Do you pretend to be an animal sometimes?

Perhaps roar like a lion or sing in the trees like a bird?

Here are some very famous pieces of animal music written by people who probably wanted to put roaring lions or chirping birds on stage

(well…you know…real lions might have eaten the musicians…and birds might pooped in the violinist’s hair…).

But that wouldn’t have worked too well, so they made these instead.

Peter and the Wolf

Sergei Prokofiev, Russia, 1936.

Peter’s grandfather tries to keep him safe from dangerous wolves, but Peter’s not scared!

Instead, he bravely tricks the wolf…and saves his friend.

In this story, told by a narrator and an orchestra, all the characters have their own music.

Can you tell who is who?

What does the Duck say?

And what about Grandpa?

And now, you can see the instruments that create the characters.

And some dancing perhaps?

And here, perhaps you, on your holidays next time.

The Carnival of the Animals

Camille Saint-Saëns, Austria, 1886.

And here, 50 years earlier, Saint-Saëns wrote separate little pieces of music for each animal.

Do you recognize anything?

Sometimes people use them in movies…so you might know them already.

And now with the instruments. Two pianos!!!!

Look at those fingers go!

And here, just lots of lovely animal pictures while you listen.

Does the music sound like the animal to you?