Mozart Travels to Prague

School Concert 2014-15

“Let the devil take travelling! ... once complained Mozart’s mother after a long coach journey – for in Mozart’s day travelling was not as quick and comfortable as today ...

In the Wiener Symphoniker’s second school concert of the 2014-2015 season, the orchestra and audience undertook a musical journey through time to Prague in 1787. It began with the audience setting off in an imaginary coach on the long road from Vienna to Prague – luckily there were a few instruments in the luggage and musicians on board to shorten the journey! On arriving in Prague, the audience were met by a celebration in honour of Mozart: the orchestra – and of course the maestro himself – came onto the stage and played extracts from The Marriage of Figaro, the opera which, at the time, the people of Prague loved more than any other. The young audience then experienced something special: the “premiere” of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Prague Symphony!

The children were encouraged to get involved: they sang and danced; during the Prague Symphony there were opportunities to participate. And both the orchestra and the audience came in costume – a concert experience for all the senses! The students and teachers prepared for the concert in music workshops with the Wiener Symphoniker and with a comprehensive range of teaching materials.

 “What can you say about this concert? It was SENSATIONAL! It would be impossible to do any better, both from a musical and an educational perspective. There were repeated opportunities get moving, which was important, but the children were also required to listen... simply amazing!”

“The children thought it was great that the musicians were among the audience! It was also a lot of fun for them to sing together. Giving the children two small tasks in the first movement of the Prague Symphony was an excellent idea: the 10 minutes were not too long for the children! The idea of granting the children the freedom to conduct, make music or move quietly was particularly delightful. [...] Lilian Genn demonstrated her incredible pedagogical experience by skilfully guiding the children through the concert in a manner that was not childish but rather engaging and musically interesting for the children... The entire preparation for the concert, including teaching, notes and CD, was, just like last year, amazing!...

Immediately after the concert, the children asked “What? Is the concert already over? When are we coming again? Can I come with my parents?”

“You can see what an unbelievably important contribution you are making to cultural education. Many of our children would never have come to an orchestral concert in the Musikverein any other way. And for that I would like to like to say thank you!”

Mozart reist nach Prag (c) Martina Draper
Musikverein Wien, 2015

Mozart reist nach Prag

Das erfolgreiche Schulkonzert jetzt in voller Länge!

Schulkonzert

Der Zauberlehrling

Karneval der Tiere (c) Martina Draper
School Concert 2015-16

The Carnival of the Animals

Camille Saint-Saëns’ famous classic took us on an exciting safari in the Schönbrunn Zoo.