carnival of the animals
CHF
About The Programme
This family concert, organised by ANDERMATT MUSIC in cooperation with the Uri Music School and the musical talent advancement programme of Canton Lucerne, promises to be a highpoint for young and old alike.
This cross-generational project features pupils from the Music School, the Swiss Orchestra under the baton of Raphael Immoos, and the skiing legend Bernhard Russi as narrator. The young musicians of the Uri Music School, under the direction of Christian Zgraggen, will bring animal-inspired musical surprises to the stage of the Andermatt Concert Hall and demonstrate their talent. More advanced youngsters will play short orchestral works side by side with the Swiss Orchestra, experiencing unique moments of music-making with a professional orchestra.
The highpoint of the afternoon will be a performance of Camille Saint-Saëns’s «Carnival of the Animals», a «great zoological fantasy» – thus the work’s full title – which offers a wonderful introduction to the world of classical music. Saint-Saëns depicts assorted animals over the course of 14 short movements, during which he also takes the opportunity to provide humorous parodies of his fellow composers. While there are always some in the audience who can’t wait to hear the beautiful, proud swan glide over the water just before the close of the work, there is a lot else to discover before then. There is the majestic entrance march of the lion, the lumbering awkwardness of the elephants, the calls of the cuckoo in the forest, the cantankerous braying of the donkey, the nimble keyboard-hopping of the kangaroos, the flustered chickens, and the ancient fossils that arise to declare unexpected ebullience. Nor should we forget the fish in the aquarium, whose air bubbles ascend to the surface of the water to create one of the most charming gems in the whole history of music.
The story of this «cultural event of thrilling uniqueness» – thus the German text for the work penned by the famous humourist Loriot – will be narrated by Bernhard Russi, who returns to the Andermatt Concert Hall in the wake of his celebrated debut with «Peter and the Wolf».
Lineup
SWISS ORCHESTRA
RAPHAEL IMMOOS, conductor
JOSEPH-MAURICE WEDER, piano
AGLAIA GRAF, piano
BERNHARD RUSSI, narrator
SCHÜLER*INNEN DER MUSIKSCHULE URI UND DER TALENTFÖRDERUNG MUSIK KANTON LUZERN
programme
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835–1921)
Carnival of the Animals – and other, beastly good music.
A collaboration between the Uri Music School, directed by Christian Zgraggen, and Talentförderung Musik Kanton Luzern, the musical talent advancement programme of Canton Lucerne.
(Recommended for 5 years and older)
concert hall
Andermatt
How to get there
Details on how to get there can be found on the ANDERMATT MUSIC website.
barrier-free access
The Andermatt concert hall is barrier-free. Wheelchair tickets are available via email at info@andermattmusic.ch or at Andermatt Alpine Apartments at +41 41 888 78 00.
Seating on the balcony is recommended for people with reduced mobility. Chamber music concerts and New Folk Music concerts usually do not have grandstand seating: Here, all seats are accessible without steps.
The Andermatt concert hall has an inductive listening system.
Garderobe
evening ticket office
The box office opens 1 hour before the start of the concert.
Doors open / late entry
Admission to the concert hall is 30 minutes before the start of the concert. Late admission is only possible during applause between plays and on the guidance of the hall staff.
Discount
Discounts are available for children, students and members of the Gotthard MemberClub. Details about the benefits can be found here.
Bernhard Russi was born in Andermatt. He is a former ski racer and was one of the top downhill athletes during his heyday in the 1970s. He won an Olympic gold medal and two world championships and was several times named Swiss Sportsman of the Year. In 1969, when he was largely unknown, he worked as a stuntman during the filming of the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
After his career in skiing, Bernhard Russi was active as a commentator and race analyst for Swiss TV. He also worked in advertising and as a technical advisor to the International Ski Federation (FSI). He had originally trained as a structural draughtsman, and now helped to plan numerous new downhill slopes, from the Calgary Olympics in 1988 to the Beijing Olympics in 2022. He also helped to design the World Championship courses in Sestriere, Åre, Beavercreek and St. Moritz, thereby making a significant contribution to the further development of alpine skiing. His manifold commitments and many public appearances mean he remains one of the most prominent personalities in Switzerland. This most famous son of Andermatt is now entering new territory by narrating Sergei Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale Peter and the wolf for the first time in the Concert Hall.
After his celebrated debut, Bernhard Russi returns to the Andermatt Concert Hall with ”Carnival of the Animals”.
For everyone who wants to hear Swiss symphonic music, and to live it too
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