Passwort:Klassik!…music for the Young
For many years already the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is driving an educational project with this code-name throughout Vienna’s schools. With decades of experience on her back Hanne Muthspiel is the centre-person of this series, and she prepares every single topic of actual repertoire for the kids. The Respighi-project of April-may 2024 was a stunning exemple of what joint forces of passionate musicians can do to the world of young amateurs of all levels. 3 different schools took a scheduled Vienna Phil concert as a teaser to deal with Ottorino Respighi’s famous orchestra-fantasy ‚Il Trittico‘. There qwere playing, dancing, singing, acting and painting sections stimulated by the Respighi-piece. And of course there was playing by the Vienna Phil Members and playing all together…unforgettable moments!
Arranging Respighi’s Trittico…
Fontane di Roma, Pini di Roma, and of course Feste Romanae were all inspiration for a versatile pasticcio performed by some 80 school-kids at Ella Lingens Gymnasium. For Ehrenfellner as the musical director of this project it turned out quite a challenge to arrange this complex and rich music for ensembles of various instruments and of even more various skills. To choose the right sections for each group and to foster the core of Respighi’s original idea was a challenge, and then the work of reducing one of the biggest late-romantic scores we have in hands, and shrink sections into playable pieces for the youngsters…all experience of a nature composer was needed for that. But the happiness of so many kids when actually playing and performing a version of ‚Catacombae‘ paid all the effort!
working with the Vienna Phil…
Passionate musicians among each other enjoy working together, and be it for the kids, no difference…that was so present in our Respighi-Project. It made me so happy, as it shows that among the musicians of this famous Orchestra there are quite a few charcters with their feet still on the ground. How fast they are in understanding the essence of a plot, how supportive and generous with colleagues not from their brand – like me. Together we made it an unforgettable morning of music, encounter, Respighi and a booster of art&life in general for our youngsters. That’s what a musician’s life is all about – to share the moment of music with the people entrusted to us. I am proud and happy to have succeeded with this goal under circumstances which were not cheap success for me as the musical master-mind and conductor.
