BBC initiative

[Peter]

Nope....not that either...it's fiction writing that I seem to be good at.

Oh you're not going to write another Beethoven biography are you?!

[Peter]

Going back to the topic, as there are many countries represented here on this forum I'm curious: how common is it that there are no mandatory art classes in public schools? By art I mean both music and visual arts. I went to a very ordinary public school in Northern Europe and from first class onwards, aged 7, we had mandatory music and visual arts classes every week up until the 8th grade, when one could choose either one (or both) as a voluntary subject - all this for free of charge.

I'm quite upset about the unequal status some children are suffering inside EU even, shows what kind of bottle I have been living inside in...really, had no idea.

From my experience I can say that even though only a few pupils really take sth out from for example the education we received about classical music, at least all of them can say they went to the theatre/opera/ballet/art gallery even once, thanks to the field trips. Everybody should have that opportunity - art belongs to everyone!

In the UK the situation isn't good which is why rather surprisingly the BBC have come up with this welcome idea. Politicians here have never valued the arts in the same way as other subjects. It goes beyond that though deep into our culture - most children in the past for example who were 'taught' Shakespeare ended up with a lifelong loathing of him - few would be able to name our national composers such as Elgar. When it comes to art I doubt many have heard of our greatest painter, Turner. I can't imagine a child in Italy being ignorant of who Verdi was or a Finn not being proud of Sibelius!

[Peter]

The BBC have chosen ten pieces they think every child should hear - I'm not sure about the selection, but I suppose it's a start!

John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 (1st movement)
Britten: 'Storm' Interlude from 'Peter Grimes'
Grieg: In the Hall of the Mountain King from 'Peer Gynt'
Handel: Zadok the Priest
Holst: Mars from 'The Planets'
Anna Meredith: Connect It
Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 4 (3rd movement)
Mussorgsky: A Night on the Bare Mountain
Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite (1911) (Finale)

[AeolianHarp]

In the UK the situation isn't good which is why rather surprisingly the BBC have come up with this welcome idea. Politicians here have never valued the arts in the same way as other subjects. It goes beyond that though deep into our culture - most children in the past for example who were 'taught' Shakespeare ended up with a lifelong loathing of him - few would be able to name our national composers such as Elgar. When it comes to art I doubt many have heard of our greatest painter, Turner. I can't imagine a child in Italy being ignorant of who Verdi was or a Finn not being proud of Sibelius!

Well they do know who One Direction are.

Stay in thy council house and listen to crap hop, clone boys and love thy ignorance.

[AeolianHarp]

The BBC have chosen ten pieces they think every child should hear - I'm not sure about the selection, but I suppose it's a start!

John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 (1st movement)
Britten: 'Storm' Interlude from 'Peter Grimes'
Grieg: In the Hall of the Mountain King from 'Peer Gynt'
Handel: Zadok the Priest
Holst: Mars from 'The Planets'
Anna Meredith: Connect It
Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 4 (3rd movement)
Mussorgsky: A Night on the Bare Mountain
Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite (1911) (Finale)

I would keep Holst and our Maestro and choose different composers/pieces than those.

What would you choose Peter?

[Peter]

Well how about (no particular order):

Mozart: Overture to the Magic flute
Wagner: Prelude to Lohengrin act 3.
Handel:Samson - Awake the trumpets lofty sound, let their celestial concerts all unite
Bach: Orchestral suite no.3 overture or Brandenburg concerto no.3/3rd movt or at least something!!
Beethoven 7th symphony - 4th movt
Liszt - 'La Campanella'
Haydn: 'The heavens are telling' from the Creation
Verdi: Triumphal march from Aida
Mendelssohn: Italian symphony (1st movt)
Holst: 'Jupiter' from the Planets not Mars which would frighten the life out of a sensitive kid!

Tomorrow I'd probably select a completely different list, but I think it's a bit more inspirational than what's on offer!

