DSSO Young People’s Discovery Concert

Your students will soon attend the 2015 Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra Young People’s Concert. The DSSO provides these resources and classroom activities to help you prepare students for the event. Our experience is that a live concert becomes a deeper learning experience if students are introduced to the music and some context for each piece before the performance. Please select the activities that are appropriate for your students and your curriculum.

The Big Idea

This year’s concert focuses on stories and how they can be told through music. The program will capture your students’ imaginations and connect them to some remarkable music. They are works that students will remember long after the concert ends. Selections from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 paint pictures of the boastful boy’s adventures. And the beautiful “Kalandar Prince” from Rimsky-Korsakov’s classic tale of Scheherazade presents a striking story within a story. The concert provides young listeners the opportunity to discover musical works that will live on in their memories for years to come.

Concert Repertoire

Edvard Grieg Peer Gynt Suite No. 1

I. Morning Mood

III. Anitra’s Dance

IV. Hall of the Mountain King

Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade

II. The Kalandar Prince

Max Bruch Romanze for Viola in F Major, Op. 8

Noted English illustrator, Arthur Rackham, produced a set of 12 drawings to illustrate the published version of Ibsen's play. Here is the cover featuring Peer, the Mountain King, and other creatures. Rackham's illustrations were robust pen and India ink drawings paired with subtle use of watercolor. Retrieved from http://www.stellabooks.com/images/feature dbooks/peer%20gynt/peer-cover.jpg.

Connecting to Standards The lesson activities in this guide align with Minnesota Academic Standards in Music, Grades Four and Five. Standards guided the suggested student work and can be used as you address music standards. Strand 1, Artistic Foundations, and Strand 4, Respond or Critique have the most direct connections to the DSSO Young People’s Concert Curriculum. Fewer activities align with Strand 2 (Create or Make) and Strand 3 (Perform or Present).

Interdisciplinary connections might also be made to language arts and social studies with some of the Learning Activities. Below are the current Minnesota State Standards in Music, Grades 4 & 5.

Strand I: Artistic Foundations

Standard 1: Demonstrate knowledge of the foundations of the arts area

1. Describe the elements of music including melody, rhythm, harmony, dynamics, tone color, texture, form and

their related concepts

2. Describe how the elements and related concepts such as pitch, tempo, canon, and ABA are used in the

performance, creation or response to music

3. Identify the characteristics of a variety of genres and musical styles, such as march, taiko, mariachi, and

classical

Standard 2: Demonstrate knowledge and use of the technical skills of the art form, integrating technology

when applicable

1. Read and notate music using the standard notation such as quarter, half, and eighth notes and rests, the lines

and spaces of the treble clef, and time signatures

2. Sing and play alone and in a group demonstrating proper posture, breathing, technique, age appropriate tone

quality and expressive intent

Standard 3: Demonstrate understanding of the personal, social, cultural, historical contexts that influence the

arts areas

1. Describe the cultural and historical traditions of music including the contributions of Minnesota American

Indian tribes and communities

2. Describe how music communicates meaning

Strand II: Artistic Process: Create or Make

Standard 1: Create or Make in a variety of contexts in the arts area using the artistic foundations

1. Improvise and compose rhythms, melodies, and accompaniments using voice or instruments to express a

specific musical idea

2. Revise creative work based on feedback of others and self-reflection

Strand III: Artistic Process: Perform or Present

Standard 1: Perform or Present in a variety of contexts in the arts area using the artistic foundations

1. Sing alone and in groups such as rounds and part songs or play instruments alone or in a group

2. Revise performance based on feedback of others and self-reflection

Strand IV: Artistic Process: Respond or Critique

Standard 1: Respond to or critique a variety of creations and performances using the artistic foundations

1. Justify personal interpretations and reactions to a variety of musical works or performances

Edvard Grieg Peer Gynt Suite No. 1

II. Morning Mood V. Anitra’s Dance

VI. Hall of the Mountain King Introduction When Norwegian author, Henrik Ibsen, wrote the play Peer Gynt, he asked composer Edvard Grieg to write incidental music for the performances. Incidental music – short pieces that accompany a staged play – increases the drama of a performance. The story is

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3

0/Sun_rise_at_CuaLo.jpg

based on the legends of Peer Gynt, a Norwegian folk character and scamp notable for his exploits. The play and Grieg’s music were first performed in 1876 in the city of Christiana (now Oslo, Norway). From the 22 pieces Grieg composed, he selected some of his favorites and arranged them into two suites, or collections, for orchestra.

Three movements from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 will be performed at the Young People’s Concert. The first movement, “Morning Mood,” was written for Act IV. Now middle-aged, Peer stands on a rocky outcropping overlooking a desert in North Africa watching a morning sunrise.

LISTENING NOTES for “Morning Mood”

Activity #1 - What does a sunrise sound like?

Learning Goal: Using prior knowledge and memory, students will synthesize concepts and ideas about sunrises in order to make predictions about how composers use musical sounds to describe the scene. They will verify predictions by listening to the music. Materials: Recording, chalkboard or chart paper

1. Ask students to talk the times they’ve watched the sun rise. In Northern Minnesota, many have

seen the sun rise over Lake Superior.

What did they see as the sun came up? What did they hear? How did the sky look just before sunrise? How did it change?

What does early morning smell like when the sun is just coming up?

2. Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg described a sunrise through music in a long musical work called

Peer Gynt. Based on their observations, discuss how a composer could make music sound like a sunrise. Here are some prompts to pose:

Will the melody start higher or lower in pitch? Move up or down? Be smoother (legato) or detached (staccato)?

At what tempo does the sun come up? (Fast? Slow? Changing?)

Will you expect loud, soft, or changing dynamics?

Strong and accented or not so strong rhythm?

What about tone color: what orchestra instruments might you hear?)

Write a summary of their comments on the board. They will refer to them later.

3. Play an excerpt of Grieg’s “Morning Mood” (0:00 to 01:19) and direct students to listen well and

respond to this question: “What’s going on in this music? What do you notice?”

Play the excerpt at least twice and discuss what they noticed. Prompt a discussion about how it did/did not fit their predictions.

Finally, listen to the whole movement. What else did they notice and how did it fit/not fit their predictions.

Teachers can refer to the included listening map for more details about the piece.

Activity #2: Analyze the music through movement

Learning Goal: Students will plan and produce movements to create their interpretation of the musical elements in the piece. Materials: Recording, some space for movement, ribbons or streamers (optional but fun)

1. Stand and do movement warm ups:

Bend as low as you can, then stretch arms high above your head. Do it again – starting very low, then unbending as slow as you can. Reach up, up V-E-R-Y S-L-

O-W-L-Y.

As you reach high, move side to side very slowly.

Walk through the room taking up space with arms up high. Move with strength but don’t make a sound.

2. Set the stage for moving to the music using guided imagery. Ask students to sit or lay on the floor

and close their eyes and breathe in and out very slowly.

You are outdoors, watching the eastern horizon over Lake Superior. It is dawn and the sky is slowly turning from black -- to dark gray -- to light gray-blue -- and finally pink. It is almost time for the sun to rise.

Invite them to move with the music, as slowly and beautifully as Grieg’s sunrise. When they are on their feet, gently move the sun across the sky.

Encourage them to think about how long it really takes for the sun to move upwards at sunrise and make their bodies rise just as slowly.

If you divide the class into two groups, one can move/perform while the other group is the audience. Ask the audience to describe what they see. Ask them “What did you notice?”, “What did it remind you of?” and “What did you see that was interesting?” After the audience responds, switch groups.

As you verbally encourage, coach, and cue students, use musical terms such as legato phrases, smooth, rising melody, crescendo from softer/piano to louder/forte. Encourage them in their use of musical language.

If you like using props, provide ribbon streamers to help students move with the smooth, legato melody of “Morning Mood.”

Activity #3: Identify the tone colors of solo instruments

Learning Goal: Students will create a sequence of gestures to communicate the conversation between the opening flute and oboe segment to demonstrate their ability to distinguish the tone colors. Materials: Recording; pictures of the oboe and clarinet

In addition to the opening conversation between the flute and the oboe, there are other places in the piece where specific instruments and families of instruments are prominent and easy to hear.

1. Write the words and display images of a flute and an oboe and listen to

the opening 0:09 seconds of music. Ask students to identify the instrument playing (flute). Listen again and ask them to signal ‘thumbs up’ when they hear the oboe. Continue through 0:47 and notice the alternating tone colors – a musical conversation.

Ask students to suggest two small movements or gestures they can use to show which solo instrument they hear – one for flute, one for oboe. Their cues for when to change come from the recording.

2. Listen to the whole piece and find other places where tone colors are easy to identify.

Instrument Tone Colors to Identify in the Music Flute solo (soft orchestra accompaniment) 0:00 to 0:09

Oboe solo answers the flute: 0:09 to 0:19

Flute and oboe continue the conversation, alternating solos through 0:47

String family sings the main melody at 0:48 onward through middle section; pitches move upwards

French horns play theme at 1:57; flute plays rippling accompaniment. Oboe and bassoon play next at 2:11.

String family plays soft melody at 2:32, then a solo clarinet steps in at 2:37 with melody and trills. Flute ripples above. Horns hold a long note. Clarinet repeats solo at 2:49.

French horns play three chords at 03:08. More solo flute; bassoon for a moment at 03:20. Strings end the piece with 3 chords.

Extensions & Interdisciplinary Connections: 1. Learn to sing the main melody of “Morning Mood” using movable solfege syllables. Play in on mallet

percussion instruments.

2. Follow the map of the music included with this guide.

3. Turn your movement interpretation of the music into a mini-performance to share with other students or parents.

4. Draw and paint sunrise pictures as you listen to the music. Mount them on the wall with a brief statement about the musical connections. Or help students scan them into a power point program that runs while Grieg’s music plays.

5. Look at sunrise paintings and photographs by visual artists. Your visual art specialist can help you. Prompt students discover analogous ideas between Grieg’s music and the visual arts. One to display is Impression Sunrise by Claude Monet. Generate a word bank as look at the image and describe it in detail. (What do you notice/see?) Then have students write descriptions of the work.

6. Use the music, movement, and images of a sunrise as inspiration for poetry writing. Haiku provides the opportunity for using the word banks students have generated. Or create original class myths about why the sun rises.

Assessment Informally observe students as they move to the music and note their ability to trace the upward movement of the melody, the dynamic crescendo, and changing energy in the music. Observe students as they identify the oboe and flute to note they ability to hear specific orchestral tone colors.

Another Sunrise Impression Sunrise (1872) by Claude Monet Claude Monet painted his Impression Sunrise in 1872, before Impressionism had fully taken hold of the art world in France. Monet was asked why he chose the title Impression Sunrise. He answered that this was not a portrait of the harbor in Le Havre, but really his personal impression of a deep red sun cutting through the mist. The critic to whom he was speaking wrote a rather negative review and used the term Impressionists to diminish the work of the artists. However, he only succeeded in providing the name for the artistic movement. This work became the critical tipping point in the first Impressionist exhibition. Retrieved from http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/monet/first/impression/sunrise.jpg

(Content continues on next page)

Now the

orchestra plays with energy. A

sequence moving

upwards ends

with a bridge

that carries the

piece to a new section.

Dynamics get

louder and the melody moves

higher in this

section. Then

there’s a

change.

The brass take

over the main

melody helped by

a rippling flute

accompaniment.

The music shifts downwards to a

lower key.

Melody is

taken over by

the strings,

clarinet (with

trills) and the

flute. Dynamics are

softer and

tempo is slower.

3 soft chords tell us

the piece is coming

to a close. Flute and

oboe play the

melody once more,

very softly. Solo flute begins a sweet melody.

Solo oboe

answers. The two instrument play a

conversation.

Music grows

louder & move

Morning Mood Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 by Grieg

Composer Edvard Grieg imagined a sunrise, then turned it into music. Follow this map of the music as you listen to the recording.

A short coda of 3

chords played with a

crescendo signal the

end of the piece.

LISTENING NOTES for “Anitra’s Dance” Activity #1: Who was Anitra?

Learning Goal: Students will learn about Anitra through a reading and follow up discussion of the Peer Gynt story. Materials: copies of the student reading

What is incidental music?

Incidental music is music performed during a play. The composed music is used between scenes, for particularly important moments in the play, to fore- shadow event, or as songs sung by the actors. It is called “incidental” because the music is not as important as the play. But it is a significant tool for setting the mood, describing characters, foreshadowing events, and adding energy or emotion to a scene. It might be considered similar to writing a movie score or music for a video game.

Prepare students for learning about the music by relating a short summary of the story line. Knowing the story provides the context for lesson activities. Use the copies of student reading “The Story of Peer Gynt” included with this lesson. It can be used as a ‘read aloud’ activity in class, a reading in small groups, or a homework assignment. If you have a classroom web page, consider posting it for students to read at home. Provide some time for students to discuss details, ask questions, and to make sure they found the reference to the character named Anitra.

Remind students that Grieg composed incidental music

for a play about Peer Gynt. In Grieg’s day, composing incidental music for a play would be similar to creating a movie score or video game in the 21st century.

Activity #2: Get acquainted with the music

Learning Goal: Students will record the details of what they notice in the music while listening using the Doodle & Jot organizer. Materials: Copies of the organizer, recording, writing/sketching materials

In the story, Anitra dances for Peer Gynt. For Ibsen’s play Grieg wrote music for this scene and called it “Anitra’s Dance.”

1. Challenge students to notice every detail they can about the music.

They will use pens, pencils, and drawing materials to record their

thoughts and ideas.

2. Distribute the organizer and remind students to listen with their

brain in gear, pay close attention, and record their ideas.

Anitra Dances http://www.free-

scores.com/IMG/bernard- dewagtere/bernard-

dewagtere_20120229071241.jpg

Listen more than once to allow enough time to add new thoughts.

3. Ask students to share their thoughts, doodles and sketches with a partner or in small

groups.

Collect their organizers and review them. They are evidence of your students’

musical thinking and responsiveness.

Activity #3: Search & find key musical elements Learning Goal: Students will investigate and identify the music’s elements and characteristics using a variety of physical responses, visual cues, and gestures. Materials: recording, drawing materials

1. Connect this lesson to the prior Activity. They can look at their Doodle and Jot organizers to

see where they may have noted particular details you present in this activity. Students do

notice musical elements and characteristics even though they are not yet skilled at naming

them.

2. Here are some of the most noticeable elements in “Anitra’s Dance.” Suggested simple

physical responses are included to highlight element and characteristic.

METER: Play the recording and ask students to sort out the meter by patting the rhythm softly on their laps. Help them focus their actions so they can feel and demonstrate the triple meter. Use the action suggested or your preferred gesture for feeling triple meter.

1 2 3 (pat knees) left- right- right

DYNAMICS: Listen and focus on the dynamic levels in the music. Use hands movements with the music to describe degrees of loudness and softness. Hold palms close together to signal very soft (pianissimo) and palms far apart to show very loud (fortissimo). Dynamics in between can be shown with palms at varying degrees of apartness. As the music plays and they are analyzing the dynamics, encourage them to look around and notice whether there are similar or differing opinions.

TONE COLOR: Tell students that only one family of instruments plus a single percussion instrument play “Anitra’s Dance.” Challenge them to listen and identify the main instrumental tone color they hear (the string family), and the single instrument (the triangle). They can show a thumbs up when the triangle rings through the string texture.

MELODY: One interesting aspect of melody in “Anitra Dance” is how it is articulated. There are three distinct articulations in the melody:

Pizzicato (staccato) is produced when the strings are plucked by the fingers. The

accompaniment throughout the piece is staccato. Some of the lead melodies are

also played pizzicato. Pizzicato is Italian for plucked and plucked strings make a

staccato sounds. Gently tap fingers against your other

hand to feel the detached pizzicato/staccato sounds.

The marcato, notes are played with the bow, and each is

emphasized as they scamper along. Marcato means

“marked” or “marking” in Italian. Make short marcato

motions by rubbing your palms together with the main

melody in section A.

Legato is played with smooth, connected tones in the B

(second) theme. Legato means “bound” or “binding” in

Italian. The notes are bound together or connected one

After finding all three melodic articulations, check for understanding by asking students to sing a well- known song with legato, marcato, and staccato articulation. (For example “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” or “Rocky Mountain High”)

to the other. Bow an “air violin” to feel the longer tones of legato passages.

Activity #4: Focus on form Learning Goal: After becoming familiar with the music, students will interpret and demonstrate both the mood and key elements through movement. Materials: recording, listening organizer, scarves or streamers

1. Listen to “Anitra’s Dance” and using the Listening Organizer included with this lesson to

again highlight key characteristics of the music.

2. Provide open space and ask students to think about what kinds of movements they could use

to express the characteristics and mood of Grieg’s music. Provide some props; streamers,

scarves, and ribbons. As students move with the music, observe their interpretations and

notice how their movements connect to the melodies, articulations, and character of the

music.

Assessment The Jot and Doodle organizer provides evidence of how each student can independently analyze a piece of orchestra music at this point in time.

Observe student responses to each of the elements included in Activity #2 to informally assess their facility for expressing each element and their movements in Activity #4 of note how they express the mood and character of the piece.

Extensions

Listen and watch the musicians of the Limburg Symphony Orchestra (Netherlands) play

this work. Notice when string play staccato/pizzicato, legato, and marcato.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5M247MIarw

Below is an outline of the form of “Anitra’s Dance” for teachers who wish to have

students go deeper in understanding the form of the piece.

Introduction The introduction is a long chord played by triangle and strings. The triangle is the only percussion instrument in the piece.

A The first theme (A Section) is a graceful marcato melody played over pizzicato strings. Display this theme on smart board or projector for students to “read” as they listen. Sing softly with the recording.

A The A Section is repeated.

B The second theme (B Section) is structured as a question and answer. The question is asked in long, connected legato notes:

The crisply articulated answer moves downwards in a long melody line. A1 A version of the A Section returns (A1) with the same main melody. But there

are alterations in it and fragments of the B Section are also woven into the music.

REPEATED SECTION

All sections are repeated: A – A – B – A1

coda The coda is another long chord played by triangle and strings.

Doodle and Jot

Capture you thoughts on paper

What do you notice in the music? What’s going on? Does it remind you of anything?

Write descriptive words, doodle your thoughts, and/or sketch you’re here!

Greg at age 11

important composers.

Meet Composer Edvard Grieg Edvard Grieg was born in Bergen, Norway in 1843. He grew up to be one of Norway’s most

mentor and influenced his development as a composer. Grieg also met a singer named Nina Hagerup in Denmark. Together they

Grieg’s mother was a pianist and his first music teacher. He started playing the piano when he was six years old. By nine he was composing short pieces. Not long after, the famous violinist, Ole Bull, encouraged Edvard to become a musician. He suggested that he attend the Leipzig Conservatory in Germany. His parents agreed and eventually Edvard went to Germany when he was fifteen years old to study piano and composition at the Conservatory. He graduated at the age of nineteen. He was often ill at school, suffering from tuberculosis and other serious respiratory diseases.

When he finished school in Leipzig, Grieg did not return to Norway. He instead moved to Copenhagen, Denmark where he met another Norwegian composer

performed many concerts of his songs. They married in 1867. All the concerts called attention to Grieg’s music and helped him become a leading figure of Norwegian music. Edvard and Nina returned to Norway in 1885, and built a home in Bergen. They named it Troldhaugen, which means "Troll Hill.” He also built a small cabin nearby, overlooking the fjord. This was his workshop where he composed music. There he wrote many of his greatest pieces. It is interesting that Grieg decided to create music inspired by Norway – its natural beauty, people, history and folk tales. His music expresses his love for the country and its culture. He wrote the mythical creatures that inhabit the folk tales and traditions right into his music. This is important because during Grieg’s life, Norway struggled to be an independent nation, separate from other countries. His music helped Norway find its own identity. For

Rikard Nordraak. Nordraak enthusiastically

Grieg at age 24 Photograph taken by Claus

Knudsen in 1867, Copenhagen

this reason, he was considered a hero by the people. They loved him for expressing Norwegian ideals in and through music.

supported Norwegian music and culture and wrote music inspired by Norway. Among them was a song that became Norway’s National anthem. He was Grieg’s

Edvard Grieg died on September 4, 1907 in his hometown of Bergen, Norway.

As you listen to “Anitra’s Dance” find these sounds…

…the ping and cling of a triangle,

…pizzicato plucked strings,

…scampering strings playing marcato,

…and the smooth, legato melody.

LISTENING NOTES for “In the Hall of the Mountain King” Students will come to know a piece of music in great detail when they use a process to listen closely and describe it. The Descriptive Review Protocol provides an opportunity for students to apply prior knowledge and experiences to develop their own understanding of a musical work. The protocol is a collaborative process, one that recognizes that a collective group always knows more than a single individual.

Activity #1: Describe the music using an inquiry protocol

Learning Goal: Students will create a collaborative description of the music using an inquiry protocol. Materials: recording, first two Descriptive Review Questions to display

Peer Gynt http://www.favorite-classical- composers.com/image-

files/peergynt1.jpg

Do not reveal the title or details about the music before you listen. Before beginning, remind students of positive brainstorming practices: all responses have equal worth and all voices should be heard. Their comments should focus on the details they can hear without judgmental statements.

NOTE: If anyone knows this piece, ask them to wait until you ask that very question: “Does anyone know the name of this piece?”

1. Display these questions where students can see them.

Describe what you notice? What’s going on in the music?

What questions do you have about the music? (I wonder…?)

2. Play the recording as students reflect on the first question. Repeat the first question and go around

the circle as students respond. This will move quickly because the teacher is facilitating the input

and not making any comments, prompting discussion, or providing feedback (which is really hard

for teachers!).

Write student comments on the board as they are made. Do not explain the music or add your

own words and ideas, but ask clarifying questions when necessary. (“Tell me more about that.

What did you hear that made you say that? What else did you hear?”)

If you need to re-phrase or shorten a response, get an okay from the responder.

Occasionally repeat question #1 to draw additional detains from students.

If a response is repeated, add a √ to the first response.

3. Pose the second question, “What questions do you have about this music?” It helps to have

students start with the phrase “I wonder… if, when, why, who, etc.” Listen again and use the same

process for collecting responses.

4. Summarize the students’ description of the music by reading their responses with an EXPRESSIVE

voice. (Teacher can read or students can read.) Review the questions they want answered and save

that list too. Congratulate students on their ability to independently notice so many details in the

music. Post the list of descriptive words and questions in a prominent place for later use. Activity #2: Speculate about what the composer is expressing in music

Learning Goal: After clarifying what speculating means, students will speculate about the music’s meaning and what the composer intended listeners to understand in a class discussion. They will then place this music in the Peer Gynt storyline. Materials: recording, 3rd question posted on board, copies or display of the story synopsis

1. Ask students if they know what it means to speculate. (To guess; make a hypothesis; deliberate

about something; etc. Consult a dictionary if some form of agreement is not reached.)

Read the 3rd question: and listen to the piece once more.

What meaning or understanding is intended or expressed by this music?

Speculate about what the composer might be expressing with this music.

Some students will be ready to go with their responses, but play the piece again so all students can think as speculate as they listen.

2. Add the students’ comments to the descriptions and questions. Help them notice similarities and

difference. They are making meaning of the music based on what they hear and what they think.

3. Read the Peer Gynt story synopsis included with this curriculum and ask students to figure out

where this music fits into the story. Make sure the notice the title of the work, “In the Hall of the

Mountain King.” Refer to the questions they asked earlier and see if any have been answered. Activity #3: Musical elements and characteristics

Learning Goal: Students will interact with, and analyze the elements of music through various verbal and physical responses. Materials: visual of rhythm of the melody to display (see below), visual of the main theme, space for movement; YouTube video cited below (#6)

1. Display the rhythm of the main theme of “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”

In a music classroom, read the rhythm of the theme using your preferred syllable system. In

grade level classrooms, read it with the words ‘short’ and ‘long’. Your students may tell you

they can read it in other ways, too.

4 4

ti ti ti ti ti ti ta ti ti ta ti ti ta ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ta

Clap as you chant the rhythm. Slide palms on the longer notes.

Clap only without chanting.

Play it on small percussion instruments.

Play an “echo game” with the rhythm. The teacher plays one measure on a drum and stops;

students echo the same pattern by walking it with their feet. Repeat the patterns as often

as you wish. Play them out of order. Eventually have them walk the whole pattern.

Play the recording and find this rhythm. How often is it played?

For Fun: ask students if this same rhythm pattern sounds like a different---but familiar tune.

They may be surprised to know that “Mary Had a Little Lamb” follows the same set of

rhythm patterns. Sing and clap the pattern.

2. Discuss this pivotal question: Why doesn’t the music get boring

when Grieg repeated the pattern over and over again? If I were

talking to you and keep saying the same thing, over and over and

over, you would die of boredom. But this piece is exciting. Why?

3. Continue to explore tempo. Listen to the music with tempo in mind

and describe what happens with more details.

What did they notice (It starts slow, then gets faster and faster).

Why isn’t it boring? The question leads students to articulate the things that DO CHANGE in the music such as the tempo (speed of the music) and dynamics (how softly or loudly the music is played). They will figure those out without your help, but you can help them apply the music vocabulary.

Chose a motion to use throughout the piece, for example, sliding palms together. Challenge

them to keep the beat of the music as the tempo changes. They must LISTEN CLOSELY to

keep it steady.

Introduce the musical term for music that moves from slow to fast, accelerando.

Sing a familiar song with an accelerando. (Also go the other way and slow down or

decelerando).

(Optional) Review the music vocabulary/academic language for selected tempo markings

p r e s t o

v i v a c e allegro

moderato

a d a g i o

andante l a r g o

between slow and fast using a musical speedometer such as the one below. Place the terms

you are working on around the dial.

4. The dynamics of “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and how they change also make it

interesting.

Ask students to describe the dynamics in the music. Help them remember the musical terms for

soft and loud: piano – p, and forte – f.

Once they note that it begins piano and ends forte, ask for the term that describes music

getting louder. It is crescendo. The music sign looks like this:

p f cres.

Move your hands to make a crescendo as you listen. Place palms together in front of you. That

is the position for soft or piano. Start the recording and slowly move your palms apart, wider

and wider. The wide point is the position for forte. The gradual way you pull them apart shows

the crescendo in the music. It is like a race in slow motion.

Create a way to show the extra loud chords at the end of the piece.

5. Focus on the melody. Display the melody notation and sing it with ‘la’ syllables. Point to the

notes as they sing. (The same melody keeps repeating, but at a higher and higher pitch level. It

is always the same melody.)

After a long note on French horn, low cellos and double bases play melody first.

Softly sing the melody along with the recording for a while to feel the change in tempo and

the rising pitch.

6. Focus on instruments and their tone colors as you listen.

Watch a YouTube video of the piece, one that shows close-ups of the instruments playing

the melody as it repeats. Students can identify the instruments they see as the music

expands. The version at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDi8Smb4KeI provides

reasonably good close ups of the instruments carrying the melody.

Activity #4: Move to the Music

Learning Goal: Students will translate their accumulated knowledge and experience with the piece into a movement story. Materials: Recording, space for movement

Interpret the music through movement. Working in small groups ask students to create a scenario or story which they can then plan a movement piece. Refer to the descriptive charts for some ideas. They can follow the story of Peer Gynt and the trolls or come up with something different, BUT they must let the music guide their movement and their movements must align with the music.

Extensions 1. Watch this video created in Poland. It does not follow Ibsen’s story, but the critters look like a small

trolls or elves, larger elven beings, and a King of the Mountain. It does an amazing job of matching

the tempo of the music to the footsteps and other actions of the characters. Retrieved on 1/26/15

at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r__Dk4oWGJQ.

2. Draw illustrations for the music. Mount student pictures on a long wall with the outline of a large

crescendo sign. Use heavy yarn or paper strips to create the outline for the crescendo sign. Add the

signs for piano (p) and forte (f) on either end of the large crescendo.

The Story of Peer Gynt Peer (Norwegian for Peter) was the reckless boy of the village. Instead of helping his mother, he daydreamed, played tricks on others, and made up impossible stories of his adventures. In his tales he was always the hero. There was just one person who stuck up for Peer in the village – Solveig.

Once when Peer was not invited to a wedding in the village, he stirred up excitement by kidnapping the bride. He carried her up into the mountains and left her. When the angry groom and guests ran after Peer, he stumbled, hit his head on a rock, and was out like a light. When he woke

When Peer refused and ran away, the King ordered his minions to capture him. They danced around the frightened Peer, pinched and poked him. As they circled around, they snarled, grunted, and moved faster and faster (In the Hall

of the Mountain King).

The March of the Trolls https://s-

media-cache- ak0.pinimg.com/236x/72/f5/6f/72f56f69b

aaab3cd11d2283c48b8d7f8.jpg

The troll princess meets Peer http://spiritoftheages.com/AR%20PG%2

0C5%20(250).jpg

up he saw a young woman dressed all in green - a troll princess. Peer boasted that he was the son of a king. She invited him to meet her father in his palace deep in the mountain.

When the Troll King

Peer yelled for his mother for help! Suddenly church bells rang in the distance and scared the trolls away. As he woke up, Peer realized the scary adventure had been a dream.

He couldn’t return to his village, so he set off to see the world. Peer became a successful businessman in the Middle East and joined up with a Bedouin tribe in the dessert. He met the chieftain’s daughter, Anitra (Anitra’s

Dance). She danced for him, then tricked him, stole his money and rings, and ran away. In

met Peer, he decided that his daughter and Peer should get married. Peer, after all, was a prince and they are hard to find. But to marry the troll princess, Peer must become a troll. At first, he agreed. He liked the idea of living in a dark cave and avoiding the sun. Troll food was not so good, nor are troll clothes. And he would have to wear a fake tail, but he still agreed to become a troll. The last straw, however, was when the Troll King ordered his minions to slit Peer eyes! This was done so that Peer would have troll

Egypt, Peer wandered another dessert and saw stunning sunrises (Morning Mood).

But as he grew old, he wished for his old life in Norway. He returned to the tiny village and found something unexpected. Solveig, his childhood friend, was there - waiting

eyesight - an altered reality where black was white and white was black.

for his return. Peer & Solveig when they were young http://www.abebooks.com/images/books/ arthur-rackham/JD/peer-gynt-art-a.jpg

Scheherazade by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov I. “The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship”

Students will hear one movement from Scheherazade, a large four movement work by Russian composer, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov at the 2015 Young People’s Concert.

Nicolai Rimsky Korsakov (1844-1908) came from a wealthy family. He was a musical child, but at the age of twelve he went to study at the Russian Naval Academy in St. Petersburg. He loved composing music which he did all the while he served in the Navy, often onboard a ship. After showing some of his works to the

well-established composer, Mily Balakirev, the older composer invited Rimsky-Korsakov to join a small group of student composers. All were dedicated to creating music that sounded Russian rather than European – music that would tell Russian stories and reflect Russian culture. Rimsky-Korsakov was offered a position as professor of theory and composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, even though he had no formal training in music. During his early years of teaching, he studied the music as he was teaching it to keep up with his students. Two of his most famous students were Prokofiev and Stravinsky.

His masterful orchestrations are Rimsky-Korsakov’s most lasting legacy. He could write music that told amazing stories using the colors of all the individual instruments. This unique talent is readily heard in Scheherazade, for it is filled with amazing orchestrations and brilliant solo passages for instruments throughout the orchestra.

LISTENING NOTES for “The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship”

Activity #1: Setting the Stage - the story of Scheherazade

Learning Goal: Students will hear the story behind the music and meet Scheherazade, a woman whose stories saved lives. Materials: Story synopsis, images of Scheherazade from the web

Provide a foundation for teaching and listening to the first movement of the suite by telling the story of King Shahryar and Scheherazade. Use the brief version of the story as it appears below. There are also many versions of this story in books about the Arabian Nights. Tenggren's Golden Tales from the Arabian Nights (2003) by Gustaf Tenggren has a good retelling of Scheherazade’s story in the first chapter. Note that the first wife and all subsequent wives were put to death. Please ADJUST the story and substitute BANISHED FROM THE KINGDOM if you find this a better scenario for you and your students.

The Story of Scheherazade The Arabian Nights (also called Thousand and One Nights) is a collection of ancient stories from India and Persia. Around 850 CE, Persian writers collected them into a book. This book was known as the Thousand and One Nights. The stories are about a cruel Persian king named Shahryar and a clever woman named Scheherazade.

When Shahryar married, he loved his queen very much. But she betrayed him to his enemies and was killed for her treachery. After that, the bitter king found a way to make sure that a wife would never betray him again. His plan was to marry a new woman each day, and then put her to death the next morning.

Scheherazade and the King

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/com mons/d/d1/Sultan_from_arabian_nights.jpg

His vizier (key advisor) had to find the new brides which he did for many days. Scheherazade, the vizier’s daughter, was worried about the lives of all the women, so she made a plan. She went to her father and insisted that she be the next bride to marry the king. After hearing her plan, her father reluctantly agreed to let her do so.

The evening of their wedding day, Scheherazade told her sister to ask for one last story when she was allowed to say farewell before Scheherazade’s death the next morning. The king sent for the sister and she asked for a final tale. Scheherazade began her story. The king listened in and was amazed and entertained, for Scheherazade was a wonderful story teller. But when she came to the most exciting part – she STOPPED! She pointed out that that since the sun was rising, it must be time for her to die. The King wanted to hear the end of the story. He told her that she would live another day to finish it.

The next night, Scheherazade continued the tale, then wove it into a new story. Again, she stopped at the exiting moment and again the king allowed her to remain alive another day because he wanted to know what happened next. Every night was the same, for a thousand and one nights. King Shahryar fell in love with Scheherazade and realized that he could trust this woman as his wife and queen.

Activity #2: Two important themes

Learning Goal: Students will predict how the two character themes will sound by responding to prompts and completing a T chart. They will investigate the music to match themes to the characters. Materials: recording, two column chart

1. Prepare: Draw a T chart on the board. Put King Shahryar at the top of one side and Scheherazade at

the top of the other. Pose this BIG QUESTION

How can music help us imagine the characters, the settings, and the action of a story?

2. Ask students to think about the questions below and make some musical predictions about two

main characters, Scheherazade and the King. List responses under the appropriate column.

How would you create music for a “king?”

How should it sound? Will it have loud or soft dynamics? Fast or slow tempos? Higher or lower pitches?

What instruments do you think you’ll hear in the King’s music? Why do you think that? (Brass/Trombones are prominent)

How about Scheherazade? What will her music sound like? Remember, she is a storyteller.

Will it be louder or softer than the king’s music? Faster or slower? Higher or lower?

What instruments do you expect to hear for Scheherazade? (solo violin often plays her theme)

2. Divide into small groups for this activity. Tell students that you will play sections with both themes twice. They are to match the themes to the characters and discuss their reasons for their choices with their group. When they reconvene they will share their choices and provide at least one reason for each choice. (Expect repetition from the groups.) Here is where to find the themes.

The first theme runs from 00:00 to 00:21 The second is at 00:46 to 01:29

Refer back to the lists to see how close they came in their predictions.

Activity #3: The story of Sinbad Learning Goal: Students will hear Sinbad stories, identify the sea melody, and hear the whole first movement Materials: recording, theme to display, copy of Sinbad stories

1. Reveal title of the movement. Ask if anyone recalls this character; who was he and what did he do?

Scheherazade told the King about Sinbad and his first Voyage early in the 1001 Nights. The story of Sinbad’s first and second voyage is included with this guide. Read them to students or have students read them in small groups. Respond to the stories as a class.

2. Once they know something about Sinbad and his adventures, listen to excerpts of music.

Listen to 1:34 to 3:26 and ask students describe what they hear using hand and arm gestures and movements. How did Rimsky-Korsakov make this music sound like the rolling sea?

Listen again and focus on the main melody and the rolling sea accompaniment. It is played continuously throughout the section. The music looks like this:

Students might make a connection between this theme and King Shahryar’s music from the opening section. It is built on the same notes with a similar contour.

