KotorArt
International Festival
Thursday, July 24
Square of the St. Nicolas and St. Luke, 8 p.m.
KOTORARTIĆ
THE VISOKO C [HIGH C] ASSOCIATION OF ARTISTS
Marija Cvijić, soprano
Branislav Cvijić, tenor
Marina Mikić, piano
Program partners
Tivat Music Festival, Wild Beauty Art
Program
July 24, 2025
Marija Cvijić (1986) / Branislav Cvijić (1977)
The Lion and the Mouse, an opera for children
The Lion and the Mouse, a children’s opera, is an adaptation based on Aesop’s fable of the same name. The moral of both the fable and the opera is that we should not judge others by their strength or size. People have always been fascinated by power, greatness, and mighty figures. However, it is important to approach this with a critical perspective and help children understand that even the smallest friend can be of great importance. No one should be dismissed because of physical shortcomings. This way of thinking certainly contributes to building a better society. The opera is structured in two scenes. In the first, the audience is introduced to the characters – the lion and the mouse – each presented through their own introductory aria. Spoken dialogue and ensemble numbers follow, driving the plot forward. In the second scene comes the climax of the fable, when the captured lion, now helpless, calls for help from his tiny friend. The moral lesson, which children can clearly grasp, is conveyed in the opera’s conclusion.
Artists
The Visoko C [High C] Association of Artists was founded in 2015 with the aim of preparing and realizing operas, plays with singing, operas for children and musicals, and concerts, as well as of organizing acting classes, singing classes, and summer courses to educate citizens, especially children, about the importance of art. In this regard, at the concert titled O Ljubavi [About Love], members of the Association presented a series of traditional melodies, and through Spanish songs, Italian canzones, and Russian romances, they presented stories from everyday life about love for those close to us, towards nature, and for one’s homeland, among other themes. Through their performance of operas for children, the Association fosters the development of children’s musical taste, the development of creativity, and the strengthening of personality. In arrangements adapted to children, with modern direction and accompaniment by piano or a chamber ensemble, the Association has had hundreds of performances. The most performed operas for children include Die Zauberflöte to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Puss in Boots by César Cui, Cinderella by Eduard Poldini, Snow White by Petar Krstić, Little Red Riding Hood and Little Bee Dana by Petar Jovanović, and the children’s opera by Marija Cvijić written to texts by Branislav Cvijić: The Ant and the Grasshopper, Hansel and Gretel, and The Chardak neither in Heaven nor on Earth.
