<P> Double bass and piano: this section is marked Allegro pomposo, the perfect caricature for an elephant . The piano plays a waltz - like triplet figure while the bass hums the melody beneath it . Like "Tortues," this is also a musical joke--the thematic material is taken from the Scherzo from Mendelssohn's incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream and Berlioz's "Dance of the Sylphs" from The Damnation of Faust . The two themes were both originally written for high, lighter - toned instruments (flute and various other woodwinds, and violin, accordingly); the joke is that Saint - Saëns moves this to the lowest and heaviest - sounding instrument in the orchestra, the double bass . </P> <P> Two pianos: the main figure here is a pattern of "hopping" fifths preceded by grace notes . When the fifths ascend, the tempo gradually speeds up and the dynamics get louder, and when the fifths descend, the tempo gradually slows down and the dynamics get quieter . </P> <P> Two violins, viola, cello (string quartet), two pianos, flute, and glass harmonica: this is one of the more musically rich movements . The melody is played by the flute, backed by the strings, on top of tumultuous, glissando - like runs in the piano . The first piano plays a descending ten - on - one ostinato, in the style of the second of Chopin's études, while the second plays a six - on - one . These figures, plus the occasional glissando from the glass harmonica--often played on celesta or glockenspiel--are evocative of a peaceful, dimly - lit aquarium . According to British music journalist Fritz Spiegl, there is a recording of the movement featuring virtuoso harmonica player Tommy Reilly--apparently he was hired by mistake instead of a player of the glass harmonica . The recording in question is of the Czechoslovak Radio Symphony Orchestra on the Naxos label . </P> <P> Two violins: this is the shortest of all the movements . The violins alternate playing high, loud notes and low, buzzing ones (in the manner of a donkey's braying "hee - haw"). Music critics have speculated that the movement is meant to compare music critics to braying donkeys . </P>

Saint-saens - the carnival of the animals xiii the swa