La Musica International Chamber Music Festival – 20th Anniversary
“A Year Of Celebration”
2006 Teacher’s Guide for Third Graders
[Prepared by Susy Welsh, Tuttle Elementary School]
Wednesday, April 12th
10:30 a.m.
Manatee County
th
Thursday, April 13
11:00 a.m.
Sarasota County
At the beautiful Sarasota Opera House
Classroom and Music Teachers – Please look over the entire packet
first, and then plan what, how, & when you will teach the contained
information based on your curriculum needs, and the amount of time each
of you will have with your students before and after the concert. Please
take the time to communicate with each other so that your students get
the greatest amount of benefit out of your symbiotic and collaborative
efforts. Professional Learning Communities strengthen teacher-toteacher, teacher-to-learner, and learner-to-learner connections in a very
meaningful cross-curriculum environment.
Contents:
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Teacher/Student Information
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Student Fun Sheets & Answer Keys
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Educational CD Recording of the complete Program
Reproducible Masters: All of these materials have been provided for
your use in a regular classroom, and also in the music room. They will
help you to prepare your third graders for the 2006 La Musica
International Chamber Music rehearsal/concert/experience at the
Sarasota Opera House. You can also use these materials to further your
students’ understanding and/or assess their knowledge after this fieldtrip,
or after the unit. Feel free to use this material as you see fit: with the
whole group together, in cooperative learning groups, with partners, as
individual activities, for homework, and/or for extra credit research points.
Chamber Music: At the 2006 La Musica International Chamber Music
Festival’s special 3rd Grade rehearsal/concert/experience, you will hear
chamber music being performed. This is a type of music played by small
groups of instruments, usually with one player per part. Chamber Music is
meant to be played in a smaller “chamber”, hall, or room, for a smaller
audience. You will hear a movement from each piece of music. A
movement is one section of a larger piece of music, like one scene in a
play, one level in a Nintendo game, one inning in a baseball game, one
quarter in a football game, or one chapter in a book. There is no official
conductor that stands in front of the players – the violinist, or the lead
instrument player, usually is in charge. When that person is ready, they
give the signal, and everyone has to start counting the piece together,
stay together, and end together without an official conductor leading them.
Many of these performers that you will hear come from other countries, so
they speak many different languages, but they all speak the universal
language of “MUSIC”.
The Program:
 Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" or “Serenade For Strings in G
Major” ["A Little Night Music" or “A Little Serenade”] - 3rd
movement “Allegretto” - 2 violins, viola, cello, & bass
Mozart was 31 years old when he wrote Eine Kleine Nachtmusik in
1787 in Vienna. [He had only four more years to live.] It has been called a
"classic perfection" and a "well-burnished gem" – which means it is
beautiful, balanced, and perfectly polished. The entire piece seems very
happy – like Mozart is joking around with you. This makes people think of
the Mozart they saw in the movie Amadeus – which is mostly fiction!
Mozart was very well known for his practical and impractical jokes. This is
one of the most popular compositions Mozart ever wrote - Anne Frank
loved listening to this composition, too. [He was working on the opera Don
Giovanni at the same time.] Nachtmusik was written for a chamber
ensemble of two violins, viola, and cello, with optional bass. It is also
performed with more than one person to a part sometimes.
The third movement is a minuet and trio [in ABA form], and it sounds like
dance music – well, a minuet is an actual dance. The section is in the tonic key of
G major – that means it is in the same key as the first movement, with an F# in
the key signature. It is played quickly because the tempo is marked as
Allegretto. It has two musical themes: a minuet and a trio. The movement begins
with the minuet [A], then the trio theme enters [B], and it ends with the minuet [A]
again. [Assignment = Have you ever tried to compose a melody? Try
playing around on an instrument. When you find a pattern that you like,
write it down. If you don’t know how to write it down, have your music
teacher help you. Now find another pattern that you like, and get it written
down. As the composer, you must now decide how you will arrange these
two patterns. Here are some suggestions:
ABA = Pattern 1, Pattern 2, Pattern 1
AABB = Pattern 1, Pattern 1, Pattern 2, Pattern 2
AABA = Pattern 1, Pattern 1, Pattern 2, Pattern 1
Now write down your finished composition. Practice it. Play it for
someone. Congratulations! You are now a budding composer!]
 Brahms' "Piano Trio in B major, Op. 8" - 2nd movement “Scherzo:
Allegro molto” - violin, cello, & piano
In 1854, at the age of 21, Brahms decided to publish his first piece of
chamber music, the Piano Trio in B major, Op. 8. Brahms was constantly
criticizing his own works, and we know he set his earlier chamber music on
fire. When he thought this piece was done, the first public concert
performance of this trio, the official world premiere, was in New York on
November 27, 1855, at Dodsworth Hall.
Thirty-five years later, the publisher of the trio decided that it was time
for a new printing. He asked Brahms if any corrections were necessary OOPPSS – so an older and wiser Brahms returned to this piano trio
because he just had to re-do it – he could not resist the temptation to “FIX”
it. Brahms said, "I didn't provide it with a new wig, just combed, and
arranged its hair a little" – but this is the exact opposite of what he actually
did. His changes were really huge: he cut the entire work by about a third,
and made numerous changes to everything except the scherzo section –
that is the section we will hear – and he only gave the scherzo a new coda
[tail end section].
Around the same time Brahms decided to retire - well - he was
coaxed into writing one final set of clarinet pieces. This piano trio has a
special meaning for Brahms and for us - it started his chamber music
career, and it grabbed his attention again at the end. In this final edition, the
Piano Trio in B Major is an example of “the hand, the mind, and the heart of
both the young and the elder Brahms”. No one understands why, but
Brahms the perfectionist let both versions remain in print – go figure!
 Dvorak's "Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 90, Dumky" - 1st movement violin, cello, & piano
The Dumky Trio is Dvorak’s last and most well known piano trio.
"Dumky" is the plural of "Dumka" – which means "a fleeting thought". The
trio is made up of six movements, each a "dumka". It also got this name
because it uses the Bohemian national dance-form. Dvorak used the idea
of “fleeting thoughts” by composing contrasting slow sections full of sorrow
and regret with fast and emotional ones. [This piece does not contain a
movement in sonata form, nor one that uses variations.] It is a work that
uses the simple beauty and color of folk songs and dances – but with the
melodies created by Dvorak. The trio was premiered in Prague on April 11,
1891 with Dvorak as pianist. At this concert he received an honorary
doctorate from Prague’s Charles University. The work was so well
received that it was played on tour at 40 concerts.
Dvorak then left for the United States in 1892 to head the National
Conservatory of Music in New York City. He encouraged American
composers to “explore your own folk music as a source for inspiration”.
The Dumky trio was published while Dvorak was in America, and was
proofread by his good friend, Johannes Brahms – wow – what a small
world! In 1893 Dvorak spent his summer vacation in the small town of
Spillville, Iowa because of its large Czech population. He probably felt very
much at home there.
Educational CD Recordings: These are provided to help you prepare
your students for the 2006 La Musica International Chamber Music
rehearsal/concert/experience. Playing this music on a daily basis will help
their ears to become accustomed to the music that will be presented at
the Sarasota Opera House. The music can be played at the beginning or
ending of the day, during transition times, during DOL or DOM time,
during center time, in music class, and while the students are working on
the actual study guide sheets.
Why are so many musical terms written in Italian?????
Italy played a major role in the development of the forms,
instruments, and performing styles of Western music. That is why Italian
became the international language of music. Today Italian words for many
terms for tempo and expression are still used worldwide – but - a composer
may choose to use his or her own native language instead for these
directions.
“What Is Music???
Music is Sound.
That is what I hear…
Music is Rhythm.
That is the beat I can clap…
Music is Melody.
That is the tune I can hum…
Music is Pitch and Tone.
Pitch is the highs and the lows of the sound…
Tone is the color – the brightness or darkness of the sound…
Music is Volume.
That is the loudness or the softness of the sound…
Music is Feeling.
It sets a mood…
Music is a Creative Art.
Imagine…
Music is Harmony.
Harmony is the sound of different notes blended together…
Music is Dynamics, Tempo, and Italian.
Dynamics is the softness or loudness of the music…
Tempo is the slowness or quickness of the music…
Musical terms are expressed in Italian…
Music is to Dance to – Gotta Dance!...
Music is Therapy…
Music is Good for Animals, Too…
Music is for Everybody...
Music is Everywhere!...”
paraphrased from Ah, Music by Aliki
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Some Related Videos To Watch & Discuss:
If your school has the new State Adopted Music Textbook Series:
Silver Burdett’s Making Music [the 2002 edition], here is a list of
related videos to watch & discuss from the “Music Magic” Video
Library:
“String Instruments: Bowed” – Erhu and Yangqin; Country Fiddling;
Orchestra da Camera; An Extraordinary Violinist Performing At Ages 3, 9,
and 12; Performances By Famous Virtuosi on Viola, Cello, and Double
Bass; a String Quartet; and Youth Orchestra.
“Wind Instruments: Wood” - forward to: Cello, and Harpsichord;
Baroque Flute, Cello, and Harpsichord; and Clarinet and Piano.
