From Sibelius to kangaroos

Friday 1.9.2010 
Tampere Philharmony
Hannu Lintu, conductor
Alban Gerhardt, cello
Strauss: Don Juan
Unsuk Chin: Cello Concerto (Finnish premier)
Sibelius: Lemminkäinen, Four Legends


It was something like Monday or Tuesday when Elli asked if she can come to the concert this week. She was really looking forward to it. And she was so nice. It takes few minutes for her to get used to the rules: no whispering, no turning around etc.

Unsuk Chin's Cello Concerto was strange. I think Alban Gerhard forgot his solopart at some point. He stopped playing and maybe as an excuse tuned his cello. Then the conductor Lintu turned and said to the audience: "We will continue from bar number 41." So even if the reason was he really had to retune his cello, that was a bit embassasing. And Elli was amazed what happened. After Lintu had said his comment, the audience laughed. And for those few seconds the concert hall wasn't that formal place it usually is. And after that a 5-year-old should understand that the silence in the audience is back. I had to whisper her what just happened, why suddenly it was ok to laugh.

And again after the first part of the concert she had possibility to go home. She wanted to stay. I think Sibelius was maybe the most interesting piece for her too. She really listened to the music. When she was sitting on my lap, she was pressing her legs next to mine in the rythm. Not the metrical rythm, but all the accents, for example in the 3rd movement of Cello concerto. So she got some kind of connection even with a modern music like that.

During the third movement of Sibelius Elli got totally tired. She whispered if we can go home and when does the concert end. I don't think she enjoyed much the concert after that. But she sat at my lap and was totally quiet. I even thought that she was asleep. It felt great to hold her, my little girl.

It is a big problem at child's point of wiev that the concerts are so late. She usually goes to bed at 8 pm and the concert ends at 9 pm or after that. And after taking two buses we are home at 10 pm.


Today Elli had another concert. We were at the free children's concert. Kengurumeininki was playing and Elli was jumping around, playing fish and kangaroo with other children. I looked at her when she was dancing and having good time. She was so happy. That is what children need, freedom to move and scream. For some reason Elli askes to go to the "adults concerts". I'm really happy that I can give her the possibility to experience music in many ways.