Care for the environment is a subject that interests many young people, and this program on music and recycling gives the subject an entirely new twist. To start the program, a short ballet is presented to the music of Tchaikovsky and Shostakovitch. The ballet demonstrates what can happen to nature when people are careless about trash disposal.
A discussion follows about ways to produce less trash by reusing items such as shopping bags or even reusing the same drinking glass so as not pollute the environment with unnecessary detergents.

This is musically demonstrated through a Mozart "Rondo", and Pachelbel's "Canon" in which a particular melody or 'ostinato' is reused many times. Monique then demonstrates how a glass vase is recycled and what other glass items can be produced from a broken vase. This correlates directly to the musical idea of "theme and variations," which is presented by a virtuosic pianist with the variations on the "A-B-C-Song." This song is yet another example of recycling, since it is originally a French folk song which Mozart and other composers "stole" and adapted for their own purposes.

Music in fact is a prime example of recycling since virtually all the music in the world is made up of only 12 notes. Monique shows the children how these notes make up melodies, songs, and even musical autographs, as used by Shostakovitch and Bach. Together with the ballet dancers, the orchestra, a percussionist, and the entire audience, Monique leads a lively demonstration of musical recycling, based on the "DSCH" autograph used in the String Symphony, op. 110a of Dmitri Shostakovitch. Led by the solo percussionist, children can participate musically on instruments they have made themselves out of common household materials which usually get thrown away.

Repertoire

Peter I. Tschaikovsky: "Waltz" from Serenade for Strings
Dmitri Shostakovitch: "Allegretto" from String Symphony, op. 110a
Wolfgang A. Mozart: "Rondo" from Violin Concerto in D, K 211
Wolfgang A. Mozart: Variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je Maman"
Johann Pachelbel: Canon in D
Dmitri Kabalevsky: "Gallop of the Comedians"
Vittorio Monti: "Czardas"

For information regarding preparatory materials for teachers, school workshops, or activities before or after the concert, please contact Klassik for Kids at info@klassik-for-kids.de