Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Listen!
A Guide to the ATLANTA
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
2003-2004 Young People’s Concerts
MUSICAL
FORM:
The
Building
Blocks
of
Music
Variations on “America”
D
o you sometimes get tired of doing the
same old thing every day? Do you wish you
could go to a new place, meet some new people or see
Charles Ives
Fugue, from Schwanda, the Bagpiper
Jaromir Weinberger
Symphony No. 7, 3rd Movement
Ludwig van Beethoven
Concerto for Orchestra, 4th movement
new sights? Everyone has that feeling at times. Human
beings need variety in their lives to be happy.
Béla Bartók
Peachtree Street, from City Scape
Jennifer Higdon
Symphony No. 9, 1st movement
Dmitri Shostakovich
1
painting would be very dull. The artist
obeyed the rule that good design
always has both unity and variety.
Too much variety can be just as bad.
What if you never knew what to expect
next? Without some routine in our lives,
we feel confused and out of sorts. It
seems we’re happiest when we have a
little of both – a pleasant routine with a
few nice surprises along the way.
Composers build music from ideas. A
musical idea is usually a melody. Once
they have a musical idea, composers
then have to make a choice. They can
either repeat the first idea or come up
with a new one.
The arts also need repeated things and
some variety. Look at the painting on the
following page. What is repeated?
Repeating something holds the painting
together. It creates unity. How does the
artist provide a change? Change creates
variety. Without some variety, the
happens over time. It’s easy to forget a
melody that you hear only once.
Composers repeat melodies to help you
remember them.
Unity and variety are the building blocks
of classical music. They help create
musical form (a plan for the music).
Composers use some musical forms so
often that everyone knows them. Now
it’s time for you to learn them.
When you come to Symphony Hall to
hear the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra,
you will hear music that combines unity
and variety. You’ll hear some of the
musical forms that make classical music
so interesting.
Good musical design also has a balance
between repeated things and new
things. Repeating in music is even more
important than in painting. Music
Artist: Nicole Price
Title: “Connected”
Timpani
Percussion
French Horns
Piano
Trumpets
Clarinets
Trombones
Tubas
Bassoons
Harp
Second Violins
Flutes
Basses
Oboes
Violas
First Violins
Cellos
2-3
2
2
The Teacher’s Guide
THE ARTIST ’S TOOLBOX
In school year 2003-2004, we will explore Musical
Form: The Building Blocks of Music. Form is
defined as the design or structure of a musical
composition. In previous years, the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra Young People’s Concerts
have explored some of the elements of music –
tone color, melody and rhythm. This year, we will
see how those building blocks are used to create
musical form.
We human beings demand order. We are
constantly sorting, classifying and arranging our
physical and our mental world. This need for order
is part of what it means to be human. The arts are
an essential human tool for explaining – ordering –
our world. Poetry, visual art, architecture, dance,
drama and music all adhere to principles of order.
The most basic of these is the principle of unity
and variety. Repetition provides unity. Contrast
provides variety.
Without form (a plan), music would be
incomprehensible. Students sometimes say they
don’t like classical music because it doesn’t make
sense to them. Given their usual steady diet of
2- to 3-minute popular songs in the simplest of
musical forms, that’s understandable. We
naturally resist new music if we cannot perceive
the structure or the sequence of events. Learning
to perceive that order is essential to the
understanding and enjoyment of unfamiliar music.
Skilled listeners first learn to recognize the
instruments making the sounds. Next, they learn
to analyze the shape of the melody. Intimately tied
to the melody is the rhythm, the arrangement of
long and short musical tones. These three basic
elements of music, along with harmony and
texture, are the bricks and mortar of music. For
complete enjoyment of classical music, we must
first learn to identify and to analyze the elements
of music.
The first step toward perceiving the structure of
music is remembering. Because music happens in
time, one must remember what was heard earlier
in order to compare it with what is now being
heard. (This is exactly like watching a film or
reading a mystery novel. We have to remember the
characters, their actions and the sequence of
events for full enjoyment.) Developing “musical
memory” is dependent on identifying and
analyzing. If we can remember that the first thing
we heard was a smooth, undulating melody line
played softly on the oboe in an even rhythm, we
will recognize it when we hear it again (repetition).
