Ear Training

One of our favorite things to listen to, as I have said, is Handel's Messiah. It is a work which both of the boys are quite familiar with, and can recognize, even when hearing just a small part of it. (No, I haven't been testing them, they just perk up when they hear it; Joel says, "is this the Messiah?" or, "what is this?") Well, the other night on "Adventures in Music" the theme was "Spring is Here" and the first piece of music featured was Vivaldi's "Primavera" or "Spring" from his very familiar "The Four Seasons". Now, I am not a fan of "Spring". It is just so very violiny and ... baroque. So I took a deep breath and braced myself as the music started. The boys did no such thing. They started swinging back and forth in their chairs (we were eating dinner), and waving their arms! "Well," I thought, "this makes it more enjoyable!" Just a few bars into the piece, Joel said to me, "Mama, is this the Messiah?" At first I was a little puzzled by his question. THIS the Messiah? Ugh. But then I realized the similarity, and I think it's what made him put the two works together. They are both so baroque; I don't know another word for it. The baroque patterns are so easy to recognize, and I think that Joel is recognizing those baroque patterns!