'The Elephant' by Saint-Saëns with Thai Elephants

I took my piano to the mountains of Kanchanaburi to play for some very old, injured and handicapped elephants.

In this video I play 'The Elephant' from 'Carnival of the Animals' by Saint-Saëns.
Download sheet music (free) http://gallery.me.com/imagethai/101042

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History:

Saint-Saëns wrote 'Carnival of the Animals' during a holiday in a small Austrian village in 1886 which he scored for a chamber group which included an unusual instrument, the glass harmonica.

The theme is borrowed from a work by Mendelssohn and Berlioz originally written for high instruments such as the flute. Saint-Saëns moves these themes in good humor instead to the lowest and heaviest sounding instrument in the orchestra, the double bass.

Saint-Saëns thought this composition too lighthearted to be published during his lifetime, fearing it might harm his reputation as a serious composer. He did allow one work from the set to be published "Le Cygne" or 'The Swan'. 'Carnival of the Animals' was performed in his lifetime, but just to a small group of friends, one of them being Franz Liszt.

'Carnival of the Animals' was published after his death with consent and first performed publicly in 1922 and is often included in a groups of works which include Prokofiev's 'Peter and the Wolf' and Britten's 'Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra'.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• The Elephant
• Thailand
• elephants
• Carnival of the Animals
• Saint-Saëns
• piano
• music
• Paul Barton

[MarkBPiano]

At least they didn't cough all the way through your performance (unlike British audiences !). Perhaps next time you could play Jimbo's Lullaby from Debussy's Children's Corner. I'm sure they would like that.

[PaulBartonPiano]

@MarkBPiano -- :) I'll play Jimbo's Lullaby during the night next time I'm up there. I just tried it on recorder, it sounds quite oriental ...

[SharmaYelverton]

Brilliant! Paul your crazy. Did you notice the Elephants respond at all to the music? I do love the idea of playing outside. At Glastonbury festival for several years (I have no idea if it's still there) there was a random piano in the middle of the field. It would be the high point of the festival for me to go and play and it was amazing what a range of musicians would turn up and jam with me.

[PaulBartonPiano]

@SharmaYelverton -- *think* a reaction from an old, almost blind elephant Saiyok (reply⬆) Perhaps music can soothe sight-impaired elephants or those that suffered stress/trauma. Carried my piano across a river to an island of ducks and played baroque keyboard music to them but they took no notice whatsoever. Have you heard Beatrice Harrison playing cello with a nightingale? (first BBC outdoor radio broadcast) A lone piano in a Glastonbury field sounds potentially like a festival in itself.

[MissEmoTiph]

Wonderful ! I love it ! Now, maybe you can do the same with "The lion" from the "carnaval of the animals" of Saint Saens.... ? :))

[PaulBartonPiano]

@MissEmoTiph - I guess I'd have to record 'The Lion' last not first :)

[kendryna2]

I'm impressed. Thai elephants are a hard market to get into

[ams5995]

@kendryna2 darn near impossible

[dianenopain]

Thank you so much for sharing your talents with us and the elephants! Diane from Baltimore

[chanwitm]

Than you so much , From Thailand.

[moo2077]

Impressed , Thank you so much :)

I am Thai ka .

[meemewd]

I live in Kanchanaburi and have never been to elephant's world before. I'm impressed

[theoriginalgoonie]

I think you're an incredible person. Thank you for uploading these videos. I can't begin to imagine what it must have felt like being there with those precious elephants.

[justcharlenprens]

I think I'd be really scared to play piano next to some elephants. Got to give you props for doing this. Thanks for sharing :)