Non-Directed Music Listening Program. Series III

Transcription

1 Non-Directed Music Listening Program Series III

2 Week 1 Composer: Ludwig von Beethoven ( ) Composition: Minuet in G, No. 2 Performance: Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy Recording: CBS Masterworks Dinner Classics: The Viennese Album CBS MFK Day 1: This week s listening selection is Minuet in G, No. 2 by Ludwig von Beethoven. A minuet is a graceful dance. A man greets his partner with a bow then, hand-inhand, leads her through a series of smooth and delicate movements. It is the small steps and gestures that give the dance its name minuet which comes from a word that means small or minute. This is quite a contrast to the popular dances of today such as Texas Line Dancing. Day 2: This week we are listening to Ludwig von Beethoven s Minuet in G, No. 2. Between the 1600 s and the 1800 s, the minuet was the most popular dance in which ladies and gentlemen of the court gracefully moved through a series of small but intricate steps. You were not allowed membership in the king or queen s court unless you had memorized the steps and patterns to the many different minuets. Today as you listen, think about all the dance moves you know. Would they fit with the music? Can you imagine how the men and women looked as they glided effortlessly across the polished floors? Day 3: This week s listening excerpt is Minuet in G, No. 2 written by the famous German composer, Ludwig von Beethoven. Yesterday, you listened to see whether or not the dance steps you know would fit with the Minuet in G, No. 2. Most of you probably discovered that the moves you re familiar with aren t suitably matched to the music of this minuet. The minuet starts out smoothly with the string section of the orchestra. Listen today for the sound of the double bass. The four-stringed double bass is the grand-daddy of the violin family and its deep voice generally acts as a foundation for the rest of the orchestra.

3 Day 4: This week we are listening to German composer Ludwig von Beethoven s Minuet in G, No. 2. The double bass line starts on the first strong beat you hear but the violins start just before that. Your music teacher has probably talked about something called an anacrusis. An anacrusis, or upbeat, starts a piece on a less emphasized beat. Ana means before, crusis means on or at the same time. Listen to see if you get the feeling that the violins begin on a less stressed or less important beat than the double bass which starts on the first strong beat. Day 5: Today we are listening to Minuet in G, No. 2 by Ludwig von Beethoven. Yesterday were you able to hear the anacrusis played solely by the violins at the very beginning of the minuet? It requires good listening skills to perceive that type of musical detail. Many of you probably know a bit about the German composer, Beethoven. He was the composer who lost his hearing. Because he was unable to hear the sounds of the outside world, he was forced to rely on his inner hearing and memory for the last twenty years of his life. Imagine being deaf yet able to compose such beautiful music. Truly he was a talented person.

4 Week 2 Composer: Alexander Borodin ( ) Composition: Polovtsian Dances Performance: London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti Recording: Weekend in Russia London Day 1: This week s listening selection is the Polovtsian Dances written by Alexander Borodin. Borodin was captivated by the native music of Russia. His special interest was the southeastern sounds which had a distinctly oriental quality. Listen today to the two contrasting parts of this excerpt. The first is rather haunting and the melody is performed by the human voice whereas part two is entirely orchestral and much quicker. Day 2: Alexander Borodin wrote this week s listening selection, the Polovtsian Dances. The Polovtsian Dances are from the second part of Borodin s opera Prince Igor. There are two sections to this excerpt. In the first, the melody is sung and in the second it is played by the orchestra. In the first portion, the voices sing in unison, that means that they all sing the same notes at the same time. What adds interest is that initially they are accompanied by an oboe which plays in unison with the voices. Listen today to see if, at the beginning, you can hear that the voices and the oboe are all singing the same notes at the same time in unison. Day 3: This week we are listening to Russian composer Alexander Borodin s Polovtsian Dances. In this excerpt we hear two distinct styles of music yet they are joined together and form part of the larger operatic work, Prince Igor. Part one is sung and part two is entirely orchestral. The two portions are joined by one measure or four beats of very quiet repeated notes played by the string section. Listen today to see if you like the way Borodin connected the two dances or do you think, musically, there could be a better way?

5 Day 4: The Polovtsian Dances by Alexander Borodin is this week s listening selection. In the second dance, the music is strictly orchestral. It is considerably faster and the style is radically altered from the first dance. Although it sounds happier, it still has a somberness about it. This melancholy quality arises as a result of Borodin s use of the Asiatic or more oriental sounds. Listen today to see if you can imagine the Mongolian warriors dancing wildly and spinning around a campfire late into the night. Day 5: This week s listening selection is an excerpt from Alexander Borodin s Opera Prince Igor, titled Polovtsian Dances. Today when you listen, see if you can identify any of the instruments you play in your music class. Very faintly in both sections you can occasionally hear a xylophone. If you play in the school band, you will recognize quite a few familiar instruments, especially in the second part. There is also a long section in dance two where the tambourine plays an important role.