If the next thing we hear is a trumpet playing a
leaping melody line with a jazzy rhythm, we know
this is a new musical thought (contrast). The way
the composer orders this sequence of musical
ideas results in form. (See "Building Your Musical
Memory" on page 21.)
This ASO Young People’s Concert
will guide students through this
memory-building process. Use the
cross-curricular lessons on the
following pages to support their
learning in music. The more
patterns, structures and forms
students recognize in the world
around them, the more
likely they are to
develop the skills
to organize and
remember what
they perceive.
Teacher A
The Teacher’s Guide
H OW TO U S E T H I S G U I D E
he teacher’s guide to Musical Form: The Building Blocks of Music is organized around the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra concert program your students will hear at Symphony Hall. For each music selection on
the program you will find a copy of the student materials for that piece, and, on the facing page, strategies for presenting
the student material and extending the lesson. Each lesson is correlated with Share the Music (McGraw-Hill) textbook series
and with the Georgia Quality Core Curriculum. (See page Teacher N for objectives.) Supplementary activities for visual art,
language arts, social studies, mathematics and science appear in the back of the book.
T
We believe that music is essential to a complete education. We further believe that music is a necessary and equal part of
the total school curriculum. We have produced these lessons with those beliefs as our guiding principle. We hope you will
take full advantage of this guide and the other materials provided so that your students can in turn be knowledgeable and
eager participants in the wider culture of their city and their world.
Students will receive the maximum benefit from their concert experience if the abundant connections between music and
the other parts of the curriculum are emphasized. The materials in this guide will help you to make those connections. We
urge you to share these materials with all of your colleagues who teach the students attending the concert. Share the
teaching and multiply the results! Additional copies of the Teacher’s Guide, videotape and audiotape are available by calling
404-733-4871. You may download the print materials from www.atlantasymphony.org.
We welcome your comments and questions. After using these materials and attending the concert, please take a moment to
complete the evaluation form you will receive at Symphony Hall. Staff assistance with these materials is available by calling the
ASO Education Department at 404-733-5038.
LESSON OUTLINE
Each student lesson includes the following components:
• Background information about the music
• Background information about the composer
• Activities to do after viewing a section of the video or hearing the CD
The teacher pages provide:
• Further interesting background on the music and/or composer
• Strategies for presenting the student activities
• Correlation with music textbooks
• Correlation with the Georgia Quality Core Curriculum
• Other Resources for further study
The Integrated Curriculum Activities section includes visual art, science, social studies, language
arts and mathematics activities to support the Musical Form theme.
Teacher B
RECOMMENDED
SEQUENCE OF
I N ST R U C T I O N
These materials were designed for use in many different
instructional settings. Whether you are a 3rd grade classroom
teacher, a middle school orchestra or general music teacher or a
home-school instructor, the lessons are designed so that anyone
can teach them. Adaptations may be necessary. The important
thing is that students have an opportunity to explore all of the
materials in preparation for the concert. Their enjoyment and
yours will be greatly enhanced.
1 Teacher preparation: Read all of the materials. Preview the
30-minute videotape.
2 Have students read the introduction in their booklet first.
3 View the videotape. You might show a section of the videotape
(it’s clearly divided) each day over several days or you may
play it all in one day. The videotape indicates where to pause
and play the entire composition on the CD if you desire.
Follow each videotape section with the reading and activities
in the student booklet. Each lesson should take no more than
15 minutes and (for grades 3-5) provide good transition time
between other subjects. If you teach middle school music
classes, an entire class might be devoted to the videotape and
activities, or use the lessons as a beginning or closing activity
for several classes. The selections on the CD may be used after
each section of the videotape. Several activities require
additional opportunities to hear the entire composition. You
might also use the CD for casual listening any time.
