Please review the concert manners before the concert. This will help your students enjoy the concert more on their special day.

Transcription

1 Dear Teachers: This packet contains lesson plans with brief composer biographies that are designed to help you prepare your students for the Boulder Phil s Discovery Concert. Included in most lessons is a website address that will help you find out more about a specific topic. Every effort has been made to ensure that these listings are accurate and appropriate for children. We hope that the guide and YouTube links will be useful to both music and classroom teachers alike. Feel free to adapt or change the activities to suit the needs and abilities of your students. Please review the concert manners before the concert. This will help your students enjoy the concert more on their special day. The musicians of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra are looking forward to playing for you and your students. They know this can be a life changing experience! Sincerely, Nelli Gyulamiryan Education Intern Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra Dairy Center for the Arts 2590 Walnut St. Boulder, CO The Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra wishes to extend its sincerest thanks to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for contributing these materials.

2 Table of Contents Background Information: Meet Michael Butterman! Learn to Conduct! What is an orchestra? ELA Lesson Ideas: Elements of a Story Story Map More Story Ideas Learning about the composers and their works: Biography for Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov Lesson Plan for The Sea and Sinbad s Ship from Scheherazade Biography for Gioacchino Rossini Lesson Plan for Overture to William Tell Biography for Leonard Bernstein Lesson Plan for Mambo from West Side Story Biography for Hector Berlioz Lesson Plan for Symphonie Fantastique Additional Activities: The Romantic Period Composer Match-up Concert Manners (please review with students and all adult chaperones)

3 Meet Michael Butterman! Michael Butterman is in his seventh season as Music Director for the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. He conducts all of the concerts for young people, leads many other programs in the orchestra s season, and represents the organization in the community. Mr. Butterman is also in his 13 th season as Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the first position of its kind in the United States. Today he is recognized for his commitment to creative artistry, innovative programming, and audience and community engagement. Mr. Butterman began studying music at the age of seven. He took piano lessons beginning in the second grade, and added violin the next year. He enjoyed music so much that he became a violinist in the Northern Virginia Youth Symphony, and practiced piano for hours each day. He eventually entered and won several piano competitions when he was in high school. Although he loved music, he decided to concentrate on studies in chemistry when he was in college. He remained involved in music by playing piano for his school s choruses. One year, he was asked to conduct the choruses, and discovered how much he enjoyed working with other musicians to prepare concert programs. Mr. Butterman then decided to get some specialized training in conducting, and enrolled at Indiana University. He was offered a teaching position at Louisiana State University and lived in Baton Rouge for five years. Today, he lives in Louisiana with his wife, Jennifer (who plays violin) and daughter, Olivia.

4 Learn to Conduct! A conductor has many different responsibilities. S/he plans the music that the audience will hear, learns the different parts that each musician plays and decides how to interpret what the composer has written. The conductor uses each of her/his hands differently. With the right hand s/he keeps the beat with a specific pattern (see below), with the left hand, s/he communicates the expressive qualities of the music. Practice these conducting patterns with music!

5 What is an orchestra? Orchestral music is one of the glories of the world. Georg Solti ( ) In ancient Greece the orchestra was the space between the auditorium and the proscenium (or stage), in which the chorus and the instrumentalists were seated. This is how the modern orchestra got its name. In some theaters, like the Macky Auditorium, the orchestra is the area of seats directly in front of the stage (called "primafila" or "platea"); the term more properly applies to the place in a theater or concert hall set apart for the musicians. The modern symphony orchestra consists of around 20 different musical instruments. There are four main groups: Strings (violin, viola, cello, bass, and harp), Woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon) Brass (trumpet, horn, trombone and tuba), and Percussion (including the piano). Can you find all of them at the theater? The word philharmonic means love of music. Your orchestra is called the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra because it is located in the city of Boulder, Colorado and the person who started it loved music and recognized the value of having an orchestra in the community. If you were to start up a neighborhood or classroom orchestra, what would you call it? Think of special characteristics that you could include in the name.