6 Week 3 Composer: Ottorino Respighi ( ) Composition: Tarantella from La Boutique Fantasque Performance: Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy Recording: Greatest Hits of the Ballet, Volume 1 CBS LMLK Day 1: This week s listening excerpt is the Tarantella from the ballet The Fantastic Toyshop by Ottorino Respighi. A tarantella is an Italian folk dance. This particular tarantella is extremely quick. The mood is one of excitement and this feeling never relaxes throughout the entire piece. This tension is maintained using a variety of musical techniques which I want you to listen for today. Those techniques are: 1. Sudden, unexpected bursts of sound from very soft to very loud. 2. Quick shifts from major to minor modes, that is happy to more sad or reflective sounding music. 3. The use of the tambourine to accent certain beats. Day 2: This week s listening excerpt is the Tarantella from the ballet La Boutique Fantasque or in English The Fantastic Toyshop. The music was written by Rossini and arranged as a ballet by Ottorino Respighi. The dance, the Tarantella, is said to have originated from the tarantula spider. Supposedly, if you were bitten, the faster you danced the more likely you were to survive the spider s deadly bite. It is considered unlucky to dance the tarantella alone so Respighi choreographed the piece for two people. In this ballet, the two dancers happen to be mechanical dolls displayed in a fantastically full and exciting toyshop. The dancers are accompanied by a tambourine.

7 Day 3: Rossini is the original composer of this week s listening selection Tarantella. Ottorino Respighi arranged and choreographed the ballet The Fantastic Toyshop using Rossini s music. The ballet takes place inside a toyshop. One day two families happen to go shopping in the store, simultaneously looking at the mechanical dolls featured there. Upon seeing the two Italian peasant dolls dancing the Tarantella, the children from both families begin imitating the dancers and, of course, both sets of parents want to buy the dolls. An argument ensues but it is settled once it is decided that each family will take one doll and thus, break up the pair. They pay the shopkeeper saying that they will return for the dolls the next day. Day 4: This week s listening excerpt is the Tarantella from Respighi s ballet La Boutique Fantasque or The Fantastic Toyshop. Yesterday you heard that the pair of dolls that dance the Tarantella were purchased but the set had to be split between two separate families. After the shopkeeper puts the dolls away, the shop is closed for the evening. All the dolls and toys proceed to come to life and the Italian peasant dolls who dance the Tarantella decide to hide as they don t want to be sold separately to different families. The next day, when the families come to get the dolls, they open the lids of the boxes and find nothing! They get very angry with the shopkeeper but suddenly the dolls and toys all come to life and drive the customers out. When the two families peer back into the shop window, the Tarantella dancers are dancing the can-can circling around the happy shopkeeper. Day 5: Ottorino Respighi s Tarantella is this week s featured listening selection. The Tarantella music is fast and exciting. Listen today to see if you can hear exactly how the excitement is maintained. Listen to contrasts in loud and soft volume, the shrill and high pitched sounds of the piccolo or little flute, the tambourine accenting the rhythm accompanying the dancers and the melody which is repeated over and over, almost hypnotizing the listener the way it spins around and around.

8 Week 4 Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich ( ) Composition: Polka from the Age of Gold Performance: Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy Recording: Greatest Hits of the Ballet, Volume 1 CBS LMLK Day 1: Dmitri Shostakovich wrote this week s listening excerpt Polka from the ballet, Age of Gold. The ballet is about a Soviet soccer team which, upon arriving at the World Tournament, is met by a group of racist people who don t want the Soviets to participate. Each dance represents a different sports event such as boxing, tennis, soccer, etc. and each sports event is represented by a particular style of dance. Shostakovich uses fox-trots, tangos, can-cans, tap dances and, of course, the polka. In the end the Soviets win their soccer match, their team captain is arrested by ultimately freed by the people. Day 2: This week s listening excerpt is the Polka from Dmitri Shostakovich s ballet The Golden Age. A polka is a dance that originated in Bohemia around It became very popular creating a kind of polkamania until around the end of the century. Shostakovich wrote the Polka sometime between 1927 and Some of you have probably seen or even danced the polka yourself. When you listen today, try to determine if you think this was a typical polka of the 1800 s or do you think that Shostakovich threw a few surprises into the ballet music? Day 3: Dmitri Shostakovich wrote this week s featured listening selection Polka from his ballet Age of Gold. Yesterday you listened to see if you thought this was typical polka music. Did you feel it would be easy to polka to this music? It s almost easier to imagine a team mascot amusing the crowd rather than a soccer team intensely trying to win a world tournament. This rather humorous effect is created by using a variety of instruments. After the introduction is played by the clarinet, bassoon and trombone, the xylophone takes over with the main thematic material. Listen today

9 to see if you can follow that xylophone melody or one of its variations throughout the Polka. Day 4: The Polka from the ballet Age of Gold composed by Dmitri Shostakovich is this week s listening selection. Yesterday you tried to follow the theme or some variation of it throughout the Polka. It is easy to recognize the first and last time it s heard because the xylophone plays the theme both times. In between though, bits of the melody or fragments can be heard on the clarinet, English horn, oboe, flutes, trombone and strings. The melody is accompanied by an oom-pah-pah rhythm played uncharacteristically by the strings and fleetingly by the bassoon. The bassoon is a reed instrument that plays very deep, rather nasal sounds. (Remember the sound of grandfather in Tchaikovsky s Peter and the Wolf?) Day 5: Dmitri Shostakovich composed this week s listening excerpt Polka from the ballet Age of Gold. In this polka the featured orchestral instruments are not the typical violins nor are they playing a beautiful, tuneful or lyrical melody line. Rather, the brittle melody dances all over the place being very staccato and not particularly easy to follow or remember. It has all kinds of jagged edges that are not expected by the listener. Imagine being the choreographer for this ballet. What kinds of moves and costumes would you design for the Polka?

