THE DAYTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA NEAL GITTLEMAN, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PATRICK REYNOLDS, CONDUCTOR Young People s Concert Musical Mysteries October 18, 2018 New! Access concert music on the YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=pligxgvgdrwb_afcbacnxrpbsnfpkoior6 https://bit.ly/2n7kzyw
THE DAYTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA NEAL GITTLEMAN, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PATRICK REYNOLDS, CONDUCTOR October 18, 2018 9:30 and 11:20 a.m. Musical Mysteries The Star-Spangled Banner Overture to The Magic Flute John Stafford Smith (1750 1836) arr. Custer words by Francis Scott Key Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 1791) Double Bass Concerto No. 2 in B minor, Mvmt 1 Giovanni Bottesini Mitchell Ballester, Bass, Concerto Competition Winner (1821 1889) The Composer Is Dead Nathaniel Stookey Paul Helfrich, narrator (b. 1970) The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Young People s Concerts are supported by Charles D. Berry, Catherine and Stephen Hone, Raymond and Susan Merz; the Charles E. Hoffman Fund of The Dayton Foundation, with additional support from The Troy Foundation, Community Foundation for Kettering, and Vectren.
Dear Educator, Welcome to the October 18, 2018 Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Young People s Concert, Musical Mysteries. At this concert, students will become musical detectives as they learn to uncover the secrets and hidden messages in music. They will even become better listeners in the process! This concert will explore the musical evidence that composers, musicians, and conductors leave to send us a message. The audience will discover, observe and investigate the evidence as they become Concert Scene Investigators. This theme will be explored both at the concert performance and in these concert preparation materials. These program notes and listening suggestions are created to assist music specialists and classroom teachers in preparing their students for the concert experience. Please feel free to copy these materials to share with other teachers in your building who will attend the concert. You may also download these materials from the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance s website, www.daytonperformingarts.org. From the homepage, select Education in the top menu bar, then Field Trip Programs, and then Intermediate Grades. The teacher notes contain information about the composers and their music, as well as ideas for integrating this information across the curriculum. The activities are meant to be used in the regular classroom, as well as the music classroom, and do not require familiarity with the music. We hope these ideas will help provide an enjoyable and enriching experience for students and teachers. There are track references to music excerpts throughout these notes; these are available at the following Youtube Link: Full URL: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=pligxgvgdrwb_afcbacnxrpbsnfpkoior6 Shortened URL: https://bit.ly/2n7kzyw Can t wait to see you at the concert in October! Ruth Reveal Director of Education Dayton Performing Arts Alliance Program Objective: To explore the art of listening as an activity that is critical to the understanding and appreciation of music and to all learning in general. This concert theme and the information in these notes reinforce Ohio Academic Content Standards in Fine Arts, Language Arts, and Science.
About the Conductor Patrick Reynolds, Associate Conductor Birthplace: Baton Rouge, Louisiana yes, I was born in a baton town! First Music lesson: I first began piano lessons at 6 with my mother, in 4 th grade I started the cello, and by the time the school band was available to me, I really wanted to join, so I started trumpet. Instruments I play: Trumpet and piano I became a conductor because: I enjoy the possibilities that exist making music with large groups of people, and I m crazy about the music. My job as a conductor is: Sir Adrian Boult said that the most important thing for a conductor was to see that everyone is happy and comfortable I think there s a lot of wisdom in that. Favorite food: Crab cakes Favorite childhood book: Poetry and humor What I like to do in my spare time: Sail, read a good newspaper in a good coffee shop anywhere
Listening as an Activity Listening just what is it? Is there a difference between hearing and listening? According to the Encarta Dictionary, the word hear means To listen to somebody or something. To understand fully by listening attentively. The same dictionary defines the word listen as: To make a conscious effort to hear. To pay attention to something and to take it in account. Webster s Collegiate Dictionary states that hear does not necessarily imply attention or application and that listen always does. So what do the definitions of these two words tell us? Can we hear but not actually listen? Can we listen and not actually hear? Compare and contrast these two words. List examples of each. For example, do you always listen to your teacher s instructions? Do you hear them? In the concert Musical Mysteries, our conductor, Dr. Patrick Reynolds, has chosen to compare listening to music with being a good musical detective. Good listening often involves our eyes as well as our ears, just as good detectives use both their eyes and ears to look for evidence. What do detectives do? They look for clues and look for evidence. They identify suspects. They collect information to have a clear understanding of what has happened. They solve the mystery of the crime. So what does all of this have to do with going to a concert? Well, many of us think going to a concert is an inactive experience where we just sit quietly to hear the music. But there is much more to it, and good musical detectives can uncover many different clues through active listening that will uncover the wonders of a live orchestra performance. Good musical detectives become great listeners! What makes a good musical detective? Musical detectives closely observe what is happening on the stage and ask these basic questions: What s going on here? Who s involved? Who did what? What is all of this music about? What is this music telling me? Vocabulary conductor hear listen orchestra
The Star-Spangled Banner John Stafford Smith (1750 1836) (arr. Custer) Words by Francis Scott Key (1779 1843) The Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the United States of America. This patriotic song traditionally opens the first concert of each orchestra season. Since this is the first Young People s Concert of the season, Dr. Reynolds will invite the audience to stand and sing The Star-Spangled Banner with the orchestra. Our national anthem was created during the War of 1812. During this war between Great Britain and the United States, the British fleet attacked Fort McHenry, which protected the city of Baltimore. On September 13, 1814, Francis Scott Key visited the British fleet in Chesapeake Bay to ask for the release of his friend Dr. William Beanes, who had been captured after the burning of Washingto, D.C. He was held so that he could not pass on any warning about the Fort McHenry attack. The British admiral released Dr. Beanes but told Key that they could not leave until after the coming battle. At sunset the British sailors told the Americans to look well on their flag, for by morning it would no longer fly over Fort McHenry. All during the night Francis Scott Key watched the battle. Whenever the sky was lit by the shells exploding over the bay, he looked for the American flag waving over the fort. As long as the flag still flew, he knew that Fort McHenry had not been taken. As the sun rose Key looked through the early morning fog. There, flying over the fort was the American flag. The British had failed to take Baltimore. Key was so moved by the sight that he took an old envelope from his pocket and began writing these words: "Oh, say can you see..." The day after his return to Baltimore, Key's poem was printed as a flyer under the name "Defense of Fort McHenry and passed out all over the city. Two days later it was set to the tune of a popular song of the times, To Anacreon in Heaven, composed by the English composer John Stafford Smith. Within a week the song was being heard as far away as New Orleans. The Star-Spangled Banner became the official national anthem of the U.S. on March 3, 1931. Of course, The Star-Spangled Banner wasn t originally written for an orchestra to perform. You will hear an arrangement (a reworking of the melody for orchestra instruments to play) by Calvin Custer.
At the concert the audience will sing the national anthem with the orchestra. Make sure that you know the words and understand the meaning of each line! Oh, say can you see, by the dawn s early light, What so proudly we hail d at the twilight s last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight O er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming. And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O er the land of the free and the home of the brave? Do This: Make a list of all the events where you have heard the national anthem performed. What is the purpose of playing this song at these events? Listen to the Star Spangled Banner on Track 1 of the playlist and practice singing along! Do you know these facts? 1. In what year was The Star-Spangled Banner adopted as the official national anthem? 2. Who wrote the words? 3. Who wrote the music? 4. Why was The Star-Spangled Banner written? Vocabulary patriotic song arranger, arrangement (in music)
Overture to The Magic Flute (1791) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 1791) About the Composer What were you doing when you were 6 years old? At this young age, Mozart had already toured the major cities of Europe for two years, performing as a child prodigy on the piano and violin. Leopold Mozart, the ultimate stage father, wrote of his son: The boy will play a concerto on the violin, accompany symphonies on the piano, completely cover the keyboard of the piano with a cloth and play as well as if he had the keyboard under his eyes; he will accurately name any notes that are sounded for him singly or in chords; on the piano or any imaginable instrument. Finally, he will improvise (make up music on the spot) not only on the piano, but also on the organ. As a child prodigy, Mozart was on the road giving concerts and showing off his amazing talent all through Europe. It seems there was nothing in music that he could not do better than anyone else. He could compose a complicated piece while thinking of another one in his head, read perfectly at sight any piece of music put in front of him, or hear a long piece of music for the first time and write it down note for note! He wrote his first composition when he was only six years old. Mozart wrote over 600 works in his brief lifetime! Twelve of them were operas. Mozart was especially interested in opera and wrote his first one when he was thirteen years old. The Magic Flute was composed in 1791. The Mozart family on tour: Leopold, Wolfgang, and Nannerl, his sister. Watercolor by Carmontelle, ca. 1763 Discuss this: What is a child prodigy? What would it be like to be a prodigy? What would be the advantages and the disadvantages? Can you think of any contemporary child prodigies? What is an opera, and what is an overture? An opera is a story in which all the words are sung and that is accompanied by an orchestra. An overture is the orchestral introduction to an opera.
About the Music The Magic Flute - A Very Brief Overview of a Very Complicated Story The story is a classic fairy tale. An evil Knight (Sarasatro) captures a beautiful princess (Pamina) whose mother (Queen of the Night) hires a young prince (Tamino) and a bird-like creature (Papageno) to go to her rescue. The queen gives Tamino a magic flute whose sounds will keep them safe when they run into trouble. Of course they do indeed run into trouble, but when Tamino plays the magic flute, all of the bad guys are frozen in place until the queen s guards can arrive to escort the heroes and Pamina back to the castle. There is a big celebration, Tamino and Pamina get married, and they live happily ever after. Do This: Can you retell this brief story in your own words without looking at the printed page? Vocabulary opera composer overture prodigy This overture gives the audience clues about the story of the opera. Listen to Track 2, 0:00 0:55. Which character briefly described in the overview above do you think this music might describe? Why did you choose this character? What character might be described in the music on Track 2, 1:43-2:43? Describe how these two musical examples are different. Which excerpt sounds mysterious? Actually, there is a mystery in the overture. Mozart belonged to an organization called the Freemasons and to get into their meetings members had to know a secret knock. Mozart included a theme in this overture which was meant to sound like this signal. The pattern is short long long Listen to Track 2, 3:47-4:14. How many times do you hear this knocking pattern repeat? Be Creative: Create a short play based on the brief description of The Magic Flute story above. Add sound effects, using body sounds and found sounds in your classroom to describe the characters and to enhance the action. What types of sounds would illustrate the serious and mysterious music? What types of sounds would illustrate the more humorous and lighthearted music?
Double Bass Concerto No. 2 in B minor, Mvmt 1 Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889) About the Composer Giovanni Bottesini was an Italian composer, conductor, and double bass player. Bottesini was known as a virtuoso, which means he was highly skilled in music. He began studying violin and wanted to attend the Milan Conservatory, but he had to earn a scholarship in order to attend. There were only two scholarship positions open: double bass and bassoon. In just a few weeks, Bottesini prepared to audition on the double bass and got the scholarship! In addition to his talents on the bass, Bottesini also composed and conducted many operas. Sometimes he would even bring his bass on stage during intermission to play! In Bottesini s lifetime, he wrote 12 operas, 16 orchestral works, over 40 solo works for double bass, and many duets, chamber pieces, piano solos, and vocal works. He was was a busy guy! About the Double Bass The double bass is the largest and lowestpitched bowed string instrument in the orchestra. The double bass can be played with the bow (arco) or plucked with fingers (pizzicato). A full-size double bass is 75 inches (over 6 feet) tall! Try measuring yourself to see how tall the double bass is compared to you! About the Music A concerto is a piece of music written for a solo instrument and orchestra. Often the music sounds like a conversation. Sometimes the solo instrument is the star, sometimes the orchestra is the center of attention, and sometimes they both speak together. Listen to Track 3, 0:44-1:25 as the bassist plays the main theme of the piece. He will play it twice can you sing along?
About the Soloist Mitchell Ballester won the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra David L. Pierson Young Musicians Concerto Competition last spring. He won a cash prize and the opportunity to perform with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra at a Young People s Concert. Congratulations, Mitchell! Hailing from Dayton Ohio, Mitchell is a seventeen year-old double bassist and active member of the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra. This year, Mitchell was inducted into the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). During the 2018 summer, he toured Asia with NYO-USA, performing in Taiwan, China, and South Korea under the baton of conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. During the 2016 and 2017 summers, Mitchell attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, a music institute located in Lenox, Massachusetts. At this institute, he performed a number of concerts with the Young Artists Orchestra and participated with several chamber ensembles, receiving instruction from Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians and several of the nation s preeminent conductors. Mitchell has participated in the 2016, 2017, and 2018 Ohio All-State Orchestra conventions. He currently studies the bass with Mrs. Debbie Taylor, principle bassist in the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and formerly studied with Mr. Matt Holt in Cincinnati. Mitchell also works at a sushi restaurant, and in his spare time he enjoys going to parks, running, and birdwatching. His musical inspirations are Edgar Meyer, Nico Muhly, the Foo Fighters, and his teacher Mrs. Debbie Taylor. Imagine This: What would it be like as a teenager to be a solo performer on the Schuster Center stage with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra? Mitchell is sure to be a little nervous, so remember that the audience can support him and help him play his very best by listening very quietly and showing appreciation at the end of his performance with enthusiastic applause! As you listen at the concert: 1. Is this music mostly fast or mostly slow? 2. Does the mood of the piece stay the same or change? 3. Does the orchestra even get to show off or is it only the soloist?
The Composer Is Dead (2006) Nathaniel Stookey (b. 1970) Narration by Lemony Snicket (b. 1970) About the Composer Nathaniel Stookey was born and raised in San Francisco, California, where he studied violin and composition. His very first piece premiered when he was only 17 years old. In the same year he was invited to write a composition for the San Francisco Symphony s New and Unusual Music Series, making him the youngest person to be commissioned to write a piece for this orchestra. Since then his music has been performed by many different orchestras and ensembles. Nathaniel Stookey is definitely not dead, but very much alive and well! The Composer Is Dead was written for orchestra and narrator. The script for the narrator was written by Lemony Snicket, a pseudonym for author Daniel Handler, who is an old high school friend of Nathaniel Stookey s. Handler wrote the popular children s books A Series of Unfortunate Events. Like the Harry Potter series of books, Lemony Snicket s books are often enjoyed by adults as well. According to Mr. Stookey: What Lemony Snicket and Harry Potter have done for books, we want to do for music. With his kids books, Lemony s made something for children that s not just for children. This is something I ve always wanted to do-to make something people can access on all levels. About the Author Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American writer Daniel Handler. A pen name is a name that a writer uses instead of their real name. He has written many children s books including A Series of Unfortunate Events. Like the composer of the piece, Nathaniel Stookey, Handler was born in San Francisco, California. He attended Wesleyan University and won the 1992 Connecticut Student Poet Prize. Handler has published six books under his own name. He published the 13 novel series A Series of Unfortunate Events and the four-part series All the Wrong Questions under his pseudonym, Lemony Snicket. Have you read one of Lemony Snicket s books?
About the Music The Composer Is Dead is a clever mystery that investigates who may have killed the composer. To arrive at the answer, the narrator, who is the Inspector, will introduce the audience to the instruments of the orchestra to discover who committed the crime. The Inspector interrogates each section of the orchestra, checking alibis. Could it be the French horn, the violin or flute? There are so many suspects! Maybe it was the conductor! Well, we re not giving away the solution to the crime here. We will all find out at the concert! In this work there are also several jokes about musicians: their personalities, egos, their role in the orchestra, and so on. These jokes are all in good fun and don t really reflect the personalities of the musicians, but as with all good jokes, they are based on broad-based perceptions. For example, violas don t usually have the flashy melody parts in the orchestra. They play the inner supporting parts, like altos in a chorus, and the violins have the starring role. Here are two of the jokes: What s the difference between a violin and a viola? ANSWER: There is no difference. The violin just looks smaller because the violinist s head is sooooo much bigger. What do dead composers do? ANSWER: They decompose. Watch the video on Track 