The Cricket was animated in 1978 by the Czech artist Zdeněk Miler (1921-2011), known worldwide thanks to his “Little Mole”. This cricket is a friendly, atypical character. He never goes anywhere without his best friend, his violin, which helps him to overcome all difficulties with its magical, catchy music. Miler creates a childlike universe full of sweetness without words. Music plays a central role in the series, since many of the characters in this forest play instruments. To complement this poetic landscape, a fine composition for an original combination of baroque instruments was written by Etienne Meyer. The musicians play live, in synchronization with the film. Following the screening, the musicians will present their rare instruments to the audience.
Performance schedule
12.6.2024, at 10:30 and at 12:00, Studio Anette, Shvil Hameretz 2, Tel Aviv, Tickets
15.6.2024, at 10:00 and at 12:00, Tikotin museum Haifa, HaNassi Blvd 89, Haifa, Tickets
20.7.2024, at 11:00 Cinematheque Holon,
14.7. 2024, at 16:30, The Mill, Sha'ar Ha'Amakim
18.7. 2024, at 17:00, Beit Tami, Merkaz Ba'alei Melaha 16, Tel Aviv
Sukkot
18.10. 2024, at 11:00, Teo Cultural Center, Herzliya
19.10. 2024, at 11:30, Ralli Museum, Caesarea
Duration: 45 mins, for children 3+
This cinema-concert production was created by Les Traverées Baroques and commissioned by the Opéra of Dijon, France in 2014, Since then it has been performed successfully in theater halls, cultural centers, schools, and kindergartens.
Musicians
Nadav Ovadia - dulcimer
Alma Meir Nir - cornett
Sonia Binenfeld Navot - viola da gamba
Nadav Ovadia performs internationally as a specialist of historical dulcimers and as a percussionist. Nadav is currently pursuing a PhD at the university in Hamburg and Lyon with a focus on rare baroque dulcimers and Jewish musicians of the 18th century. With his rare dulcimers, he presents the musical outcomes of his research in recitals in France, Germany, and Israel. Experienced in concerts for children, Nadav has performed in the original production of The Cricket in France since 2020.
Alma Meir Nir specializes in historical winds and the music of the Renaissance and the Baroque. She graduated from Royal Conservatory of Utrecht. Alma is the sole Israeli musician to play the cornetto- a heavenly sounding wind instrument that is highlighted in this cinema concert. Alma is active as a soloist, music producer, and arranger, and performs concerts internationally. She is a dedicated volunteer who works for the good of animals.
Sonia Binenfeld Navot plays viola da gamba and cello. Sonia had specialized in early music under the direction of Paulo Pandolfo in the famous “Schola Cantorum Basiliensis” in Switzerland. She is a laureate of the scholarships of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, on both of her instruments. Sonia is a highly sought-after player who has been an integral part of the Israeli early music scene from an early age.
The composer Etienne Meyer was born in 1976 in Nancy, France. As an avid fan of silent films, Meyer wrote for The Cricket an original music to be performed on baroque instruments. Meyer uses the rich sound colors of the ancient instruments in a modern musical language. In order to help the musicians to be synchronized with the film, and to eliminate the need for a conductor, Meyer added a subtle soundtrack, to be heard over the speakers, which enriches the music and signals the musicians the time frame of the pictures.
Zdeněk Miler (1921-2011)
„Walt Disney used almost all animals for his cartoons except one. And I chose that one. “
Czech director and illustrator of animated films for children and author of the popular character the Mole.
Zdeněk Miler was born in Kladno and has been drawing since childhood. He graduated from the State Graphic School in Prague and continued to the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design. World War II, however, forced him to interrupt his studies and join Bata Studios in Zlín as an animation artist. After the war, he was able to finish his studies, and then he joined the Barrandov animation studio “Bratři v triku” under the direction of Jiří Trnka, where, among other things, he created a logo of the studio. He worked actively as an animator, scriptwriter, director, and illustrator. During his life, he participated in several films and created illustrations for many children's books. His most famous creation is the Mole character. His popularity was and still is so high that there are around 50 stories about him. Adventures of the Mole are interesting in many ways, for example, apart from the first film (How the Mole Got His Pants), the characters in the tales do not speak, only make sounds. Even the choice of hero has a story. Miler was looking for an animal for the film that had not yet been depicted in Walt Disney's fairy tales, and he was inspired to choose a mole by molehills he tripped over while walking. The artist received many awards during his lifetime. In 2006, Czech President Václav Klaus awarded him the Medal of Merit of the 1st Grade.
