The Carnival of the Animals century, with one piano always maintaining a bouncy eighth-note rhythm. Although the melody is relatively simple, the supporting harmonies are ornamented in the style that is typical of Saint-Saëns' compositions for piano; dazzling scales, glissandi and trills. Many of the previous movements are quoted here from the introduction, the lion, the donkeys, hens, and kangaroos. The work ends with a series of six "Hee Haws" from the donkeys, as if to say that the donkey has the last laugh, before the final strong group of C major chords. As the title suggests, the work follows a zoological program and progresses
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