6 Setting: Time: Place: Includes place, weather conditions, social conditions, mood or atmosphere. Characters: The person in a work of fiction and the characteristics of him/ her. It can be a person, an animal or thing. (Think of some of your favorite movies or books: Harry Potter, Charlotte s Web, A Bug s Life, Toy Story). A character is developed by thinking about what he says, what he does, what he thinks, what is said about him by other characters and what he says about himself. Problem/Conflict: Conflict can be external or internal. There are four kinds of conflict: Man vs. Man Man vs. Him/Herself Man vs. Circumstances Man vs. Society Plot: The series of events that the character goes through. The plot introduction, rising action, conflict and resolution. Resolution: How does the conflict get resolved? Is there a happy ending or a sad ending? Also consider the following two elements. Point of View: Who is telling the story? Theme: What is the central idea or belief of the story? 6

7 Use this guide with the various lesson plans to help you write a story. Begin by writing notes in each section Setting: Time: Place: Characters: Problem/Conflict: Plot/Events: Resolution: 7

8 Since the theme of the concert is music telling stories, it might be fun to try some of the ideas below. This is just a starting point; try some of your own. 1. Write a story along with a piece of music. 2. Improvise music along with a story that is being read. 3. Create a progressive story where each student contributes one line to the plot. 4. Draw a comic strip with each frame being part of the story. 5. Use clip art to create a storyboard. 6. Write a story based on another culture. 7. Create a story about how a composer was inspired to write one of the pieces we are studying. Use information you ve learned from the composer pages in this guide. 7. Bind all your activities in a storybook. 8

9 Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Николай Андреевич Римский-Корсаков Rimsky-Korsakov was a celebrated Russian composer and music teacher, his piece Scheherazade is considered one of the most popular orchestral works ever written. Rimsky-Korsakov was born on March 18, 1844 into a noble family who lived in St. Petersburg, Russia. As a boy he took piano lessons and became rather good. Soon, he began attending concerts and operas and his love of music grew. His piano teacher encouraged him to try writing his own music and she even taught him some of the basic rules. Despite his talents, Rimsky-Korsakov s parents thought that a music career was not a good choice for their son, so instead at age twelve, they had him attend the Russian Naval Academy in St. Petersburg. At age eighteen, he set off on a ship that sailed around the world. During his travels, Rimsky-Korsakov saw many different places whose images he later used in his compositions (for example: Scheherazade contains depictions of rolling, unpredictable sea). He started to compose his First Symphony, but while onboard he had little time for music and sadly, there weren t any instruments to play or other musicians to talk with. Luckily, when he returned home, Rimsky-Korsakov met a teacher who reminded him how important music really was, and also encouraged him to finish and perform his symphony. When he did, the audience was so surprised to see that the person who wrote the beautiful piece was such a young naval officer. In time, Rimsky-Korsakov left the Navy to focus only on composition. Soon he even became a professor of composition, where he taught many students who went on to become great musicians during their own lifetimes. Rimsky-Korsakov also worked hard to preserve Russian traditions at the school, and he remained a teacher there until his death at age sixty-four. Rimsky-Korsakov is considered to be one of the most influential Russian composers throughout history. In his writing, he enjoyed using fairy-tale subjects and melodies that sounded like folk tunes. Often times, he even borrowed sounds from the neighboring Chinese and Japanese cultures. He was also very talented at orchestration (the way a composer combines different instruments at once), and became quite famous for his imaginative blend of musical sounds.

10 Another unique characteristic of Rimsky-Korsakov is that he was affected by synesthesia: a condition where two or more of the senses are connected (for example, a particular sound might also have a color, smell, or taste). For each note Rimsky-Korsakov saw a specific color (E was sparkling sapphire ). Other people in history who were affected by synaesthia include: Van Gogh, Einstein, Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as composers Beethoven and Schubert.

11 Lesson Plan for Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Standards Addressed: Standard 3 Theory of Music 1. Application and demonstration of the use of more advanced dynamics, tempo, meter and articulation using appropriate music vocabulary 2. Identification of aural and visual notations of basic musical forms 3. Analyze vocal and instrumental examples 4. Identify and aurally recognize melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic patterns Performance Indicators: Students will: Through listening, analyze and evaluate performances, improvisations and compositions by identifying and comparing them with similar works and events. (3a) Use appropriate terms to reflect a working knowledge of social-musical functions and uses (appropriate choices of music for common ceremonies and other events). (3d) Objective: To prepare the students for the Boulder Phil Intermediate Concert To introduce the idea of a musical theme representing character(s) within a story To identify the instrument(s) that are used to create a character and describe why they are appropriate, using correct music vocabulary Materials: Picture and information about the composer Recordings of musical examples Story of Scheherazade Selection of percussion instruments, mural paper and markers Listening Repertoire: Scheherazade, Op. 35, 1st Mvmt. (The Sea and Sinbad s Ship) by Rimsky-Korsakov Harry Potter and the Sorcerer s Stone by John Williams Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev Theme from Star Wars by John Williams Cloudburst from Grand Canyon Suite by Ferde Grofé Prior Knowledge: Students will have prior knowledge of the following vocabulary: melody, harmony, texture, tonality and music and expression markings. Students will be familiar with the instrument families and the characteristic sound of each instrument.

12 Procedures: Review vocabulary words to enable the students to use them appropriately when analyzing the excerpts. Have available the recording of Peter and the Wolf to remind the students of the story if necessary. Assuming the students have been exposed to Peter and the Wolf, ask the students the following questions: When you hear the music representing the wolf, do you feel happy and playful or do you feel afraid and watchful? (afraid and watchful) Why? (Because of minor tonality and thick texture). What instrument portrays the bird and how do you know it is a bird? (Flute fluttering melodic line.) What character does the oboe represent? (Duck.) When the oboe is played faster and sounds frantic, what is going on in the story? (The wolf is chasing the duck.) Does the music help to tell the story? (Yes.) Play the recording Theme from Star Wars by John Williams and ask the students what kind of a story this music represents. Who are the characters? How do you know when Darth Vader is in the scene? Play the recording or printed excerpt of Fawkes The Phoenix from Harry Potter by John Williams. The introduction: Ask the students if they know where this music is from and what character is being introduced. Play the melody below, representing The Phoenix (falcon), to help them recognize that character. Play falcon s theme again and ask How do you know this music belongs to the falcon? (Music is soaring, flowing, smooth, like flying). Play the example of Hedwigs Theme: (The Owl) for character identification and discussion.

13 Tell the story of Scheherazade (see below) Play the musical example that represents the Sultan. What character does this theme represent? How do you know? (Instrumentation, music is played forte, sounds mean, minor tonality) Play the music that represents Scheherazade. Whom might this music represent in the story? Why? What instrument is playing this theme? One of the stories Scheherazade tells is The Sea and Sinbad s Ship. Play the first movement and ask the students to listen for the sound of the ocean, as well as the Sultan and Scheherazade Lesson Extensions: Play Cloudburst by Grofé and ask the students what they hear. (Thunderstorm) Discuss why it sounds like a storm. What instruments make the sound of the rain? thunder? wind? Using percussion instruments, have the students create a thunderstorm from its far off beginning to its very end. Have the students notate their composition (in any manner pictures, notes, symbols, etc.) Listen to the recording again while watching the student s notated composition. What are the similarities and differences? Their composition should follow the form of the recording. Indicators of success: Students are able to identify themes that represent characters in a musical story. Students are able to follow a musical story as a result of being able to recognizing the themes. Students display knowledge and appreciation of the music played by the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra while attending the concert. The Story of Scheherazade: Every day the king would marry a new young bride and every day he would send yesterday's wife to be beheaded. This was done in anger, having found out that his first wife was betraying him. He had killed three thousand wives by the time he was introduced to Scheherazade. Against her father's protestations, Scheherazade volunteered to spend one night with the King. Once in the King's chambers, Scheherazade asked if she might bid one last farewell to her beloved sister who had secretly been prepared to ask Scheherazade to tell a story during the long night. The King lay awake and listened with awe to Scheherazade's first story and asked for another, but Scheherazade said there wasn't time as dawn was breaking, and regretfully so, as the next story was even more exciting. And so the King kept Scheherazade alive as he eagerly anticipated each new story, until, one thousand and one adventurous nights, and three sons later, the King had not only been entertained, but wisely educated in morality and kindness by Scheherazade who became his Queen. (Adapted from

14 Gioachino Rossini On February 29, 1792 Gioachino Rossini was born into a musical family who lived on the coast of Italy. His father was a horn player and his mother, a singer. His parents taught him about music, and by age six he was playing the triangle in his father s band. Before long he was also singing, playing the piano and horn. At age fifteen Rossini started taking cello and music composition lessons. His teachers were terribly strict, which made him even more independent and creative despite them. He fell in love with the music of the famous German composers Haydn and Mozart, and his interest earned him the nickname The Little German. Rossini is best known for composing operas (which were very popular during his day), and was famous for his equal skill at writing tragedies as well as entertaining comedies. Two of his most famous operas are The Barber of Seville and Othello. Opera is an art form that began in Rossini s home country: Italy. Unlike a play, all of the words are sung, and most of the action on stage is shown through the music. Italian opera is particularly beautiful, decorative and elegant. Another of Rossini s operas; William Tell, became very popular at its first premiere. Although it is a great opera, today it is most known for its overture (the introduction), and is rarely heard in its entirety (the uncut version is over 4 hours long!). Charge announced by the trumpets. The overture to William Tell has four parts: Prelude - a slow passage with low voiced instruments such as cello and bass; Storm - a dynamic section played by full orchestra; Call to the Dairy Cows which features the English Horn; and Finale - the high energy Cavalry The theme of the Finale has become Rossini s most admired and well-known work. It has been featured in cell phone rings, TV shows and commercials, Looney Tunes cartoons and cowboy films. During his life, Rossini wrote more than thirty operas, and he wrote them all very quickly; sometimes even waiting until the last minute, and finishing them the day before opening night! In his spare time he wrote extra opera overtures, and then put the music in his cookie jar in his kitchen. When he began writing a new opera, he would pull out an overture at random and attach it to the work.

15 Besides music, Rossini s greatest gift was his gregarious personality; he loved life, and enjoyed being with people. He often hosted parties for others artists where he loved to cook and tell jokes. Rossini was born on a leap-year day, and on February 29, 1868 he decided to celebrate his 19 th Birthday (there had only been 19 leap years since his birth!). He was a very superstitious man, and ironically he died on Friday, November 13 of that same year.

16 Lesson Plan for Overture to William Tell by Gioachino Rossini Standards Addressed: Standard 3 Theory of Music 1. Application and demonstration of the use of more advanced dynamics, tempo, meter and articulation using appropriate music vocabulary 2. Identification of aural and visual notations of basic musical forms 3. Analyze vocal and instrumental examples 4. Identify and aurally recognize melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic patterns Performance Indicators: Students will: Through listening, analyze and evaluate performances, improvisations and compositions by identifying and comparing them with similar works. (3a) Use appropriate terms to reflect a working knowledge of the musical elements. (3b) Demonstrate a basic awareness of the technical skills musicians must develop to produce an aesthetically acceptable performance. (3c) Objective: To prepare the students for the Boulder Phil Intermediate Concert To create an awareness of how music creates a setting in a story or legend To identify the instrumentation, dynamics and tempi used to create various settings for a musical story To perform rhythmic patterns from listening selections by reading and clapping the notation. Materials: Picture and information about the composer Recordings of musical examples Listening Repertoire: William Tell Overture by Rossini Light Cavalry Overture by von Suppe Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back by John Williams March from Raiders of the Lost Ark by John Williams Prior Knowledge: Students will be familiar with the characteristic sound of each musical instrument and the instrument families. Students will be familiar with the terms tempo, dynamics and timbre.

17 Students will have prior knowledge of the form of music opera and the function of an overture in an opera. The students will have knowledge of note and rest values including eighths and sixteenths in and time. Procedures: Play a recording of Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back by John Williams. Have the students use their imagination to create the setting for a story. Ask the students to describe how the instruments are used in creating the setting. Does the rhythmic pattern suggest anything? (Marching into danger, mystery, suspense, etc.) What instruments are creating the rhythmic figure? Play the recording of March from Raiders of the Lost Ark by John Williams. Ask the students to describe the setting for this music, listing the instruments used in the rhythmic pattern and well as the tempo. Play the recording of the Overture to William Tell by Rossini. Review the function of an overture in an opera. Begin with the rhythmic brass figure. (Lone Ranger Theme). Ask the student to describe the setting for this music. What does the rhythmic figure make you think of? (galloping horses) Tell the students about the Lone Ranger and the theme music. Lesson Extensions: (Optional) Play the recording of Light Cavalry Overture by von Suppe. Begin about 2:10 minutes into the recording. What kind of setting does this music suggest? (galloping horses) What instruments are playing the melody? (trumpets) To what family do they belong? (brass) Copy the rhythmic patterns below onto the chalkboard. Do not identify the examples for the students. Are these patterns the same? How are they different? (time signature). Review note values and counting for the example. Do the same for the example. Ask the students to clap the rhythmic figures. Ask the students to identify the examples. ( William Tell and Light Cavalry ). Play the recordings again if necessary to help the students to recognize the patterns. Follow the patterns with the recording. Does the choice of instrumentation make a difference in creating a setting for a story?

18 Indicators of success: Students are able to use their imaginations to visualize a setting or scene in the music created by various musical instruments Students are able to identify the instruments used to create the setting using proper musical vocabulary Students use proper musical vocabulary to describe the techniques used by the instruments to create the setting dynamics, tempo, timbre, etc. Students exhibit proper concert etiquette and appreciation while attending the Boulder Philharmonic concert. Link Up!

19 Leonard Bernstein A dynamic and captivating musician, Leonard Bernstein symbolized the 20th Century American: energetic, passionate, intellectual and mindful of (but not held back by) tradition. He linked classical music with popular music in a very unique and American way. piano. Bernstein was born in Massachusetts on August 25, His father was a business man, who often enjoyed taking his son to orchestra concerts. One time, they saw a particular piano performance so fascinating that Leonard Bernstein became determined to learn how to play. He began taking piano lessons, and loved all kinds of popular and classical music. Later he even went to college to study conducting, music composition and Throughout history, few great composers have also been such talented conductors, but by age 27, Bernstein leapt into public fame when he filled in for the conductor of the N.Y. Philharmonic, who had fallen ill only a few hours before the performance. The concert was broadcast over the radio, and Bernstein was so talented and confident that he immediately became an important man in the music world. His first performance was the beginning of one of the most extraordinary careers in American music. While he was conductor of the N.Y. Philharmonic, he created a series of educational TV programs for children. He had a special way of speaking with an audience, and was very eager to share his knowledge with others, especially young musicians. These programs were called, Young People s Concerts, and they gave audiences an opportunity to discover and explore exciting classical music along with Bernstein. In time, Bernstein was in-demand all over the world! He had the honor of directing not only the N.Y. Philharmonic, but he was also invited to conduct orchestras in London, Vienna, Japan and Israel. But at age 48, Bernstein stepped down from his conducting positions in order to spend more time on composing. Leonard Bernstein wrote some tremendously popular Broadway musicals such as West Side Story (which is based on the classic story of two people who fall in love despite their very different families). Bernstein loved catchy complex rhythms and because of this, the show West Side Story had more dancing than any previous Broadway musical. During his lifetime, Bernstein received many honors and awards, recording over 300 albums and receiving 16 Grammy Awards. What he treasured most though, was learning.

20 Lesson Plan for Mambo from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein Standards Addressed: Standard 2 Creation of Music (in lesson extensions) 2. Notate simple musical selections Standard 3 Theory of Music 1. Application and demonstration of the use of more advanced dynamics, tempo, meter and articulation using appropriate music vocabulary 2. Identification of aural and visual notations of basic musical forms 3. Analyze vocal and instrumental examples Standard 4 Aesthetic Valuation of Music 1. Explain personal preferences for specific music 2. Comprehend and respect the musical values of others considering cultural context as an element of musical evaluation and meaning. Performance Indicators: Students will: Demonstrate appropriate listening and other participatory responses to music of a variety of genres and cultures. (Music 2e) Use appropriate terms to reflect a working knowledge of the musical elements. (Music 3b) Use terminology from music and other arts to analyze and compare the structures of musical and other artistic and literary works. (Music 3f) Imitate various experiences through pantomime, play making, dramatic play, story dramatization, storytelling, role playing, improvisation, and guided play writing. (Theater 1b) Objective: To help students understand how to utilize musical elements (instrumentation, tempo, and dynamics) to create a certain mood and/or set a scene with music. To teach students to interpret their own story from the listening selection after analyzing its musical elements. Materials: Various recordings of different types of music DVD (or videotape) of West Side Story, cued to the clip of the Mambo scene Handout with listening chart and compare/contrast diagram Drawing papers Crayons, colored pencils, or markers Boulder Phil Prep CD Listening Repertoire: Mambo from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein

21 Procedure: This lesson could be done over two or three days. Preparatory exercise: Listen to five selections of different types of music. Ask students to listen for mood. Ask them to give you adjectives (scary, sad, exciting, quiet, agitated) that describe the mood they hear. Ask them to tell you what elements of the music contributed to them feeling a certain way. You may also ask them to make appropriate creative movements that demonstrate the mood they hear as they listen to the selections. Introduction: Now ask your students to imagine that they are a composer. Say, If you wanted to create a piece of music that sounds exciting, describe the music you would write. Give students time to share answers. Ask, How would this music change if you wanted your music to sound scary? Or sad? As students share answers, lead the discussion to talk about the musical elements of instrumentation, tempo and dynamics. 2. Introduce the listening selection: When you begin, do NOT tell your students the name of the piece or that it is from the show West Side Story. Show them the chart at the top of the handout. Tell them you will play a new piece of music two times. Instruct the students to fill in the chart as they listen. After they have had time to fill in their chart, divide the students into small groups of 3-4 so they can discuss their answers. As a class, let students share their answers and discuss what they heard in the music that led them to feel a certain mood after listening. 1. Interpreting their own story: Give the students a piece of drawing paper and crayons, markers, or colored pencils. As you play Mambo again, let the students individually draw a scene that comes to their mind. Remind them to think about the answers that they wrote on the chart and how the musical elements may influence the scene. You may play the listening selection a few times depending on how much the students need to hear. 2. Share their scenes: Let the students share their artwork and discuss what they heard in the music that led them to draw this scene. 3. Watch the Mambo scene from West Side Story: Give the students a short synopsis and background of the scene in West Side Story before showing it. 4. Compare/Contrast: Using the chart given on the handout, have the students compare and contrast their own scenes to the actual scene that was intended for this music. Discuss with the students any similarities and differences. Ask the students if there was anything that surprised them in the scene or the music. 7. Closure: Give the students a few minutes at the end to write a short journal response to today s lesson. (This can be done right on the back of their drawings if you wish). Ask them to answer the following questions: What musical elements can a composer use to create the mood for his/her piece? What musical element (if any) do you think is the most effective for creating mood? Do you think Leonard Bernstein was successful at creating the mood he wanted for the Mambo scene. What did you hear that makes you say that?

22 Lesson Extensions: (Optional) 1. To further this idea of compositional choices to create a mood and set a scene, follow the same steps outlined in this lesson with a different piece of music. 2. Try some movement! Learn some simplified mambo steps and teach them to your students to perform with this piece. 3. After they share their artwork with their classmates, divide the students into groups of 3 or 4 and ask them to choose one person s drawing to create as a tableau vivant (see below) or a brief scene (with dialogue and action). 4. Identify some of the specific percussion instruments in Mambo. Have your students create their own percussion accompaniments (it can be as simple as an ostinato) to perform with the piece. Link Up!

23 Handout INSTRUMENTS DYNAMICS TEMPO MOOD YOUR STORY BERNSTEIN S STORY

24 Hector Berlioz Berlioz was born in France on December 11, 1803, and although he learned to play the flute and guitar as a young boy, he never became skilled at any instrument. When Berlioz was eighteen, he was sent to medical school to become a doctor just like his father, but despite his father's wishes, he left the school to study music composition instead. Even as a child Berlioz experienced his emotions deeply, and his honesty and wild imagination often set him at odds with the rest of the world. So when he fell in love with an actress named Miss Harriet Smithson, he became quite infatuated with her. Berlioz strongly believed that music could represent real emotions like love (or the sadness of not being loved in return), and in his most famous work Symphonie Fantastique, he symbolized just that. Unlike other pieces that are enjoyed simply as music, this piece tells a story and Berlioz is its main character. Symphonie Fantastique is divided into five movements, each having something in common: Berlioz s daydreams of the lovely Miss Smithson represented as a melody or musical theme. As he realizes that she does not love him in return, his lonely thoughts turn into a bizarre and scary nightmare (as heard in the music of the fifth movement). Through his music Berlioz attempted to create moods and express emotions. Berlioz was very interested in books, and the stories of many writers inspired his own work. He was a good writer himself, and published many articles in music journals, and wrote books on his composition and orchestration techniques (the way a composer combines different instruments to create unique sounds). During his lifetime Berlioz was criticized by many people from his own country for being too unusual or eccentric. He often had a hard time getting the public to come to his concerts, and was appreciated The Violin: It is the orchestra's much more by people in other countries; where he was real feminine voice, passionate known more as a conductor than a and innocent, heart-rending and composer. He liked his performances to be gentle; it can weep, cry and very big and grand one of his concerts had lament, or it can sing, pray and 1,200 musicians! With so many performers, dream, or it can break out in Berlioz hired five other conductors to follow him and joyful strains, like no other help lead the orchestra. instrument. -from his book on orchestration The prevailing qualities of my music are passion, expressiveness, inner fire, rhythmic drive, and unexpectedness. Above all, the sound of Berlioz's music is unique; it includes abrupt contrasts, fluctuating dynamics, many changes in tempo, and is always exciting!

25 Lesson Plan for Dance of the Witches Sabbath from Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz Standards Addressed: Standard 1 Expression of Music 2. Perform a variety of rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic patterns 3. Perform extended melodies from the treble staff using traditional notation Standard 3 Theory of Music 1. Application and demonstration of the use of more advanced dynamics, tempo, meter and articulation using appropriate music vocabulary 2. Identification of aural and visual notations of basic musical forms Standard 4 Aesthetic Valuation of Music 1. Explain personal preferences for specific music 2. Comprehend and respect the musical values of others considering cultural context as an element of musical evaluation and meaning. Performance Indicators: Students will: Play alone/together a short excerpt from notation, with a good tone, pitch, duration and loudness (1b) Demonstrate appropriate listening and other participatory responses to music (2e) Use terminology from music and other arts to analyze and compare the structures of musical and other artistic and literary works (3f) Objective: Students will use descriptive words to gain understanding of this particular composition. Students will become familiar with the compositional technique of orchestration through active listening and discussion. Students will identify elements of music. Materials: CD player Transparencies of Atmosphere and Emotions sheets (see supplemental pages) Listening for Mood handout (included) Mallet Instruments Notation of Dies irae (included) Listening Repertoire: Dance of the Witches Sabbath from Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz Vocabulary: Dynamics: degrees of loudness and softness; common markings are the Italian words piano (soft), forte (loud) and crescendo (gradually increasing in volume from soft to loud)

26 Col legno: striking the strings with the wooden part of the bow instead of with the hair Tremolo: quick and continuous sound on a strings instrument, produced by an up-and down movement of the bow on a single note; creates a trembling effect Pizzicato: plucking of strings with fingers Preparatory Activity: Set up mallet instruments throughout the classroom. Devise a strategy so all students learn and play the Dies irae theme on a mallet instrument. Notation of the theme is included in the teacher guide. Please transfer this to your chalkboard or make a transparency of the music. Teach the students the Dies irae main theme first. Play the theme 3 times. Explain that the composer uses rhythmic variations of this theme in the composition. Each variation had a different rhythm but the same notes. Teach the students to play rhythmic variation 1 and rhythmic variation 2. What do the students notice about the variations? Is the rhythm quicker or slower? Explain to the students that the Dies irae theme means Day of Wrath and that this theme is used in the piece they are going to listen to today. Other composers have used this theme in their works also. (Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Verdi and Saint-Saëns for example.) As you start the bulk of the lesson plan remind students to keep their ears open for the Dies irae theme and raise their hand when they hear the theme. Procedure: Have the students to get ready to listen to the beginning of the piece. (The room has to be especially quiet because the beginning of the piece is soft.) Play Dance of the Witches Sabbath from Symphonie Fantastique. Make sure to only play one minute forty-three seconds (1:43) of the piece. Play the example for the students again and ask the students to listen for the kind of atmosphere/mood the composer is setting for the listener. Ask students to share their thoughts on the atmosphere and mood of the opening. Ask the students, How does the composer give us this impression? Possible answers include: o Dynamics: starts off very quiet and then crescendos and then is quite loud o Pizzicato: plucking of strings with fingers o How the composers uses the instruments. For example, the woodwinds are very haunting and almost sound like wind howling in the night. Play the opening for the students again and have them listen for the violins. The violins play what is called tremolo. Define tremolo for the students. Ask students, Does it sound like trembling? Play the introduction again and have the students raise their hands when they hear the pizzicato, tremolo and the woodwinds haunting sound. Tell students that they will be listening to the fifth movement of Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz and that we are interested in what the music is saying to us about the mood and emotions of the piece. A comment made by the music scholar Jeffrey Langford

27 states, he (Berlioz) made clear that it was never his intention to paint pictures or tell stories in music, but rather to explore emotions. Give background information on the composer. The piece Symphonie Fantastique has five movements and takes the listener on a journey of the visions of an artist. This artist has quite an imagination! Give the Listening for Mood handout to the students and explain that you will listen through this movement, which is the artist s final vision. In the boxes the students write down words to describe the mood and emotions of each section of the movement. Listen to the introduction of the piece and have students write down descriptive words. (see timing below on table) Section Timing Introduction (listen for bells tolling) 0:00-3:20 Beginning-Dies Irae 3:21-5:11 Middle-Rondu du Sabbat 5:12-8:05 End-Dies Irae and Rondu du Sabbat 8:06-9:58 Discuss the descriptive words they came up with and then again ask, What was it about the music that gave you this impression? Ask students if they heard the bells tolling. Now listen to the rest of the piece and ask students to fill out the rest of the handout. Show the mood words and the emotion words where students can see them. You can make them into overhead transparencies and project them for the class. They can refer to these lists as they listen to the piece. (Ask students if they know what all the words mean. If not, give a short explanation.) Decide if you want to do it by sections or the whole piece (see table above). Discuss the students ideas. What in the music gave the students their impression? Point out that music can give many different impressions to different people. No one answer is right! One other compositional technique to introduce to the students is col legno. Define col legno for the students. Play the piece starting at 8:36 to give example of col legno. Remind students to watch the violins and violas during the concert to see the musicians using the stick of the bow instead of the hair. Lesson Extension: (Optional) please use your discretion Read Synopsis (written by Berlioz) Dream of a witches' sabbath He (the artist) sees himself at a witches sabbath, in the midst of a hideous gathering of shades, sorcerers and monsters of every kind who have come together for his funeral. Strange sounds, groans, outbursts of laughter; distant shouts which seem to be answered by more shouts. The beloved melody appears once more, but has now lost its noble and shy character; it is now no more than a vulgar dance tune, trivial and grotesque: it is she who is coming to the sabbath Roar of delight at her arrival The funeral knell tolls, burlesque parody of the Dies irae, the dance of the witches. The dance of the witches combined with the Dies irae. (

28 Link Up!

29

30 Listening for Mood Name: Date: Write down words to describe the atmosphere and emotions of each section. Introduction Beginning Middle End

31 Moods/Atmosphere

32 Emotions

33 e omantic music began in Europe during the early 1800s and continued until the beginning of the 1900s. It was preceded by the Classical period, and followed by the 20th Century. Literature and art also experienced such a Romantic Period, and, like musicians, writers and artists also believed that certain things in the world could only be understood through emotion and feeling, and they strove to increase emotional expression in their work. Music from the Romantic Period does not necessarily evoke images of a soft or dreamy atmosphere. Instead the term Romantic applies to the characteristics of a composer s particular style. For instance, Romantic composers began using harmony in ways previous composers had never done before; they started to create more dissonance (tension) in their music, expanded their palate of harmonies and arranged commonly used chords, or groups of notes in new ways. They also focused on making the melody more interesting, and some composers even began telling stories through their music. In addition, composers were inspired by the poetry of their time and they often set these poems to music for piano and voice. Soon, many people could enjoy singing and playing these songs in their own homes. As the musical trends progressed, so did technology, and instruments (specifically, the woodwinds) were improving and becoming easier to play with a broader range. This enabled composers to push musicians to new limits and be more original or creative in their own compositions. Directions: Add in the names and dates of each featured composer in order on the timeline below: 1.) Beethoven is composing The Romantic Period Jazz Modern Music Ben Franklin 1789 French Revolution American Revolution 1811 Latin American War of Independence from Spain 3.) 1828 First US railroad 4.) 1839 First bicycle 1841 Saxophone invented Charles Dickens is writing 1861 President Lincoln and the Civil War 5.) 1889 The Eiffel Tower is built in France Color photographs, the telephone, the phonograph, and the electric light bulb are all invented 6.) 1914 WWI 1939 WWII 1969 First man on the moon 1981 First personal computer 40

34 Use the information from the Composer Focus pages to match each composer with the correct identity below! Villa-Lobos Rimsky-Korsakov Saint-Saëns Rossini Bernstein Berlioz 1.) Both a talented composer and conductor, he wrote a famous Broadway musical and conducted many great orchestras worldwide. His Young People s Concerts also helped him to share music with children. 4.) He held a position in the navy, and composed his Symphony No. 1 while sailing around the world. Some of the sights he saw during his journeys were even used in his later compositions. He enjoyed using folk melodies in his music; often borrowing from both his own country and from others as well. 2.) Growing up, he was immersed in the traditional music of his own people. He collected folk songs and later added the rhythm and spirit of these unique sounds into his own compositions. 5.) This composer truly believed that music could represent real emotions like love, sadness or fear. He was very interested in books, and is famous for telling his own stories through his compositions. 3.) In both his performances and compositional style, this man was truly elegant. His very strong opinions about music often made him seem a bit of a grouch. One of his most famous pieces is called Carnival of the Animals. 6.) As he is most known for his operas, this composer could write both a comedy or a tragedy with equal talent and flare. The overture to one of his operas, William Tell, is often used on TV and remains well-known to this day. 41

35 Concert Manners Going to a concert may be a new experience for your students. The following guidelines will help them and those around them enjoy the concert more fully. Concert manners begin the moment your bus drives up to the Macky Auditorium. A volunteer will lead you from your bus to the Theater. You will be asked to walk in a single-file line to your seating area. Please stay together. After you are shown to your seats, all teachers and students are asked to remain seated. When people are standing and talking in the aisles, it takes us much longer to het everyone seated. At this time, you ll notice the musicians warming up onstage. Just as an athlete before a big game, the musicians have to, also. Watch them to see if they do anything you don t expect. Then the lights will go down and you ll know the concert is about to start. When the concertmaster walks onstage, clap enthusiastically! He will help the orchestra tune. After the concertmaster sits down, your conductor, Michael Butterman, will walk onstage. Again, clap loudly for Maestro Butterman and the musicians. Then get ready to listen! While the music is playing, listen and watch carefully. Think about things you learned from the lessons in this packet. Keep your hands to yourself and do your best to sit still. Sometimes Maestro Butterman might ask the audience a question. This is your turn to add to the concert experience! Please answer him so he knows you are listening. When he turns to face the musicians, you should be silent and get ready to listen actively again. If a neighbor is talking, try to ignore them, or quietly get the attention of your teacher. After the orchestra plays the last piece, someone will walk onstage and give a brief closing comment and begin dismissing you. When you leave to find your bus, please stay together in a single-file line. On your way back to school, talk to your friends about what you saw and heard. Tell them your favorite piece and ask them what their favorite piece was. Maybe your teacher will quiz you on instrumental families! You can write a letter to the Boulder Philharmonic when you arrive back in your classroom. Be sure and tell your parents about the concert when you get home. Please share this information with all adult chaperones. No audio or video recording and no photography (flash or otherwise) No food or drink (exceptions are made for diabetic students or teachers)