4 of the playlist. The video shows an interview between the composer, Nathaniel Stookey, and the writer, Lemony Snicket. After watching the video answer these questions: Why did Stookey and Snicket want to write The Composer is Dead? What does the music sound like when someone says the word dead? What instruments play during that time? After reading their bios, what are two things that Stookey and Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) have in common? During the performance, the narrator interrogates various members of the orchestra to solve the mystery, so we won t give away any more of the investigation in these notes! Can you predict? Before the concert, write down who in the orchestra you think may have killed the composer. When you return to your classroom, make a chart of everyone s predictions. Did anyone solve the crime correctly? What percentage of the class was correct? Book cover printed under fair use of copyright law
Since the composer, Nathaniel Stookey, and author, Lemony Snicket, wanted their piece to be for listeners of all ages, there is vocabulary in the story that you might not know. You will enjoy the performance even better if you understand all the words. Do This: Read through the vocabulary list and check all words that you know. Before the concert, look up the definition of all the words that you do not know. The Composer Is Dead Vocabulary admire exhausted nauseous accompaniment expensive nostalgic agitate flamboyant official arrogant flattering opportunity bachelor foreigner patriotic baffled honor ridiculous boisterous humanity ruckus cadenza imitation shenanigans conquer incomprehensible suspect contrary injustice suspicious crucial interrogate treachery decompose interview unison distasteful lurk various dramatic melody violent ecstatic mourn waltz enormous murmur weary
Learn to Listen Listen to Learn After the Concert If you were really listening and observing carefully at the concert, you should be able to answer the following questions after the concert. Answer all of the following questions, and you will become an ace Concert Scene Investigator! 1. Who was on the stage? 2. How many different families of instruments did you see on the stage? Can you name them? 1. 2. 3. 4. 3. Name some different ways that sound is produced in an orchestra. 4. Did everyone play all of the time? 5. Which instruments seemed to be the most active? 6. Which seemed the least active? 7. Would you say that any one of the instruments was more important than the others at any given moment? Yes No 8. Which instruments seemed to have the main theme or the melody?
9. What did the musicians do when they didn t have the main melody? Check one: They stood up and left the stage. They just sat and stared at each other. They sometimes played background music for the melody. 10. Which instruments played alone or solo? 11. Which instrument or group of instruments played the loudest? 12. Which instrument or group of instruments played the quietest? 13. Which instruments seemed to be able to play the fast notes? 14. What words can you use to describe the music you heard? How did listening to the music change how you feel? If the music did change your mood, how did it do that? 15. Did the music seem to tell a story? 16. What role did the conductor play at the concert?
Music and Language Arts Send a thank-you note to the conductor Maestro Reynolds and the musicians of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, thanking them for all the practice that went into preparing the concert for you. Let them know what you liked about your experience. Write five sentences that include some of the new vocabulary words you have learned. They are listed on the last page. After the concert, write a short paragraph about the composition you enjoyed the most. Describe why you liked it and how it made you feel. Write a five-line poem according to the following format: Write Line 1 = 1 word A poem, Line 2 = 2 words A musical memory, Line 3 = 3 words In five short lines. Line 4 = 4 words In fifteen words, a poem. Line 5 = 5 words Poetry by the Numbers Share your paragraphs, poems and thank-you notes with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra by mailing them to: Dayton Performing Arts Alliance Attn: Ruth Reveal, Director of Education 126 N Main Street, Suite 210 Dayton, OH 45402 Imagine life without recorded sound. That means no ipods, no radio, no TV. The only way to hear music would be to hear it performed live by the musicians at a concert hall. Describe life without recorded sound.
A Reading Scavenger Hunt Using the information contained in this packet, match the composer or writer with the facts listed below. A. John Stafford Smith B. Nathaniel Stookey C. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart D. Francis Scott Key E. Giovanni Bottesini 1. He was a child prodigy. 2. He wrote the words to our national anthem. 3. His composition has a narration written by Lemony Snicket. 4. He was a virtuoso on the double bass. 5. He wrote over 600 works in his lifetime. 6. He wrote the music of The Star-Spangled Banner. Music and Math 7. Mozart was born in 1756 and died in 1791. How old was he when he died? 8. Mozart began composing music at the age of six. He wrote more than 600 musical compositions in his lifetime. What is the average number of compositions Mozart wrote in a year? 9. When Nathaniel Stookey was born in 1970, how many years had Mozart been dead? 10. Giovanni Bottesini was born in 1821 and died in 1889. How old was he when he died?
