Customer Reviews

Carnival of The Animals

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4 star:		(2)
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Johnny Morris sure wrote some amusing narration to go with Carnival - witty and poetic. I didn't like the way he sang along to 'Tortoises' though. The words are in time with the music, but I would have very much preferred to hear the music separately. The Slovak Radio Symphony does a good job of the music under Lenard, I think it is somewhat better than the rendition by the Scottish National Orchestra under Alexander Gibson, which was a little rushed, in my opinion. The other pieces are well-done too, I especially liked Sorcerer's Apprentice, which happens to be one of my favorites. Not the best, but pretty good. A must even if only for the narration. It is really, really funny, and guaranteed to make you laugh.

With so many recordings of the Carnival of Animals, here is a surprisingly unique gem for at least 2 reasons. First of all, the witticisms and nonsensical poetic passages are fun for both kids and adults. The famed children's host Johnny Morris gives this recording a truly special flavor, and his enthusiasm is so genuine it's infectious. Take, for instance, the lion piece; Johnny Morris actually imitates the roar of a lion. His singing during the Tortoise piece is trying at first -- but once you've listened to the recording a few times it just becomes added complexity - which for a piece as simple as the Carnival of Animals motifs is not a bad thing. Morris' voice is warm and lively throughout, but enough about him - what about the orchestra itself, you ask!

I can happily tell you that the Penguin Guide thinks that this orchestra is comparable to the Andre Previn interpretation, which is as good as it gets. The playing is unusually passionate and never rushed. They seem to play the music with such mindful precision and respect, you'd think they were performing a Beethoven symphony rather than classical music for kids. And that's the real beauty of this CD -- it would be perfect for a young newcomer to classical music, but even a die-hard connoisseur will listen to this with joy and feel like a kid at heart.

This is the best narrated version. I love the cheeky remarks between pieces. I have loved the Carnival of the Animals since I was a girls learning to play it on the piano. I love how timeless the pieces are. I just heard the Aquarium piece being used in a commercial.

This CD is an excellent performance of "Carnival of the Animals". Some of the pieces are slower than another CD I have and some are faster. That is the reason I bought it, to compare the difference in tempo of certain pieces.