10 Week 5 Composer: John Williams ( - ) Composition: Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back Performance: Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Erich Kunzel Recording: Digital Super Sampler Telarc CD Day 1: This week s featured listening selection is the Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back by John Williams. In a galaxy far away.. Darth Vader continues his relentless search for Luke Skywalker. The Death Star has been destroyed but the rebel forces continue to be pursued by the vicious Imperial Army. Skywalker is the leader of a band of freedom fighters trying to stay hidden from the dreaded Imperial Starfleet. Darth Vader knows that it is Luke s destiny to become a great Jedi warrior capable of defeating the evil empire and the Imperial Troops which Vader controls. Day 2: John Williams Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back is this week s selected music. Trained by the Jedi Master, Yoda, Luke Skywalker spends much time finding and learning to control the power. Cutting his training short, Skywalker is tricked into coming to the rescue of Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca and R2D2. Once in Vader s evil clutches, Skywalker finds his power to escape in the strength of Yoda s immortal words TRY NOT DO OR DO NOT! Although Luke does not manage to defeat Darth Vader, he does elude being captured. Day 3: John Williams wrote this week s listening excerpt Imperial March for the soundtrack for the movie The Empire Strikes Back. In the Webster Dictionary, imperialism is defined as the policy of seeking to extend power, dominion or territories of a nation. This is the intent of the Emperor and his general, Darth Vader: to conquer and control the entire galaxy. Every time the Imperial Troops advance against the rebel forces you hear a portion of Williams Imperial March. The music is menacing, starting with the low strings, percussion and clashing cymbals you know instantly that the Imperial Starfleet is threatening to destroy anyone or anything standing in their path. Williams gradually adds the brass instruments as the army advances.

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12 Day 4: This week s featured listening selection is the theme from The Empire Strikes Back, the Imperial March by John Williams. Williams is a master in matching appropriate music with film scripts. In the Imperial March, the music is full of crescendos and sudden diminuendos. The dynamic contrasts are created first by layering the strings, percussion or drums, trumpets and trombones and then by having them play louder and more insistently until we hear a crashing, cannon-like blow on the bass drum. Instantly a descrescendo is created by changing the instruments and styles of playing. The music becomes soft, almost star-like, as the flutes imitate the twinkling stars with fluttering staccato notes. You can easily envision the immense Imperial Army pursuing their prey, sometimes as a huge, conquering force and sometimes deviously setting their trap. Day 5: The Imperial March by John Williams from The Empire Strikes Back is this week s listening excerpt. Marching forever onward, suffering delays but never total defeat, the Imperial March successfully exemplifies and accompanies the constant forward motion of Darth Vader and his Starfleet. The main theme is played by the brass instruments, principally the trumpets and trombones. The ancestors of the brass family were animal horns and conch shells. In both instances the horn was used as a cal to alert, to warn of impending danger or attack. During the movie, every time the Imperial March or even a fragment of it is played, we make this sound association; the horns signaling action from the advancing Imperial Army.

13 Week 6 Composer: Antonio Vivaldi ( ) Composition: Concerto for two Trumpets in C Major Performance: Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Sir Neville Mariner Trumpets: Philip Jones and John Wilbraham Recording: Baroque Weekend London Day 1: This week s listening selection is Antonio Vivaldi s Concerto for Two Trumpets in C Major The word concerto means to fight side-by-side or to compete as brothers-inarms. The concerto is aptly named because the solo instrument or small group, in this case, the two trumpets and small stringed ensemble, compete for equal playing time with their partner the Baroque orchestra. It is intended to be a relatively equal relationship between two different families of musical instruments. Day 2: This week we are listening to Antonio Vivaldi s Concerto for Two Trumpets in C Major. Vivaldi lived during the time which historians call the Baroque era. Vivaldi composed many concerto grosso, a popular Baroque musical style, in which the solo group alternated playing with the larger orchestra. This style, one of taking turns, is quite evident in the Concerto for Two Trumpets. Listen today to see if the two trumpets and the small orchestra, which includes a harpsichord, all get equal opportunity to show off their technical ability. Day 3: This week s listening selection is the Concerto for Two Trumpets in C Major composed by Antonio Vivaldi. In the concerto grosso, the small group of instrumentalists is called the concertino. In this case the concertino consists of two trumpets and several stringed instruments. The large group or Baroque orchestra is called the ripieno. There is one instrument that you can hear faintly throughout the entire piece. It looks and is played like a piano but sounds differently. It is called a harpsichord. Small picks made of bird quills or hard leather pluck the strings when the keys are pressed. The resulting twang is similar to a guitar. Listen today to see if you can hear the harpsichord continuing throughout the concerto.