4The integrated curriculum activities in each subject area might
be taught at the same time you present the music activities or
after the entire videotape and all music activities are presented.
You will probably see possibilities for incorporating these
activities into other subject lessons, creating stronger
connections among the parts of the curriculum. Be sure to
share the integrated curriculum activities with the students’
other teachers.
5 Send the student booklet home for parents to see. It includes a
note to parents regarding other concert opportunities for the
whole family.
I NTEG RAT I NG TH E CU RR ICU LU M TH ROUG H M US IC
Objectives: 8
There are many ways to integrate learning in music with
learning across the curriculum. The most effective method
organizes learning around themes. The choice of theme will
dictate the depth and value of the integrated learning.
Structure is fundamental in the arts – music, visual art, poetry,
drama and dance. It is also fundamental to an understanding of
language arts, the natural sciences, mathematics and social
studies. When the connections among disciplines are this
abundant and pervasive, the theme is useful for meaningful
learning in all areas. We hope you make use of this valuable
learning tool and consider the following lesson ideas.
Visual Arts:
Form (structure) is always present in the “designed” world. Ask
students to list the designed items in their environment
(buildings, fabric, landscaping, furniture, etc.) and analyze
them for use of unity and variety. The repetition of elements
creates unity. Repetition might be...
• Random - no apparent order (a group of skyscrapers in a
cityscape)
• Alternating - changing the position of the motif or using two
motifs – objects, shapes, colors, line types, etc. - alternating
back and forth (brick patterns in a walkway or building, fabric
blocks in a quilt, Lego block construction)
• Flowing - repeated wavy lines (plowed fields, decorations on
a building)
• Progressive - one motif changing slightly each time it is repeated
(like a number series: x plus 1, x plus 2, x plus 3 or a fabric design
whose motif changes color gradually over many repetitions)
Ask students to plan a flowerbed or a building using one of the
methods of repetition listed above. Next, ask students to add
something for variety. Variety is created through contrast.
Example: If most objects are red, insert a green object. If most
shapes are square, insert a circle. Make one building much
taller than the others. Interrupt the sequence with a random
color, line or shape.
Science:
Any investigation of the natural world will reveal the repetitions
in nature. Ask students to list the many repetitions in nature
that create unity. The repetitions might be visual or aural. Ask
them to divide the list into two parts: things you can see/things
you can hear. These are just a few ideas:
how does one year differ from another? In each case, there are
similarities (unity) and differences (contrast).
Things you can see
Discuss ways that Europe and other regions of the world are
becoming more alike (currency, religious expression, etc.)
despite their historical differences.
• The cycle of seasons and day and night
• The shape of some leaves or flowers
• The pattern of our DNA
Things you can hear
• Birdsong
• Rainfall
• The beating of your heart
Use the arts to assess student understanding of scientific
principles. Ask students to...
• Create a dance demonstrating how a group of plants of the same
kind might have one unusual specimen (variety). Nature is never
completely uniform. Variety is the rule, not the exception.
• Paint a picture showing a single tree in winter, spring, summer,
fall. Though the tree maintains the same shape, its other
characteristics change: leaf color, leaf size, absence of leaves.
Language Arts:
In poetry and prose, the repetition of sounds, words and
phrases affect not only the sound element of language, but also
the sense element. We repeat a phrase for emphasis in
oratorical speech, in poetry and in storytelling: Chicken Little
said, “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!” The big bad wolf
said, “I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in.” Also,
explore the use of repetition in the lyrics of children’s songs and
games. (London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling
down..., Red Rover, Red Rover, Send Johnny right over.)
Ask students to find examples of repetition for emphasis in
poetry and in stories. Try reading these examples without the
repetition to see how repetition affects the meaning.
• Create a composition on a simple instrument imitating the
rhythm of rainfall or the sounds of birds repeating their calls
over and over. Insert a clap of thunder or an interesting new
bird call for contrast.