Music and Geography Mozart was born in Austria. Circle Austria on the map below. Read this: Mozart was a child prodigy. From the age of six he was taken on long journeys all over Europe and expected to give concerts at every stop. Traveling was slow, uncomfortable, and dangerous. In fact, Mozart complained in one of his letters to his mother that his bottom was sore from the very rough and bouncy ride! A coach averaged no more than 30 miles a day. Do this: On the map, draw different colored lines illustrating Mozart s three big journeys. Journey 1 Journey 2 Journey 3 1763 1766 1770 1772 1777 1778 Trip to Paris and London Trip to Italy Trip to Mannheim and Paris Average of 2100 miles Average of 1800 miles Average of 1000 miles Draw this journey in red: Draw this journey in green: Draw this journey in blue: Salzburg-Munich-Mannheim- Salzburg-Innsbruck-Verona- Salzburg-Munich-Mannheim- Frankfurt-Brussels-Paris- Milan-Turin-back to Milan- Paris-back to Mannheim- Calais-London-then back to Parma-Bologna-Florence- Munich-Salzburg London-Calais-Brussels- Rome-Naples-back to Rome- Paris-Dijon-Lyons-Lausanne- Zurich-Munich-Salzburg Rimini-Bologna-Milan- Venice-Verona-Innsbruck- Salzburg
Music and Math Journey Miles Traveled Years Away 1 2100 miles 1763 1766 2 1800 miles 1770 1772 3 1000 miles 1777 1778 Mozart was born in 1756 and died in 1791. Refer to the chart above. 1. How old was Mozart when he began Journey 1? 2. How old was Mozart when he ended Journey 3? 3. How many years of Mozart s life were spent on these three journeys? Challenge question: What was the average number of miles Mozart traveled per year on each of his journeys? 4. Journey 1 5. Journey 2 6. Journey 3
Music and Citizenship Concert Audience Responsibilities Being a member of an audience is an important responsibility. Musicians can concentrate and play their very best when all audience members observe appropriate concert manners. Discuss the difference between attending a live symphony orchestra concert, attending a rock concert, and listening to music or watching a television show at home. Review the following concert manners: Welcome the concertmaster to the stage with applause Welcome the conductor and/or soloist to the stage with applause. Sit quietly while the music is played. Remain in your seat throughout the concert. Applaud when the conductor puts down his baton at the end of each composition. Think about this: How do you feel when you have to perform or make a presentation in front of a group of people? Does the audience s response and behavior have an effect on how well you perform?
Map Skills POINTS OF INTEREST 2. Courthouse Square 4. Dayton Art Institute 5. Dayton Convention Center 7. The Dayton Metro Library 8. The Dayton Visual Arts Center 10. Fifth Third Field 13. The Loft Theatre 14. Memorial Hall 16. The Neon Movies 17. Old Court House 18. Oregon District 19. RiverScape MetroPark 20. Schuster Performing Arts Center 21. Sinclair Community College 22. The Victoria Theatre Use the Points of Interest key to the right to answer the following questions: 1. What number represents the Schuster Performing Arts Center on the map? Draw a circle around it. 2. Is your school to the north, south, east or west of downtown Dayton? 3. What downtown street could your bus driver or chaperone take to arrive at the Schuster Center? 4. What number represents RiverScape MetroPark on the map? Draw a circle around it on the map. Describe a route you could take to travel from the concert at the Schuster Center to the park.
Glossary Concert Vocabulary arranger, arrangement a piece of music that has been written for a different instrument or group than that for which it was originally composed commission a piece of music written for a specific purpose or person composer person who writes a piece of music composition a piece of music conductor a person who directs an orchestra dynamics the musical term for loud and soft sounds hear to listen to somebody or something, to understand improvise to make up music as you are playing it listen to make a conscious effort to hear opera a musical play, in which all the words are sung instead of spoken orchestra a large group of musicians who play string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments overture the orchestral introduction to an opera or ballet that can also stand alone as a concert piece patriotic song music about one s country premiere the first performance of a work prodigy a young person who has unusual natural abilities at a particular skill with little or no training in it theme the main idea in a piece of music