14 Day 4: The Concerto for Two Trumpets in C Major was composed by Antonio Vivaldi in the early 1700 s. In this piece, the concertino or small group which includes the trumpets starts out playing with the larger group or ripieno. Usually the concertino and ripieno alternate parts but, for the first section of this concerto, they play together. If you listen carefully you will hear fragments of this melody returning throughout the concerto played on instruments from both groups, the concertino and the ripieno. Day 5: This week s listening excerpt is the Concerto for Two Trumpets in C Major by the famous Baroque composer, Antonio Vivaldi. The word Baroque refers to the time period between 1600 and The word comes from the Portuguese barrocco which means a pearl of irregular shape. Many artists and musicians of the time were accused of too many irregularities in their work. It was felt by many critics that simplicity was better and more beautiful than the fancy, ornamented and elaborate art and music being produced during the Baroque era. Maybe that s why the resulting comparison with the unusual but unique shape of the baroque pearl. Vivaldi was instrumental in changing the shape of the concerto grosso from a vocal work with instrumental accompaniment into the form that we hear in the Concerto for Two Trumpets in C Major.

15 Week 7 Composer: Jean Sibelius ( ) Composition: Symphony No. 2, Movements III IV (excerpt) Performance: Cleveland Orchestra, Levi Recording: Telarc Sampler Volume 3 Telarc CD Day 1: This week s listening selection is taken from the third and fourth movements of the Symphony No. 2 by Jean Sibelius. Sibelius was born in Finland in His style of music was representative of his homeland but, differing from many other composers we ve talked about, he did not use the folk songs of his country. Rather, he tried to paint a musical picture of the beautiful Finnish countryside. Today, as you listen, try to imagine what that countryside looks like. Day 2: This week s listening excerpt is from Symphony No. 2, Movements III and IV by Jean Sibelius. This excerpt begins part way through the third movement of the entire symphony. The first melody you hear is played on the oboe. Part of this simple theme is then repeated by the clarinets, flutes and strings, then the oboe returns. Listen today to see if you can recognize the different sounds of the oboe, clarinets, flutes and strings particularly the cello. Day 3: The Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius, wrote this week s listening selection Symphony No. 2. We are listening to an excerpt from the Third and Fourth Movements. The excerpt begins with a very simple but lovely theme played by the oboe and partially repeated by the clarinets, flutes and cello. The oboe then returns but the melody is slightly altered: instead, the repeated notes begin to ascend or go up the musical scale. This creates a change in the mood from one of peace and tranquility to one which is more restless and exciting.

16 Day 4: This week we are listening to an excerpt from the Third and Fourth Movements of Symphony No. 2 by Jean Sibelius. The solo voice of the oboe is heard at the outset of this excerpt playing a beautiful, haunting melody. After hearing the theme, the music changes into something considerably more dramatic. The full orchestra quickly crescendos, as more instruments are added. The violins are most obvious as their part dominates as it rises and falls above the deeper brass, cello, double bass and drum parts. Day 5: Jean Sibelius composed this week s listening selection Symphony No. 2 in This excerpt is full of many changes in mood, comparable to the feelings one would get in ever-changing scenery of the Finnish countryside. It starts simply but quickly becomes more tempestuous and exciting. Sibelius makes this change by creating something like the sound of a fanfare, dominated by the brass instruments. The music seems to slow down and become stronger and more triumphant. At the very end of the excerpt you hear a rather ominous melody being played on the double bass, making you wonder about what will happen next.

17 Week 8 Composer: Manuel de Falla ( ) Composition: Miller s Dance Performance: John Williams, guitar Recording: A Taste of Spain CBS WMFK Day 1: This week s listening selection is the Miller s Dance by Manuel de Falla (Fahyah). Manuel de Falla was born in Spain. His music is generally based on Spanish dance rhythms. Dance is an important part of the life in Spain. It is most often performed with traditional instruments such as guitars, castanets and tambourines. The Miller s Dance is performed solely by a very accomplished guitar player. The people of Spain claim that de Falla s music represents the REAL Spain. Day 2: Manuel de Falla composed this week s listening selection, the Miller s Dance. The Miller s Dance is a guitar solo: solo meaning to do something by yourself. The guitar, as an instrument, is thought to be about 5,000 years old. Guitars originated with the Pharaohs in Egypt but were brought to Spain by the Romans around 100 B.C. By 500 A.D., the guitar had become Spain s national instrument. De Falla s compositions are considered to truly represent the sounds of native Spanish music. It seems appropriate that much of his work was composed for the national instrument the guitar. Day 3: This week s listening excerpt entitled Miller s Dance was written by Manuel de Falla at the beginning of this century. Dance has always been an important part of Spanish life and Spanish culture. Each of the forty-three provinces in Spain has their own characteristic dances and traditional costumes. The Miller s Dance is a guitar solo, however, if a Spanish dancer were to join in, to perform the Habanera or Spanish tango, they would bring their castanets. Try to imagine one or two flamboyantly costumed dancers, castanets clicking, gracefully moving to the rhythms of this exotic music?

18 Day 4: Manuel de Falla composed this week s featured listening selection The Miller s Dance. The word castanet comes from the word chestnut, a round thin-shelled nut. Each castanet is made up of two small hollow, shell-like pieces of wood. In each hand, the dancer loops the castanet over their fingers and clicks them together to emphasize the rhythm and beat of the music. Arms move gracefully, encircling the body and head of the dancer, all the while keeping the castanets clicking. There are three basic sound for the feet: striking of the heel, striking of the toe and striking of the full sole. In this excerpt you hear only the guitar so your imagination has to create the vision and sound of the accompanying dancers. Day 5: The Miller s Dance composed by the famous Spaniard, Manuel de Falla, is this week s featured excerpt. At points in the Miller s Dance, it is hard to believe that just one solo performer is able to simultaneously make all the different sounds on a single guitar. The index and third fingers play most of the melody notes while the thumb and fourth and fifth or baby finger play the chordal accompaniment or background sounds. The music moves to a climatic ending using a crescendo, getting louder, and an accelerando, getting faster.

