The Sorcerer's Apprentice

School Concert 2013-14

Two extremely popular works are the focal point of the second Young People’s Concert, which is geared towards the second through fourth grade school classes: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas and Bolero by Maurice Ravel.

An important aspect of the entire project again involved comprehensive preparation on the part of teachers and students. On February 18, teachers were provided with instructional material at a teacher training. A total of twenty school classes enjoyed participating in music workshops with the Wiener Symphoniker. In them, students played music with members of the orchestra and had the opportunity to get to know the musicians personally.

The concert lasted for an hour. Christoph Matl led them through the programme, taking on the role of the sorcerer in the first half. He told the story, engaged in rivalry with the conductor, Johannes Wildner, and finally conjured up audience participation in the matter. As the orchestra played the entire piece, young dancers portrayed the sorcerer in a very lively way.

In the second half, Christoph Matl morphed into a fiery Spanish dance instructor. Maurice Ravel’s Bolero served as an explosive “encore” to the programme. They set up a complex, participatory series of movements in advance. Specific classes in the audience danced to Bolero during passages featuring particular instruments, all of it choreographed. When the full orchestra played at the end, the entire hall danced to the music. And so the concert ended with a musical “symbiosis” involving everyone present.

Here is a small sampling of feedback from teachers:

“The concert was fantastic, really well organised; I also thought the actor was very good and particularly helpful in Bolero. The orchestra and conductor were very impressive, and people noticed that the children were the most important of all. Bravo!”

“Thank you for the impressive concert experience that we enjoyed today. After the super preparatory workshop, it was a vivid, very intensive, child-oriented way for the children to be able to experience the music with all their senses.  During follow-up discussion, the response was positive and convincing. Whenever the children hear this music in the future, they will surely connect it with happy memories.”

“The Wiener Symphoniker concert was truly a very special experience for the children, teachers and parents, and we will all remember it fondly! The Wiener Symphoniker and all who helped out, both large and small, have established the basis on which the next generation will understand classical music, will know that it is to be experienced and appreciated!”

 

Film - "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice"

7 April 2014
Wiener Musikverein, Great Hall

Johannes Wildner conductor
Christoph Matl presenter
Luis Widmoser, Zauberlehrling
Wiener Symphoniker

Alexia, Blerina, Dzhenet, Enes, Laura, Sascha, Shyrete, Tiberiu dancers

Katrin Blantar, Juliett Zuza (Verein supersoulme) choreography
Bettina Büttner-Krammer conzept/producer

More videos

Making-Of zum "Der Zauberlehring"
Die Workshops zum Projekt

Even more videos on Youtube >>> Playlist Young Symphony