The Carnival of the Animals conclusion of the verse for the "Fossils", for example, fits perfectly with the punchline-like first bar of the music: In 2014 the English contemporary music organisation New Music in the South West (NMSW) commissioned a set of responses to the 14 movements of "Carnival of the Animals". The pieces, collectively known as "A Modern Menagerie", were premièred by the Bristol Ensemble on 7 September 2014 at St. George’s, Bristol. The programme consisted of the original Saint-Saëns movements interleaved with the contemporary responses under the title "Carnival of the Animals" meets "A Modern Menagerie". A number of the composers have taught
The Carnival of the Animals from the first movement, ", through portraits of elephants and donkeys ("Those with Long Ears") to a finale reprising many of the earlier motifs. Several of the movements are of humorous intent: In 1949, Ogden Nash wrote a set of humorous verses to accompany each movement for a Columbia Masterworks recording of "Carnival of the Animals" conducted by Andre Kostelanetz. They were recited on the original album by Noël Coward, dubbed over or spliced in between sections of the previously recorded music. The poems are now often included when the work is performed, though usually recited before each piece. The