Gabriel Weber
Staff Writer
If family is the foundation of happiness, according to author Jean de Brunhoff, Sunday’s matinee offers bricks to expand upon that base.
The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra will illustrate The Story of Babar through Francis Poulenc’s score at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Amphitheater for a family-friendly matinee, under the baton of Music Director and Principal Symphonic Conductor Rossen Milanov.
While Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville (Overture)” — which opens Sunday’s concert — is recognizable and might provide a sense of “comfort and familiarity” to children, CSO Concertmaster Sharon Roffman said, Poulenc’s The Story of Babar “just describes orally what’s happening in the story.”
Rossini’s most widely known piece, “The Barber of Seville (Overture)” was originally mocked at its premiere — the majority of the audience reportedly supported Rossini’s rivals — but received critical acclaim by the second.
Brunhoff illustrated The Story of Babar after his wife, Cécile, made up a bedtime story for their two sons, and they wished to see it come to life. Similarly, Poulenc originally improvised The Story of Babar when spending time with the granddaughter of one of his cousins.
“It’s an awesome piece where the music really illustrates the text,” Roffman said. “For instance, in the beginning, the text is talking about the mom of Babar rocking him to sleep with her trunk, and the music is soothing and rocking. Instead of having pictures in a book, the music becomes the picture.”
Jean de Brunhoff’s The Story of Babar, written in 1931, details how a young elephant escapes the jungle after his mother was killed by a hunter and heads to the city where he befriends the kindly Old Lady. For the conclusion of the tale, Babar returns home to be crowned King of the Elephants.
The Story of Babar has stood the test of time with a daring main character and theme rooted in resilience while acknowledging the pull between tradition and modernity. The story emphasizes the transformative power of positive relationships and ultimately encourages embracing innovation.
“Change can be scary, but it brings growth,” wrote Brunhoff.
With this season being Roffman’s first official season as concertmaster, she feels the impact of living in a place that cultivates those kinds of worthwhile connections. For example, after reading all of Michael I. Rudell Artistic Director of Literary Arts Kwame Alexander’s books, Roffman “was so inspired by him” that she asked if he would be interested in a workshop together and was “really excited” to find he adheres to a philosophy of saying yes; their workshop takes place on July 30.
“I love the fact that there are so many interesting people here; it’s just like walking down the street is really inspiring when you run into people that you want to learn from,” Roffman said.
