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"The Runaway Bunny", by Margaret Wise Brown, is one of the most beloved and best-selling children's books of all time. It has been in print for 60 years, and last year alone sold 900,000 copies. It has also been translated into 23 languages, including Japanese, Chinese, and Hebrew."The Runaway Bunny" - a concert piece for Violin, Narrator and Orchestra by Glen Roven - is a classical music adaptation of the book told in the style of "Peter and the Wolf". A narrator tells the story as the solo violin and the orchestra take the audience through the journeys of the wayward bunny. The piece is 20 minutes in duration and the music is contemporary in feel, yet totally accessible.
The piece will be released by SONY/BMG in the Fall of 2006. The piece was performed and recorded in London by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Written expressly for internationally renowned Israeli violinist Ittai Shapira, Mr. Shapira performed the violin solo; Brooke Shields narrated the story.
"Peter and the Wolf" is programmed every year by virtually every orchestra in the world. "The Runaway Bunny" will fill the post Prokofiev-Britten gap in the symphonic repertoire for family audiences. As the star part is written for an actress, virtually any woman who has ever been a mother or had a mother can perform this piece.
Brooke Shields said to composer Glen Roven, "I can't get through reading this book without crying!"
Some links to sites covering the bunny concert at Carnegie Hall.
From ClassicalDomain.com:I know there's Mahler and Stravinsky to cover, and Elliot Carter everywhere (at 100) — but don't get your strollers locked, there's also time for the world premiere of Glen Roven's The Runaway Bunny at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium, Tuesday, April 29th.
It's up there for now, go to ClassicalDomain.com
Also, check out:
NY Magazine Listing.
Article at Composition Today.
Interview with Peter Holden at WJAD about the Runaway Bunny
Check out this great interview that Glen Roven did with Peter Holden from WJAD about the Runaway Bunny.If you'd like to check out other interviews and media, use the navigation on the left to go to the listen page.
Walking On Air Interview, Chicago-WGN 720AM
An interview that Glen Roven did with Chicago Radio show,"Walking on Air":Review by William Zagorski of Fanfare Magazine
William Zagorski reviewed the recent release of "The Runaway Bunny" on Sony/BMG. You can read the complete review by going to www.fanfaremag.com/content/view/24979/10238/ and some of the text follows:What follows may disqualify me as a reviewer of the above. First, I never grew up, and at age 62, I have no intention of doing so. Second, I still occasionally watch an episode Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood solely on the grounds that he likes me just the way I am—one of the most empowering benedictions ever bestowed upon a child of any age. As the father of two grown and quite accomplished daughters who were daily regaled during their formative years by the choicest examples of children’s lit that my late wife, a children’s librarian, could obtain, I am well acquainted with the texts that so eloquently inform this release. The Runaway Bunny is from Margaret Brown’s classic 1942 children’s book of the same title; Paddington Bear’s First Concert is based on Michael Bond’s series of children’s books about a marmalade eating bear “from Darkest Peru”; and Tubby the Tuba is the word-half of the 1941–1945 collaboration between author/actor Michael Tripp and composer George Kleinsinger, which over the years has been successfully disseminated via multiple recordings and film animations, and which has been cited by the Library of Congress in 2006 as a landmark in audio history.
The Runaway Bunny was originally conceived by composer Glen Roven as a piece for solo violin, singer, and orchestra—designed as a vehicle for Israeli violinist Ittai Shapira. In the course of the project’s development, Shapira suggested substituting a narrator for the singer. Given the results, it was an excellent choice that spotlights the powerful eloquence of the seemingly modestly unpoetic words. I found the music coupled with Brooke Shields’s narration deeply moving...
(To read the rest of the article go to Fanfare Magazine.)
Broadway World Article about the Bunny
Broadway world just did an article about "The Runaway Bunny" and the upcoming concert at Carnegie Hall.Go to BroadwayWorld.com to read the article.
The Bunny is at Carnegie Hall!
"How do you get to Carnegie Hall," asked the little bunny."You hippity-hop, hop, hop," said his mother. "Now practice."
About the Book
Since its publication in 1942, The Runaway Bunny has never been out of print. Generations of sleepy children and grateful parents have loved the classics of Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd, including Goodnight Moon. The Runaway Bunny begins with a young bunny who decides to run away: "'If you run away,' said his mother, 'I will run after you. For you are my little bunny.'" And so begins a delightful, imaginary game of chase. No matter how many forms the little bunny takes--a fish in a stream, a crocus in a hidden garden, a rock on a mountain--his steadfast, adoring, protective mother finds a way of retrieving him. The soothing rhythm of the bunny banter--along with the surreal, dream-like pictures--never fail to infuse young readers with a complete sense of security and peace. For any small child who has toyed with the idea of running away or testing the strength of Mom's love, this old favorite will comfort and reassure.The Runaway Bunny will be released on Amazon.co.uk on November 27th, 2006!
Please visit Amazon.co.uk to purchase your copy!Amazon.co.uk reviewers:
Dave King of Brooklyn, NY
This is a terrific compilation, but of the three, the piece I return to most frequently is The Runaway Bunny. It's the work's ambition, I think, that so impresses me, for though the familiar story is simple and dear, the music--both the composing and the performance--is thoroughly virtuosic. I recently paired The Runaway Bunny with Peter and the Wolf for a course I taught on cultural transformations, and damned if the Bunny didn't absolutely hold its own against the Wolf! No kidding: essential.
Stephen from Boston, MA
I heard the Runaway Bunny on the Jerry Lewis telethon in the US this year. It is based on a book I have loved for quite a long while. I am delighted that the talented Glen Roven has created such wonderful music that so well matches the text and mood of the book. While I am sure the rest of Paddington Bear's First Concert is excellent, Bunny is what makes the collection worthwhile for me, and I cannot wait to own this for myself. It will truly be a joy. I look forward to introducing the children to this wonderful piece.