The first concert in the series featured music from Barbie animated movies, while another centered on music from video games. The symphony also scored the 1925 silent film “Phantom of the Opera.” The turnout at each performance rivaled or surpassed the 1,300 who come out on a good night to hear classical programs, Beadle said.
Okay. I’ve done the video game thing. The music was put together in two rehearsals, and could be, for the most part, sightread. I’ve played music for silent films as well. That can be a challenge, and the music we played did require some work. But Barbie?! Oh please, no. I don’t want to play music for a silly doll. I really don’t. (Unless it’s that ballet about the doll—shoot, I can’t even remember what it’s called now!—and even that I can skip forever and I’d be quite fine with that.)
I know orchestras are trying new things, but so many of these new things try my patience.
Hi! The ballet about the doll, at least the famous one, is Coppelia. There are a couple of other “toy shop” ballets – La Boutique Fantasque, The Fairy Doll – but Coppelia’s the biggie.
There’s a lot about the Barbie empire that I hate, but I have to admit I (reluctantly) found the Barbie movies well-executed (in terms of script & music choices)…
Yep … Coppelia it is! My poor brain can’t always recall names of ballets. Go figure.
I’ve not seen the Barbie movies. I have “issues” with Barbie, and certainly have issues with playing music to promote something like that. But I suppose I can be happy (?) about the script and music. Maybe. 🙂
Silly story: when our daugher was young my husband and I agreed we were not buying a Barbie doll for our sweet little girl. Then she saved up her allowance. Of course what she wanted was a Barbie. Dan and I agreed: as much as we didn’t care for Barbie, Kelsey saved for her so she could buy her. (Hmmmm. What if Kelsey had said, “I’ve saved for drugs, mom!”) She and I went to the store … and she chose the African American Barbie. For some reason that made us feel a bit better; I suppose it’s because she wasn’t picking a doll that she thought looked like her. (My problems with Barbie mostly have to do with the very unreal body image. Well, that and the materialistic aspect of her character. Or maybe I’m just jealous because my body sure doesn’t come close to the Barbie body!)