Join the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra for a free, open rehearsal with guest artist, Adam Tendler, on March 19th from 4 to 5 p.m. The rehearsal will take place at the First Church in Barre, Universalist, at 19 Church Street, Barre, Vermont 05641-0764.

“Watch how the orchestra and soloist collaborate in preparation of music by J. S. Bach and Henryk Gorecki,” says Music Director, Anne Decker. Also featured are the children's pieces in the Mother Goose Suite by French composer, Maurice Ravel. Tendler and Decker will play excerpts from the original two piano suite in conjunction with full orchestra transcription.

Ravel originally wrote Ma mère l'Oye as a piano duet for the Godebski children, Mimi and Jean, ages 6 and 7. Ravel dedicated this work for four hands to the children (just as he had dedicated an earlier work, Sonatine, to their parents). The five "pieces" were as follows:
I. Pavane of Sleeping Beauty
II. Little Tom Thumb / Hop o' My Thumb
III. Little Ugly Girl, Empress of the Pagodas
IV. Conversation of Beauty and the Beast
V. The Fairy Garden
Sleeping Beauty and Little Tom Thumb were based on the tales of Charles Perrault, while Little Ugly Girl, Empress of the Pagodas was inspired by a tale (The Green Serpent) by Perrault's "rival" Madame d'Aulnoy. In this movement, Ravel takes advantage of the pentatonic scale. Beauty and the Beast is based upon the version of Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont. The origin of The Fairy Garden is not entirely known, although the ballet version interprets this as Sleeping Beauty being awakened in the garden by her prince.

Jan 12, 2025, 3 to 4:30 PM

Jan 12, 2025, 3 to 4:30 PM

Jan 18, 2025, 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM