2009-2010 Student Matinee concerts
Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra presents Winter Wonderland
Boris Brott, Principal Youth and Family Conductor
Teacher Study Guide Kindergarten—Grade 3
Table of Contents
This program is made possible by the National Youth and Education Trust supported by Founding Partner TELUS, Sun Life Financial, Michael Potter and Véronique Dhieux,
supporters and patrons of the annual National Arts Centre Gala and the donors of the NAC Foundation’s Corporate Club and Donor’s Circle.
Welcome Teachers! Page 3 Concert Program Page 4 About the National Arts Centre and the Performers Page 5 Canada’s National Arts Centre Page 5 The National Arts Centre Orchestra Page 6 Boris Brott, conductor Page 7 Merrilee Hodgins, choreographer Page 7 The School of Dance Page 7 Bangers & Smash, percussion duo Page 8
All about the NAC Orchestra Page 9 Map of the NAC Orchestra Sections Page 12 Program Notes Page 13 Bernard’s Winter Wonderland Page 13 Golden’s Hot Latkes and Strawberry Jam Page 13 The Huron Carol Page 14 Waldteufel’s Skater’s Waltz Page 14 Glazunov’s The Seasons, Op. 67 Page 15 O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) Page 15 Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Op. 71 Page 16 Jingle Bells Page 17 Ballet Terms Page 18
Musical Glossary Page 19 Performance Hall Etiquette Page 20 Classroom Activities Page 21 Suggested Activities and the 2009 Ontario Curriculum for the Arts Page 30 Bibliography of Resources Available at the Ottawa Public Library Page 35 ArtsAlive.ca Page 37 Other available NAC Orchestra Teacher Study Guides Page 38
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Audience Participation
We invite you and your students to sing along with the NAC Orchestra during the concert. The piece we have selected for your participation is an arrangement for “Jingle Bells”. The conductor will announce when it is time to sing.
Pinchas Zukerman Music Director, National Arts Centre Orchestra
Should you have any questions regarding Music Education at the National Arts Centre, please contact us:
General information Tel: 613‐947‐7000 x390 ♦ Email: mused@nac‐cna.ca
www.nac‐cna.ca www.ArtsAlive.ca Music
About this guide As a support to your classroom work, we have created this guide to help introduce you to the program and content of the performance. In it you will find:
Program notes about the music you will hear at the concert Biographical information about the conductor, the performers and the NAC Orchestra Classroom activities for you to share with your students
We hope this study guide is helpful in preparing you for your concert experience. The level of difficulty for the activities is broad, so please assess them according to the grade level you teach. If you have any comments about the study guide or the performance please write to us at mused@nac‐cna.ca.
See you at the NAC!
Dear Teacher,
I am pleased that I once again have this opportunity to personally invite you and your students to the National Arts Centre to hear great music performed by your national Orchestra. I believe music is both a window to the world and one of the greatest gifts we can offer our children. Developing an appreciation of music is an invaluable learning and growing experience that can last a lifetime. The value we place as a society on the Arts and Arts Education will be severely tested during the economic uncertainty of the months ahead. I cannot emphasize enough how strongly I feel that music and music education has a fundamental role to play in the development of our youth, and ultimately our Canadian society. I can assure you we will continue to hold ourselves to the highest standards in the creation of educational programming that we hope you find is as entertaining as it is enriching.
Sincerely,
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(subject to change)
Concert Dates: Wednesday, December 9, 2009 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. (English) 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. (English) Thursday, December 10, 2009 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. (French)
Location for all concerts: Southam Hall, National Arts Centre
Running time for all concerts: 60 minutes without intermission
Winter Wonderland The National Arts Centre Orchestra
Boris Brott, Principal Youth and Family Conductor
FEATURING: The School of Dance
Merrilee Hodgins, choreographer Bangers and Smash, percussion duo
Jonathan Wade, percussion Kenneth Simpson, percussion
Concert Program
In this Student Matinee, students will hear excerpts from:
BERNARD Winter Wonderland GOLDEN Hot Latkes & Strawberry Jam TRAD. The Huron Carol WALDTEUFEL Skater’s Waltz, Op. 183 GLAZUNOV The Seasons, Op. 67 IV. Winter: Snow III. Winter: Hail TRAD. O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) Bangers and Smash, percussion duo Jonathan Wade, percussion Kenneth Simpson, percussion TCHAIKOVSKY The Nutcracker, Op. 71 Dance of the Sugar‐Plum Fairy Arabian Dance Spanish Dance Trepak – Russian Dance PIERPONT Jingle Bells *Sing along with the NAC Orchestra!
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Designed by Fred Lebensold (ARCOP Design), one of North America's foremost theatre designers, the building was widely praised as a twentieth century architectural landmark. Of fundamental importance to the creators of the NAC was the belief that, beautiful and functional as the complex was, it would need more than bricks and mortar and, in the words of Jean Gascon, former Director of the NAC’s French Theatre Department (1977‐1983), "it would need a heart that beats."
A program to incorporate visual arts into the fabric of the building has resulted in the creation of one of the country's most unique permanent art collections of international and Canadian contemporary art. Pieces include special commissions such as Homage to RFK (mural) by internationally
acclaimed Canadian contemporary artist William Ronald, The Three Graces by Ossip Zadkine and a large free standing untitled bronze sculpture by Charles Daudelin. In 1997, the NAC collaborated with the Art Bank of the Canada Council for the Arts to install over 130 pieces of Canadian contemporary art.
Canada’s National Arts Centre
Situated in the heart of the nation's capital across Confederation Square from Parliament Hill, the National Arts Centre is among the largest performing arts complexes in Canada. It is unique as the only multidisciplinary, bilingual performing arts centre in North America and features one of the largest stages on the continent.
Southam Hall is home to the National Arts Centre Orchestra, to the largest film screen in the country and to the Micheline Beauchemin Curtain.
Officially opened on June 2, 1969, the National Arts Centre was a key institution created by Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson as a Centennial project of the federal government.
Built in the shape of a hexagon, the design became the architectural leitmotif for Canada's premier performing arts centre.
Today, the NAC works with countless artists, both emerging and established, from across Canada and around the world, and collaborates with scores of other arts organizations across the country.
The NAC is strongly committed to being a leader and innovator in each of the performing arts fields in which it works ‐ classical music, English theatre, French theatre, dance, variety, and community programming. It is at the forefront of youth and educational activities, supporting programs for young and emerging artists and programs for young audiences, and producing resources and study materials for teachers.
About the National Arts Centre and the Performers
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The NAC Orchestra offers a number of programs dedicated to fostering a knowledge and appreciation of music among young people. In addition to a highly popular subscription series of TD Canada Trust Family Adventures with the NAC Orchestra, the Orchestra presents a variety of opportunities for schools to learn about classical music: Student Matinees, and Open Rehearsals to allow students to hear the Orchestra perform in its home at the NAC. In addition, Musicians in the
Schools programs including ensemble performances and instrument sectionals take the music to the students in their schools.
The National Arts Centre Orchestra Consistent praise has followed this vibrant orchestra throughout its history of touring both nationally and internationally, recording, and commissioning Canadian works. Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, now under the direction of renowned conductor/violinist/violist Pinchas Zukerman, continues to draw accolades both abroad and at its home in Ottawa where it gives over 100 performances a year.
The NAC Orchestra was founded in 1969 as the resident orchestra of the newly opened National Arts Centre, with Jean‐Marie Beaudet as Music Director and Mario Bernardi as founding conductor and (from 1971) Music Director until 1982. He was succeeded by Franco Mannino (1982 to 1987), Gabriel Chmura (1987 to 1990), and Trevor Pinnock (1991‐1997). In April 1998, Pinchas Zukerman was named Music Director of the NAC Orchestra.
Pinchas Zukerman has led the Orchestra on tours within Canada in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008, to Europe and Israel in 2000, and the United States and Mexico in 2003, with educational activities ranging from master‐classes and question‐and‐answer sessions to sectional rehearsals with youth and community orchestras and student matinees.
The NAC Orchestra has 40 recordings to its name, six with Pinchas Zukerman: Haydn, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Schubert and two of Mozart (a CD of flute quartets, and a CD of orchestral music and string quintets). The commissioning of original Canadian works has always been an important part of the National Arts Centre’s mandate with over 90 works commissioned to date.
In addition to a full series of subscription concerts at the National Arts Centre each season, tours are undertaken to regions throughout Canada and around the world. Since the arrival of Pinchas Zukerman, education has been an extremely important component of these tours. Teacher Resource Kits have been developed for distribution to elementary schools in the regions toured and across Canada, and the public has been able to follow each tour through fully interactive websites which are now archived on the NAC’s Performing Arts Education Website at www.ArtsAlive.ca. The Orchestra’s tour of
Western Canada in October and November 2008 included over 100 education events.
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Boris Brott Principal Youth and Family Conductor, NAC Orchestra
Maestro Boris Brott began playing the violin when he was three years old and first performed with the Montreal Symphony when he was only five. At the age of 14 he won a scholarship to study conducting and shortly afterwards, when he was still a teenager, founded the Philharmonic Youth Orchestra of Montreal. When he was 18, Boris Brott became the assistant conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. At 24, he won the Dimitri Mitropolous International Conducting Competition in New York and became Assistant to Leonard Bernstein.
He is now well known within Canada and beyond for having developed no fewer than six different Canadian orchestras and guest‐conducted around the world. He is especially interested in helping young artists and developing new audiences for music. In addition to conducting the New West Symphony in Los Angeles, California, of which he is Music Director, Maestro Brott conducts the McGill Chamber Orchestra in Montreal. Boris Brott,
along with his wife Ardyth, attorney and children's author, runs the Brott Spring, Summer, and Autumn Music Festivals based in Hamilton, Ontario which has as its centrepiece the National Academy Orchestra, Canada's National Orchestra training school. In 2006 he was appointed to the order of Ontario.
The School of Dance Located at 200 Crichton Street in Ottawa, The School of Dance has an international reputation as a centre for excellence in arts education. Founded in 1978, by Merrilee Hodgins and Joyce Shietze, The School offers professional training programs in ballet, contemporary dance and teacher training, as well as leisure and recreational programs for adults and children. Graduates of The School of Dance are performing with companies world‐wide. Each year The School touches the lives of over 70,000 Ontarians with special programs for persons with disabilities, boys only classes and school visits designed to inspire interest in the arts. The School is a Canadian, not for profit, charitable institution.
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Merrilee Hodgins Choreographer, A.R.A.D. Artistic Director The School of Dance
Merrilee Hodgins studied classical ballet and contemporary dance in Canada, England, Denmark and the United States. Miss Hodgins was awarded the prestigious Solo Seal of the Royal Academy of Dancing in 1971. In 1973 she became a Principal with the Alberta Ballet Company, later working in Denmark, Germany and the U.S. as a freelance artist. Miss Hodgins, a recipient of the YM‐YWCA’s 1997 Women of Distinction Award, was the 1997 Chair of the City of Ottawa’s Cultural Leadership Committee. She was a member of the board of directors for Dance Ontario and has been awarded Canada Council grants to research and develop projects to introduce children to dance. Recent projects
include a main‐stage commission by the National Arts Centre and a choreographic collaboration with Canadian poet Susan McMaster.
Bangers and Smash Percussion duo
Jonathan Wade A native of Ottawa, Jonathan Wade received a Bachelor of Music in performance from the University of Ottawa where he studied with Ian Bernard and Pierre Béluse. He went on to obtain a Superior Studies diploma in orchestral repertoire from the University of Montréal where he studied with the legendary timpanist Louis Charbonneau. Jonathan Wade is presently a percussionist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, a position he has held since 1983. He is also principal timpanist of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra. In great demand both as an orchestral player and a chamber musician, Mr. Wade performs with many other fine ensembles including Thirteen Strings and Capital Brass Works. He is heard frequently on prestigious concert series such as the Ottawa International Chamber Music
Festival and Music for a Sunday Afternoon at the National Gallery. He has recorded for CBC and Radio‐Canada and released numerous CD’s with the NACO and other ensembles.
In 2006, Jonathan Wade was appointed head of percussion at the University of Ottawa. He is also percussion instructor at the Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy. Jonathan performs regularly in the NAC’s Music in the Schools program with Bangers and Smash and the Ragtime Brass Sextet.
Kenneth Simpson, a native of Ottawa, is a percussionist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. He is also principal percussion of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra. Very active in chamber music, Kenneth has performed on the NAC’s Music for a Sunday Afternoon series, the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, Espace Musique, 13 Strings and Capital BrassWorks. He plays with the Bel Canto Wind Quintet in the NAC Orchestra’s Musicians in the Schools programme. He is an active clinician and an endorser for Zildjian Cymbals in Boston, Massachusetts.
Kenneth Simpson obtained a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Ottawa in 1985 under the guidance of Ian Bernard, principal timpanist of the NAC Orchestra. Further study continued over a long period with renowned teacher/performer Pierre Beluse of McGill University in Montreal. As a student, Mr. Simpson won the NACO Bursary Award in 1983, as well as the Isobel Firestone Scholarship at the University of Ottawa in 1984. Kenneth Simpson was Professor of Percussion at the University of Ottawa for 18 years, and was a founding member of the percussion duo Bangers and Smash. Kenneth enjoys living in Ottawa with his wife Elizabeth and two wonderful daughters Olivia and Veronica.
Kenneth Simpson
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All about the NAC Orchestra
What is the National Arts Centre Orchestra made up of?
First of all, the NAC Orchestra is made up of 61 men and women, playing together on a variety of musical instruments. They are divided into four different sections (string, woodwind, brass and percussion) but they are united in one common goal: making music together. You might already know that orchestras are not always the same size. Smaller orchestras, with between 20 and 34 musicians, are called “chamber orchestras.” Larger orchestras, with between 60 and 110 musicians, are called “symphony orchestras” or “philharmonic orchestras.”
The NAC Orchestra (NACO) is a symphony orchestra, not too small, not too big, just the right size for your enjoyment and pleasure.
20 Violins 6 Violas (somewhat larger than a violin) 7 Cellos (definitely larger than the viola) 5 Double Basses (Twice the size of a cello!) 1 Harp
All these instruments, except the harp, have four strings.
Their sound is produced by the friction of a bow on a string, or plucking the strings by the fingers, allowing them to vibrate.
Plucking the strings is called pizzicato (meaning “plucked” in Italian).
Bigger instruments have lower sounds; for example, the sound of the violin is higher than the double bass.
Every string instrument is constructed of pieces of wood carefully glued together and covered with several coats of varnish – no nails or screws are used.
Did you know that the bows that are used to play some stringed instruments are made of wood and horsehair?
The NACO STRING SECTION contains:
Violin , Viola and Cello
Double Bass Harp
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The NACO WOODWIND SECTION contains:
2 Flutes ● 2 Oboes 2 Clarinets ● 2 Bassoons
These instruments are basically tubes (either wood or metal) pierced with holes. As a musician blows through their tube, they cover different holes with their fingers to produce different notes.
Some wind instruments use a reed to produce sound. A reed is made of thin wood which vibrates against the lips as a musician blows into the instrument to create a sound.
Of the four woodwind instruments of the orchestra, only the flute doesn’t require a reed.
Clarinets are single reed instruments, whereas oboes and bassoons are double‐reed instruments. It means that the oboists and bassoonists use double‐reeds against their lips to create a sound.
Most wind instruments are made from wood, like ebony, except for the flute, which is almost always made of silver.
Flutes create the highest notes, bassoons create the lowest.
Did you know that the reeds are made of cane, more commonly called “bamboo”?
Flute
The NACO BRASS SECTION contains:
2 Trumpets ● 5 French horns 3 Trombones ● 1 Tuba
Brass instruments are definitely the loudest in the orchestra; it explains why there are fewer brass players than string players.
They are made of long metal tubes formed into loops of various lengths with a bell shape at the end. The longer the length of tube, the lower the sound of the instrument will be.
The sound is created by the vibrations of lips as the musician blows into a mouthpiece that looks like a little circular cup.
Brass instruments have small mechanisms called valves that allow the sound to change, modifying the distance the air travels through the tube each time they are pressed or released by the player. However, the trombone has a slide that moves to change notes.
Did you know that most brass instruments have a special spit valve that allows water, condensation generated by blowing in the instrument, to be expelled?
Trumpet
French horn
Trombone
Tuba
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Clarinet, Oboe, and Bassoon
The NACO PERCUSSION SECTION contains:
1 set of Timpani 2 other percussionists who play Xylophone, Marimba, Snare Drum, Wood Block, Cymbals and tons of other interesting sounding instruments.
Percussion instruments help provide rhythm for the orchestra.
Within this family of instruments, there are 3 types: metal, wood and skin.
These instruments are either “pitched”(they produce a specific note, like the xylophone) or “unpitched” (they produce a sound that has no specific note, like the snare drum).
Percussion sounds are generally produced by hitting something with a stick or with the hands.
Different pitches are produced on the timpani by changing the skin tension either by tightening or loosening screws fixed to the shell, or by using the pedal.
Visit the Instrument Lab on ArtsAlive.ca Music to tweak, tinker and listen to all your favourite instruments of the orchestra!
Did you know that a timpani looks like a big cauldron? But don’t try making soup in it!
Timpani
Marimba Xylophone
Cymbals
Gong
Maracas
Triangle
Snare drum
Tambourine
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Map of the NAC Orchestra Sections
harp
tu
ba tr
om
bo
ne
tr
um
pet
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Program Notes
FELIX BERNARD (1897‐1944): Winter Wonderland The Christmas standard “Winter Wonderland” comes from the composer‐lyricist team of Felix Bernard and Richard Smith, the latter presumably having written the words after a snow‐filled vision of the park in his home town of Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Bernard was born in Brooklyn, New York, son of a professional violinist. He studied piano and went on to perform in vaudeville as a tap dancer. His first big success as a composer came in 1919 with “Dardanella.” In 1934 “Winter Wonderland” became a hit for Guy Lombardo. Every succeeding year more and more stars took it into their repertories, among them Perry Como, the Andrews Sisters, Ella Fitzgerald, Cyndi Lauper, Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, Louis Armstrong, and even classical artists like soprano Kiri Te Kanawa and The Three Tenors. It was also used as an instrumental on the soundtrack of the film When Harry Met Sally (1989).
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Prepared by Robert Markow
DANIEL GOLDEN: Hot Latkes and Strawberry Jam Latkes or latkas, also known as potato pancakes, are shallow‐fried pancakes of grated potato and egg, often flavored with grated onion. Latkes are traditionally eaten during the Jewish Hanukkah festival. The oil for cooking the latkes is reminiscent of the oil from the Hanukkah story that kept the Second Temple of ancient Israel lit with a long‐lasting flame that is celebrated as a miracle. Currently an active composer, Golden has written and arranged music for string ensembles, Klezmer groups, symphony orchestra, jazz band and student musicians at all levels. Golden is
currently a freelance musician and string teacher in Chicago. He is Principal Violist of the Lake Forest Symphony, and performs regularly with the Ars Viva Symphony, Chicagoland Pops Orchestra, the Chicago Philharmonic and numerous other professional orchestras and chamber ensembles in the Chicago area. He performs Jewish and other ethnic music on viola, violin and mandolin. He has performed with several professional Klezmer groups and has participated in and led many workshops on Klezmer music. Klezmer is a musical tradition which parallels Hasidic and Ashkenazic Judaism. Around the 15th century, a tradition of secular (non‐liturgical) Jewish music was developed by musicians called klezmorim or kleyzmurim. They draw on devotional traditions extending back into Biblical times, and their musical legacy of klezmer continues to evolve today. The repertoire is largely dance songs for weddings and other celebrations. Klezmer is easily identifiable by its characteristic expressive melodies, reminiscent of the human voice, complete with laughing and weeping.
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TRADITIONAL: The Huron Carol “The Huron Carol” has the distinction of being the oldest Christmas song of Canadian origin. It was written in 1643 by the missionary Jean de Brébeuf while he was stationed at the French Jesuit settlement Sainte‐Marie Among the Hurons. This settlement was located near what is now Midland, Ontario (about 100 km north of
Toronto on the shores of Georgian Bay, Lake Huron). The original words are in the native language of the Huron Indians (Wendat) and its original title was “Jesous Ahatonhia” (Jesus, he is born). The melody, however, is derived from a traditional French folk song, “Une jeune pucelle” (A young maid). In 1926, English lyrics were substituted by Jesse Edgar Middleton for a faulty French translation. Middleton incorporated imagery from the Canadian wilderness to replace more traditional concepts: Jesus is born not in a stable but in a “lodge of broken bark”; He is surrounded not by shepherds but by hunters; “chiefs [not the Magi] from afar” bring him gifts of fox and beaver pelts rather than precious (but useless!) powders and ointments. In this form the song is also known as “Twas in the Moon of Wintertime.” Further amendments to the text have continued to this day. The popular singer Bruce Cockburn has recorded this song.
ÉMILE WALDTEUFEL (1837‐1915): Skater’s Waltz, Op. 183 Composed in 1882, the “Skater’s Waltz” was inspired by the Cercle des Patineurs or 'Rink of Skaters' at the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. Waldteufel’s introduction to the waltz can be likened to the poise of a skater and the glissando notes invoke scenes of a wintry atmosphere. The other themes that follow are graceful and swirling, as if to depict a ring of skaters in their glory. Bells were also added for good measure to complete the winter scenery. It was published by Hopwood & Crew and was dedicated to Ernest Coquelin who was the younger brother of two celebrated actor brothers of the Comédie Française.
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ALEXANDER GLAZUNOV (1865‐1936): The Seasons, Op. 67 (Winter: Snow; Hail)
Due to the overwhelming popularity of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, one could be forgiven for thinking that this composer had some kind of proprietary rights to the subject. But dozens of others have had a go at setting the four seasons to music too. One of these was Glazunov, whose 35‐minute ballet score (about the same length as Vivaldi’s) was one of the first compositions to usher in the twentieth century. Its premiere took place at the Hermitage Theater in St. Petersburg on February 7, 1900, with choreography by the renowned Marius Petipa, who had a decade earlier worked with Tchaikovsky on The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. Glazunov’s music too grew out of the old Russian ballet tradition. The scenario is an allegorical fantasy. There is no plot as such; instead, the seasons are presented in four tableaux, each of which embraces a series of dances illustrating features of that season. First comes Winter (Vivaldi finished with this season), which has four companions: frost, ice, hail and snow, each of which is portrayed in a dance. (We hear two of them.) Suitably frosty, glistening sounds prevail. “Snow” is portrayed as a tiny but elegant waltz and “Hail” as a lively number featuring chattering oboes and muted trumpets.
TRADITIONAL: O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) “O Tannenbaum” (“O Christmas Tree” in English) is a favorite Christmas carol of German origin. Actually, the translation is not quite exact, as the German word Tann means pine forest, but that wouldn’t fit the rhythm; besides, pine trees and Christmas go so well together! The melody is an old folk song and the lyrics go back to the sixteenth century. You may have heard the expression “Music is a universal language.” Well, that’s stretching things a bit, but you’d never know it from the varied uses to which the theme of “O Tannenbaum” has been put: set to different lyrics, it has served for the British Labour Party’s song “The Red Flag,” for Cornell University’s “Evening Song,” for the official state song of Maryland (“Maryland, My Maryland” fits the rhythm perfectly!) and even the official song of Nankai University in Tianjin, China.
PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840‐1893): The Nutcracker, Op. 71 Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy; Arabian Dance; Spanish Dance; Russian Dance (Trepak)
The immensely popular ballet The Nutcracker has, through countless productions, captivated and enchanted millions of children and adults alike. For many of us, it was the first ballet we ever saw. For some, perhaps, it remains the only ballet. Notices in the newspapers that The Nutcracker is coming to town is one of the surest signs that the holiday season is about to start. The Nutcracker has woven a magical spell in the collective consciousness of nearly the entire civilized world to the extent that it is nearly impossible to believe it actually had a very shaky beginning.
The commission to write The Nutcracker came in 1891 at the height of Tchaikovsky’s fame and popularity. His previous ballet score, Sleeping Beauty, had been a big success the year before, and now the director of the Maryinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Ivan Vsevolozhsky, wanted another ballet from Tchaikovsky, specifically one based on Alexandre Dumas père’s French adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s tale Nussknacker und Mausekönig (The Nutcracker and the Mouse‐King) ‐ hence, the oft‐used French title Casse‐noisette, even in Russia. Vsevolozhsky drew up the scenario himself and the great Marius Petipa provided the choreography. As most people know Hoffmann’s story only through Tchaikovsky’s ballet, it is worth noting that the latter departs from the original to a significant degree. Among other things, the figure of Drosselmeyer – in the original, half Hoffmann himself and half a weird caricature – survives (in Tchaikovsky) as an eccentric uncle. The enigmatic figure of the Nutcracker itself, half inanimate object and half suffering soul in the original, is in Tchaikovsky an object of affection who returns the sentiment by rewarding his savior, Clara, with a visit to the Kingdom of Sweets.
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JAMES LORD PIERPONT (1822‐1893): Jingle Bells
Act II opens with the arrival of Clara and her Nutcracker‐Price at the court of the Sugar Plum Fairy in that magical, mythical Kingdom of Sweets, which, in many stage productions, is a feast for the eyes as well. Although the Sugar Plum Fairy presides over the events that take place throughout the act, her solo dance doesn’t occur until near the end of the ballet. It features the newly‐invented celesta, a keyboard instrument resembling a small upright piano in appearance but whose tone is more like that of a glockenspiel: dry, crystal clear and delicate, a perfect accompaniment for the character depicted.
The Sugar Plum Fairy has arranged a lavish feast with entertainment for Clara and the Prince in the form of a series of dances representing various lands and foods, among them coffee (Arabia, a languid, sensuous theme that unfolds over a rocking accompaniment), chocolate (Spain, a brilliant bolero with virtuosic trumpet solos), a trepak from Russia (fast and furious – it’s all over in a minute!) and reed flutes (flutes and English horn).
"Jingle Bells" is one of the best known and commonly sung winter songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and copyrighted under the title 'One Horse Open Sleigh' on September 16, 1857. Despite being inextricably connected to Christmas, it is not specifically a Christmas song. It is one of many "joyful songs" written in New England during the late 19th century. The "Jingle Bells" tune is used in French and German songs, although the lyrics are unrelated to the English lyrics. Both celebrate winter fun. The French song, titled Vive le vent ("Long Live the Wind"), was written by Francis Blanche and contains references to Father Time, Baby New Year, and New Year's Day. There are several German versions of "Jingle Bells"; the popular Roy Black version Christkindl and Christmastime.
Ballet Terms
Adage: In ballet, a slow section of a pas de deux or an exercise in a dance class focusing on slow controlled movements that highlight balance and extension, and require strength and poise.
Adagio: The part of a dance class where exercises for balance and sustained movement are performed; a musical composition performed at a slow tempo.
Alignment: Creating harmony with the body so that unbroken lines are formed with the arms and legs without displacement of the torso.
Arabesque: In ballet, a pose held on one leg with the other leg and both arms extended away and up from the centre of the body; also, positioning of the arms in relation to the legs. As with positions of the feet, each position is distinguished by a number, such as first, second and third arabesque.
Barre: A horizontal pole, either attached to the wall or freestanding, to support dancers while stretching, warming up or doing exercises "at the barre". Barre exercises like pliés, battements and ronds de jambe form the first part of a traditional ballet class and are the basis for all technique.
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Battement: In ballet, the "beating" of either a stretched or flexed leg. The types are : a battement tendu, a battement dégagé, a battement fondu, a petit battement and a grand battement.
Corps de ballet: In ballet, performers who do not have lead roles and perform during group scenes or action. In narrative ballets, members of the corps de ballet will perform roles such as peasants, wedding guests and swans.
Enchaînement: A "chain" or linked sequence of movements.
Turnout: A way of standing and using the legs that is initiated in the pelvis, where both sides of the body rotate outwards from the hips, away from the spine.
Pas de deux: In ballet, a sequence or dance for two dancers.
Pirouette: In ballet, a spin or turn of the body performed on one leg. Pirouettes may be performed en dehors (turning away from the supporting leg) or en dedans (turning toward the supporting leg).
Plié: In ballet, a bending of the knees. This can be done either in demi‐plié ("half‐plié"), where the heels remain on the floor, or in grand plié (large or full plié), where, except in second position of the feet, the heels leave the floor at the deepest point of the bend.
Port de bras: In ballet, arm movements around the body.
Beat – Is there a strong pulse (like walking), or little sense of a beat, (like floating)? Is the speed (tempo): fast (allegro), medium (moderato), or slow (adagio)?
Metre/Time Signature – 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8 are most common. Listen for
the strong beat, then find the grouping of beats in 2s, 3s 4s. Try conducting in 2 (down/up) or 3 (triangle) to feel duple or triple time.
Rhythm – Are sound patterns simple, or complex? Are they fast patterns (like eighth
notes) or long notes (like whole notes)? Is the rhythm jazzy and syncopated (on the off‐beat)?
Melody – Is the tune memorable? Does it have leaping from high to low
(disjunct) or notes moving in close steps (conjunct)? Is the playing smooth (legato) or detached playing, like hot potato (staccato)?
Harmony – is more than one pitch sounding at the same time (example do + mi + sol, or
the “I chord”). One person singing alone creates unison, not harmony! Are the combined sounds modern, jazzy, more traditional?
Dynamics – How dramatic is the music? Are there loud and soft sections? The music terms
(and symbols) are:
pianissimo (pp) – very soft
piano (p) – soft
mezzo piano/mezzo forte (mp, mf) – medium soft/medium loud
forte (f) – loud
fortissimo (ff) – very loud
Texture – describes the density of sound: one sound (thin), or two sounds layered, or many
sounds layered, performed simultaneously (thick). Polyphonic music has many layers, starting at different times, like singing the round Frère Jacques.
Timbre – Can you identify what is making the music: voice (male/female, adult/
child), woodwinds, brass, strings, or percussion?
Form – is how music is organized in repeating or recognizable sections. Examples:
ABA, Sonata, Theme and Variations, Rondo, Symphony
Musical Glossary
Teacher Study Guide Page 19 Winter Wonderland
Teachers: Help us ensure that everyone enjoys the performance!
As a teacher bringing your students to a performance at the National Arts Centre, please keep in mind that you are responsible for the behaviour of your students. It is up to you to ensure that the students behave in a respectful and attentive manner towards the performers on stage as well as NAC staff and fellow audience members. Use the guidelines below to brief your students about behaviour in the performance hall before you attend your NAC performance.
✓ Performers on stage rely on the audience for the energy to perform: audiences need to be attentive, quiet and respectful in order to help create the magic of live performance.
✓ Performers can see and hear everything that you do, just as you can see and hear everything that they do, so:
❏ Please save your snacks, drinks, candies and gum for another time ‐ the performance hall is no place for eating and drinking. ❏ Please discuss what you like and dislike about a performance ‐ but definitely do it after you leave the hall, not during the performance. ❏ It is important that you be comfortable in your seat in the hall ‐ but please don’t leave your seat once the performance has started. It’s distracting to those on stage. ❏ Be sure to turn off cell phones, pagers and anything that beeps before you enter the hall.
✓ Musicians love to have their performance acknowledged by your applause, but remember to wait until the whole piece is over. Some composers choose to write music in several movements. It may seem like the end of the piece when the performers come to the end of a movement, but often a piece of music is made up of several movements. If you get confused about when a piece of music is finished, watch the performers on stage—you’ll be sure to know when the piece is over when the conductor turns and faces the audience.
✓ Remember that there are a lot of people who work very hard to put on a performance: not just actors, dancers and musicians, but administrators, front‐of‐house and technical staff. Everyone will have a different opinion of what they see on stage, but consider that constructive criticism is always appreciated more than purely negative criticism.
✓ Through the performing arts we can explore other points of view, learn new and different things about ourselves and about others. Everyone who views a performance will experience it in a different way. It is important to respect this process of exploration in yourselves and those around you.
Performance Hall Etiquette
Teacher Study Guide Page 20 Winter Wonderland
Classroom Activities
Instruments of the Orchestra
Teacher Study Guide Page 21 Winter Wonderland
See “All about the Orchestra” on pages 9‐11. Use ArtsAlive.ca
Music — Instrument Lab to explore the sounds, construction,
and appearance of various instruments.
Word Wall and Discussion Listen to some of the pieces listed on the concert program (see page 4). Which piece did you like best? (Music is like food… each of us has different favourites, or "tastes")
When the music is loud, how did you feel? (soft, fast, slow, one instrument, orchestra)
Make a word wall of actions. (flying, hopping, twirling, jumping, clapping, crying, dancing, laughing, sleeping,……..)
Make a word wall of describing words. ( smooth, calm, fast, happy, exciting, rhythmic, strong, soft, loud, quiet, adventurous, ….) Use the word wall to answer oral questions. Example: How did the composer feel when he wrote this piece? Use the word wall to help write a sentence, or short paragraph. "I like __________________(name piece) by _________. It was __________________. It made me feel like __________________."
Listening Log and Listening Record Use the Listening Log to teach students to listen for details and to learn music vocabulary. Keep listening samples short and intriguing to start. Select music you love from your own collection or from the library. Use music illustrating contrasting moods, styles of music, his‐torical periods of music, and cultural backgrounds. When the students realize that there is interest in and respect for music of many time periods and a wide variety of cultures, this will encourage students to appreciate different tastes, show tolerance and respect, and be proud of their cultural background. Ask each student to take a turn being responsible for the “listening selection of the day”, encouraging them to bring music from home that is appropriate for school and that others might not have heard before… to “stretch” the ears of their classmates. Make a music certificate for “most original and interesting selection of the week”. Ensure that all selections are listened to carefully and with respect.
Listening Log
Name: ____________________________ Date: ___________________________________ Piece: ______________________________________________________________________ Composer: __________________________________________________________________ Circle the best answer:
1. Describe the beat: steady changing hard to find 2. The time signature is: Duple Triple Groups of two: 1, 2, 1, 2 … Groups of three: 1,2,3,1,2,3… Four: 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4… Six: 1.2.3.4.5.6, 1,2,3,4,5,6, 3. What is the tempo (speed)? allegro moderato adagio (fast ) (medium) (slow) 4. Does the tempo change? accelerando ritardando (speeds up) (slows down) 5. Which dynamic levels are used? forte mezzoforte piano (loud) (medium loud) (soft) 6. Which elements are featured? strong memorable interesting rhythm melody harmony 7. What timbres are featured? Instruments: strings brass woodwinds percussion electronic Voices: child woman man / solo duet choir 8. What is the mood of the piece? In your imagination, what is happening when you hear
this music? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Teacher Study Guide Page 22 Winter Wonderland
Teacher Study Guide Page 23 Winter Wonderland
The Nutcracker and Holiday Traditions The Nutcracker is a story set during Christmas. Use the performance as a way of discussing how students and their family celebrate special holidays from religions and cultures of the world.
The Nutcracker: Basic Ballet Positions Source: Connexions® http://cnx.org by Alex Volschenk
All dancers, even the greatest, use exactly these positions every day. Positions of the Feet FIRST POSITION: turn your feet out to the side with your heels touching – turn your whole
leg out at the hip, not just the foot.
SECOND POSITION: turn your toes out on the same line as first position – stand with feet apart – the space between your heels should be about the length of one of your feet – place the whole of both feet on the floor – don’t roll forwards and put too much weight on your big toes.
THIRD POSITION: cross one foot halfway in front of the other – your weight should be balanced evenly on both feet.
FOURTH POSITION: place one foot exactly in front of the other with some space between them.
FIFTH POSITION: your feet should be turned out, fully crossed and touching each other firmly.
Have the students write a letter or draw a picture in response to the program. What did they like or dislike about the concert? Which music did they like best? What differences did they notice about the music relating to different holiday traditions? What questions do they have about the music or the production? (We LOVE to receive feedback from children whether written or drawn. Students can send their responses to the address at the front of this supplement.)
Response to the Concert
Music from Life 1. Ask the children to bring to school an object from their daily life that makes an interesting sound.
Ideas: two pieces of wood that resonate nicely when banged together
a tin can with ripples on the sides, or a comb, that can be scraped with a pencil or plastic spoon
dried lentils in a plastic jar (example: baking powder jar, lemon juice container shaped like a lemon) or chip can.
sample‐sized plastic makeup bottles (some produce a tone like a flute when you blow across opening)
large pail or plastic juice bottle (lid removed sounds best)
2. Have the students listen to each others’ sounds. 3. Practice loud/soft, and following directions. Invite a "guest conductor" to direct the "orchestra". First teacher, then students, take turns leading the class. Gestures:
Hands above head = loud
Hands at chest level = medium loud
Hands lowered = soft
Hands cross and quickly move outward = stop or
Hands touch floor = stop, for younger students, sitting in circle, leader in centre)
4. Repeat the “Dancing Rhythms” activity from part one, only this time using the students “found” instruments.
Teacher Study Guide Page 24 Winter Wonderland
Listen to a brief section (30‐60 seconds) of each of the 4 pieces from The Nutcracker. Have students move scarves or streamers to the music; describe how the streamer is moving (e.g. flowing, up and down, jagged, floating…). Choose one word and with the class describe the music using music vocabulary; e.g. Russian Dance (Trepak); excited – very fast tempo, quickly changing dynamics‐ soft to loud to soft, many short notes, many repeated melodies
Move to each piece and build a chart of the 4 pieces. Use the same movements when a section is repeated. Share with the class.
Grade 2, 3: After several opportunities to listen and move, have students in pairs, choose 2 of the pieces and create a Venn diagram, using descriptive words from the class chart, or other music words (including mood words) that are posted on a word wall. Grade 1 – Teacher and students together create the Venn diagram. Students can then create a piece of artwork responding to one of the pieces from The Nutcracker.
Listening Activities Refer to the Musical Glossary on page 19.
Beat, Metre, Time Signature Listen to the following works to discover beat, metre and time sig‐natures: Bernard’s “Winter Wonderland” Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Russian Dance (Trepak)”
Waldteufel’s “Skater’s Waltz” Try patting your lap (patsch) for the strong beat, and clap the weak beat(s) to discover the groupings, or metre. Listen for the metre, then try conducting in 2 (down/up) or 3 (triangle) to feel duple or triple time. 2/4 3/4 4/4 Rhythm Listen to the complex rhythm in Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Arabian Dance” Melody and Harmony Listen to selections from the repertoire listed on page 4. Which melodies are memorable? Which can you hum? Are the harmonies (combined sounds) modern, jazzy, or more traditional?
Dynamics Baroque and Classical music usually have distinct loud and soft sections; and Romantic and Modern music usually make dramatic use of loud, soft and gradual changes, and sound very expressive. How would you describe the dynamics and mood in Tchaikovsky’s “Russian Dance” (the Nutcracker, Op. 71)? Compare it with Waldteufel’s “Skater’s Waltz”.
Teacher Study Guide Page 25 Winter Wonderland
Name the Instrument
A. Fill in the name of the instrument and identify which of the four instrument families (strings, woodwind, brass or percussion) the instrument belongs to.
B. Colour each of the instruments.
1. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
2. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
4. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
3. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
Teacher Study Guide Page 26 Winter Wonderland
5. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
6. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
7. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
8. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
9. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
Teacher Study Guide Page 27 Winter Wonderland
10. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
11. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
12. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
13. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
14. Instrument: ________________________________ Family: ________________________________
Teacher Study Guide Page 28 Winter Wonderland
Name the Instrument — ANSWERS
8. Instrument: Bassoon Family: Woodwind 9. Instrument: Maracas Family: Percussion 10. Instrument: Tuba Family: Brass 11. Instrument: Clarinet Family: Woodwind 12. Instrument: Tambourine Family: Percussion 13. Instrument: Cymbals Family: Percussion 14. Instrument: Xylophone Family: Percussion
1. Instrument: French horn Family: Brass 2. Instrument: Timpani Family: Percussion 3. Instrument: Trumpet Family: Brass 4. Instrument: Cello Family: Strings 5. Instrument: Flute Family: Woodwind 6. Instrument: Violin or Viola Family: Strings 7. Instrument: Triangle Family: Percussion
Teacher Study Guide Page 29 Winter Wonderland
Suggested Activities and the 2009 Ontario Curriculum for the Arts
Rhythm (page 19)
Rhythm describes the patterns that are made with long notes, short notes and silences (rests) e.g. long…..long……short‐short long….. (ta‐ta‐ ti‐ti‐ta). Do the rhythm patterns you hear have many short notes, or mostly long notes? Are there many rests? According to the Ontario Curriculum, The Arts: Music, glossary: rhythm. An aspect of the element called duration. The pattern of long and short sounds or silences. Patterns can be created by both musical sounds and lyrics or words. Rhythm differs from beat; for example, the rhythm at the beginning of a song might be “ta, ti‐ti, tika‐tika, ta”, whereas the beat is the underlying steady pulse of “ta, ta, ta, ta”. See also beat. rhythmic pattern. A short, repeated pattern using two or more note values (e.g., quarter note and eighth note). A sample of such a pattern is “ta, ti‐ti, ta, ta”.
Performance Hall Etiquette (page 20)
According to the Ontario Curriculum, The Arts: Music: C2.3 identify and give examples of their strengths and areas for growth as musical performers, creators, interpreters, and audience members (e.g., singing in unison, providing constructive feedback and suggestions for a classmate’s or guest performer’s performance) Teacher prompts: “What could we do to improve our next performance?” “How can we demonstrate good audience behavior during our school concert?”
by Jane Wamsley
Word Wall and Discussion (page 21) According to the Ontario Curriculum, The Arts: Music: The following activites “Word Wall and Discussion” would be connected to the Overall Expectations that are the same in all grades 1‐8: C2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing: apply the critical analysis process (see pages 23
–28) to communicate their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of music and musical experiences;
C3. Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of musical genres and styles from the past and present, and their social and/or community contexts.
An example of a grade 3 Specific Expectation for these activities: C3.2 identify a variety of musical pieces from different cultures through performing and/or
listening to them (e.g., folk songs, songs for celebrations, ceremonial music from Canadian and world sources)
Teacher prompts: “What songs do you sing for Diwali? Kwanzaa? Hanukkah?” “Earth Day is coming in April. What songs could we use to help to celebrate the earth?”
Teacher Study Guide Page 30 Winter Wonderland
Instruments of the Orchestra (page 21)
According to the Ontario Curriculum, The Arts: Music: Grade 1: timbre: sound quality of instruments (e.g., non‐pitched and pitched percussion), Grade 2: classification of instruments by listening to their sound (e.g., wind [woodwind,
brass], stringed, electronic, membrane, pitched percussion instruments) Grade 3: classification of instruments by means of sound production (e.g., sounds
produced by strumming, striking, shaking, blowing)
GRADE 1: Overall Expectation C2 Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing: apply the critical analysis
process (see pages 23–28) to communicate their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of music and musical experiences;
Specific Expectation C2.2 describe ways in which the elements of music are used for different purposes in the music they perform, listen to, and create
Fundamental Concepts: describe the sounds of instruments they hear and see
BEFORE the CONCERT: Internet source‐ NAC website: Arts Alive (http://artsalive.ca/en/mus/instrumentlab) Students will.. listen to an instrument and look at the virtual pictures orally respond with descriptive words about how the instrument looks and sounds write this vocabulary on a class word list after viewing and hearing a few instruments, write a response about the instrument they
would choose to play and why, using the class word list create an illustration of the instrument
DURING the CONCERT: Teachers may suggest that students occasionally during the concert watch for and listen to the instrument that they had chosen; especially listening for pieces that featured ‘their’ instrument.
AFTER the CONCERT: Students will… talk about/write about their ‘chosen’ instrument
What did you notice about this instrument during the concert? (e.g. where was the instrument on stage? How often was it played? How did the performer hold the instrument?...)
When was the instrument played? How did it sound? Were you surprised? Why? Why not? Is this instrument still one that you would wish to play after experiencing it live in
the concert hall? What other instruments did you find interesting? Surprising? Could all of the instruments play at a loud or soft dynamic level? When did you
hear loud or soft sounds in the music?
Teacher Study Guide Page 31 Winter Wonderland
GRADE 2: Overall Expectation C2 Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing: apply the critical analysis
process (see pages 23–28) to communicate their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of music and musical experiences;
Specific Expectation C2.2 describe ways in which the elements of music are used for different purposes in the music they perform, listen to, and create
Fundamental Concepts: classify the instruments of the orchestra BEFORE the CONCERT: Internet source‐ NAC website: Arts Alive (http://artsalive.ca/en/mus/instrumentlab) Students will.. listen to and look at several instruments being played:
identify the similar sound characteristics of the instruments in a family (string, brass, woodwind or percussion)
discuss how the construction and materials of the instruments resulted in the sounds they hear when the instruments are played
gather the descriptions onto a class chart e.g.
with a partner, complete the ‘Name the Instrument’ sheets, using the information from the class chart
DURING the CONCERT: Teachers may suggest that students watch how the families of instruments they have been studying look and play on stage; e.g. Do all the brass instruments always pick up their instruments and play at the same time? What do you notice about the violins playing together? (the bowing is all the same most often) AFTER the CONCERT: Students will… talk about/write about the orchestra’s instrument families:
What surprised you about the instrument families at the concert? Did you ever see the brass family use mutes? When (what piece of music)? Describe the sizes of the instruments when you see and hear them live. Any
surprises? Describe which family of instruments you liked listening to best. Why? Were there any pieces of music played that really ‘featured’ certain families of
instruments? (Make a class list; listen to recordings of the pieces for further exploration)
Instrument Family/ Section
Materials and description Other Characteristics Description of the Sound
trumpet Brass Metal tubing rolled around with a bell shape at the end; 3 valves to press down
How long the tube is and how fast the player buzzes lips produces high/low pitches
(student responses will vary) e.g. bright
Teacher Study Guide Page 32 Winter Wonderland
GRADE 3: Overall Expectation C2 Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing: apply the critical analysis
process (see pages 23–28) to communicate their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of music and musical experiences;
Specific Expectation C2.2 describe ways in which the elements of music are used in the music they perform, listen to, and create
Fundamental Concepts: classification of instruments by means of sound production (e.g., sounds produced by strumming, striking, shaking, blowing)
BEFORE the CONCERT: Internet source‐ NAC website: Arts Alive (http://artsalive.ca/en/mus/instrumentlab) Students will.. Fold a sheet of paper into 4 (use recycled where possible), and put each of the ways
instruments are played into a box; looking at the instruments in their families on the NAC ‘Instrument Lab’, sort and list the instruments under the correct headings e.g.
Explore classroom instruments or found sounds and create a class ’orchestra’, play the rhythm of a familiar song e.g. Frére Jacques or chant e.g. Jack Be Nimble; assigning different phrases to different instruments in the list
Discuss how some instruments can be played more than one way; e.g. string instruments can be bowed or plucked, and how the sound changes
DURING the CONCERT: Teachers may suggest that students pay particular attention to how the instruments are being played and how the sound is affected.
AFTER the CONCERT: Review the chart made before the concert and add more details learned by attending the
live concert Reflect on the concert: What did you see? Feel? Hear? Which pieces that you heard at
the concert would you like to hear again? Why?
Strum/Scrape Strike Shake Blow
Violin guiro
Triangle drum
Maraca tambourine
Trombone recorder
Teacher Study Guide Page 33 Winter Wonderland
Listening Log and Listening Record (pages 21‐22) The “Listening Log and Listening Record” would be connected to the Overall Expectations that are the same in all grades 1‐8: C2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing: apply the critical analysis process (see pages 23
–28) to communicate their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of music and musical experiences;
C3. Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of musical genres and styles from the past and present, and their social and/or community contexts.
The Listening Log is quite comprehensive and successful at grades 4 and up. However, it could be suitable for grade 3 if completed WITH the teacher – the reading level would require assistance, particularly with the music terms, which we like to introduce as they are encountered in music heard or performed. Grade 1 and 2 could do a simplified version, or just one question. Again, it could be done orally, with a teacher chart gathering the information, then students writing/drawing their own reflections. Movement to the pieces to demonstrate how they are same or different is also possible.
The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (page 23) According to the Ontario Curriculum, The Arts: Music: C1. Creating and Performing: apply the creative process (see pages 19–22) to create and
perform music for a variety of purposes, using the elements and techniques of music; C1.2 apply the elements of music when singing, playing an instrument, and moving C2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing: apply the critical analysis process (see pages 23
–28) to communicate their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of music and musical experiences;
C2.2 describe ways in which the elements of music are used in the music they perform, listen to, and create (e.g., use a Venn diagram to compare how the elements of two contrasting pieces create mood). Teacher prompts: “How do these two songs use dynamics differently to create uniquely expressive pieces? In what other ways do these two songs differ?”
C3. Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of musical genres and styles from the past and present, and their social and/or community contexts.
C3.2 identify, through performing and/or listening, a variety of musical forms or pieces from different communities, times, and places
Teacher Study Guide Page 34 Winter Wonderland
of Resources Available at the Ottawa Public Library Compiled by Janis Perkin
Children’s Services, Ottawa Public Library
Bibliography
Teacher Study Guide Page 35 Winter Wonderland
ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA
FICTION Gillmor, Don THE FABULOUS SONG (also available in multimedia format), c.1996 Hoff, Syd ARTURO’S BATON Clarion Books, c.1995 Kraus, Robert MUSICAL MAX Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c.1990 Kuskin, Karla THE PHILHARMONIC GETS DRESSED Harper & Row, c.1982 Millman, Isaac MOSES GOES TO A CONCERT Farrar, Straus & Giroux, c.1998 Pare, Roger PLAISIRS DE MUSIQUE Courte échelle, c.1999 Soulières, Robert L’HOMME AUX OISEAUX Québec/Amérique, c.1981 Tibo, Gilles SIMON ET LA MUSIQUE Livres Toundra, c.1995 Van Kampen, Vlasta ORCHESTRANIMALS North Winds Press, c.1989 Van Kampen, Vlasta ORCHESTRANIMAUX (French) Scholastic, c.1990 Van Kampen, Vlasta ROCKANIMALS North Winds Press, c.1991 Waddell, Martin LE CONCERT DES HÉRISSONS Kaléidoscope, c.1991 Waddell, Martin THE HAPPY HEDGEHOG BAND Candlewick Press, c.2003
NON‐FICTION Dunleavy, Deborah KIDS CAN PRESS JUMBO BOOK OF MUSIC c.2001 Laurencin, Geneviève MUSIQUE! Gallimard Jeunesse, c.1988 Féron, José UN ORCHESTRE ET SES INSTRUMENTS Nathan, c.1985 Hart, Avery KIDS MAKE MUSIC! Williamson Publishing, c.1993 Levine, Shar THE SCIENCE OF SOUND AND MUSIC Riley, Peter CHANGING SOUNDS Turner, Barrie C. LA MUSIQUE Nathan, c.1989 Marchon‐Arnaud, Catherine EN AVANT LA MUSIQUE Hachette Jeunesse, c.1993 Koscielniak, Bruce THE STORY OF THE INCREDIBLE ORCHESTRA Houghton Miffin, c.2000
THE NUTCRACKER
FICTION Bunting, Eve THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS DePalma, Mary Newell THE NUTCRACKER DOLL Giff, Patricia Reilly ROSIE’S NUTCRACKER DREAMS Isadora, Rachel LILI ON STAGE McMullan, Kate NUTCRACKER NOEL Stuchner, Joan Betty SADIE THE BALLERINA Tyrrell, Avril WOODLAND NUTCRACKER
Teacher Study Guide Page 36 Winter Wonderland
NON‐FICTION Hoffman, E. T. A. CASSE‐NOISETTES ET LE ROI DES SOURIS (illust. Zwerger) Hoffman, E. T. A. THE NUTCRACKER (ed. Bell) Hoffman, E. T. A. NUTCRACKER (illust. Sendak) Hoffman, E. T. A. THE NUTCRACKER (illust. Spirin) Switzer, Ellen THE NUTCRACKER: A STORY AND A BALLET
DANCE
FICTION Barber, Antonia LESSONS FOR LUCY Chevance, Audrey TUTU Coulman, Valerie I AM A BALLERINA Coulman, Valerie JE SUIS BALLERINE! Hall, Kirsten JE SUIS UNE BALLERINE Holabird, Katharine ANGELINA BALLERINE: HISTOIRE Holabird, Katharine ANGELINA, STAR OF THE SHOW Ichikawa, Satomi BRAVO, TANYA Isadora, Rachel LILI BACKSTAGE Marshall, James PIEDS DE COCHONS Schneider, Christine SUZIE DANSE Streatfeild, Noel BALLET SHOES Trottier, Maxine PAVLOVA’S GIFT
NON‐FICTION Augustyn, Frank FOOTNOTES : DANCING THE WORLD’S BEST‐LOVED BALLETS Bray‐Moffatt, Naia À L’ÉCOLE DE DANSE Bray‐Moffatt, Naia DANCE SCHOOL Castle, Kate BALLET Chausson, Karine SI J’ÉTAIS UNE BALLERINE… Delobbe, Karine LA DANSE Grau, Andrée DANCE Lee, Laura A CHILD’S INTRODUCTION TO BALLET (includes CD) Li, Cunxin DANCING TO FREEDOM: THE TRUE STORY OF MAO’S LAST DANCER Lipman, Eva I AM A DANCER Yolen, Jane THE BAREFOOT BOOK OF BALLET STORIES
Teacher Study Guide Page 38 Winter Wonderland
Be sure to check out all of this season’s
NAC Orchestra Student Matinee Teacher Study Guides available for free download on the
ArtsAlive.ca Music website! (see Music Resources, Resources for Teachers)
Kindergarten—Grade 3
Winter Wonderland Wednesday, December 9, 2009 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (English)
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. (English) Thursday, December 10, 2009 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (French)
Grade 4—8
Let’s Go Mozart! Thursday, May 27, 2010 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (English)
Thursday, May 27, 2010 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. (English) Friday, May 28, 2010 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (French)
Grade 7—12
The Outstanding Oscar Peterson Thursday, November 26, 2009 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Bilingual) Friday, November 27, 2009 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Bilingual)
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