Children's Mozart Festival 2007

For the past 2 days, mummy brought me out alone for the Children's Mozart Festival. And I must say I did enjoy myself.

Yesterday we went dancing in the late morning. I never knew dancing was so slow and it goes with steps in Mozart's time. All the while I thought dancing was simply jumping up & down like I always do - for Hi5 songs. And we danced in a circle like we were in a trance. But.. on the whole I did enjoy myself...was quite tired though.

At the end of the 'dancing class' mummy asked to take photos of the String Quartet but they played music instead.
Video 1
Video 2
* No photos taken during the 'trance-ing' time coz we were dancing, remember? Mummy only took these after we came out of the trance.

****************************************************

Today (21st), I went for a concert. I was so excited - I'm going for a concert not a Sesame Street performance. She brought out a piece of paper with this drawing and explained to me where the instruments are. I told you! Mummy never gives me a break even when I'm supposed to be enjoying myself!!
There were infact only the: -
a)VIOLINS - lots of it mummy explained
b)VIOLAS
c)CELLOS
d)DOUBLE BASS
e)OBOES
f)FRENCH HORNS

The Chart mummy drew for me

They played four pieces of music (click on mummy's blog to hear sample tune on 3 songs). And these are the things that I've learnt today

♫ Concerto - A composition for an orchestra and one or more solo instruments, typically in three movements.

♫ Symphony -An extended piece in three or more movements for symphony orchestra.
♫ Movements- Parts of a symphony
♫ Conductor - One who directs an orchestra or other such group.
♫ Soprano -The highest singing voice of a woman
♫ Tenor - The middle voice in a choir. It's lower than Soprano

♫ Countertenor-A countertenor is a male adult who sings in an soprano range.
♫ Opera -A theatrical presentation in which a dramatic performance is set to music
♫ Difference in sounds between violin, viola, cello & double bass (which mummy had explained to me before but I haven't heard it all to compare. So today I had the chance to listen to all the individual musical instruments)

♫ At the intermission, we went to the stage to get up close to the instruments. Actually....have seen it in yamaha before but today I heard the sound each instruments make and can experiment on the instruments.

Uncle holding the violin

This lucky girl was a conductor. I wish I was up there. Mummy said I was too timid to bring up my hands that why.

Uncle Adrian is the conductor

Uncle Leslie was the 'Tenor', singing to the Opera Bastien et Bastinenne

Aunty holding onto a cello

So cold.....brr.....

What an educational outing today. I enjoyed myself and I've learnt alot of new things.
Mummy said when I've learnt to still throughout a performance, she will bring me to the SSO concerts and musicals.
I told mummy I wanted to learn the violin, and she said I still have to go through the 4 year YJC but I dowan.... I want to play like that 15yr-old kor kor..he played so well on the piano. Mummy said whatever I learn, I need to practice and practice. Without the 4yr course I don't even know how to read notes. I told her "yes I know, I know 'Do' and 'Re'. Mummy kept quiet. See! I told you adults know nothing at all!!

Questions I asked mummy :
1)why everybody wear black
2)why they turn off our lights except the front (stage)
Can you answer?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Something additional which mummy taught me :

The main instruments of the orchestra belong to four main categories:
Strings : violin, viola, cello, double bass,harp

They're played by drawing a bow over four stretched strings pitched five tones apart. They can also be plucked - called pizzicato (which they did and mummy pointed out to me) - or even, occasionally, strummed like a guitar.
Woodwind: recorder, piccolo, flute, clarinet, oboe, english horn, basson,saxophone
They're played by blowing into the mouthpiece whether its by the side or end of tube
Brass: trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba
Brass players control their instruments by means of valves, and have to master 'embouchure' – the technique of using the mouth muscles to create notes of different pitch.
Percussion:piano,organ,tambourine,cymbals,triangle,bassdrum,timpani,tubular bells,xylophone
They are played by beating with sticks, mechanical hammers, bare hands – or clashed together like the cymbols, the castanets or the whip.