Poetry can have meter and rhythm the same as music. This
pattern of weak and strong syllables creates the metrical
scheme of poetry. Have students analyze poetry to find the
poetic meter. (U = a weak beat; __ = a strong beat.) Now
notice if the poet interrupts that rhythm to create emphasis
and variety.
Social Studies:
Analyze the rhyme scheme of a poem. Does the poet alter the
scheme to create variety?
Have students discuss repetition (cycle, pattern) in the way
humans organize their societies. Think about our government –
duplications (repetitions) in federal, state and city (leader,
policy-making body, law enforcement) or election cycles. Think
about our community rituals – repetitions of certain ceremonies
or rituals at recurring intervals (4th of July parade, swearing-in
ceremonies). Talk about the rhythm of our planned activities as
well as those that fall into a rhythm without our planning.
Discuss the importance of a routine – dependably recurring
events – to our well-being as a society (in our schools, in our
families, in our churches, mosques or synagogues). Discuss the
meaning of the phrase “history repeats itself.”
Now talk about the inevitability of variety. Though they both
have representative forms of government, how does
Massachusetts’ state government differ from Georgia’s? How
does Great Britain’s system differ from the United States’
system? Though we observe rituals on the same date each year,
Look at line length in poems. If most of the lines are long, the
poet often inserts a short line to create variety and emphasis.
The same is true in prose.
Mathematics:
Mathematical theory is the result of humans trying to make sense of
their world. People didn’t make the rules, then solve the problems.
The problems came first, then someone inferred the rules. When
mathematicians test mathematical theories, they sometimes find
anomalies – problems that don’t prove the rule. That does not deter
them from seeking “perfect” theories. Discuss the usefulness of
mathematical theories to explain and order our world. Compare this
urge to reduce our world to mathematical theories to the urge to
order our world in other ways – through the arts, through our
governmental and societal “rules and regulations,” through our
religious practices and our simple daily routines.
Teacher C
Variations on “America”
Charles Ives (1874-1954)
W
hat makes music “American?” Is it the melody? Is it the rhythm?
This music will help you decide.
About The
Music
Two things make this music very American. First,
the theme, or main melody, of the piece is a wellknown American patriotic tune, “My Country, ’Tis
of Thee.” Secondly, the music is full of new ideas.
Theme and variations has been a popular musical form for centuries.
Often, the composer borrows the theme from another composer. In this
music, the theme is a tune we all know. There is only one theme in a
theme and variations piece. The composer must think of many ways to
add variety without writing a new theme. The theme and its variations
are played one after another. A theme and variations map
would look like this: A A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 etc. A theme
can have any number of variations.
Activity #1: Create a set of variations on a nonmusical theme. Here are some ideas for your
theme: 1) walking, 2) saying hello to someone,
3) a sentence (try “The lazy cow stood in a sunny
pasture.”). Create a list of the ways you could
change each theme or work with your group to
make up variations. Perform your theme and
variations.
Activity #2: This is the theme of Variations on
“America.” Sing the tune, and clap the rhythm as you
sing. Next, silently think through the song while you clap the
rhythm. What changes do you hear in the song when you sing it?
When you “think” through the song silently and clap the rhythm, can
you tell what stays the same?
My
coun-try, ’tis of thee Sweet land of
fa-thers died,
li-ber-ty,
Of thee I
sing. – Land where my
Land of the pil-grims’ pride, From e-very –moun-tainside Let freedom ring!
Activity #3: Make a list of ways a composer can change a theme. Now listen
to the Ives theme and its four variations. As you hear each one, decide how
the theme is changed and fill in the chart below.
About the COMPOSER
Charles Ives was called the founding
father of American music. He liked to make
up his own rules for music. His father, a band
director, taught him to experiment with sounds.
He became known for his unusual musical ideas.
Charles began composing music when he was very young. One of his
first compositions was a piece for his cat’s funeral.
Charles wrote this piece for the organ when he was only seventeen.
(An organ has a keyboard like a piano, but the sound is made when air
is forced through pipes.) He had a job as organist at a local church.
William Schuman, another American composer, rewrote the piece for
orchestra in 1963.