“From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China” - forward to: Violin and
Orchestra playing a piece by Mozart; Violin and piano; cello and piano;
and violin and orchestra playing a piece by Brahms.
“How We Make Music” – forward to: Episode #7 Panpipe, Pipa, and
Violin.
If your school has the previous State Adopted Music Textbook
Series: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill’s Share The Music [the 1995 edition],
here is a video to watch & discuss from the “Share The Music” Video
Library:
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“Musical Expression” – forward to: Concert Violinist Midori playing
“Carmen Fantasie de Concert”; Concert Violinist Midori playing “Flight
of the Bumblebee”; Concert Violinist Midori playing “Violin Sonata No. 3
in d minor, Op. 108, 4th Movement” by Brahms two ways [changing
tempo & articulation]; and Jazz Saxophonist Joshua Redman & Concert
Violinist Midori playing “Summertime” as a duet.
Some Other Teaching & Listening Resources:
If your school has the new State Adopted Music Textbook Series:
Silver Burdett’s Making Music [the 2002 edition], here is a list of
other related items available from that series:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
12 Variations in C, “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman”, K. 265/300e – Gr.
3; pg. 17; CD 1; #17
Concerto in D Major for Flute and Orchestra, K. 314, 3rd
Movement; Allegro – Gr. K; pg. T122; CD 4; #29
Concerto in Eb for Horn and Orchestra, K. 417, Rondo – Gr. 4;
pg. 69; CD 3; #22
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Minuet – Gr. 4; pg. 107; CD 4; #24
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik – Gr. 4; pg. 39; CD 2; #8
The Magic Flute, “Der Holle Rache” [The Revenge Aria] – Gr. K;
pg. T48; CD 2; #21
The Magic Flute, “In Diesen Heil’gen Hallen” [In These Bright
Halls] – Gr. K; pg. T48; CD 2; #22
Sonata No. 11, “Turkish Rondo”, K. 331 – Gr. K; pg. T165; CD 5;
#48
Antonin Dvorak:
The New World Symphony, Op. 95, No. 9, Movement 1 – Gr. 5;
pg. 55; CD 3; #6
Johannes Brahms:
Hungarian Dance No. 3 in F Major – Gr. 1; pg. T206; CD 6; #9
Hungarian Dance No. 6 – Gr. 4; pg. 48; CD 2; #20
Hungarian Dance No. 19 – Gr. 4; pg. 167; CD 6; #25
Lullaby – Gr. 3; pg. 185; CD 5; #28
Listening Map Transparencies:
12 Variations in C, “Ah, vous Dirai-je, Maman”, K. 265/300e – Gr.
3; pg. 17; CD 1; #17
Hungarian Dance No. 6 – Gr. 4; pg. 48; CD 2; #20
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Sonata No. 11, “Turkish Rondo”, K. 331 – Gr. K; pg. T165; CD 5;
#48
Montages:
Keyboard Instrument Montage – Piano, Clavichord, and
Harpsichord – Gr. 5; pg. 191; CD 8; #9
What Do You Hear?
Timbre 4B – String Instruments – Yangqin, Violin, and Classical
Guitar – Gr. 2; pg. 144; CD 5; #12, 13, & 14
Timbre 3 – Viola, String Bass, and Violin – Gr. 3; pg. 114; CD 3;
#32, 33, & 34
Timbre 5B - String Instrumentals – Plucked, Bowed, and Struck –
Gr. 5; pg. 200; CD 8; #23, 24, & 25
Timbre 6B – Keyboard Instrumental/Piano, Keyboard
Instrumental/Harpsichord, and Keyboard Instrumental/Synthesizer – Gr. 5;
pg. 238; CD 9; #30, 31, & 32
Sound Bank Instruments:
Violin:
Gr. 1; pg. T431; CD 12; #48
Gr. 2; pg. 397; CD 13; #53
Gr. 3; pg. 413; CD 13; #50
Gr. 4; pg. 443; CD 16; #55
Gr. 5; pg. 491; CD 18; #50
Viola:
Gr. 2; pg. 397; CD 13; #52
Gr. 3; pg. 413; CD 13; #49
Gr. 4; pg. 443; CD 16; #54
Cello:
Gr. 2; pg. 392; CD 13; #25
Gr. 3; pg. 408; CD 13; #23
Gr. 4; pg. 438; CD 16; #23
String Bass:
Gr. 2; pg. 395; CD 13; #44
Gr. 3; pg. 412; CD 13; #44
Gr. 4; pg. 442; CD 16; #47
Piano:
Gr. K; pg. T330; CD 10; #55
Gr. 3; pg. 411; CD 13; #37
Gr. 5; pg. 489; CD 18; #36
If your school has the previous State Adopted Music Textbook
Series: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill’s Share The Music [the 1995 edition],
here is a list of other related items available from that series:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
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Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, 1st Movement – Gr. 3; pg. 359E; CD 9;
#8
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Minuet and Trio from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, 3rd Movement – Gr.
2; pg. 343A; CD 7; #37
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Overture to The Marriage of Figaro – Gr. 3; pg. 148; CD 4; #15
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Symphony No. 35 “Haffner”, 1st Movement – Gr. 4; pg. 361C; CD
10; #2
Antonin Dvorak:
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Slavonic Dance, Op. 46, No. 1 – Gr. K; pg T87; CD 2; #32
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Slavonic Dance, Op. 46, No. 8 – Gr. 4; pg. 198; CD 5; #17
Johannes Brahms:
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Hungarian Dance No. 6 – Gr. 1; pg. T30; CD 1; #19
Listening Map Transparencies:
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Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, 1st Movement – Gr. 3; pg. 359E; CD 9;
#8; LA.5
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Minute and Trio from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik; 3rd Movement – Gr.
2; pg. 343A; CD 7; #37; LA.2
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Symphony No. 35 “Haffner”, 1st Movement – Gr. 4; pg. 361C; CD
10; #2; LA.2
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Overture to The Marriage of Figaro – Gr. 3; pg. 148; CD 4; #15;
4.4
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Hungarian Dance No. 6 – Gr. 1; pg. T30; CD 1; #19; T.3
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Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, 3rd Movement – Gr. 5; pg. 391C;
CD 9; #33; T.14
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String Quartet in B Minor, 4th Movement – Gr. 5; pg. 391K; CD
10; #3; T.18
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Caprice In A Minor – Gr. 3; pg. 228; CD 6; #8; T.11
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“Variations” – Gr. 3; pg. 230; CD 6; #9; T.12
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“Children’s Chorus” from Carmen – Gr. 2; pg. 343E; CD 7; #39;
T.19
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Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, 3rd Movement – Gr. 2; pg. 343A; CD 7;
#37; T.17
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Slavonic Dance, Op. 46, No. 8 – Gr. 4; pg. 199; CD 5; #17; T.
Listening For Tone Color:
 Violin:
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, 3rd Movement – Gr. 5; pg. 391C; CD 9;
#33
Caprice In A Minor – Gr. 3; pg. 228; CD 6; #8
“Children’s Chorus” from Carmen – Gr. 2; pg. 343E; CD 7; #39
“Doubtful Shepherd” [Fiddle] – Gr. 3; pg. 170; CD 4; #37
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, 3rd Movement – Gr. 2; pg. 343A; CD 7; #37
“Grasshoppers Three” [Fiddle] – Gr. 3; pg. 173; CD 4; #39
“Orchestra Song” – Gr. 4; pg. 328; CD 9; #2
String Quartet in B Minor, 4th Movement – Gr. 5; pg. 391K; CD 10; #3
 Viola:
String Quartet in B Minor, 4th Movement – Gr. 5; pg. 391K; CD 10; #3
 Cello:
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, 3rd Movement – Gr. 5; pg. 391C; CD 9;
#33
String Quartet in B Minor, 4th Movement – Gr. 5; pg. 391K; CD 10; #3
“Variations” – Gr. 3; pg. 230; CD 6; #9
 String Bass:
Et Tan’ Patate La Cuite [Potato’s Done] [Fiddle, String bass] – Gr. 5; pg.
164; CD ; #
Three Little Words from “Trio Jeepy” [String Bass] – Gr. 3; pg. 215; CD ;
#
 Piano:
Feuilles Mortes [Piano] – Gr. 4; pg. 309; CD ; #
I Got Rhythm [Piano] – Gr. 5; pg. 86; CD ; #
Midnight [Piano] – Gr. 5; pg. 370; CD ; #
Presto from “Trio For Piano, Oboe, and Bassoon [Piano] – Gr. 4; pg. 188;
CD ; #
Illustrations of Instruments:
 Violin:
Gr. 1; pg. T45
Gr. 2; pg. 70, 126, and 133
Gr. 3; pg. 45 [Baroque]; and pg. 165, 173, and 230
Gr. 4; pg. 20, 51, 54, 97, and 204
Gr. 5; pg. 282 [Electronic]; and pg. 79, 180, 226, 235, and 244
 Viola:
Gr. 2; pg. 133
Gr. 3; pg. 173
Gr. 4; pg. 54 and 97
Gr. 5; pg. 244
 Cello:
Gr. 3; pg. 173 and 230
Gr. 4; pg. 54 and 97
Gr. 5; pg. 282 [Electronic]; and pg. 244
 String Bass:
Gr. 3; pg. 173
Gr. 4; pg. 20 and 54
Gr. 5; pg. 268
 Piano:
Gr. 2; pg. 342
Gr. 4; pg. 55 and 188
Gr. 5; pg. 79 and 131
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Some Related Songs to Sing and Listening Selections to Enjoy:
If your school has the new State Adopted Music Textbook Series:
Silver Burdett’s Making Music [the 2002 edition], here are some
related songs to sing and listening selections to enjoy:
Czechoslovakia [or in Czech]:
“Tancovacka” – Gr. 4; pg. 224; CD ; #
“Hot Soup” – Gr. 1; pg. T300; CD ; #
Germany [or in German]:
“Alle Meine Entchen” [All My Little Ducklings] – Gr. 1; pg. T98;
CD ;: #6, 7, 8, & 9
“Ein Mannlein Steht Im Walde” [A Little Man In The Woods] from
Hansel und Gretel – Gr. 2; pg. 90-91; CD 3; #17, 18, 19, 20, & 21
“Himmel Und Erde” [Music Alone Shall Live] – Gr. 5; pg. 92; CD
4; #21, 22, 23, & 24
“Liebe Ist Ein Ring” [Love Is Like A Ring] – Gr. 4; pg. 193; CD 7;
#21, 22, 23, & 24
“O Laufet, Ihr Hirten” [Come Running, You Shepherds] – Gr. 2;
pg. 370; CD 12; #34, 35, 36, & 37
“Ode To Joy” – Gr. 4; pg. 148; CD 5; #36; and CD 6; #1, 2, 3,
&4
“Oh, How Lovely Is The Evening” – Gr. 4; pg. 213; CD 8; #2, & 3
“Still, Still, Still” [Sleep, Dearest Child] – Gr. 5; pg. 452; CD 17;
#15, 16, 17, & 18
“Valentine Dance” – Gr. 1; pg. T417; CD ; #
“Who Has Seen the Wind?” – Gr. 2; pg. 312; CD 10; #24
If your school has the previous State Adopted Music Textbook
Series: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill’s Share The Music [the 1995 edition],
here are some related songs to sing and listening selections to
enjoy:
Czechoslovakia [or in Czech]:
“By The Singing Water” – Gr. 5; pg. 352; CD ; #
“Doudlebska Polka” – Gr. 3; pg. 309; CD ; #
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Austria [or in Austrian]:
“Alpine Song” – Gr. 3; pg. 348; CD 8; #48
“Orchestra Song” – Gr. 4; pg. 328; CD 9; #2
Germany [or in German]:
“Der Fruhling” [The Spring] – Gr. 5; pg. 348; CD 8; #31, & 32
“Dhammerschmiedsgesellen” [The Journeyman Blacksmith] – Gr.
4; pg. 179; CD 5; #3
“Erlkonig” – Gr. 4; pg. 361E; CD 10; #3
“The More We Get Together” – Gr. 2; pg. 310; CD 6; #47
“Music Alone Shall Live” [Himmel Und Erde] – Gr. 4; pg. 203; CD
5; #20, & 21
“O Come, Little Children” – Gr. 1; pg. T260; CD 5; #14
“O Tannenbaum!” [O Christmas Tree!] – Gr. 2; pg. 277; CD 5;
#40
“Sieben Steps” [Seven Steps] – Gr. 2; pg. 312; CD 6; #49, & 50
“Wachet Auf” [Waken Now] – Gr. 5; pg. 346; CD 8; #26, & 27
“Most educators agree that music education, unlike other
school subjects, is not a matter of mostly cut-and-dried facts
and formulas, but rather, a highly-interactive, sequential,
developmental process, the unfolding and growth of which
varies with each individual.”
paraphrased from Making Each Minute Count
by Cheryl Lavender
Some Internet Sites:
If your school has the new State Adopted Music Textbook Series:
Silver Burdett’s Making Music [the 2002 edition], you can access
their website at “www.sbgmusic.com”. On the Making Music
Homepage, click on the yellow circle called “Students CLICK Here!”
Now click on the following areas and the listed articles for more
information:
Composers, Collectors, & Lyricists:
 Brahms, Johannes & His Music [Gr. 1; pg. T207; & Gr. 4; pg. 167]
 Stringed Instruments, Mozart, Bach, and Others Who Wrote For [Gr.
4 & Gr. 5]
Music of Countries & Cultures:
 String Instruments from Around the World [Gr. 4; pg. 63; & Gr. 5;
pg. 193]
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Some Other Related Internet Sites: [TIP: Please double check these
sites to see if they are still up and running, and to see if they still contain
only suitable items for children, before your students go on them.]
Mozart, Wolfgang A. [1756 - 1791]
http://www.dsokids.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart
http://www.island-of-freedom.com.MOZART.HTM
http://www.mozart.com
http://www.mozarteffect.com
http://www.mozartproject.org
http://www.naxos.com
http://www.studio-mozart.com
http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/composer/mozart.html
Dvorak, Antonin [1841 - 1904]
http://www.dsokids.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonin_Dvorak
http://www.island-of-freedom.com.DVORAK.HTM
http://www.naxos.com
http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/composer/dvorak.html
Brahms, Johannes [1833 – 1897]
http://www.dsokids.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms
http://www.island-of-freedom.com.BRAHMS.HTM
http://www.naxos.com
http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/composer/brahms.html
http://www.johannesbrahms.org
http://www.wwnorton.com/enjoy/shorter/composers/brahms.
htm
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http://www.kennedycenter.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showIndividual&entity_id
=3770&source_type=C
http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring03/Aguilar/Brahms.htm
Strings
http://www.orsymphony.org/edu/instruments/strings.html
http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring03/Aguilar/TchaiConSo.h
tm
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/takomaparkms/academi
cs/cs/grade8projects/learnaboutmusic/Instruments/strings.html
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/
Violin
http://www.dsokids.com
http://www.si.umich.edu/chico/instrument/pages/brq_violin_g
nrl.html
http://www.centrum.is/hansi/
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/v1/violin.asp
http://www.sonyclassical.com/artists/perlman_bio.htm
http://www.orsymphony.org/edu/instruments/strings.html
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/takomaparkms/academi
cs/cs/grade8projects/learnaboutmusic/Instruments/violin.html
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/
Viola
http://www.dsokids.com
http://library.thinkquest.org/18160/violas.htm?tqskip1=1
http://www.orsymphony.org/edu/instruments/strings.html
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/takomaparkms/academi
cs/cs/grade8projects/learnaboutmusic/Instruments/viola.html
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/
Cello
http://www.dsokids.com
http://omniknow.com/scripts/wiki.php?term=Cello
http://www.cello.org/Cello_Introduction/Cello_Introduction.ht
ml
http://www.cello.org/yoyoma/mabio.htm
http://www.yo-yoma.com/
http://www.orsymphony.org/edu/instruments/strings.html

http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/takomaparkms/academi
cs/cs/grade8projects/learnaboutmusic/Instruments/cello.html

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/
String Bass

http://www.dsokids.com

http://www.orsymphony.org/edu/instruments/strings.htmlhttp
://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/takomaparkms/academics/c
s/grade8projects/learnaboutmusic/Instruments/string
bass.html

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/
Piano – [See if you can do an Internet search for websites that talk
about the “piano”]
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Audience Etiquette: Talk with your students about appropriate behavior
at concerts where chamber music would be performed, like the Sarasota
Opera House:
Study about the composers and their music before going to the
concert. Also study about the instruments that will be featured. This will
help you to understand what you are going to hear.
Listen to the music before you attend the concert. This will help your
ears to recognize the different pieces when you hear them again at the
live concert.
Practice your best manners. We expect you all to behave like ladies
and gentlemen always.
You should use the restroom at your school before you board the
bus to come to the concert. Audience members should never leave the
concert to go to the restroom. That is considered to be very rude.
You should come to the concert empty-handed – that means no
backpacks, no books, no food, no drinks, no recording devices, no
cameras, no cell phones, no beepers, no pagers, etc. Bringing these
items will only hold up the start of the concert – and all concerts need to
start on time.
Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes ahead of time so that you can get
seated comfortably. Follow your teacher’s directions on where to sit.
The reason for going to a concert is to enjoy the performance. To
fully enjoy the performance, you will need to listen very carefully.
If you are asked to participate in an activity before, during, or after
the concert by the M.C. [Master or Mistress of Ceremonies], please make
sure you look, listen, think, and then follow the directions given to you.
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Audience participation is not done at every concert, but it will be done at
this one to help you understand various musical concepts.
Distractions, such as whispering, rustling paper, and making other
noises, make it harder for you to concentrate and enjoy the performance.
Be silent during a performance. Noise disturbs the people around you. It
also distracts the performers. They need to concentrate so that they will
perform the music well for you.
Audience members should never take pictures, or make videos, or
recordings of any kind during any performance.
Watch the musicians very carefully to see how they communicate
with each other when they are playing without talking – with their eyes,
head, arms, and sometimes their whole body. They will have no formal
conductor. Try to figure out who is the leader of each individual piece you
hear.