[AeolianHarp]

Well how about (no particular order):

Mozart: Overture to the Magic flute
Wagner: Prelude to Lohengrin act 3.
Handel:Samson - Awake the trumpets lofty sound, let their celestial concerts all unite
Bach: Orchestral suite no.3 overture or Brandenburg concerto no.3/3rd movt or at least something!!
Beethoven 7th symphony - 4th movt
Liszt - 'La Campanella'
Haydn: 'The heavens are telling' from the Creation
Verdi: Triumphal march from Aida
Mendelssohn: Italian symphony (1st movt)
Holst: 'Jupiter' from the Planets not Mars which would frighten the life out of a sensitive kid!

Tomorrow I'd probably select a completely different list, but I think it's a bit more inspirational than what's on offer!

I was just thinking of my list ( soon to come....) and good job you reminded me of the age of the children lol....Yes Magic Flute is perfect! They might also like The Flight of the Bumblebees- they could do a dance to that and make bee wings!

[Peter]

Some others for children:

Saint-Saens - Carnival of the animals
Prokofiev - Peter and the Wolf
Leopold Mozart - Toy symphony

And how about showing them Fantasia?

[Fredrika]

Peter, you're right about Finns and Sibelius - it didn't even occur to me it might be one reason why we have it differently. We are a small country and if somebody has ever done something internationally regarded as valuable, next 10 generations will be assured to know about it

My list is composed of the stuff we were influenced by in school:

1) Beethoven - Ode to Joy

Kids need to know the national anthem of the European Union.

2) Mozart - Da bravi via ballate aka the minuet from Don Giovanni

We actually sang it with Finnish lyrics that have to do with spring so the whole school (classes 1-6) "performed it" at the end of the spring term (was a bit funny when I found out the original context)

3) Edward Grieg - Morning Mood & In the Hall of the Mountain King (from Peer Gynt)

Even the tough guys loved the mountain king finale!

4) Händel - Hallelujah chorus from the Messiah

Because this is THE piece to know from Händel. It was also in the Simpsons -hence, common knowledge.

5) Bach - minuet in G

We had xylophones to bang to this one. Great fun!

6) Edward Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance

7) Khachaturian - The Sabre Dance

8) Rimsky-Korsakov - Flight of the Bumblebee

9) Tchaikovsky - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (and other parts of The Nutcracker)

10) Sibelius - Finlandia OR the important piece for your country

The trick is to have short, catchy tunes. Like in pop music but much better! Combined together with physical education -> a guarantee for lively memories

[Albert Gans]

Yes, as I looked at the list, I was quite shocked Bach would not be there. And why, of all things, a Horn Concerto from Mozart?
Something really old, renaissance, would also have been nice. Praetorius, for example. Purcell...
In short, 10 pieces are not enough, I suppose.
But to leave out Bach to me is a major omission. Ann who? If one wants to bring in female composer, why not some Clara Schumann, or indeed Hildegard von Bingen?

[AeolianHarp]

Oh you're not going to write another Beethoven biography are you?!

I said FICTION!

Who do you think I am- Suchet no 2?

Though I have written one small piece of fiction with the Maestro in it. And the Pastoral Poems too.

http://edwardianpiano.wordpress.com/...hemed-fiction/

[AeolianHarp]

If one wants to bring in female composer, why not some Clara Schumann, or indeed Hildegard von Bingen?

Why is Clara always forgotten about?! She is so good.

[Fredrika]

Yes, as I looked at the list, I was quite shocked Bach would not be there. And why, of all things, a Horn Concerto from Mozart?
Something really old, renaissance, would also have been nice. Praetorius, for example. Purcell...
In short, 10 pieces are not enough, I suppose.
But to leave out Bach to me is a major omission. Ann who? If one wants to bring in female composer, why not some Clara Schumann, or indeed Hildegard von Bingen?

Yes no Bach is just unforgivable. I didn't know this Ann either, and didn't bother to google...maybe she's a Brit and that's why she's there? Hildegard von Bingen is a great idea.

I forgot Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner from my list. When we were played that it was so funny because many knew the tune from the Bugs Bunny cartoon For the younger kids it's not so much about the history or whether it was written by a man or a woman but if it's a catchy tune, it will form a seed in them that may later grow into sth bigger.

Ok if there is ONE tune that should be chosen from Mozart I think it's the beginning of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. It's common knowledge and it's in Amadeus! (maybe that film could be watched with the older kids too)