Focus on how the composer built tension and energy by rising pitches and changing dynamics. Create gestures that look like the waves sound and use them with the music to move upwards with the melody as it modulates. Demonstrate the dynamic levels with the size and intensity of your gestures.

Here are some of the key landmarks in the music

The King (in the opening 18 seconds)

Five soft chords that follow the King’s bold music

Scheherazade’s “voice” in the violin

The Sea (over and over again, rising and falling and quite relentless)

The quiet place at 06:29 to 07:28 - what’s happening?

Other places where the solo violin plays Scheherazade’s voice (at 04:25 and 07:25)

Students can show their understanding of the changes in pitch and dynamics by transferring their small gestures into large, full body movements when they dance portions of Sinbad’s music.

3. Listen to the full movement remember the story of Scheherazade, the King, the sea, and Sinbad’s

adventure.

Extensions

Listen often to the piece. It is complex and challenging, but also interesting. Encourage students to interpret the music in a variety of ways. Draw/paint the music, move to sections of the piece, imagine and write stories (inventing some of Sinbad’s adventures), and poems about how the music sounds.

Find images of the sea and view them as you listen to the music.

Read other tales from Arabian Nights. A favorite collection for kids, still available via the web and in some Minnesota Public Libraries is Tenggren's Golden Tales from the Arabian Nights (2003) by Gustaf Tenggren. Very appropriate for elementary grades. The first story is a good retelling of Scheherazade’s tale.

For more information, activities, and materials for all four movements of Scheherazade, go to http://creativekidseducationfoundation.org/kids/sche/base.htm

Scheherazade is telling her first story to her sister, but the king is listening in.

http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~delson/scheheraza de-transparent.gif

Here are tales for two of Sinbad’s voyages from Tenggren's Golden Tales from the Arabian Nights.

IN THE TIME when Haroun al-Raschid was Caliph of Baghdad, there was a poor porter who carried heavy loads from one part of the city to another. One hot day his load was even heavier than usual. Tired and miserable, he sat down on a marble bench that stood beside the gate of a magnificent house.

As he rested, from the house came the sound of sweet music, and the rich smell of wines and roast

meat and other delicious things. "Ah," the porter said bitterly, "they feast and make merry herebut I must tramp the streets with my burdens from morning till night." And he made up some verses and recited them aloud:

How good to rest here in the shade! Yet soon--too soon, I am afraid-- I must pick up my heavy pack And carry it on my weary back. For I must work, in cold or heat, Just to get a bite to eat. While some, who never lift a hand, Live in ease on the fat of the land. Tell me, now, why must this be, When they are only men like me!

Slowly the porter got to his feet. But before he could lift his pack, a servant opened the gate of the house.

"Come," said the servant.

And he led the porter inside to a tall man with a gray beard. "I am the master of this house," the tall man said, "and I am called Sinbad the Sailor. I could not help hearing your verses through the window."

Fearful and ashamed, the porter said, "I meant no harm, my lord!"

Sinbad's Ship http://www.wollamshram.ca/1001/Dixon/

dixon01_09.htm

Sinbad smiled. "Do not be afraid. I liked your verses. But I want you to know that I became wealthy only after much trouble and many dangerous voyages upon the seas. Now sit down and have dinner with me, and you shall hear my story." "Gladly," the porter said. And, while food was brought to them on gold and silver dishes, Sinbad began the tale of his strange adventures:

Sin b ad ’s Fi rst Voyage

My father was a rich man, and when he died, he left me his entire fortune. Being young and foolish, I soon spent most of it. I saw then that I must change my ways, and made up my mind to be a merchant. I would travel and do business in foreign lands. So I sold whatever I owned, and used the money to buy

a stock of goods. With a company of other merchants, I set sail on a ship bound for the East Indies. We stopped at many islands, where we bought and sold and traded our goods.

One day the wind died down, and the captain anchored at a beautiful little island. Passengers and crew alike went ashore. Some brought washtubs and started to wash clothes, some walked about, talking and laughing, and some built fires to cook a meal. We were all enjoying ourselves, one way or another, when suddenly the earth trembled beneath our feet. The captain had remained on the ship, and now he cried out:

"Ho! Back to the ship! Run for your lives! This is no island, but a great whale. He has been sleeping here so long that grass and trees have grown on him. But your fires have awakened him, and he will plunge into the sea."

Everyone on the island ran toward the ship, but I was too far away to reach it. The whale heaved itself deep into the sea, and huge waves washed over me. I would have drowned, except that, luckily, a wooden washtub came floating by. I leaped into it, just as a breeze sprang up and the ship sailed off without me.

All day I floated in the tub, tossed this way and that by the mighty waves. Night came, and I was sure I would never see the light of morning. But my tub stayed afloat, and the next day, to my great joy, I drifted toward the steep and rocky shore of an island. I climbed up the cliff, lay down under a tree, and fell into a deep sleep.

A few hours later, I was awakened by the sound of hoofbeats. Opening my eyes, I saw a herd of horses grazing around me, and some men on horseback. "Who are you?" they cried. "Where do you come from? What are you doing here?" After I had answered their questions, they told me they were the servants of King Mihrjan, who ruled over the island. "These are the King's horses, too," they said proudly. "We bring them here to graze on the good grass."

They shared their food with me, then gave me a horse and rode with me to the capital city. I was taken to the King, who welcomed me kindly and had me tell him of my adventures. "Truly, it is a wonder that you are alive," he said. "Stay with us as long as you like."

At the King's orders, I was given clothing and anything else I needed, and my stay on the island was pleasant enough. But I

longed to return to Baghdad, and often I went to the port to see if there was a ship that would take me home. And one day, to my delight, I saw the same ship on which I had set out on my voyage. Hurrying to the captain, I said, "I am Sinbad, and my goods are still aboard your ship." The captain did not recognize me and glared at me angrily. "Are there no honest men left in the world?" he said. "With my

own eyes I saw Sinbad sink into the sea. And yet you dare to say that you are Sinbad, just to get something that does not belong to you!"

"Oh Captain," I said. "listen to me, and you will find that I am telling the truth." I told him everything that had happened, and as I spoke, several merchants on the ship gathered around us. "This is indeed Sinbad," they said, and at last the captain believed me and gave me my goods. I chose some of the best of my goods and made a present of them to the King. He gave me valuable gifts in return. I traded the rest of my goods for spices, sandals, and other things of the island country, which I sold at a great profit after returning home on the ship. Once again I was a rich man. I bought houses and land, and lived a life of pleasure and comfort.

Sin b ad ’s Seco n d Voyage

But I soon grew tired of being idle. So I set off on my second voyage, with a fine stock of goods to trade and sell. We sailed from city to city, and all went well until we put in at an island where no one lived. Fruit trees grew there, and springs of clear water bubbled up from the rocks, but there was not a sign of a house or a man. I walked about for a while with some companions from the ship, then lay down under a tree and fell asleep. When I awoke, I called out to my companions. The only answer was the shrill cry of a bird. I

rushed to the shore – just in time to see the ship disappearing in the distance. Everyone on board had forgotten about me, and I was alone on a desert island.

At first I wept with rage, blaming myself for having left the pleasures of Baghdad for another dangerous voyage. Then, knowing that rage would not help me, I climbed a tall tree and looked around. At the center of the island, rising above the greenery. I saw a large white dome.