The performers practice very hard to perform for you. Their
wonderful music is a gift that they are giving to all of us. Show your
appreciation and respect by clapping only at the end of a piece of music.
Wait until they all put their instruments or hands down into rest position –
that means they are all done with that piece of music.
Stay in your seat during the entire concert. When the concert is over
your teacher will give you directions on how to leave the concert hall.
Make sure you stay with your teacher and your class.
The String Instruments:
Strings are made to shake, or vibrate, in many different ways around
the world. Long, thick strings make lower sounds. Shorter, thinner strings
make higher sounds. The four string instruments you will be studying
[violin, viola, cello, and bass] are all made out of many pieces of different
kinds of wood. They can all be played with a horsehair bow on the strings
using your right hand. When a bow is used on these instruments, the
player puts rosin on the bow. Rosin is a sticky substance that adds
friction as the bow is drawn across the string. The added friction causes
the string to vibrate more easily, making a louder, clearer sound. Using a
bow makes it possible to produce long, sustained sounds, do all kinds of
different bowing techniques or tricks, and to vary the dynamics. You can
also pluck the strings with the fingers of either hand. This is called
pizzicato. The fingers of the left hand are used to trap the strings against
the fingerboard. This changes the pitch by shortening the length of the
strings. Sometimes a mute is used on the bridge of the instrument to
make it sound much softer and far away.
Here are the four different string instruments you will be seeing and
hearing at the La Musica concert:
Violin: The smallest of this group of instruments is called “violin”. It has
four strings that are tuned in fifths [G, D, A, and E]. It is held between
your left shoulder and the left side of your jawbone. It is the liveliest
instrument of this family, and it has the greatest variety of tone color. The
violin appeared near the end of the 1500’s. The earliest makers of the
new instrument worked in Lombardy, Italy, in the mid-1500’s. They were
followed by Andrea Amati, founder of the Cremona school of violinmaking
made famous by the Guarneri family, and then by Antonio Stradivari [1644
– 1737]. Stradivarius violins are considered the best violins ever made.
Some of them have sold for over $1,000,000 [one million dollars] each.
Some of them are now kept in museums, while famous violinists are still
playing others. He made about 1,100 violins, violas, and cellos. Today
only about 700 of these are still in existence.
Viola: The “viola” is about one seventh larger than the violin. It is tuned a
fifth lower [C, G, D, and A]. It is also held between your left shoulder and
the left side of your jawbone like the violin. The viola is the only original
member of the violin family to stay the same size. Its tone is deeper and
mellower than that of the violin. It is used mainly in the orchestra and
chamber music. It has now become more popular as a solo instrument.
Cello [Violoncello]: The “cello”, originally called the “violoncello”, is
much larger than the violin, but not as large as the string bass. It has four
strings tuned an octave lower than those of the viola [C, G, D, and A].
Because of its size, the cello is played while you are sitting down in a
chair. It has a spike that comes out of the bottom of it called the end pin.
You rest the cello on this spike to help hold it up off the floor. You then
hold the cello between your knees to steady it. The cello has always been
an important member of the orchestra and it is also needed in chamber
music. The cello has also become an important solo instrument.
String Bass [Bass Viol, Upright Bass, Slap Bass, Bass, Fretless
Bass]: The string bass [see all of the other names for this instrument] is
much, much larger than the violin, viola, and cello. It has four strings that
are the same letter names as the strings on the violin, but they are in
reverse order [E, A, D, G]. Because of its size, the string bass is played
either while you are sitting down on a high stool, or standing upright. It
also has a spike that comes out of the bottom of it called an end pin. You
lean the string bass onto your chest to steady it. It looks like you are
hugging the instrument, because you have to reach around it on both
sides – left hand on the fingerboard and right hand with the bow.
The Grand Piano [Pianoforte or Piano]:
Another important instrument that you will see and hear is the
Concert Grand Piano. Music people have great difficulty placing this
particular instrument into an instrument family. Read about this
instrument to find out why.
The “grand piano”, “pianoforte”, or “piano”, is a musical instrument
that uses vibrating strings struck by felt-covered hammers that are
controlled from a keyboard. The first piano was made about 1709 by
Bartolomeo Cristofori [1655 - 1731]. He called his instrument
gravicembalo col piano e forte. [One of the two remaining Cristofori
pianos is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.] His new
pianoforte was different from the other keyboard instruments of its time
because you could change the volume and length of the sound. The
Italian word “pianoforte” actually means soft-loud.
The piano was first built in the shape of a harpsichord. This style
has always been the standard form. It was greatly improved in the 19thcentury by the Steinways of New York City. Steinway pianos have over
200 strings inside, and they take about one year to construct from
beginning to end. They also use an iron framework. Other improvements
have also been made since then. Grand pianos usually have 88 keys, but
some foreign makers add a few more to their extended pianos. There is
no set letter that grand pianos start on or end on. Each piano maker
chooses his or her own starting and ending letter. The black keys have a
pattern to them – sets of 2 and 3 that take turns. The grand piano has a
large lid on top that can be opened or closed.
The electric piano was developed in the 1930s. In the 1980s
computer and compact-disc technology made the invention of a
“reproducing piano” possible. Innovative developments of the 1990s
include the disklavier, a computerized grand piano that uses optical
sensors to produce sound, and the two-lid piano, which opens from the
top and bottom to let more sound out to the listeners.
The Composers:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart [1732 - 1809]:

If your school has the new State Adopted Music Textbook
Series: Silver Burdett’s Making Music [the 2002 edition], look for
short biographies of W. A. Mozart in: Gr. 3; pg. 16; and Gr. 4; pg.
107.

If your school has the previous State Adopted Music Textbook
Series: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill’s Share The Music [the 1995 edition],
look for short biographies of W. A. Mozart in: Gr. 2; pg. 343A; Gr. 3;
pg. 148, & 359F; and Gr. 4; pg. 361D.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized as Johannes
Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. The “Theophilus” part was
sometimes translated into Amadeus [Latin], Gottlieb [German], Amadeo
[Italian], and Amade [Italian and French]. Mozart liked Amade and used
that one as the middle name in his signature. Mozart only used Amadeus
when he was joking in letters to friends. He seemed like any other
ordinary baby when he was born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1756 – BUT –
when he was three years old, he turned out not to be an ordinary baby at
all!!! His father, Leopold Mozart, was a court violinist and concertmaster
for the Archbishop of Salzburg. Mozart was the youngest child in his
family, and the only surviving son. His talented older sister, Maria Anna
“Nannerl” Mozart, was taking clavier lessons. Little Mozart wanted to
have lessons, too, but his papa told him he was too young. When
everyone left the room, Wolfgang started to play the clavier and his music
sounded beautiful. In fact, he was playing the same piece his sister was
trying to learn, and he played it correctly from memory without anyone
helping him. Well, that was the beginning of little Mozart’s amazing
musical life!
At age four, he was writing his own music. Mozart liked to make up
funny songs with strange words that would sometimes rhyme – sort of like
Dr. Seuss’ stories. [Assignment = Try to compose a funny poem with
rhyming words that would fit to a song tune that you already know.
Your “song” can be about a real person, place, or thing, or
something imaginary. What did you write about? Why? Now, try to
sing your poem to one of Mozart’s pieces of music. How do you
think you did?] He wore a little apron so the ink wouldn’t get on his
fancy clothes. Mozart usually wore velvet coats with gold embroidery,
lace ruffled shirts, knickers, tights or leggings, shoes with buckles, and a
small gold sword. Everything he did he wanted to do to music – like
eating, getting dressed, playing games, etc. His father tried to teach
Mozart music, but that was very hard to do, because Mozart seemed to
know everything already. His father saw that he was a child prodigy, and
started to make big plans for him and the family.
When he was five, he was practicing music by candlelight late into
the night. [Assignment = Have you ever had a lesson, activity, or
subject that you enjoy, and could do all day long? Discuss.] At six,
he and his sister, the “Wonder Children”, started touring Europe, playing
for various Kings and Queens, like the Emperor Francis I and the
Empress Maria Theresa at the palace of Schonbrunn in Vienna, the
Elector Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria, the King and Queen at the
Versailles Palace outside of Paris, many well-known musicians, and
composers, and in bars. He dazzled court patrons with his ability to
improvise in many styles, and he was able to sight-read as well as, if not
better than, most adults. Court patrons are noble people who paid
composers to write music for festivals and private parties at their palaces.
During this time he taught himself to play the violin and the organ. He and
his sister also enjoyed playing duets together.
When he was seven, his father took the family to Paris, France.
There little Mozart asked Marie Antoinette to marry him – she later
became the Queen of France. Mozart’s first compositions were published
in Paris that year. At eight, his father took them to London. There he
played for King George III and Queen Charlotte. Mozart played on King
George III’s organ while Queen Charlotte sang. [Assignment = Imagine
that you have a chance to travel somewhere in the world to perform
for Kings and Queens who give you lots of expensive gifts and
praise. What would your talent be? What things do you do best?
