On November 21, 2011 I attended a concert at Reinhardt University featuring a Symphony Orchestra directed by Dr. Richard Bell. It took place at the Falany Performing Arts Center of the Reinhardt University Campus.
This evening's program started with the Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals featuring Reinhardt School of Music faculty members George Lucktenburg and Susan Naylor. This fun-filled work, along with narrative by Elizabeth Coe, describes animals of all types - from elephants to kangaroos. Carnival of the Animals is a musical suite of fourteen movements by the French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The orchestral work has duration between 22 and 30 minutes. The first movement Introduction and Royal March of the Lion consists of Strings and two pianos: The introduction begins with the pianos playing a bold tremolo, under which the strings enter with a stately theme. The pianos play a pair of scales going in opposite directions to conclude the first part of the movement. The pianos then introduce a march theme that they carry through most of the rest of the introduction. The strings provide the melody, with the pianos occasionally taking low runs of octaves which suggest the roar of a lion, or high ostinatos. The movement ends with a fortissimo note from all the instruments used in this movement. The second movement Hens and Roosters consists of Strings without cello and double-bass, two pianos, with clarinet: This movement is centered on a pecking theme played Turner 2 in the pianos and strings, which is quite reminiscent of chickens pecking at grain. The clarinet plays small solos above the rest of the players at intervals. The piano plays a theme based on the crowing of a rooster's Cock a Doodle Doo. The third movement Donkeys consists of Two pianos: The animals depicted here are quite
