For a while, theatrical and musical institutions have been
organizing within their programming specific events for small and older
children, aware that the approach to this type of music, done only through
the performance of pieces arranged for an educational purpose or through
passive and uninformed listening, is not enough to gather young people in
concert halls and to create a new generation of listeners.
We have all
understood by now that next to music education done through practice, it
is essential (even as education to taste and beauty) to begin with
conscious music listening, integrated in specific itineraries where
'classical' music does not replace 'light' music but is combined to it so
that young listeners get used to both languages in a regular context. Even
the Bologna Festival has understood how important it is to familiarize
these groups of young people to music history and culture, entering into
dialogue with them beyond any conventional way in the hope that they can
continue loving and following classical music and operas.
With the
project "Note sul Registro", carried out during the school year with the
support of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Fondazione Carisbo, Fondazione del
Monte in collaboration with the Education Department MAMbo, the G.B.
Martini Academy of Music, Unindustria Bologna in various places of the
city (G.B. Martini Academy of Music, MAMbo-Museum of Modern Art of
Bologna, Unindustria Bologna's conference halls, Oratorio San Filippo
Neri, Teatro Manzoni and Teatro dell'Antoniano), the association sets
specific dates for secondary school students of Bologna and the province.
But a particular interest is given to children in kindergarten and
elementary schools who have their very own festival: Baby BoFe'.
In the next year 2010-2011 for the fourth edition at the
Teatro dell'Antoniano, Baby Bofe' is organizing live music performances by
professionals (baroque as well as contemporary repertoires, opera and
modern dance), engaging narrative and stimulating choreography. The most
famous pages of the great composers have been the main motivation for the
elaboration of original scripts by director and scenarist Sandra
Bertuzzi, drawn from great literary classics, fables and theatre and
performed by the Compagnia FantaTeatro. It is a true "classical music
festival for children" with quite a large and very loyal audience composed
of about 30,000 spectators to date: children, teachers and parents who
have altogether participated in the festival's three editions.
These
past years, we have had the opportunity to listen to A Midsummer Night's
Dream (Shakespeare-Mendelssohn, an impressive success taking place outside
at Villa Spada during the Bolognese summer), the Valse from Cinderella
(Perrault with music by Chopin) and the "children's version" of the Barber
of Seville and the Elixir of Love. Beginning in January, the new season
will present four titles: from the classic theater (Romeo and Juliet with
music by Prokofiev), the opera (The Magic Flute with music by Mozart), the
stories (the celebration of the 150 years of the Italian Union with music
by Verdi) and the fables (Alice in Wonderland with the most famous music
for piano). The program is plenty of educational fun and (a component of
the performances is dedicated to children and teachers in order to deepen
knowledge through games, drawings, quizzes) great music is
associated
to a world of fantasy where even little ones are
carried by the language of sounds in a simple and fun way. As usual from
the beginning of the programming, performances are planned for schools on
Friday mornings and on Saturday and Sunday for families.
The outcomes
are beyond organizers' expectations and such a success is a reminder of
our society's "hunger for good music", which is too often disregarded or
forgotten.