How would being rich and famous change you? Discuss.] Mozart
actually met Johann Christian Bach in London. [J. C. Bach was Johann
Sebastian Bach’s youngest son.] J. C. Bach had a great influence on
Mozart’s first symphonies. During this time, he also wrote numerous
keyboard pieces and sonatas for violin and keyboard. At eleven, he wrote
his first opera. [Assignment = How old are you right now? Do you
know what an opera is, and could you explain it to someone else?
How do you think Mozart knew about opera? Discuss.]
Mozart was known as “the most kissed boy in Europe”. He was very
cute as a young boy. He had big beautiful blue eyes, and very rosy
cheeks. During his lifetime he did have lots of illnesses though, so people
were worried that he might not have very long to live. Because he was so
talented in Music, he never had to go to school. His father taught him all
the other subjects he needed to study, like math, Latin, and German. He
would spend hours writing rows and rows of numbers all over wallpaper
and tablecloths wherever he went – he loved math!!! [Assignment = Do
you know someone who is being Home Schooled? If you do, that is
exactly how many children were taught back in Mozart’s time. How
do you think Home Schooling is different from going to a school?
How is it the same? Discuss.] He also loved animals. Stories are told
about him sending letters to his family’s dog as he traveled. When a cat
came into a London concert, he stopped playing so he could catch the cat.
Mozart’s family was making money from Mozart and his sister performing
everywhere. They received jewels, gems, crowns, tiaras, furs, loads of
money, and numerous expensive baubles. They sometimes stayed in
palaces, and lived like royalty.
In 1770, in Rome, Italy, 14-year-old Mozart heard a choir singing
“Miserere” during Holy Week in the Sistine Chapel. When he got home,
he wrote down the entire piece from memory! How amazing! Because of
this, the Pope made him a Knight of the Golden Spur. Mozart was also
hired as concertmaster and worked with his father under the Archbishop
of Salzburg. He and his father had to compose and perform new pieces
of music only for the Archbishop – and only how the Archbishop wanted
the music to be written and performed. Mozart thought this was too dull –
he wanted to compose and perform music from his own ideas. Mozart got
himself fired by the Archbishop in 1781. Mozart’s father was really angry
about this. [Assignment = Is there any part of your life that is the
same as Mozart’s childhood? How is your life different? If you
could, would you like to change places with him? Discuss.]
The American Revolution had now started, and most of Europe was
doing well. Back in Paris, France, in 1778, Mozart wrote a set of
variations on the folk song we now call “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”. By
the time he was twenty-five, he had already visited most of the important
cities all over Europe. He actually learned how to speak fifteen different
languages during all of his travels, too. He never came to our country
though, probably because of the war, and the fact that we were not an
actual well-established country yet – our country was just being born and
we were not very organized. However Mozart was intrigued with the
sounds created by our very own Benjamin Franklin and his invention
called the glass harmonica. Mozart even composed several pieces for
this particular instrument.
As an adult, Mozart went to Vienna in 1781 with his boss, the not
too nice Prince-Archbishop Colloredo. They didn’t get along at all, and
Mozart was quickly fired. We are told that Mozart himself said, “I was
dismissed literally with a kick in the seat of the pants!”. [Assignment =
How do you think Mozart felt about this turn of events? Discuss how
you would feel if your boss fired you by actually kicking you on your
backside. Would this really happen in today’s world? Have you ever
watched the TV show, “The Apprentice”? How does Donald Trump
fire people? Discuss.] Mozart then decided to settle in Vienna, because
the aristocracy had begun to take notice of him and his great talent. While
he was there, he owned two dogs, loads of birds, and even a
grasshopper! He wasn’t cute anymore. His face was yellowish, and he
had scars from smallpox. His blue eyes bugged out of his face. His head
looked too big for his short, thin body. He still wore very fancy clothes,
and he kept his hairdresser very, very busy. He fell in love with his
landlady’s daughter, Aloysia Weber, but ended up marrying her sister,
Constanze Weber, in 1782 when he was twenty-six. [Both sisters were
cousins of the composer Carl Maria von Weber.] Mozart’s wife was also
musical, a wonderful singer, and loved to joke, but he called her “Little
Mouse” because she was plain looking. They had six children, but four of
them died in childhood. The two surviving children were Karl Thomas
Mozart [1784 – 1858], and Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart [1791 – 1844].
Franz became a composer, but was not very successful. Neither of
Mozart’s children ever married or had children. The family was very poor
at this time, but this was when Mozart wrote three of his best operas: Don
Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, and The Magic Flute. He wrote loads
of music, but he wasn’t paid enough for his work. Even these three very
popular operas didn’t get him very much money. He had to keep
borrowing money from his friends in order to support his family, but he
never seemed to have enough money to pay anyone back.
As an adult, Mozart traveled back to London where he met Franz
Joseph Haydn. They played in a string quartet together, and became very
close friends. In 1785, Mozart composed and dedicated six string
quartets to Haydn. That was an enormous honor. Haydn, while speaking
to Mozart’s father, said, “Before God, and as an honest man, I tell you that
your son is the greatest composer known to me, either in person, or by
name. He has taste, and what is more, the most profound knowledge of
composition.”.
On a day-to-day basis, Mozart usually woke up at six in the
morning, wrote music for about three hours, and then gave music lessons
until about one in the afternoon. He didn’t like to give lessons, but it was
expected, so he did it. Lunch was next, but he usually ate at a friend’s
home, having to play music for their family. Next it was writing more
music, performing at a concert, or going to another person’s concert. He
wrote music almost all night, and usually only slept about four hours. His
last years were very hard – he had money and health problems. Mozart
said, “People make a mistake who think that my art has come easily to
me. Nobody has devoted so much time and thought to composition as I.
There is not a famous master whose music I have not studied over and
over.”. His doctors were very upset with him for keeping up such a hard
work schedule. They told him to exercise and relax more, so he started
playing pool.
He is known as a Classical composer – that means his music was
written in the time period from 1750 to 1825, and in the style that we call
the Classical Period. At the height of the Classical Period there were
strong melodies, clean lines, uncluttered and balanced form, complex
symphonies for large orchestras, and concertos for perfected solo
instruments. Musicians were mostly employed by the church, by a large
town as director, or by royalty. Other important composers from this time
period are Franz Joseph “Papa” Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven,
Gioacchino Rossini, and Franz Schubert.
He is regarded by many as the greatest musical prodigy and genius
ever born, and even though he only lived a short time, he had a full and
prolific life – that means he lived life to the fullest – he did as many things
as he could possibly do – and he composed an enormous amount of
music in his short lifetime. Many of his pieces are considered
masterpieces, including his symphonies, his operas [like The Magic Flute,
and Don Giovanni], and his piano music. Mozart did what no other
composer has ever done – he wrote music perfectly in every kind of
musical style available in his day.
There are many more stories about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
some of them are very funny, and some of them are very, very sad. We
are still trying to figure out how such a fantastic musical genius could act
so silly, and have so much trouble making money, saving money,
spending money, borrowing money, following directions, using good
manners, and getting along with others. His wife even left him, and took
the children with her. Many people now believe that Mozart may have
been suffering from Tourette’s Syndrome, which is a neurological
disorder. A person with this disorder has involuntary body movements
and vocal outbursts that are sometime obscene. That means they
sometimes cannot control their body, and they sometimes say bad things
that they don’t mean to say. It is very rare. If he were alive today, there
are several medicines and treatments that he could try. [Assignment =
THE BIG QUESTION = If Mozart were on these medications, or taking
these treatments, would his music still have been as beautiful?
Discuss.]
His final work was the Requiem Mass – that is the music used during
a Mass for the Dead in the Catholic Church. He received a mysterious
private commission to compose a Requiem Mass. The stranger promised
to pay Mozart very well for this music. He was not done with it when he
died in Vienna, Austria, in 1791, at the age of 35. He was trying to finish it
while his friends rehearsed the completed parts in his room. It has now
become one of his most famous works. He was penniless and in debt, so
he was buried in a common pauper’s grave. [Assignment = Pretend
that you are Mozart’s manager. What advice would you give him
about money? Would he listen to you? Discuss.] Today we do not
know exactly where he was buried. That is very sad. Scientists have
used new DNA testing techniques on several remains thought to be his, to
compare them to remains of known members of Mozart’s family, but so far
the test results have been inconclusive – that means none of the DNA
samples tested were related to each other.
In 1991, on the 200th anniversary of Mozart’s death, all around the
world, from Salzburg to New York City, Mozart’s 373 orchestral works,
227 songs, 98 sacred and dramatic pieces, and much more, were
performed. He is known as the most gifted and expressive of all Classical
composers. His music is timeless!
Antonin Dvorak [1841 - 1904]

If your school has the previous State Adopted Music Textbook
Series: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill’s Share The Music [the 1995 edition],
look in: Gr. K; pg. T86; and Gr. 4; pg. 198 - there are brief
biographies of Antonin Dvorak.
Antonín Dvorák was born September 8, 1841 to a poor family in rural
Bohemia – Nelahozeves, Czech Republic, but he was lucky enough to
eventually study in Prague. He became a good violist, and he played in the
National Theatre orchestra under Bedrich Smetana [along with Smetana,
Dvorák later founded the Czech nationalist school]. Dvorák was making a
comfortable living mostly as a teacher and composer by 1873. Grants
from the Austrian government finally gave him more time to work on
composing music.
