DSO - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Be transported to the fantasy world within Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the music of child prodigy Felix Mendelssohn with the Darwin Symphony Orchestra for it’s Kids' Classic production.
Concertmaster Tara Murphy says despite the complex story line and musical composition, the show is prefect for the little ones, especially the toddlers and early primary school kids.
“It’s really complicated to tell Shakespeare to children so there’s a lot of visualisation in this concert,” Murphy says.
There will be shadow puppets and a helping hand from the Milkwood Steiner School kids, who will perform movement pieces with the music to help tell the story.
“We want to create something that’s beautiful,” Murphy says.
“Beauty can be recognised by all ages, and I think when we come to think of music, most of the population is very visual when they hear something, so if we can translate some of these esoteric sounds from violins and violas and cellos into something vivid, it makes it more accessible to understand.”
The playful score is one of Mendelssohn’s most famous works, written while he was just 17 years old in the 1820s.
“Magic and mystery are really important for children and we’re harnessing those elements in Mendelssohn’s score because he was such a young person when he was writing it,” Murphy says.
“You can almost hear the fairy wings fluttering and their feet running through the forest.
“It’s the literal translation of the story through music.”
Murphy says the Kids' Classics are always a hit, and the DSO players love the opportunity to introduce classical music to the next generation.
“For a lot of kids this is their first concert, so we want to create a fun and inviting experience - we don’t want kids to think classical music is for elite, when really it’s just music for everyone.”
Darwin Sat 6 Apr | 9am &10.30am | Charles Darwin University | $10 | Kids $5 | ntix.com.au
Batchelor Sun 7 Apr | 11am | Batchelor Outdoor Education Centre | Free