19 Week 9 Composer: Frederic Chopin ( ) Composition: Polonaise in A flat, Opus 53 Heroic Performance: Ernst Frager, piano Recording: Telarc Sampler Volume 2 Telarc CD Day 1: This week s listening excerpt is the Polonaise in A flat, Opus 53 by Frederic Chopin. Chopin is often referred to as the poet of the piano. Although he never gave poetic names to his pieces, they invariably paint a picture in your mind. In all of Chopin s twelve polonaises, he was focusing on the glory and splendor of Poland in its earlier days. He remembered her powerful armies, her wealthy cities and her happy people. He also re-lived in his music the grandeur of the stately processions for the king. Chopin called this piece simply by key, A flat and by number, Opus 53. Further generations have nicknamed it the heroic polonaise. See if you think this name is fitting. Is the music heroic: full of conquest, bravery and glory? Day 2: The Polonaise in A flat, Opus 53 was composed by Frederic Chopin. Yesterday you discovered that Chopin s music can create a picture or story in your mind. This polonaise has been nicknamed the heroic polonaise because Chopin was thinking about the king s court and all the achievements of the Polish people. Chopin left Poland when he was twenty years old. After that, Poland was taken over by Russia and Chopin never returned. For all of us, good memories often get better the longer we think about them. For Chopin, his love and devotion to Poland only got stronger through his years of absence. As a result, his compositions contain memories of Poland brought to life through native folk songs and music that reflects the greatness of the country Chopin remembered so vividly.

20 Day 3: Chopin was thirty-two years old when he composed this week s listening selection Polonaise in A flat, Opus 53. The polonaise is a Polish dance. It is ideal for slow marching and was originally used as processional music in the ancient Polish courts. The excerpt you hear is not the entire polonaise. We begin in the second portion of the work which starts with six repeated chords. On the seventh repetition, the left hand begins rapidly playing a repeated passage of octaves. By tomorrow, see if you can find out what it means if a pianist plays in octaves. Day 4: This week s listening selection was composed by Frederic Chopin in 1842 and is entitled, Polonaise in A Flat, Opus 53. For a pianist to play in octaves, they must stretch their fingers on the piano from doh to doh, eight notes apart. It is not too difficult for a very short while but the Polonaise in A Flat requires the performer to play very quick octaves with the left hand for a full two minutes of this four minute piece. Imagine spreading the fingers on your left hand as wide as possible, freezing in that position and bouncing them up and down as fast as you can for about two minutes. The pain soon becomes unbearable and pretty soon the bounce becomes less and less coordinated and less even. Day 5: Frederic Chopin wrote this week s listening selection Polonaise in A flat, Opus 53 when he was thirty-two years old. Chopin loved his homeland, Poland. All his music reflects a piece of history or the physical beauty of that country. Tragically Chopin left Poland in 1830 when he was twenty. He never returned and died at the age of thirty-nine of tuberculosis. He was a perfectionist and spent days and weeks polishing his music, sometimes he discarded his compositions, feeling that they weren t good enough. All his music is full of beautiful, sweet melodies, contrasting with exciting, thunderous or very quick passages. Once again, the Heroic Polonaise.

21 Week 10 Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ) Composition: 1912 Overture Performance: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Kunzel Recording: Telarc CD Sampler Volume 3 Telarc CD Day 1: This week s listening selection is the 1812 Overture composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. This overture was written in the year 1880, 68 years after the events which it commemorates. Early in the 1800 s, the famous French leader, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Russia. The Russians were victorious over Napoleon in the year 1812, thus the 1812 Overture. The piece includes fragments of both the French and Russian National anthems, as well as the booming of cannons and the peeling of church bells. Day 2: The listening excerpt this week is Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky s 1812 Overture. Yesterday you learned that the 1812 Overture was composed to celebrate the Russian victory over Napoleon and his French army. Did it sound like a victory march to you? Tchaikovsky planned for the piece to be performed on the banks of the Moskva River. Being as it was outdoors, he employed the use of real cannons, a large brass band and church bells from neighbouring cathedrals. Tchaikovsky was quoted as saying The Overture will be full of sound and fury. Listen today to see if Tchaikovsky succeeded in achieving his goal. Day 3: The Russian composer, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, composed this week s listening selection, the 1812 Overture. It is difficult for orchestras to duplicate the sound of the original 1882 performance of the 1812 Overture. It is indeed a piece full of sound and fury. For inside performances the church bells are copied by the chimes and the orchestra and brass band are scaled down considerably. The sound of the cannon is usually reproduced by a tape of a real cannon shot. You can imagine the difficulties that would arise if one were to use a real cannon inside a concert hall such as the Orpheum.