Then Johannes Brahms noticed Dvorak’s music, and Brahms
arranged for the publication of Dvorak’s works by Simrock, one of Europe’s
main publishers. Dvorak’s reputation began to grow across Europe, but
especially in England. In 1891 he was appointed to the Prague
Conservatory of Music.
In 1892, Dvorák came to New York to be the director of the National
Conservatory there – this was a new music school at the time. He worked
there for three years. In Dvorak’s own words, "My own duty as a teacher...
is not so much to interpret Beethoven, Wagner, or other masters of the
past, but to give what encouragement I can to the young musicians of
America. I... hope that just as this nation has already surpassed so many
others in marvelous inventions, and feats of engineering and commerce,
and has made an honorable place for itself in literature in one short
century, so it must assert itself in the... art of music... To bring about this
result, we must trust to the very youthful enthusiasm and patriotism of this
country.". [Assignment = How many American folk songs do you
know by heart? Pick your favorite one, and try to make up a new
verse that fits the melody and rhythm of the original folk song. Sing it
for a friend. How do you think you did? Discuss.] While in America,
he composed some of his best-known music. Dvorák returned to his native
Prague in 1895. In 1901 he premiered his most important opera, Rusalka.
Dvorák's musical style is mostly Classical, probably because of his
friendship with Johannes Brahms. Dvorak also used his native Czech style
of folk music a great deal. His interest in nationalism carried over into his
work in the United States. In America he discovered the music of Native
Americans, and African-Americans. He said that in them American
composers could find "all that is needed for a great and noble school of
music.”. In the middle two movements of his "New World Symphony”, he
used scenes from Longfellow's "Hiawatha". His "American Quartet in F
Major” is based on a five-note scale that Native American music uses.
Dvorák's challenge to American musicians, and his American based
pieces, gave some American composers a push to find their own way of
creating American style music.
Johannes Brahms [1833-1897]:

If your school has the new State Adopted Music Textbook
Series: Silver Burdett’s Making Music [the 2002 edition], look in: Gr.
1; the bottom of pg. T205 under “Cultural Connection: Brahms and
Hungarian Folk Tunes” & “Spotlight On: The Composer - Johannes
Brahms” for more information; and Gr. 4; pg. 167.

If your school has the previous State Adopted Music Textbook
Series: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill’s Share The Music [the 1995 edition],
look in: Gr. 1; pg. T30 - there is a brief biography of Johannes
Brahms.
Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany on May 7, 1833.
He is known as a Romantic composer - that means his music was written
in the time period from 1825 to 1900, and in the style that we call the
Romantic Period, but some of his music was also written in the style of the
earlier Classical Period. Music of the Romantic Period was very
descriptive, emotional, sentimental, and melodious. It expressed all kinds
of human emotions, adventures, and beauty in nature, love, and tragedy.
Many great pianists traveled around the world to perform concerts during
this time period. Other important composers from this time period are
Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Hector Berlioz, Felix Mendelssohn, Robert
Schumann, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, and Richard Wagner.
Brahms grew up in one of the poorest slums of Hamburg, Germany,
surrounded by crime and disease. He had one brother and one sister.
His father played the string bass, but Johannes wanted to play the piano.
His mother, who was older than his father, was a seamstress. When
Brahms was six, his father taught him the basic elements of music. When
he was seven, he began to take piano lessons. Johannes loved the
piano. He enjoyed music so much that he would study nearly all day long,
just like Mozart. He also wanted to learn to compose music. He became
really skilled as a pianist quickly, so he was recommended to Eduard
Marxsen, who protected Brahms very well from people who wanted to
make money off of Brahms as a child prodigy. His family was very poor,
so when Brahms was thirteen, he started working at night playing the
piano in dance halls, and dockside taverns on the Hamburg waterfront, to
help his family. He also went to school, practiced, gave music lessons,
gave concerts, and composed music. When Brahms was about 20 years
old, he made friends with Remenyi, a famous violinist from Hungary.
Brahms went on tour to Germany in 1853 with Remenyi. You can hear
gypsy style music in his piece called "Hungarian Dances." Remenyi and
Joseph Joachim, another famous violinist, both helped Brahms by
teaching and encouraging him.
Joachim was so impressed that he helped by giving Brahms a letter
of introduction to Robert Schumann. That’s how Brahms made friends
with the German couple, Robert and Clara Schumann, in 1853. They both
really liked his music. Clara Schumann was a famous pianist, and she
sometimes played Brahms’ music at her concerts. Robert Schumann was
a composer, and famous pianist, too. He told everyone that Brahms was
going to be a great composer some day in an article he wrote for the New
Music Journal. Brahms wasn’t so sure about that, but kept on composing.
Because of this praise, some of Brahms’ music was then published in
Leipzig, Germany. [Assignment = Has anyone ever helped you to
achieve a goal? Describe how this person helped you to do this.
How do you feel about this person now? Discuss.] When Brahms’
friend Robert Schumann became very ill, Brahms helped Robert’s wife
Clara to care for him until Robert’s death in 1856. He then remained a
very close friend to Clara. Some people believe that Brahms was actually
in love with Clara Schumann. Brahms could have also been helped by
another great composer, Franz Liszt, but Brahms didn’t like Liszt, or his
friends. [Assignment = Do you think Brahms should have pretended
to like Liszt and his friends so that Liszt would help him, too? Do
you think he made the right choice to avoid them all? Why?
Discuss.]
In 1857, Brahms became a music director in Detmold, Germany.
Then Brahms got a job in Vienna in 1863, as the director of the Vienna
Singakademie. In 1868 Brahms was also the artistic director of the
Gesellschaft der Musik Freunde – Society of the Friends of Music. Later
he devoted all of his time to composing, and giving many concerts in
Europe. He never got married. Brahms was a very shy person, so that’s
probably why he usually had a beard. He was also very patient, and
worked endlessly on his music. For example, he spent ten years, off and
on, trying to compose his first symphony. When he was 43 years old, it
was finally published, and it was an immediate success all around the
world. Brahms was also a perfectionist, that’s why very little of his “bad”
music survives – he immediately destroyed any music that he thought was
not his “best” work.
When Brahms heard that Clara had died in 1896, he traveled quickly
back to Frankfurt, Germany, to attend her funeral. He had sought both
musical and personal advice from her for the forty-three years that they
were friends. He became very ill during this trip because he was upset
and angry – he had trouble catching his train trying to get there as fast as
possible; and he was also so sad that she had died without him there to
help her at the end. Brahms never recovered, and he died in Vienna,
Austria on April 3, 1897 from cancer – he smoked cigars most of his life.
Johannes Brahms is known as one of the big “Three B" composers:
Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. One of his most famous pieces is the
Brahms "Lullaby”. Brahms wrote four symphonies [1876, 1877, 1883, and
1885], various concertos, more than 200 songs, twenty-four chamber
music pieces, and lots of other music for the piano, and for choirs, but he
never ever wrote an opera. He is best loved for his symphonies, chamber
music, and his German Requiem. He was also one of the greatest
composers of lieder – German art songs. Brahms was responsible for
reviving what is termed "absolute" music - music that does not depict a
scene or tell a story – the opposite of program music.
Brahms was so successful as a composer that he did not have to
teach, or take other jobs, to make a living. However, he paid more
attention to his writing of music than he did to his own personal
appearance. He often forgot to attach his suspenders to his pants
correctly, so when he conducted, he would have to grab his pants to keep
them from falling down!
Brahms loved to walk, and he also loved nature, so whenever he
could, he spent time walking in the woods. He also carried penny candy
with him to give to children. He rubbed some adults the wrong way by
being short tempered and sarcastic – that means being rude to others.
One of his students wrote, “Brahms has acquired, not without reason, the
reputation for being a grump, even though few could also be as lovable as
he.”. To his friends he was loyal and generous, and they were that way
with him, too.
Here is a little known story about Brahms and a famous inventor,
Thomas Alva Edison. In 1877 audio technology was born. Edison
invented the cylinder phonograph, and Emile Berliner invented the
microphone – which Bell Telephone acquired [that’s Alexander Graham
Bell’s company]. Ten years later Berliner invented the gramophone,
which played a flat media through an acoustic amplification horn. In 1889
magnetic wire recording was invented by Valdemar Poulson. On
December 2, 1889, a person who worked for Edison recorded Brahms
performing two pieces of music on the piano using Edison’s cylinder
recording invention. By 1899 recording technology only needed a way to
reproduce the cylinders to sell. Now try to find out the rest of the story.
Good hunting!
The Sarasota Opera House - This is only part of the history of this
wonderful, and very musical place, where you will be attending the
chamber music concert.
If you want to find out more, you can contact the people at The
Sarasota Opera House. Here is their information.
Website: “www.sarasotaopera.org”
Address: 61 North Pineapple Avenue
Sarasota, Florida 34236
Phone:
941-366-8450
You can also try a public library near you. Go to the library’s
Research Department, and ask them for any articles or books about The
Sarasota Opera House. They will be very happy to help you find out more
interesting things about this place. Selby Library in downtown Sarasota
has a very interesting article and several books about The Sarasota
Opera House in their collection.
