Musical performance for children “The Princess and the Three Magic Riddles”

Among the many renowned fairy tales by the great Danish master Hans Christian Andersen, there is a lesser-known one – “The Princess and the Three Magic Riddles”. We have chosen this fairy tale as the foundation for the next Early Music Festival performance for our young audience and, of course, for the whole family. It will feature a vivid cast of characters: a young boy, Hannes, whose good heart and good deeds will help him pursue a dream. The beautiful Princess, who is cursed by evil forces, and therefore all the suitors, without solving the Princess’s riddles, are turned into animals. A big part in the story will belong to a fellow traveller, whose sage advice will be of great help to Hannes. The Devil and the Witch will colour the performance. In their bizarre castle, the Princess will not only learn what riddles to make Hannes solve, but also treat herself to a cup of coffee. It will be the right time to hear a small fragment of Johann Sebastian Bach's famous “Coffee Cantata”. And right in the Devil and the Witch's place, listeners will be delighted by a musical surprise. The performance will also feature numerous lively performances by dancers and young singers. As always, the participants will be dressed in gorgeous costumes, and there will be workshops before the concert. And finally, the main means of expression will undoubtedly be music, that of the greats of the past – this time the German master Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries, as well as a few pages of German folk music. 

Before the concert, starting from 11.30 a.m., children are invited to join the creative workshops in the courtyard of the palace, where they will have a chance to craft their own unique and colourful windcatchers under the artists' guidance.

A visit to the Rundāle Palace garden is included in the price of the concert ticket.
A ticket is required for children from 1 year of age.
Entrance to Rundāle Palace Garden one hour before the concert.
No umbrellas allowed.

Programme

Concert performance for children “The Princess and the Three Magic Riddles” (based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen)

Participants

Princess – Jolanta Strikaite
Poor Hannes – Mārtiņš Zvīgulis
The Fellow Traveller – Gundars Grasbergs
The Gravedigger, the Devil – Markus Riva
Fairy of the Night, the Witch – Evija Martinsone
Mārtiņš Miļevskis – the Old King, percussion, ukulele
Pēteris Vaickovskis, harpsichord
Raimonds Melderis, baroque violin
Ainārs Paukšēns, viola da gamba
Ieva Nīmane, period wind instruments