'Carnival of Animals' parades through town
Hera Diani , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Assuming that there will be no bird flu, let us enjoy the animal parade in town, as Jakarta Chamber Orchestra (JCO) stages a "Classics for Young People: Carnival of the Animals" concert on Feb. 7.
Held at the auditorium of Atmajaya University on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta, the concert will present a less complicated and more familiar repertoire performed by preteenagers and teenagers too, in line with the aim of promoting classical music among young people.
The first part of the concert will be dedicated to Vivaldi and Mozart, with nine-year-old violinist Eya Grimonia performing the solo part in Vivaldi's Violin Concerto Op. 3 No. 6 in A minor, followed by teenage soprano Bernadeta M. Astari in Mozart's Exultate Jubilate.
The second, or main part, will present two teenage pianists, Stephanie and Inge Melania, performing pieces from French composer Camille Saint-Saens' Le Carnaval des Animaux (Carnival of the Animals).
Written in 1886, the 22-minute composition contains delightful musical portraits of various animals. Although the piece was intentionally made for fun, clever use of the diverse instruments offers interesting insights into the instruments themselves.
Ironically, this has become Saint-Saens' most memorable work, rather than his "serious" works.
Led by noted conductor Avip Priatna, the concert will portray a wide variety of animals via a series of musical instruments, plus narration on the characteristics of the animals and animation on the backdrop of the stage.
The concert is expected to be educational entertainment, and should further popularize classical music among young people, an activity JCO is known for.
In March last year, along with the National Youth Orchestra, JCO held a "Classics for Young People" concert at the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, Central Jakarta.
Although it does not always play to a full house, JCO claimed that the young audience continues to grow in number, slowly rejecting the image of classical music as boring and no fun.
Many publications and much research have revealed that music, particularly classical music, has a positive effect on children's psychology and mental development.
So, bring the children to see the animal parade.
Tickets Rp 100,000 for adults, Rp 50,000 for students or children, available at the Jakarta Conservatory of Music, Jl. Cipete 4/8, South Jakarta, tel. 7690470. Tickets can also be obtained at Elly Lim Music Studio, Muara Karang Blok R 8 Utara, No. 41, North Jakarta, tel. 6602269/6631619.