garden (La Jardinière enchantée)
   
   Sounds like: A magical, enchanted garden where fairies and flowers live.
   What to notice: The music is soft and flowing, like a gentle breeze through a mystical garden.
5. Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête)
   
   Sounds like: The fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast.
   What to notice: The music starts slow and dark, but then becomes more hopeful, like the change in Beauty’s heart towards the Beast.

This study guide can help you make the music more engaging for your family, and help your children  connect the sounds to the stories behind them. It also encourages creativity, imagination, and exploration through music. Join us on our Facebook page and let us know what insights and discoveries your family found in the music.

Enjoy the musical adventure! We’re looking forward to seeing you on May 18. Get your tickets here.