A multimedia show that also can be a Music Ecosystem: Encouraging multiple forms of literacy while having fun
One of the rare handful of concert works that succeeds with a general audience of all ages — young and old alike — and all levels of sophistication
The innovative design also makes The Travels of Babar uniquely useful for education — in promoting multiple forms of literacy, at multiple age levels
Link to view the 2017 Berliner Philharmoniker’s program book for The Travels of Babar (in German) The Berliner Philharmoniker presented the original 8-musician version of the complete Travels of Babar in the world premiere of the new full production at the Philharmonie in Berlin
Link to view the 2019 National Symphony Orchestra’s program book for the new version for orchestra of Babar’s Return to the Land of the Elephants from The Travels of Babar at the John F Kennedy Center for the Arts, Washington, D.C.
The Metropolitan Opera Guild interviews Raphael Mostel about The Travels of Babar:
“All these elements can work separately…but together, the production is much greater than the sum of its parts…
“All the building blocks for musical literacy are here…a work people can lose themselves in and grasp intuitively. The more kids — and adults — listen, the more they will be able to understand all other music too”
Above is the cover page of the 80-page Guide created for the collaboration of the education programs of the Metropolitan Opera Guild and the New York City Opera when they brought 8,000 students to performances of the earlier version of the full production — as an introduction both to music and to music-theater. Full guide here
Raphael Mostel’s Travels of Babar remains the one and only collaboration ever between the Metropolitan Opera Guild and the New York City Opera
The Director of the Metropolitan Opera Guild at the time, David Dik, currently advocates for the unusually productive usefulness of The Travels of Babar for education as National Executive Director of Young Audiences Arts of Learning
The Travels of Babar was adopted into the repertory of the New York City Opera as one of the cycle of four annual productions that constituted their education program: “Opera Is Elementary” , the innovative repertory/educational cycle “Opera Is Elementary” created by Paul L King, the director of New York City Opera Education. The Travels of Babar was the only production of the 4-year cycle that used narration rather than singing. The “Opera Is Elementary” program was cut short when the New York City Opera itself went out of business. Paul L King is currently (as of 2019) Executive Director of the Office of Arts & Special Projects, Division of Teaching & Learning, New York City Department of Education
THUMBNAIL SYLLABUS • Musical Resources in Brief
THE TRAVELS OF BABAR: An Adventure in Scales
A musical voyage by Raphael Mostel with Jean de Brunhoff’s classic picture-book
Scene Music technique
1 Introduction Credits + instruments demonstrated (octet version only)
2 Fanfare Circle of fifths
3 Balloon Rising C-major (“white-note”) scales, ascending / heterophony
4 In the Balloon Stacked fifths / transposition
5 Storm Chromatic scales / dissonance
6 Falling to Earth Descending scale/ heterophony
7 On Land / Seeking Shelter Major scales / modulation
8 Splendid Rice Soup Two-part counterpoint, brass
9 Celeste’s Lullaby Inverse motion
Celeste’s Dream Sequence
10 Fugue of the Tiptoeing Cannibals 12-tone fugue
11 Celeste in Bondage 12-tone-row over ostinato
12 Celeste Unbound Mirror of 12-tone-row
End of Celeste’s Dream Sequence
13 Appearance of Whale Glissando
14 Riding the Whale Conjunct melody
15 Disappearance of Whale Glissando / arpeggio
16 Celeste Weeping Inversions over pedal-point
17 Attracting Attention Iterated unisons
18 Approaching the Big Ship Pyramid on iterations
19 Ship Arrives in Harbor ‘Tapestry’ / iterations
20 Down the Gangway Descending scales
21 Smash Everything! (Babar Loses His Marbles) Non-metrical percussion
22 Let’s Be Good Leading tones
23 Fernando and the Captain 1 Enharmonic relations
24 Fernando and the Captain 2 Enharmonic relations + bitonality
25 Nasty Prank Travesty of Bach
26 Worried and Furious Instrumental dialogue over harmony
27 Fernando’s Circus Disjunct vs. conjunct melody
28 Night-Escape 4-tone arpeggios / whole-tone scale
29 Waking Up the Old Lady as above, with viola solo
30 Overjoyed! Circle of fifths
31 Breakfast in Bed Two-part counterpoint, woodwinds
32 Stop! Thief! Intervals and inversions
33 In the Car with the Old Lady Variation of #4
34 Skiing Opposing bitonal scales
35 The Great Forest (Where the Birds Are Always Singing) modal melody over obbligato + birdwhistles & rainsticks
36 Destroyed Landscape Open fifths / inverse motion
37 Bad News! False relations
38 At the Hospital Canon / chaconne
39 Camp of the Rhinoceroses All twelve melodic minor scales
40 Camp of the Elephants Non-intentional counterpoint
41 Monsters! Harmonics
42 Rhinoceros Stampede Clusters / chromatics
43 Victory! All twelve major scales
44 Royal Ceremony Ascending scales over pedal-point
45 Finale: Wisely and Happy Rising-scale variations + viola solo
46 The End Triumphant C Major
© Raphael Mostel / Mostel.com