Saint-Saëns: Carnival Of The Animals - 1. Introduction & Royal March Of The Lion

[PrinceForte]

The March of the Lion is my favorite from the set. Such a powerful, provoking, purposeful piece; the emulation of a lion's roar on the piano just makes me smile.

[Xam271]

i was five years old when my mother gave a recording of this to me as a birthday gift. i have loved it ever since. and today i listen to it with the same joy and occasionally tears as the five year old me. although i must say that i giggle today whenever i hear the title "wild asses" ^^

[saullouis]

The Lion is the king of beasts

and husband of the Lioness

There are those that admire that roar of his

in the African jungle and veldts

But I think

wherever a lion is

Id rather be somewhere else.

-Ogden Nash

[wolfgirl44]

Is this tune used anywhere? Because it seems like I couldn't possibly have remembered it this well... I haven't heard Carnival of the Animals since I was a really little kid.

[meinevvelten]

@wolfgirl44 Recently? No, but according to Wikpedia, the Finale of the Carnival was used in Disney's Fantasia 2000, which opens on the same notes as those in this piece. More relevantly, the Royal March of the Lions theme was used in commercials for an investment company called Dreyfus. There's a recording here on YT that aired in 1958.

[wolfgirl44]

@meinevvelten Hmm. I must just have remembered it then, because I've never seen either of those things. Very impressive, little me.