Blue Danube Waltz

My sister Hannah has been working on a piano piece called Blue Danube Waltz by  Johann Strauss all summer long. Strauss is an Austrian composer who composed  Blue Danube in 1866 in honor of the Danube River that flows through Vienna.  He was  known to compose light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas and a ballet. In his lifetime, he was known as "The Waltz King."

Strauss was born in St. Ulrich, a city near Vienna, to Johann Strauss I, a composer of dance music. His father did not wish him to become a composer, but rather a banker because they were poor family. Nevertheless, Strauss Junior studied the violin secretly, and when his father discovered his son secretly practicing one day, he gave him a severe whipping, saying that he was going to beat the music out of the boy. Fortunately, this did not discourage the young musician from learning the violin, and today we can enjoy many of the pieces he composed.

Hannah is six years old, and enjoys playing the piano as well as the violin which she just started a month ago.  This piece is 6 pages longs and is taller than her. She hopes you enjoy listening to her play.

Did you enjoy this piece?

Visiting the LACMA museum

Over the summer,  I went to Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) museum for the first time.  The is an art museum in Los Angeles, California.  LACMA was established as a museum in 1961.  LACMA is huge and there are many buildings  although most of the time we spent in the fine art section.  We didn't have time to visit every building but maybe next time we can see some of the exhibits. In the fine art section I especially enjoyed three paintings that I describe below. In the same building we also went to see Egyption antiquities which had a very interesting mummy.



The first painting that I enjoyed was called Miss Charlotte Papendick as a Child and this painting was painted in 1788.  It was painted by John Hoppner who lived during 1758-1810 in England.  He painted it with Oil on Canvas.  I really liked this painting because she had a gorgeous dress and Charlotte looked like she came from a wealthy family.  I also liked the scenery that the artist painted as a background.











The next painting I really enjoyed was called Jean as a Huntsman and this painting was painted in 1910.  It was painted by Pierre-Auguste Renoir who lived during 1841-1919 in France.  He painted it on with Oil on Canvas.  Renoir painted in the  impressionistic period. When you look at the painting up close, it looks blurry, but from far away it is beautiful Unlike Miss Charlotte Papendick who looks like she is from a wealthy family, painter during this time painted common things.  I really enjoyed this painting because it had an adorable beagle next to the boy.  I also liked the scenery that the artist painted. Jean looked like he was hiking to the mountains.







 The last painting I enjoyed was called Two Girls Reading and this was also painted by Pierre- Aguste Renoir.  This painting was painted during 1890-1891.  I liked this painting because it reminds me of Sarah and I reading together.  We would read together in bed and sometimes we peek at each others book.












After the paintings we went on to look at the Egyptian antiquities   section.   I had never seen a mummy before but it was quite an experience.


























After the museum we visited my great grandfather who is 95 years old.  We call him Old Grandpa  and he doesn't really mind this title.

 What is your favorite type of paintings?