Synopsis

A dreamlike performance piece rather than a conventional narrative, "Carla/Etude" places Elton John at the piano within the stylized visual world of *Visions*. The imagery emphasizes the music's shift from a quiet, romantic piano lament into the brighter, more electronic "Fanfare." Elton's performance remains the central focus as the video moves through theatrical settings and heightened visual compositions, creating an atmosphere of elegance, melancholy and fantasy rather than presenting a clearly defined storyline or characters.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Carla/Etude" was included in *Visions*, the 1982 VHS collection that created a short visual treatment for every song on Elton John's 1981 album *The Fox*.

• The track is an instrumental composition combining two pieces, "Carla" and "Etude." It segues into "Fanfare," which is performed and arranged with the involvement of James Newton Howard.

• "Carla" was named after Carla Franks, the wife of Elton John's longtime sound engineer and co-producer Clive Franks. The piece was written as a personal gesture for the couple.

• The recording features the London Symphony Orchestra, giving the piano-led composition its expansive classical character.

• "Carla/Etude" later became one of the less frequently performed but highly regarded pieces from *The Fox*, appearing in selected concert programs with orchestral accompaniment.