Production Music

The following Music Samples are for the working draft of our new Kinderballet Production.  Composed by Zbigniew Preisner ( a modern day Polish composer who writes mostly for movies) for the motion picture The Secret Garden, this music will help describe the simple beauty of nature from whic Beatrix Potter drew inspiration.  It will set scene for the tableaus which will show Beatrix Potter creating and sharing her stories.

02 Leaving the Docks This music is sad and quiet and could be a pensive mood for when Beatrix is alone writing letters. (length 1:29)

04 First Time Outside Not a first choice for the joyous tableaus we have in mind, but somewhat hopeful and sweet.  It paints a picture that describes the simple everyday from which Ms. Potter imagined such magic.  (length 1:25)

05 Skipping Rope  Light and very rhythmic with delicately placed layers.  Could be children playing, jumping rope… only 0:54

07 Walking Through the Garden (length 1:53) This is one of four options that includes children’s voices.  I rather imagined this as an opening as it gently builds, but not too much– rather like peeking through a key hole and being drawn in through the door.

08 Mary and Robin Together (length 0:50) This is one of the pieces with a distinct bird-like theme.  I thought it could connect with another piece that showed a garden or picnic scene.

10 Awakening of Spring (length 1:49) This continues the main theme with children’s voices.  Has some bird like flute tones at the end.  This is one of my top picks.

12 Taking Colin to the Garden (1:12) This is very upbeat and bright.  I hesitate with a portion that is almost too modern in its orchestration.  It also has definite bird tones at the end, a nice repetition of a deliberate nature theme. 

13 Colin Opens His Eyes (2:00) This begins a little slower but also has the children’s voices, a little more pronounced as a solo, suggesting Beatrix by herself as opposed to being with other children.  Another must have!

15 Colin Loves Mary (0:55) Very sweet, opening with a violin solo.  This has a sweet melody that seems to be repeated with a music box or celesta sound.  I thought this might do for a bed time scene as a music box could play as children went to sleep.  (Music box portion could repeat.)

16 Craven’s Return (2:17) The beginning is very scary, and initially I ruled it out immediately.  However, it so deliciously and dramatically expresses a scary storm at night that I thought this could be interesting as part of the bedtime scene.  What if a storm awoke and frightened the children, and Beatrix tells them a story to help them fall back asleep?

19 Colin Senses Craven (1:33) This also begins with way too much drama and tragedy.  However part way into the music our main theme with a child’s voice is repeated.  It is the second half that could perhaps combine with the initial storm measures of band 16 and the sweet music box of band 15 for the bed time scene.

20 Happily Ever After (2:25) This is a finale if ever I heard one, at least for our purposes.  The beginning is Beatrix, perhaps as an aging and frail lady surrounded slowly by her characters as the music builds to a finish.