22 Day 4: This week you are listening to Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky s 1812 Overture. Today as you listen, see if you can identify some of the ways in which Tchaikovsky creates excitement in the music. Part of the effect is achieved by the sheer volume of sound but he also used many contrasts in both dynamics (louds and softs) and in the combination of instruments. The strings create the effect of someone or something fleeing a stronger force represented by the brass instruments. Tchaikovsky successfully makes one feel the drama between the victorious Russians and the defeated and fleeing French forces led by Napoleon. Day 5: The 1812 Overture by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky is this week s listening excerpt. In order to truly represent the Russian people in this overture, Tchaikovsky used a lot of folk music from his homeland. You can understand why this piece was so popular right from the first performance. It must have made the Russian people feel strong, proud and united in victory over their enemies. Music has a way of drawing people together for a cause and Tchaikovsky took full advantage of this knowledge, creating something powerful, beautiful and full of splendor.

23 Week 11 Composer: Ottorino Respighi ( ) Composition: Triton Fountain at Morn from the Fountains of Rome Performance: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Lane Recording: Telarc Sampler Volume 3 Telarc CD Day 1: Our featured listening selection for this week is entitled Triton (Try-tuhn) Fountain at Morn from The Fountains of Rome by the Italian composer, Ottorino Respighi (ress-pee-ghee) Respighi loved the famous fountains in the city of Rome, Italy. Then, as now, these fountains were well-known for their splendid statues and impressive cascades of water. Respighi spent many hours at the fountains, hoping to discover at what hour each fountain was the most beautiful. In his composition, The Fountains of Rome, he tried to capture the spirit of four of these fountains at different times of the day. At the beginning of this selection, The Triton Fountain at Morn, listen for a blast of horns which herald in the new day. Day 2: This week s listening selection is The Triton Fountain at Morn from The Fountains of Rome composed by Ottorino Respighi. Respighi s music is a tone poem music which expresses the feelings evoked by an event, idea, or thing with the image portrayed through the music. To introduce the Triton Fountain Respighi wrote a sudden loud and insistent blast of horns above the trills of the whole orchestra. This call awakens the statues of the water nymphs and also the statues of Triton, god of the sea, which surrounds the fountain. Triton in Greek and Roman mythology is a god of the sea, the lower part of his body is like that of a fish. The god Triton is really like a merman, instead of a mermaid. Respighi imagined these water creatures chasing each other through surging jets of water. As you listen to the music, can you see in your mind s eye, the Triton Fountain in the early morning?

24 Day 3: This week, we are listening to The Triton Fountain of Morn from Fountains of Rome by Ottorino Respighi. Respighi was a twentieth century composer who was influenced by a movement called Impressionism. Impressionist composers tried to express a mood, atmosphere, or emotion through their music. Respighi especially loved the atmosphere or mood of the Triton Fountain in Rome in the morning. Through his music, Respighi painted a picture of the beautiful fountain, creating the impression of swirling water. The high sounds of the water are produced by the triangle, bells, and high strings. Can you hear this the tumble and crash of the swirling water of the fountain? Day 4: Today, we will again listen to The Triton Fountain of Morn from the Fountains of Rome by Ottorino Respighi, an Italian Impressionist composer. The music beings with a powerful French horn which heralds in the new day. If you listen carefully to the French horn, you may notice that it continuously repeats the same note, middle C, throughout the piece, even as the music swirls and builds to a crescendo above. As we listen to the music, we can almost feel the spray on our faces! Day 5: This week, we have been listening to The Triton Fountain of Morn from Fountains of Rome by Ottorino Respighi. Respighi was an Italian composer who died in Much of his music described his feeling evoked by an event, a place, or thing. In Triton Fountain of Morn, Respighi uses the techniques of rapid scale passages, crescendo and decrescendo (getting louder and softer), and the high sounds of the bells and triangles, and strings, to produce the effect of swirling water. Listen to the Triton Fountain at Morn and try to imagine the morning sun and the splashing water.

25 Week 12 Composer: Sergio Prokofiev( ) Composition: Alexander Nevsky: A Song About Alexander Nevsky Performance: Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Andre Previn Recording: The Super Sampler Telarc CD Day 1: This week s listening selection is entitled A Song About Alexander Nevsky written by the Russian composer, Sergei Prokofiev. This song is taken from the score of a famous Russian movie called Alexander Nevsky produced in In this piece, a male chorus sings of Russia s celebrated hero and statesman, Prince Alexander Nevsky. Alexander Nevsky led the Russian army to victory over German invaders 700 years ago. Let us listen to this stirring song dedicated to Russia s hero. Day 2: Today we will listen to A Song About Alexander Nevsky written by the twentieth century Russian composer, Sergei Prokofiev. Alexander Nevsky was a thirteenth century Russian prince who led the Russian forces to victory over the Germans. In A Song About Alexander Nevsky, the Russia soldiers express their admiration for their hero. The song is sung in a legato style, which means smooth and connected. The legato singing lends an air of dignity and power to the defenders of the Russian empire. Day 3: This week we are listening to A Song About Alexander Nevsky by Sergei Prokofiev, a twentieth century Russian composer. This piece is from the score of the film Alexander Nevsky. Alexander Nevsky was a thirteenth century Russian prince, statesman, and hero. Much of Prokofiev s music may be termed nationalistic music which emphasizes national traits and characteristics. In this piece, Prokofiev drew on the folk melodies of his native Russia. The Russian people loved the film Alexander Nevsky and it was an immediate success.