Getting down from the tree. I hurried toward the dome. and found that it was really a huge egg. As I stared at it, the sky suddenly grew dark and a great shadow fell over me. A tremendous bird was flying toward the island. I remembered having heard stories about such a bird, and that it was called a roc.

Now the roc settled on the egg, covered it with its wings, and went to sleep. Quickly I unwound my turban and tied myself

to the bird's leg."When the roc flies off again," I said to myself, "he will carry me away from this island.” And that is exactly what happened. At dawn the next day, the roc spread its wings and rose

The Roc carrying Sinbad www.pibburns.com/cryptost/thunderb.htm

high into the air. It flew far from the island to another land, where it came down in a valley.

As soon as we touched the earth, I unbound myself and ran as far as I could. Looking back, I saw the

roc flying off, clutching a gigantic serpent in its claws. I saw, too, that the valley was surrounded by mountains. Their peaks were hidden by clouds, and their rocky sides were too steep to climb. "What have I done?" I said. "I am worse off here than I was on the island!" Walking aimlessly about, I discovered diamonds scattered everywhere on the ground, many of them of enormous size. But the valley was swarming with terrible snakes, each big enough to swallow an elephant at one gulp.

I spent the night hiding in a cave. When I came out of it the next morning, a large chunk of meat fell from the mountain and landed near me. A minute later, several more pieces of meat came tumbling from the cliffs. I did not know what to make of this, until I remembered that I had heard of merchants who gathered diamonds in a strange way. "I never believed those tales before," I thought, "but now I see that they are true. The merchants come to these mountains and throw down chunks of meat, which strike the ground so hard that some diamonds stick to them. Then the eagles carry off the meat to their nests high among the rocks. The merchants frighten the eagles away and take the diamonds."

At once I picked up the biggest diamonds in sight. After stuffing them into my sash, I tied myself to a large piece of meat with my turban. Before long an eagle swooped down and seized the meat in its claws. It carried the meat, and me as well, to its nest on the mountain. Just as I unbound myself there was a loud noise, and the eagle was frightened away. The merchant who had made the noise came running up, amazed to see me there. When he could find no diamonds sticking to the meat, he began to shout at me for robbing him.

"I am no robber, but an honest merchant," I said. "I have diamonds enough for both of us. Have as many as you like." Pleased by my words, he took me to the other merchants who were seeking diamonds in the mountains. They were full of wonder at my story, for no man had ever been known to come out of the valley alive. I journeyed with them to a city, where I gave the merchant who found me his choice of my diamonds. He took a few, and the rest I sold for many dinars.

And so I returned home, and enjoyed myself in Baghdad for a while. But I soon grew restless, and went off to sea again with another company of merchants.

From: http://library.coloradocollege.edu/news/archives/2005/10/new_miniexhibit_1.html

Display a woodcut print by Katsushika Hokusai (1832), The Great Wave Off Kanagawa. It provides a visual sense

of what Rimsky-Korsakov was communicating through music.

Retrieved on 2/3/15 from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi a/commons/thumb/0/0a/The_Great_

Wave_off_Kanagawa.jpg/1024px- The_Great_Wave_off_Kanagawa.jpg

Scheherazade by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov II. The Kalandar Prince

Students will hear one movement from Scheherazade, a large four movement work by Russian composer, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov at the 2015 Young People’s Concert.

Nicolai Rimsky Korsakov (1844-1908) came from a wealthy family. He was a musical child, but at the age of twelve he went to study at the Russian Naval Academy in St. Petersburg. He loved composing music which he did all the while he served in the Navy, often onboard a ship. After showing some of his works to the well-established composer, Mily Balakirev, the older composer invited Rimsky- Korsakov to join a small group of student composers. All were dedicated to creating music that sounded Russian rather than European – music that would tell Russian stories and reflect Russian culture. Rimsky-Korsakov was offered a position as professor of

Queen Scheherazade by 19th century artist, Sophie Anderson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheherazade

theory and composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, even though he had no formal training in music. During his early years of teaching, he studied the music as he was teaching it to keep up with his students. Two of his most famous students were Prokofiev and Stravinsky.

His masterful orchestrations are Rimsky-Korsakov’s most lasting legacy. He could write music that told amazing stories using the colors of all the individual instruments. This unique talent is readily heard in Scheherazade, for it is filled with amazing orchestrations and brilliant solo passages for instruments throughout the orchestra.

LISTENING NOTES for The Kalandar Prince

Activity #1: Introduce the context of the music - the story of Scheherazade

Learning Goal: Students will hear the story behind the music and meet the character, Scheherazade, a woman whose stories saved lives. Materials: Story synopsis, images of Scheherazade from the web

Tell students the brief version of the story as it appears below. There are also many versions of this story in books about the Arabian Nights. Tenggren's Golden Tales from the Arabian Nights (2003) by Gustaf Tenggren has a good retelling of Scheherazade’s story in the first chapter. Note that the first wife and all subsequent wives were put to death. Please ADJUST the story and substitute BANISHED FROM THE KINGDOM if you find this a better scenario for you and your students.

The Story of Scheherazade The Arabian Nights (also called Thousand and One Nights) is a collection of ancient stories from India and Persia. Around 850 CE, Persian writers collected them into a book. This book was known as the Thousand and One Nights. The stories are about a cruel Persian king named Shahryar and a clever woman named Scheherazade.

When Shahryar married, he loved his queen very much. But she betrayed him to his enemies and was killed for her treachery. After that, the bitter king found a way to make sure that a wife would never betray him again. His plan was to marry a new woman each day, and then put her to death the next morning.

Scheherazade and the King

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/com mons/d/d1/Sultan_from_arabian_nights.jpg

His vizier (key advisor) had to find the new brides which he did for many days. Scheherazade, the vizier’s daughter, was worried about the lives of all the women, so she made a plan. She went to her father and insisted that she be the next bride to marry the king. After hearing her plan, her father reluctantly agreed to let her do so.

The evening of their wedding day, Scheherazade told her sister to ask for one last story when she was allowed to say farewell before Scheherazade’s death the next morning. The king sent for the sister and she asked for a final tale. Scheherazade began her story. The king listened in and was amazed and entertained, for Scheherazade was a wonderful story teller. But when she came to the most exciting part – she STOPPED! She pointed out that that since the sun was rising, it must be time for her to die. The King wanted to hear the end of the story. He told her that she would live another day to finish it.

The next night, Scheherazade continued the tale, then wove it into a new story. Again, she stopped at the exiting moment and again the king allowed her to remain alive another day because he wanted to know what happened next. Every night was the same, for a thousand and one nights. King Shahryar fell in love with Scheherazade and realized that he could trust this woman as his wife and queen.

Activity #2: Listen to the Music

Learning Goal: Students will listen to the music in segments to become familiar with key themes Materials: recording, listening map to display (or individual copies)

1. Listen to the opening section of the music, 0:00 to 0:36. The composer created this theme to

represent Scheherazade’s voice. She is beginning a new story.

2. Ask them to name the solo instrument (violin). Whenever they hear a solo violin in the piece, they will know that it is Scheherazade’s voice. Here is her main theme:

3. Using the listening map on the next page, guide students through the music. The music is rich, evocative, and filled with images of exotic stories from ancient Persia.

Extensions

Listen often to the piece. It is complex and challenging, but also interesting. Encourage students to interpret the music in a variety of ways. Draw/paint the music, move to sections of the piece, imagine and write stories (inventing some of the tales the Kalandar Princes told the Ladies of Baghdad), and write poems about how the music sounds.

