Elio & Basil in Four Seasons
- valentina kris
- May 21
- 3 min read
Updated: May 22
Last week was so wonderful. I had a chance to draw some--or let's say 55+ series of drawings to be displayed along with a string orchestra by AYSO. AYSO (Acacia Yuk! String Orchestra) Bandung is a community based string orchestra in Bandung. They have several programs and one of them is a children concert. This time, they played Vivaldi's Four Season and turned it into a narrative story of Elio and Basil in Four Season.
This concert itself had been planned years ago, which they already had the arrangement, narrative, and storyboard with Kak Poppy, their previous illustrator. Due to some circumstances, Kak Poppy couldn't finish the project. Then I involved to this project around 3 months prior the performing day. Quite tight, but it was a hard yes for a passion project like this.
To join this project is like a dream come true. I always in awe with people who play instruments. I once even took an electone course back then when I was in junior high. Sadly, my finger and brain just can't comprehend so the rest is history. My admiration towards music still continues. I adore animation because it merges both audio and visual. I cried a little after seeing Felix, my collaborator on our last animation project--Joy of Life, put the music for the final touch. Watching the result, my drawings felt like... alive.
So, imagine. This time the music would be performed live. By an orchestra. Surreal.
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This Vivaldi's piece was divided into 4 seasons. Led by a narrator, Kak Rara who told a story of Elio, a boy who moved to a new town in summer. His father asked him to go around the city, so he went to the market. There he bought some snacks and ice cream. Suddenly, an orange cat stole his attention. Meanwhile, the violin, viola, contrabass, and cello were starting to produce those beautiful sounds along with the drawing sequence of Elio and the cat.
Season changed. The story continued in autumn. Elio and the cat, Basil went to a harvesting festival. People came to see the performance. It was so crowded so Elio just realized... Basil was missing!
The breeze started to freeze every drop of water. Winter is coming. Elio and Basil stayed in the warmth of home. Bam! A loud sound shocked them. What was that?
The sun started to show its rays. Flower petals bloomed beautifully. Birds were chirping, telling Elio and Basil, "Go out, buddy! It's spring!" Then they went out to the vast clear sky until...
At the end, Elio marked every season with Basil, his new best friend 🐱👨🏾🦱
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Another unforgettable thing, Kak Hamzah, AYSO's manager asked me if I want to open a booth for merchandise. Not to miss a chance, I immediately prepared everything. I made stickers, keychain, and bookmark. I also asked my crocheter friend, Annissa to join me to sell some stuffs. Acted like Elio & Basil is an actual registered IP (because #fakeituntilyoumakeit).
I'm so grateful for this moment. Did I mentioned about the audience? Those little audience were the cutest! I observed the way they watch the concert and give their full attention to the drawings. Their tiny hands and hips were swinging as the music played, following the tempo. I chuckled a little every time I see one make an extra move with their body. How precious! 🤍
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