26 Day 4: This week s featured composition is A Song About Alexander Nevsky by Sergei Prokofiev. If you listen carefully, you will discover that Prokofiev wrote this music in three sections. The first and last sections are the same. This composition begins with a slow, soft dignified hymn of praise which soon swells to a crescendo. The second contrasting section is a powerful, dramatic, stirring statement. Snare drums and cymbals suggest Alexander Nevsky s march to victory. The piece ends with a repeat of the lyrical, flowing hymn-like theme. Day 5: This week, we have been listening to A Song About Alexander Nevsky by the twentieth century Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. A Song for Alexander Nevsky was written for a film score. Alexander Nevsky was a thirteenth century Russian prince who triumphed in a battle over the Germans. The film was produced in 1938 as Hitler and the German army were threatening Russia and the rest of Europe. Let us listen again to the male chorus singing in Russian of the national hero, Alexander Nevsky.

27 Week 13 Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ) Composition: Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker Suite Performance: Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel Recording: Telarc Sampler Volume 1 Telarc CD Day 1: This week s featured listening selection is Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by the famous Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The Nutcracker is a ballet which tells the story of Clara and the magically transformed nutcracker which becomes a Prince. In the story, Clara and the Prince enter the Kingdom of Sweets and are entertained at the castle of the Sugar Plum Fairy. The entertainment concludes with an elegant dance called The Waltz of the Flowers. Day 2: The music selected for the listening program this week is Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by the famous Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In this ballet called The Nutcracker, Clara and her Prince are invited by the Sugar Plum Fairy to view a number of dances. One of these dances is a waltz. A waltz is a moderately paced dance in triple or three-quarter time. Imagine the ballerinas dancing to this lovely composition called Waltz of the Flowers. Day 3: This week, we are listening to Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The dance begins with a long introduction as the flowers take their places on stage. The harp music depicts the gentle breezes which set the flowers dancing. Like most waltzes, the Waltz of the Flowers is made up of many different melodies or tunes. As you listen to each melody, imagine that a different group of flowers is dancing to the music.

28 Day 4: Today, we listen again to the beautiful composition Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, a Russian composer. The Sugar Plum Fairy has invited Clara and her Prince to the Kingdom of Sweets where various groups of dancers entertain them. The last dance is the Waltz of the Flowers. some of the flowers dance to different melodies or tunes played by the horns, the clarinet, violas and celli, and oboes and flutes. Try to imagine the dance that each flower creates to the different melodies. Day 5: This week, we have been listening to the Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky s ballet The Nutcracker is numbered among his most famous and popular works. In this composition, Tchaikovsky uses beautiful, singable melodies played by different instruments French horn, then the clarinet, violins, oboes and flutes, and finally the violas and celli. In your mind s eye, can you see the flowers as they find their places on the dance floor, dance in turn, and then take their final bows.

29 Week 14 Composer: Series III Favourites Composition: As selected by the school Performance: As selected by the school Recording: As selected by the school Day 1: As chosen by the school selections either previously heard or selections from other sources Day 2: As chosen by the school selections either previously heard or selections from other sources Day 3: As chosen by the school selections either previously heard or selections from other sources Day 4: As chosen by the school selections either previously heard or selections from other sources.

30 Week 15 Composer: Georg Bizet ( ) Composition: Danse Boheme from Carmen Suite No. 2 Performance: St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Slatkin Recording: Telarc Sampler Volume 2 Telarc CD Day 1: This week, we will listen to Danse Boheme from Carmen Suite, No. 2 by Georg Bizet, a French composer. The Carmen Suite consists of orchestral music based on themes taken from Carmen, one of Bizet s most famous operas. In today s selection, we listen to one of the selections from the Suite, Danse Boheme. The word boheme means gypsy or vagabond. In the opera, Carmen is a beautiful gypsy girl. In one scene, Carmen and the gypsies engage in a frenzied dance at an inn in the Spanish city of Seville. Notice how the music becomes increasingly faster and louder as the gypsy s dance becomes more and more reckless and unrestrained. Day 2: This week, we are listening to Danse Boheme from Carmen Suite, No. 2 by the French composer, Georg Bizet. The opera Carmen is set in Seville, Spain. Carmen is a beautiful gypsy girl who falls tragically in love, first with a soldier and then with a bullfighter. In Danse Boheme, we first hear a soft mischievous-sounding theme called the Smuggler s Dance, a theme played twice by the flutes. Later, a second theme from a gypsy song is introduced. In the opera, Carmen sings this theme in which she boasts of her wild and carefree life as a gypsy. This theme is repeated four times, first by the clarinets, then the strings, the trumpets, and finally the entire orchestra. Can you hear these two district themes? Day 3: This week s featured listening selection is Danse Boheme from Carmen Suite, No. 2 by the French composer Georg Bizet. The music is derived from the opera Carmen. In this scene from the opera, Carmen, the beautiful, wild gypsy girl, is in an inn outside the Spanish city of Seville. Gypsy girls are dancing to a delightful tune called The Smuggler s Dance. Finally, we hear the orchestrated version of Carmen s theme on the joys of gypsy life. This gypsy theme is repeated four times. Listen as the music of the second theme becomes faster, louder, and wilder at each repetition.