Read other tales from Arabian Nights. A favorite collection for kids, still available via the web and in some Minnesota Public Libraries is Tenggren's Golden Tales from the Arabian Nights (2003) by Gustaf Tenggren. Very appropriate for elementary grades. The first story is a good retelling of Scheherazade’s tale.

For more information, activities, and materials for all four movements of Scheherazade, go to http://creativekidseducationfoundation.org/kids/sche/base.htm

Who were the Kalandar Princes?

Once upon a time, there were three different Princes, each from three different royal clans. Their lives were full of adventure. But along the way in life, all met with misfortune of some kind or other. Now they make their way through life as holy men.

One day they met the Three Ladies of Baghdad, who welcomed the ex-princes into their home. That evening all the guests of the Ladies entertained each other by telling their life stories, for they were filled with adventure and interesting to hear.

Scheherazade is telling her first story to her sister, but the king is listening in. http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~delson/scheherazade-

transparent.gif

The Kalandars princes each tell a fantastic tale of how they overcame their challenges, lost their royal titles and learn their life lessons. They now find fulfillment as members of a sect of holy men. These are some of the tales told by Scheherazade. The serene opening theme perhaps signifies the calmness of these holy men.

Outline for the” Kalandar Prince” Find the introduction and two themes of the A Section

Listen to the introduction (0:00 to 0:36) and ask students to speculate on what’s going on in the music. (Solo violin begins, accompanied by harp. This is the musical sound for Scheherazade as she begins a new story.)

In Section A, the story unfolds and we hear the music for the Kalandar Princes (0:36 to 1:21). The theme has two parts. The Princes are now holy men who seek to promote harmony in the world. The calm, gentle music is played by a solo bassoon, then oboe, then upper strings. The music gets louder and faster.

The violin returns, as Scheherazade’s voice.

A new theme for Section B The peacefulness of the opening is quickly shattered when a new theme introduces the B section (3:31).

This is the King’s theme. It is bold, loud, and in charge. Scheherazade has woven the King into her tale!

It is played first by the deep voices of plucked string basses, then as a brass fanfare. The fanfare eventually becomes a military sounding march; perhaps describing some of the adventures experienced by one or more of the princes.

A transition occurs around 7:27. Bassoon improvises a free-form melody along with the upper winds.

Return to Section A Eventually the Kalandar prince theme returns with the winds and violins (CD 8:39). This time the mood of the music is quite different even though the themes are the same. Listen again to the bassoon version at the beginning and the returning A section and compare and contrast what you hear.

At 10:13 a solo harp and soft tremolo strings pave the way for a gentle, dream-like flute to sing the Princes’ melody. After the horn, the solo violin, Scheherazade voice, speaks again.

The Coda is a grand crescendo beginning at 11:45 with a fragment of the fanfare theme repeated over and over to end the piece. It is colorful and energetic.

Romanze for Viola in F Major, Op. 8 Max Bruch

Introduction Each year the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra sponsors a competition for musicians 18 and younger. The program began in 1997. Five Young Artist prizes are awarded yearly in addition to the Hester Scholarship. The first place winner receives a cash award and the chance to perform with the DSSO. This year’s competition winner, violist Joshua Peterson, will play at the 2015 Young People Concert. Tell students that th ey ar e an i mp or tant par t of Joshu a’s fi r st pr ize because they are the prize winning audience!

LISTENING NOTES for Romanze

Max Bruch http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-

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Activity #1: What is a Concerto? Learning Goal: Students will learn what a concerto is and how it is organized. Materials: Vocabulary card with ‘concerto’ to post, images of a viola and an orchestra

Introduce the term concerto and its meaning. An Italian word, a concerto is a musical work, usually in three movements (but not always) for one or more solo instruments and orchestra.

Sometimes concertos sound like a conversation

or partnership between the soloist and the

orchestra, with agreement and a mutual point of

view about how the music unfolds. Other times, a

composer can write a concerto where the tension

is high and the music sounds like a competition

with the orchestra and the solo instrument

sounding like rivals tussling for the spotlight.

The contrasts between a single instrument and a

full orchestra and the variety and drama of the

dialogue are two “big ideas” in a concerto.

Activity #2: Identify viola & orchestra tone colors

About the Composer German composer Max Bruch (1838-1920) launched his career composing operas. His works for voice are considered exceptionally well written and some of his sacred and secular choral works are exquisite Romantic gems. This talent for songwriting serve him well throughout the years. His music, whether for voice or instruments, is lyrical, sing-able, and satisfying - filled with beautiful melodies. He was a composer who wanted to please his listeners above all other reasons for creating music. His skill was recognized in his lifetime throughout Germany and beyond. The compositions people think of first when mentioning Bruch are the First Concerto and the Scottish Rhapsody for violin. In his later years, Bruch began composing solo works for some of the instruments that were not so visible such as the viola. He wrote the Romanze for Viola and Orchestra in 1912. This was an interesting time for a composer who a) wrote pleasing, gorgeous melodies and b) lived in Europe which was a hotbed of experimental music in this time period. His music seemed quite “old-fashioned” to many listeners.

Learning Goal: Using a physical gesture, students will show their ability to distinguish between the sound of a solo viola and the orchestra. Materials: Recording, images of the viola and the orchestra

violin viola Smaller in size, a violin is about 13 ¾ inches.

Larger in size, violas range from 15 ¾ inches to 16.5/17 inches.

Higher pitched Lower pitched 3 strings in common: both have an A, D, and G string, but violin has a higher E string.

3 strings in common: both have an A, D, and G string, but viola has a lower C string. Viola strings are thicker.

Violin players read music written

on the treble clef staff.

Viola players read music written on a C clef staff.

1. Listen to the opening (0:00 to 1:34) and ask students to identify when they hear orchestra

alone, and when they hear the solo viola begin to play. Agree on a sign for orchestra only, and

one for viola plus orchestra. For example: stand up for orchestra alone, sit for viola plus

orchestra.

In this excerpt (and throughout the whole work) the orchestra is rarely “in the spotlight.” Here

are two places where it is orchestra only: 0:00 to 0:08 and 1:17 to 1:34.

Help students notice that the orchestra plays all the time. Sometimes they provide an

accompaniment, sometimes they have a peaceful accompaniment with the viola, and only

occasionally they play alone. (The three orchestra only segments are at 0:08, 1:17 to 1:34, and

5:27 to 5:47.)

Ask students if they think this concerto is a competition or a partnership.

2. Composer Max Bruch called his piece a Romanze. The musical definition is a ballad or song – so

this piece is a “Song for Viola and Orchestra.”

3. Use pictures of the orchestra and a viola to help students visualize the music. Or view a

YouTube performance to see and hear the interaction. (The posting at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd5H-byqGCg shows some of this interaction.)

Activity #3: Compare the violin & the viola Learning Goal: Students will compare & contrast two string instruments using illustrations and images. Materials: images of violin & viola

Joshua Peterson’s instrument, the viola, looks similar to a violin, but there are differences. Viewing side by side images of violin and viola, ask students to find similarities and differences between the two. Here is a useful image and some facts about both.

violin and viola http://upload.wikimedia.org/wiki pedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Violi

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Assessment : Informally assess student ability to note difference in tone color when the orchestra plays alone, and when the viola and orchestra play together.