Today's feature is the Teatro Nacional of Costa Rica, which is modeled on a 1 to 4 scale from the Paris (hence the bonjour) Opera House. Yes, the National Theater is 4 times smaller!! That makes me want to go to Paris someday to see the big version! But, the intimate atmosphere of the Teatro Nacional is really nice. I wish I could go into all the detail about the Coffee Elite who called for the building, the architecture and decoration that don't fit the time period in which they were built, the errors in the painting on the ceiling, the angel who is always watching you, and the floor that moves up to be even with the stage. But, Tico Tuesdays are brief. So if you want to find out, you'll just have to come see it for yourself! Check out my blog to find out why I got to go to the Teatro Nacional TWICE this weekend!
http://smithcj1.blogspot.com/ (Sorry about the typo last time!)
Yup, you read right. I got to go to the Teatro Nacional two nights in a row! It was pretty cool. It's so fascinating to go to a place with such a rich history. A couple ticos (Costa Ricans) that I went with had never been before, though they'd learned about it in school. (I had been once as a student to learn about it, once with my Mommy to show her when she came to visit, once for a great piano concert by a guy that was about 17, and once the other week for a concert that Samuel played in).
Friday night Josué played in a concert there. It was really good! I'm pretty sure all the pieces they played were by Costa Rican composers. It was so neat! There was a crazy violin solo piece in which I heard THE highest notes ever played on a violin, and one of the last pieces (if not the last piece) that they played was REALLY good. It was fun to watch because I could tell the musicians were really enjoying it too. And one of the pieces they played had some really unique stuff going on. Some snobby musicians might frown upon it, but the ones that have a real appreciation I think would like it. Example- the pianist was given a drumstick (one of the furry ones-sorry I don't know the technical names) and she had to reach under the lid of the piano and strum the strings of the piano! It was pretty cool. And one percussionist got to scrape his fingernails on the gongs they had (but don't worry it didn't make that dreadful nails on the chalkboard screech-that makes me shudder just writing it!). It made a nifty sound. So, that was Friday night.
Saturday, the decision to go to another concert was completely spontaneous. It was right about 6pm when Josué's friend invited him to go to a concert that started at 7. So, arrangements were quickly made and Diana (who had been hanging out at home with us) and I decided to go along too. The concert took place in the upper foyer area of the Teatro, that would have been used as a reception/mingling area back in the day. It has men's and women's smoking rooms attached to it. And it's the room with the angel on the ceiling that is always looking at you (it's not as creepy as it sounds).
Anyway, we saw a flautist and a guitarist that are either finishing up their masters or recently completed it. They are excellent musicians! The first 2 pieces they played were baroque, so they fixed them up good. The flautist used a wooden flute and the guitarist played in such a way that it sounded like he was mimicking a harpsichord! In my mind I was picturing them playing with tights on and white powdered wigs and big ruffly collars standing in the presence of some snobby lord trying to entertain him. It was so fun! They played a wide variety of other pieces, and a lot of them were Latin American in origin. They did a Debussy piece (or at least part of one) though and it was great!!!! There were other pieces in which they got creative with percussion too- the guitarist tapping and drumming on his guitar, and at one point the flautist picked up his music and was rubbing it to provide percussion. It was SO cool!! So, don't ever let anyone tell you that music is boring!!!!
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