31 Day 4: Today, we will listen to Danse Boheme from Carmen Suite, No. 2 by Georg Bizet. Dance Boheme has two themes. The first is called the Smuggler s Dance, a rather lively but soft dance and the second theme is taken from a scene from the opera Carmen. In this scene, Carmen sings of the delights and joys of a gypsy life. The lyrics of her lively song, written in a minor key, goes something like this: When the sound of a guitar float on the air, the gypsies spring forth in a merry dance. Tambourines beat in time with the music and every voice repeats a merry song. Day 5: This week, we have been listening to Danse Boheme from Carmen Suite, No. 2 by Georg Bizet. Georg Bizet was a French composer who was drawn to Spanish music and dance. Danse Boheme was taken from the opera Carmen, a tragic tale of a gypsy girl and the two men who fell in love with her. The opera was not a success after its first performance. Unfortunately, the composer Bizet died three months later at the age of 37. The opera is now one of the most famous and most loved operas of all time. Let us listen for the final time to the exuberant music of Danse Boheme.

32 Week 16 Composer: Johannes Brahms ( ) Composition: Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor Performance: Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado Recording: Claudio Abbado Conducts Deutsche Grammophon Day 1: The selection featured this week in the listening program is titled Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor by Johannes Brahms, a German composer. Brahms loved the minor melodies and irregular rhythms of gypsy music and Hungarian tunes. He collected this music and derived much of his work from popular folk tunes of his time. As we listen to this selection, note the wide variety of moods which range from sadness to carefree abandon. Day 2: Today, we will listen to Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor by Johannes Brahms. Brahms was a German composer who was known for writing more serious music. However, in 1853, when Brahms was only 20, he met a hot-tempered Hungarian violinist. Together, they embarked upon a concert tour throughout Europe. Brahms learned many Hungarian and gypsy tunes from his friend which he later integrated into his Hungarian Dances. Let us listen to this exuberant music. Day 3: The German composer Johannes Brahms composed this week s listening selection, Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor. Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor is developed from three melodies. The first is rather sad and agitated. The second is a lively melody in which rhythmic accents are placed on weak beats. The third theme is characterized by sudden changes in tempi and dynamics. Brahms ends with a repeat of the first melody. Each of these three melodies convey a different mood. Can you hear the three different sections of this music?

33 Day 4: The music selected for the listening program this week is entitled Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor by Johannes Brahms. The well-known German composer, Johannes Brahms, wrote 21 Hungarian Dances over a 17 year span. Originally written for piano, he later orchestrated the dances. The dances are characterized by syncopated rhythms, expressive melodies, and sudden contrasts in dynamics and tempo. In this selection, Brahms used three different melodies to create three different moods. As you listen today, try to recognize these three distinct melodies. Day 5: This week, we have been listening to Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor by the German composer, Johannes Brahms. Although much of Brahms music is serious and earnest, he enjoyed the vitality and freshness of folk music. He collected these folk tunes and set them in orchestral form so that future generations could also enjoy them. Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G Minor is an exciting piece of music, rich with many contrasts in tempi, dynamics, and mood.

34 Week 17 Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ( ) Composition: Symphony No. 40 in G Minor - Molto Allegro Performance: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl Bohm Recording: Deutsche Grammophon, Privilege Day 1: This week s featured selection is the Allegro Molto from Symphony No. 40 in G Minor written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In a six week period in 1788, during the most unhappy period of his life, Mozart wrote the last three of his 41 symphonies. The entire Allegro Molto section of the Symphony in G Minor is based on three note themes. You will hear them all used in the restless melody which opens this movement and becomes the basis of the entire Symphony. Day 2: The listening example this week is the Allegro Molto, the first movement from Symphony No. 40 in G Minor written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The restlessness of the opening melody of the movement is created in part by the great rhythmic activity of the melody itself and by the rapid tempo of the whole Allegro Molto section. Allegro Molto means very quickly and is the term used to describe the speed at which the piece is performed. It also becomes the name of the movement. Day 3: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote the Symphony No. 40 in G Minor in We will listen to the first movement Allegro Molto. When this Symphony was written, Mozart was in a very unhappy state. His mood is reflected in the music of the Allegro Molto through the restlessness of the themes and melodies created from the short, three note motifs. He also uses the technique of constantly changing the melody in subtle ways thus making it feel unsettled and emphasizing the mood of restlessness.

35 Day 4: Austrian composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, wrote the Symphony No. 40 in G Minor approximately 200 years ago. Our listening example this week is the first movement from that Symphony the Allegro Molto. Much of the music that was written when the Symphony in G Minor was composed was meant to be performed in the courts of wealthy people for entertainment. This Symphony is somewhat unusual because it was written by Mozart for performance at a public concert. Day 5: Today we will listen to the Allegro Molto from Mozart s Symphony No. 40 in G Minor for the last time. As you listen to the Symphony notice once again how the composer uses the technique of orchestral composition to create a strong feeling of restlessness in the music. As you listen to the music, remember that this piece was written near the end of Mozart s life when he was very poor, unhealthy and unhappy. Do you think the music communicates some feeling of the composer s unhappiness?