The Mirlitons Have An Admirer

[Brian Moore]

I don't actually know what a Mirliton is,...but they are featured in The Nutcracker. This shot I took sidestage at Huntington Beach High School during the Ballet Etudes Nutcracker. The Mirliton with her back to the camera is my daughter, Meg.

Olympus XA and Kodak Ultramax 800 film.

 

[Kev Pugh]

Nice Brian again, Now I might be as I rarely right but according to the interwebbie thing a Mirliton could be a Chayote or Vegetable Pear? but then it could also be a Reed Pipe or it could even be a tube shaped Pastry given that the nutcracker has a lot of sweet thing in it as characters and has a French influence I would probably go for the later.....

A great set of pic Brian will make a nice additon to the performance collection and memories.

 

[Thomas brookes]

Hmmm well I Always thought it referred to some one singing from the back of the throat or nasal. Me and my family are from wales and my grandad and some uncles used to sing in a welsh male voice choir. When there was a family get together they would all get stupid drunk and sing. My grandad used to shout at my uncles for being mirliton and flat...... I'm now confused I just wikied it and it says what kev said....

Great pic by the way brain. Getting a real sense of the back stage buzz and excitement

 

[Pete Askew]

Excellent again Brian. It would be great to see these together as a set at some point. I like the way you have caught your daughter and her colleague caught up in excited chatter about the dance and the little one back left looking at you.

Never thought about the word before but this seems to be the closest I could find and fits both Kev's and Dan's understanding.

Tchaikovsky – Mirlitons | FlutePlay

 

[Brian Moore]

Thanks very much, Kev, Tom and Pete. I shooda looked it up as well, but anyway, I would tend to agree that because the Nutcracker dream sequence (which is basically the whole show all but Scene One) is all aboot sweets and candies, I'd have to agree that the Mirlitons are intended to be pastries.

I appreciate all you comments about these backstage pictures. (I thank Mr. Brassai for the inspiration.) In this particular shot that wee lassie on the far left makes this picture for me. She's like something oot o' an impressionaist painting, the way the light and the OOF has rendered her.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Brian - excellent shot - reminds me of a painting my grandma used to have on her wall, of ballerinas ready to take the stage.

The lighting and the movement really make the shot for me - and a nice viewpoint, were you sitting down at that point?

 

[Brian Moore]

Thanks very much, Chris.

nice viewpoint, were you sitting down at that point?

No, not sitting Chris. Too much activity sidestage so I tend to be moving around to get the hell out of this one's way or that one's. I either crouch down for shots like this or shoot from the hip, as it were. This one I probably took a snap shot from the hip, given the awkward compo. (I would have pulled the wee lassie on the left a little more into the frame had I the chance to re-frame the fotie.) Thanks again, Chris.

 

[Hamish Gill]

.... back stage blog!!!

 

[Brian Moore]

Whassat Hamish...?

 

[Hamish Gill]

I posted in another thread saying you should set up a blog of backstage photos...

 

[Brian Moore]

Yeah, thanks Hamish. Saw that earlier post later. Understood. Thanks.