MEIRION BOWEN - Debussy: La boite à joujoux (1913) Performances & Reviews
Spanish premiere October 2001 Seven performances of La boite à joujoux - the first in Spain - were given in Pamplona by the Orquesta Pablo Sarasate conducted by Carlos Dominguez-Nieto. These are special presentations for children and families, with a new Spanish narration by Fernando Palacios. German premiere
Philharmonie, Cologne (children's concert in the Cologne Triennial Festival)
Further information: www.ensemble-contrasts.com
The Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger (3 May) reviewed the performance thus:
[The Cologne Music Triennale also take good care of children …In the Philharmonie, a well attended morning concert on May 1 took place: at this, a performance of Debussy's 'La boite a joujoux', an amusing melodrama presented in a carefully planned new version by Meirion Bowen, was enthusiastically applauded. This 50-minute piece stimulated Oh's! and Ah's! from the audience. Konrad Beikiricher, a favourite with the Cologne public, narrated the work in an appropriate fashion, with gestures and amusing hiccups. The Ensemble Contrasts sounded increasingly lucid as the piece progressed and the conductor Celso Antunes, identifying strongly with the music, was the hero of the occasion. The harp's dance music was found pleasing by many intelligent children here, as were the red shoes of the musical arranger, Mr Bowen - not to mention the chance they had afterwards to try out the instruments in the foyer…]
A puppet version of La boîte à joujoux was premiered on Fenbruary 24, 2002 at the Gasteig in Munich. It was presented by by Concierto München/Münchner PuzzleTheater: the designer was Kerstin Mühl and the conductor Carlos Dominguez-Nieto. Two further performances given at Unterhaching (March 1, 2002) and Eching (March 3, 2002).
USA Premiere Sunday February 25, 2001 Students' Union Ballroom, State University of California Cammellia Symphony Orchestra conducted by Eugene Castillo (2 performances for children, with narrations in English & spanish- Two special presentations of the work for children were given on Sunday February 25 at the Students' Union Ballroom at the State University of California in Sacramento. Taking part are members of the Cammellia Symphony Orchestra conducted by Eugene Castillo. Following the success of their two performances for children last February, the Cammellia Symphony Orchestra scheduled a further performance for February 24, 2002. The conductor again was Eugene Castillo. This time there was no narrator: the story was told through pictures created by local children. |