Music stampedes the Broad Stage

Things will get a little wild and woolly on the Broad Stage in Santa Monica as “Carnival of the Animals,” Camille Saint-Saëns’ kid-friendly orchestral masterwork, hops, tweets and roars to life.

The Broad Stage’s production combines classical performance with lively audience interaction, courtesy of conductor Rachel Worby. The composition’s fourteen movements are animal-themed, with names like “Tortoises,” “Elephants” and “The Aviary.” The music mirrors the behavior, sounds and moods of the animals, using jumping fifths for kangaroos, a double bass for elephants, and airy piano and flutes for birds.

Saint-Saëns composed the work in 1886 but didn’t allow it to be published until after his death, fearing its light-hearted motifs would damage his reputation as a serious composer. Since then it has become one of his most popular works.

There will be two performances this Saturday, September 24—one at 10 a.m. and another at 11:30 a.m. Tickets range in price from $20 to $35 and are available online. The Broad Stage is located at 1310 11th Street in Santa Monica; directions are on its website.

Posted 9/21/11