Another place to try is Sarasota’s History Center/Chidsey Building.
Address: 701 North Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34236
Contact: Mark Smith
E-mail:
“msmith@scgov.net”
Phone:
941-861-1186
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Sarasota Opera House’s Partial Timeline:
1925 - 1926:
Edwards Theater is built by the City of Sarasota’s first mayor, Arthur
Britton Edwards.
1956:
Elvis Presley, “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, or just simply “The King",
performed at the Edwards Theater.
1982:
Victor DeRenzi, who conducts opera throughout the country, is
appointed Artistic Director of Sarasota Opera.
The Opera’s performances are held at the 300 seat Asolo Theater
with 2 pianos or a small chamber orchestra as accompaniment.
Sarasota Opera has a budget of $300,000.
Renovation begins on what will become the Sarasota Opera House.
1983:
Sarasota Opera House is named to the National Register of Historic
Places.
1984:
The opera company moves into the Sarasota Opera House and
presents 16 performances in its 700-seat theater.
1986:
The State of Florida grants the Sarasota Opera Major Institution
status.
1988:
The 8,000 square foot Education Wing is completed.
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Ringling Terrace apartments are purchased to provide housing for
opera personnel.
1990:
Renovations of the 2nd floor of the opera house increases seating to
1,033.
1991:
The Sarasota Opera Orchestra is created.
1995:
Opera Pavilion is purchased.
2000:
Ringling Terrace Apartments renovated.
2001:
Sarasota Opera and New College partner to create the New
College/Sarasota Opera Chorus.
2002:
Victor DeRenzi’s 20th anniversary as Artistic Director and Principal
Conductor of Sarasota Opera.
The Opera presents 37 main stage opera performances.
The Opera’s year-round activities also include concerts, outreach,
and programs for youth with an annual budget of over 4.8 million dollars.
If you do more research on your own, you will find out that years ago
there was a really terrible natural disaster – a flood – that totally messed
up this beautiful place. Horrible damage was done to the floors, furniture,
musical instruments, and even the walls. Some people tried to fix it up,
but money was tight back then. For a period of time it sat empty and
neglected. Some people eventually wanted to tear it down to put
something else in its place. Others wanted to restore it to its original
splendor. The people who wanted to save this part of Sarasota’s history
won. The renovation took a long time to complete. It was truly a labor of
love.
Now fully restored to its original beauty, the Sarasota Opera House
has become the cornerstone of Sarasota's Theater Arts District. Many
people from the community of Sarasota have been very generous over the
years. As an example, the original chandelier from the movie "Gone With
the Wind", is now at the Sarasota Opera House. Do some research to
find out how this chandelier wound up hanging in the lobby of this
particular building.
Another interesting story is about a very famous old movie that is
called “The Greatest Show On Earth”. This movie was first shown here. It
is about a particular circus company. Do you think you might know which
circus company it was about? Check it out to see if you are right.
Today the Sarasota Opera House is used for everything from opera,
symphony, and classical ballet to film festivals, popular music concerts,
comedy shows, and clowns. The Opera Complex features a new Pavilion
with a spacious, multi-purpose banquet/performance facility, and the
Peterson Great Room, which can seat up to 390 people. A private
meeting space, and private rehearsal rooms, are parts of the Pavilion, too.
The Opera House Theater now seats a total of 1,033 people, with 740 on
the first floor, and 293 up in the balcony.
Theme = "A Year of Celebration"
Bruno Giuranna, Artistic Director
Derek Han, Associate Artistic Director
The Performers: This is a partial list of musicians that will be performing
during La Musica’s festival. We will see and hear some of them at The
Sarasota Opera House. We hope that you will have numerous questions
about each performer. Write down all of your questions, and then give
them to your Music teacher. There is a separate sheet in this packet for
you to use, and directions for your teacher about where and how to send
them.
Violin:
 Candida Thompson [Holland]
 Massimo Quarta [Italy]
 Jennifer Frautschi [USA]
 Curtis Macomber [USA]
 Federico Agostini [Italy]
Viola
 Bruno Giuranna [Italy]
 Daniel Avshalmov [USA]
 Cynthia Phelps [USA]
Cello:
 Cecilia Radic [Italy]
 Christopher Costanza [USA]
 Ronald Thomas [USA]
Bass:
 Dee Moses [USA]
Grand Piano:
 Derek Han [USA]
“The music educator’s power and responsibility to affect and
influence children reaches far beyond the music room.”
from Making Each Minute Count
by Cheryl Lavender
OKAY - Let’s Discover – Pre/Post Questions:
1. How many instruments does it take to play: a solo; a duo or duet; a
quartet; a quintet?
2. How many pianists does it take to play a “piano trio”?
3. What are three ways to make strings vibrate?
4. How is the pitch of a string changed?
5. How many strings does a Concert Grand Piano have inside?
6. Who is considered to be the best violin maker ever?
7. What are the similarities between a violin, a viola, and a cello? What
are the differences?
8. What family do you think the piano belongs to? Now defend your
opinion.
9. What interesting things have happened at the Sarasota Opera
House?
[Teachers – You might want to give your students the questions in the
above section, “Let’s Discover”, as a Pre-Test before starting this unit of
study, as a Post-Test after attending the concert, and as a Final Test after
completing the unit of study.]
“Children need to understand where they have been,
where they are presently, and where they are headed,
in terms of their musical learning growth span…
Imagine that a student acquires musical knowledge and
skills according to his/her own personal, musical
developmental continuum.”
from Making Each Minute Count
by Cheryl Lavender
INVENT A NEW INSTRUMENT:
Display pictures of existing instruments grouping them into the
instrument family categories. They can be from any time period, and any
country. Discuss the characteristics of each of these groups of
instruments. Have each student invent a new instrument that could be
placed into one of these families, give it a name, and draw a picture of this
invention. Now have students demonstrate how their instrument would be
played. Place all of the new instrument pictures on display with the correct
instrument families.
“The more of us musicians there are, the crazier we all
become.”
Erik Satie
MYSTERY CODE BREAKER CHALLENGE:
This section contains mystery codes you try to break. Each letter in the
sentence has a number given to represent it. See if you can figure out the
code and read the message. Each sentence has a different code.
COMPOSERS’ PUZZLES:
This is a set of puzzles that use information about each composer:
Mozart, Dvorak, and Brahms. Your teacher has this information in the
study packet. If you do not know how to work these puzzles, ask your
teacher, parent, or friend to help you. Two heads are better than one
sometimes.
DVORAK’S WORD SEARCH PUZZLE – WORD LIST:
Good luck! This word search might just boggle your little mind. Be very careful. There are
many word fragments in this puzzle. Don’t get thrown off of the trail. These words are in
vertical, horizontal, slant, frontward, and backward directions – YIKES!!!
ANTONIN
DVORAK
BOHEMIA
NELAHOZEVES
CZECH
REPUBLIC
PRAGUE
VIOLIST
SMETANA
NATIONALISM
TEACHER
COMPOSER
GRANT
AUSTRIAN
BRAHMS
SIMROCK
EUROPE
PUBLISHER
ENGLAND
CONSERVATORY
AMERICA
CLASSICAL
ROMANTIC
FOLK MUSIC [no space]
NEW YORK [no space]
NATIVE AMERICAN [no space]
AFRICAN-AMERICAN [no hyphen]
LONGFELLOW
HIAWATHA
FOLK SONG [no space]
MUSIC
CONTRASTING STYLES:
As a class make a list of as many musical styles as possible using the
categories:
Musical Periods, Dance Styles, and Genre/Popular Music.
Compare your list to the given list below. How many did the class already
know about? How many did the class come up with that were not on this
given list? How many on this given list were new to the class?
1 – Musical Periods: [dates are approximate]
Prehistoric Music [before 2600 B.C.]
Ancient Music [2600 B.C. – 400 B.C.]
Early, Medieval, Dark, & Middle Ages [400 B.C. – 1430 or
1450 A.D.]
Renaissance [1430 or 1450 A.D. – 1600 A.D.]
revival of human interests and cultural values such as
art, science, architecture, and religion
Baroque [1600 A.D. – 1750 A.D.]
elaborate style; grand effects; highly ornamented details
Classical [1750 A.D. – 1825 A.D.]
balance; clarity; order; stimulates the intellect or mind
Romantic [1825 A.D. – 1900 A.D.]
free expression of imagination and emotion; emphasis on
the melody
Nationalism [1875 A.D. – 1900 A.D.]
Revolutionary Times [1900 A.D. – 1940 A.D.]
