Action-packed weekend, Part I
This weekend, Daisy attended her first symphony-- a rehearsal of the Santa Rosa symphony orchestra, performing three pieces from Gayane, by Khachaturian. We had listened to some of it before, to get ready and so that some of the music would be familiar to Daisy. The famous "Sabre Dance" from Gayane is a piece everyone's heard and that can't help being exciting for anyone to hear, including a two-year-old. On the day of the symphony (yesterday), Daisy did not take a nap, and part of the problem was that the symphony was at 2, when she'd ordinarily be getting ready for her nap. Also, she'd only had 9 hours of sleep the night before. Nevertheless, we were happy with Daisy's first symphony experience (Gommy, Gompy, and I). She sat on Gommy's lap and focused on the conductor, who was a particularly dynamic, exciting one to watch. She was tired, but good. The only problem was that she wanted to ask questions throughout and she isn't particularly good at whispering. So we only stayed for the Khachaturian pieces (there was also a cello concerto, and then some Prokofiev after intermission) and went home after that. Well, actually, Daisy got to touch some of the instruments on display in the lobby on our way out; she plucked a cello, and was especially taken with the French horn. I can definitely imagine doing this again, and I know it will get easier as she gets older. I also really want to take her to dance performances, because she seems particularly taken with dance right now.
It was a very nice day. Gommy had packed a great picnic lunch for us and we ate it on a picnic blanket outside the recital hall before the performance. It made me realize that I miss going to things like this. Even though "Sabre Dance" is a piece I've heard a million times, and in very trite and commercial contexts, it seemed entirely different being played live, in front of me, with all the energy and dynamism of a live performance. It was also fun to hear the conductor giving critiques to the players and seeing how they modified the performance.
Daisy had lots more fun outside at Gommy and Gompy's house, playing in her wading pool and going to the playground. I have never seen her so tired as she was that night when she went to bed... unless it was THIS evening when she went to bed. I have some pictures and video of Daisy and Gommy dancing in the kitchen to "The Blue Danube Waltz," which I will upload when I get a chance.
It was a very nice day. Gommy had packed a great picnic lunch for us and we ate it on a picnic blanket outside the recital hall before the performance. It made me realize that I miss going to things like this. Even though "Sabre Dance" is a piece I've heard a million times, and in very trite and commercial contexts, it seemed entirely different being played live, in front of me, with all the energy and dynamism of a live performance. It was also fun to hear the conductor giving critiques to the players and seeing how they modified the performance.
Daisy had lots more fun outside at Gommy and Gompy's house, playing in her wading pool and going to the playground. I have never seen her so tired as she was that night when she went to bed... unless it was THIS evening when she went to bed. I have some pictures and video of Daisy and Gommy dancing in the kitchen to "The Blue Danube Waltz," which I will upload when I get a chance.
posted by Sarah Goss at 9:45 PM
2 Comments:
It was a lovely weekend. I loved every minute of it! Daisy now has quite a lot of classical music pieces that she knows and she knows who the composers are, too. While she is particularly fond of Russian composers (Tsaikovsky, Moussorgsky, Khachaturian), she likes Bach, too! As the mole sisters would say, "All good stuff!" M.B. (Proud Gommy)
So, seeing as it's getting to be summer you have the benefit of things like Stern Grove and (if they still do it) the free stuff in the park at the amphitheater. These might be perfect since being that they are outside and informal Daisy needing to talk and ask questions won't be bothersome. I know the ballet always does a day at Stern Grove (though you need to get there super early) and the Opera always does a performance in GG Park later in the summer.
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