CONCERT PROGRAMME
F. Poulenc’s “The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant” for narrator and piano (text by Jean de Brunhoff, music by Francis Poulenc, orchestration by Jean Francaix, translation and adaptation for piano and orchestra by Gintaras Januševičius)
L. Anderson. “Syncopated Clock“, “The Waltzing Cat” and “The Typewriter“
Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, pianist Gintaras Januševičius and conductor Egidijus Kaveckas invite children to spend a lively and intriguing afternoon with the legendary French children's hero Babar the elephant. The story of Francis Poulenc's (1899-1963) composition about Babar the Elephant began when one summer the composer stayed with his little cousins in a villa in Brive-la-Gaillarde. After a while, the children got so bored of his piano playing that they suggested a game: they brought in the book “The Story of Babar the Elephant” by Jean de Brunhoff, which was very popular at the time and much loved by the children, and they asked Poulenc to tell them about the adventures of Babar the Elephant... on the piano! The composer began to improvise freely on the situations described in the book, and later, recalling his own memories, he composed a musical composition with the same title.
The story is about Babar, a young African elephant whose mother is killed by a trophy hunter. Terrified, Babar escapes from the jungle to the big city, where he befriends an old lady who buys the elephant some clothes and hires a teacher. But Babar's friends find him and invite him back to the jungle. Here, the elephant king dies after eating a poisonous mushroom. Babar is offered the crown, because he has lived among men and gained much wisdom...
On this afternoon, the story of Babar the Elephant will be narrated and performed on the piano by pianist Gintaras Januševičius. G. Januševičius studied at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and later continued his studies in Germany with professors Vladimir Krainev and Bernd Goetzke. The Hanover-based pianist has been performing all over the world since 2004 and is considered one of the pioneers of the narrative concert in Lithuania. He also devotes a lot of time to educational activities – in 2017 he founded the largest piano academy in the Baltic States, “Klaipėda Piano Masters”, and since 2021 has been hosting music shows on “LRT Klasika”.
After Babar the Elephant's adventures, we will also invite you to hear short and charming compositions “The Syncopated Clock“, “The Waltzing Cat“ and “The Typewriter“ for symphony orchestra by the American composer Leroy Anderson (1908-1975).
The concert is recommended for children aged 4-10.