Modern Period [1940 A.D. – present day]
2 – Dance Styles:
Allemande
Ballet
Ballroom Dancing
Belly Dancing
Bossa Nova
Break Dancing
Cha-Cha
Disco
Flamenco
Foxtrot
Free Style
Gavotte
Gigue
Hip-Hop
Jitterbug
Lindy-Hop
Line Dancing
Mambo
March
Mazurka
Minuet
Modern Dance
Polka
Polonaise
Robot
Rumba
Salsa
Samba
Shimmy
Square Dancing
Tango
Tap Dance
Tarantella
Twist
Worm
3 – Genre/Popular Music:
Acoustic
Air Metal
Ballad
Banda
Bossa Nova
Bebop
Black Metal
Bluegrass
Blues
Boogie Woogie
Cajun
Calypso
Cantata
Cha-Cha
Chamber Music
Chant
Chorale
Christian
Christian Rock
Concertino
Concerto
Conjunto
Contemporary World Music
Cool Jazz
Country Pop
Country Western
Cowboy Song
Creole
Delta
Disco
Dixieland Jazz
Doo Wop
Easy Listening
Electric
Electronic
Electronic Jazz
Film Music
Folk Music
Folk Rock
Free Jazz
Fugue
Funk
Fusion
Game Song
Gospel
Gregorian Chant
Grudge
Heavy Metal
Hillbilly
Hip-Hop
Impressionistic
Jarocho
Jazz
Latin Pop
Lullaby
Mambo
March
Mariachi
Minimalist
Modern Jazz
Motown
Mountain
Musical
Musical Theatre
New Age
New Orleans
Nocturne
Nortena
Opera
Operetta
Oratorio
Overture
Parody
Play-Party
Polka
Pop
Pop Rock
Praise Chorus
Program Music
Protest Song
Punk
Punk Rock
Ragtime
Railroad Song
Rap or Rapp
Reggae
Requiem Mass
Rhythm and Blues
Rock
Rock and Roll
Rockabilly
Rumba
Salsa
Samba
Scat
Shanty/Sea Song
Show Tune
Ska
Soca
Sonata
Sonatina
Soul
Spiritual
Story Song
Swing
Symphony
Synthesizer
Tango
Tech Pop
Techno
Tejano
Turkish
Twentieth Century
Work Song
World Music
Zydeco
Listen to various recordings and try to put each of them into the
correct musical categories. Some pieces of music will fit into more than
one category. Sometimes you won’t know what a particular category
means, which category to use, or someone else may disagree with you –
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that’s okay. Experts sometimes disagree when they try to categorize
things, too. You just need to be able to say why you think your answer is
correct – that means you need to have good reasons to back up your
decision. Did any piece of music fit into the Prehistoric Music Period?
Explain your answer.
Now listen to the three selected pieces by Mozart, Brahms, and
Dvorak that you will be hearing at La Musica. Where would they go in this
list? Compare the three La Musica recordings by using the musical
elements: rhythm, melody, harmony, form, tempo, dynamics, and
tone color. What are the similarities and differences between these three
pieces? Now listen to each of the selected pieces again, and pretend that
you are a machine that uses music as fuel. Move your body to what you
hear in each piece. Make your movements based on what you hear, and
what feels right to you. How would you describe your movements for
each piece? How would you feel if there was no more music in the world?
OTHER SUGGESTED ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES:
Do any or all of the assignments given in the body of the information
section.
Make a Xerox copy of a picture of Mozart’s, Dvorak’s, or Brahms’ face.
Cut the copy in half. Place the left side of the copy on the left side of a
piece of paper. Now try to sketch the missing right side of the picture of
the composer’s face.
Pointillism is an art style – that means a picture made from lots of tiny
dots. Try to make a picture of one of the three composers, or a musical
instrument, in pointillism style.
Try to write a short story based on the information you know about
Mozart, Dvorak, or Brahms.
Take your short story about one of the composers, and make it into a
play.
Make up jokes or riddles about the three composers. Write them down.
Don’t forget to write down the answers for the riddles. Share these with
your family, friends, teachers, or class.
Make a collage using pictures of various things related to music.
Draw as many pictures of musical instruments as you know about.
Make a music book using the alphabet as your organizer. For each
letter, include as many musical things as you can. You can add pictures if
you want.
Make an overall timeline using information about the three composers.
Add historical events.
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Using your overall timeline, describe how each composer became
famous.
Make your own musical crossword puzzle, mystery code breaker, or
word search.
Study pictures of Mozart, Dvorak, or Brahms. Try to make a sculpture
of one of these composers with clay.
Using an Orff xylophone or metallophone, compose your own tune.
Write it down. Practice playing it. Try to teach it to someone else. Now
try to play it on your soprano recorder. Perform your tune for your music
class, either on an Orff instrument, or on your recorder.
Take your tune and try to add words that rhyme. Try to teach the tune,
and the words, to someone else. Practice your tune while your friend
sings the words, or you sing while your friend plays the tune. Now
perform it together for your music class.
Using a CRISS strategy that you know, organize information that you
have learned during this unit of study.
Using your music textbook, look on each page to find pictures of
musical instruments. Now make a list of these instruments and include
the page numbers.
EXAMPLE: Silver Burdett Making Music [the 2002 edition] from Grade 3:
[pages i-15 only]
STRINGS:
Violin – iii; 0;
Cello – 1;
WOODWINDS:
Recorder – cover; ii; iii; iv; vi-vii;
BRASS:
PERCUSSION:
Triangle – cover; iv;
Tambourine – iv;
Cowbell – iv;
Puili Sticks – v;
Mbira or Thumb Piano – v;
Xylophone – vi;
Guiro – vii; 0;
Steel Drums – 1;
Drums – 5; 10;
Claves – 11;
Maracas – 11;
KEYBOARDS:
Upright Piano – 15;
ELECTRONIC:
BODY PERCUSSION:
Clapping – cover;
Stepping – ii; iii; v; vi; vii; 1; 2-3; 4; 5; 6; 8; 10;
UNKNOWN – I need to find out these instrument names:
Some kind of animal horn – 4;
THANK YOU LETTER IDEAS:
April __, 2006
La Musica International Chamber Music Festival Performers
P.O. Box #5442
Sarasota, FL 34277
Dear La Musica Performers,
I enjoyed your performance at the Sarasota Opera House. This was my
[#] ________ chamber music concert. I thought your music was
__________________________________________________________.
My favorite piece was __________________________________ by
___________________
because
__________________________________________________________.
I learned some things about the composer _____________________, like
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________.
I was interested in watching and listening to the instrument called the
____________.
I know some facts about this instrument, like
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________.
Thank you for coming to Sarasota this year. I appreciate it very much. I
hope to hear you play again some time soon – maybe next year at the
same festival?
[If you are a budding artist, attach a concert-related picture that you drew
for them.]
Sincerely,
___________________________________
From ________________________ School
______________ County
YOUR QUESTIONS FOR THE PERFORMERS:
You probably will have some questions that you would like the performers
to answer at the concert. Since this concert is a rehearsal, a concert, and
a learning experience, we would like to take some time to ask your
questions during your visit to the La Musica Chamber Music experience at
the Sarasota Opera House. Some of the performers do not speak English
very well, so we will do our best with the other performers trying to
translate for us.
Here are some examples of interesting questions:
1.
Do you ever get nervous? What do you do then?
2.
Does your family travel with you?
3.
How do you travel? What about your instrument?
4.
How long have you been playing your instrument?
5.
Do you always feel like a “famous” person?
6.
Do you have any pets? Do they travel with you?
7.
What happens if a string breaks, a reed cracks, or someone falls off
of the stage during a performance?
8.
Are you married? Do you have any children?
9.
Do you have any hobbies? Any not related to music?
10.
What happens if you forget your music?
11.
How much did your instrument cost? How much is it worth now?
Please pick from these questions first. Then send us any other questions,
or follow-up questions, that you want to have answered, too. We will try
our best!!!
-----------------------------------------------------My Questions or Follow-Up Questions for the Performers:
1. Please make sure to ask questions #____, ____, ____, ____, and
____.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Give these questions to your Music teacher so they can be sent to the
M.C., Susy Welsh, a.s.a.p.
[Teachers - Make sure you make it to “Welsh”, like the people.]
Sarasota County Pony = Susy Welsh, Tuttle Elementary School.
Sarasota County BBS = Susan Welsh
E-Mail = “Susan Welsh” <susan_welsh@sarasota.k12.fl.us>”
“musicalmoments@comcast.net”
Classroom & Music Teachers:
If you or your students have any questions or comments about this
packet, please contact Susy Welsh. Our goal is to provide you and your
students with a quality collection of information, activities, and resources.
[See the contact information listed previously at the end of the section
called “Your Questions For The Performers”.]
If you, your students, or your chaperones have any questions or
comments about the rehearsal/concert/experience, please also contact
Susy Welsh, so she can forward this information on to the appropriate
2006 La Musica International Chamber Music Festival personnel.
Because this is a rehearsal/concert/experience, the audience will be
asked to participate in various activities before, during, and after the
concert by the M.C. [Master or Mistress of Ceremonies]. Please make
sure you prepare your students to look, listen, think, and then follow the
directions given to them. Audience participation is not done at every
concert, but it will be done at this one to help all students understand
various musical concepts. If you attended last year’s concert, similar
music techniques and exercises will be used this year, along with some
new added items. Hopefully buses will not be late this year at the end of
the concert, however if something happens to delay your buses, please
have your students prepared to participate in extra activities for crowd
control purposes – we will take full advantage of these “teachable
moments”.
Every attempt will be made to bring each performer and their
instrument forward to the edge of the stage for better viewing and
comparisons during the interview segments. We will also ask each
performer to play their instrument individually so that the students can
hear each instrument’s tone color in isolation.