4-5
Instruments
Introduction
Theme (A)
Variation 1 (A1)
Interlude
Variation 2 (A2)
Variation 3 (A3)
Variation 4 (A4)
Coda
Melody
Rhythm
Tempo
Meter
Dynamics
Harmony
Mood
Variations on “America”
Charles Ives (1874-1954)
Objectives: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10,11
Text Correlations: “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” can be found in Gr. 1: T233; Gr. 2: p. 254;
Gr. 3: p. 265; Gr. 4: p. 266; and Gr. 6, p. 287. Also see: Gr. 3: pp. 22, 47; Gr. 4: pp.
249,267; Gr. 5: pp. 192-193; Gr. 6: p. 415
Resources: www.charlesives.org/index.htm The official Charles Ives website created
by the Charles Ives society.
The Unanswered Question A video by The Leonard Bernstein Society (1973) in which
Bernstein interprets a famous Ives composition.
Fitch, Marguerite. Samuel Francis Smith: My Country, ’Tis of Thee. 1989
ISBN Number: 0-88062-048-8.
More About the Music
The melody of “America” (My Country, ’Tis of Thee) was composed in 1740. Other texts
for this melody include God Bless Our Native Land and God Save the Queen (the
British national anthem). Samuel Francis Smith (1809-95), a Baptist minister, wrote the
words as we know them for a children’s choir Sunday School celebration at Park Street
Church in Boston on July 4, 1831. At first, many people thought the song was unAmerican, since it was a German melody used for the British national anthem. It has
since become a standard expression of American patriotism.
Ives, and countless composers before and after him, chose the theme and variations
form to explore a single melody. No new melodies are introduced in variation form. The
theme can be varied in any of its elements (tone color [instrumentation], slight melodic
changes, rhythm, harmony, tempo, dynamics [volume], meter, or by adding
countermelodies, etc.) while retaining the original thematic material. Theme and
variation form may be simple or complex. Composers have also used the theme and
variations form in movements of larger multi-movement works.
The Teacher’s Guide
More About the Composer
Charles Ives grew up with a musician father who, unlike most men in his family, chose
not to go into business. Charles’ father George spent his life organizing the musical
activities of his hometown of Danbury, Connecticut. He taught Charles to take risks in
music and break many of the standard musical conventions of the day.
Perhaps in reaction to his family’s disappointment with his father, Charles became a
very successful businessman. He founded Ives & Co., an insurance company.
Composition was a weekend hobby. It is said that he wrote “his father’s music,”
experimenting with harmonies, rhythms and instrumental sounds. Ives stopped
composing in 1927. He spent the rest of his life working to get his music published and
performed. His popularity grew slowly, but steadily. He is now regarded as one of
America’s most important composers.
Activity #1: It is important to allow students to explore the idea of a theme with
variations before listening to the music. Have them choose a common movement, such
as walking or waving, an expression like laughing or crying, or some other everyday
human activity. Or choose a sentence to vary. This activity will reinforce writing skills
(elaboration). Then let students experiment with all the different ways one can walk,
wave, laugh, cry or express a single idea in words (change adjectives, add phrases,
change word order, use synonyms, etc). Lead a discussion of the variations possible on
one of these themes. Allow students to rehearse and perform their theme and its
variations.
Activity #2: Lead the students in singing “My Country, ’Tis of Thee.” Students will be
asked to sing the song at the beginning of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
concert. When the song is sung, the words are constantly changing.
Teacher D
Variations on “America”
Charles Ives (1874-1954)
To recognize variations on a theme, the listener must first analyze the characteristics
of the theme itself. By singing the tune, students internalize the characteristics of the
“America” theme. While clapping the rhythm and “thinking” the words, students
discover the repeated rhythm. They hear this rhythm over and over:
3
4
They should also note the 3/4 meter and the tune’s stately and solemn mood.
Activity #3: Lead a discussion of the things in this tune that might be varied, such as
melody, rhythm, harmony, instruments and accompaniment. The composer might also
add countermelodies. Countermelodies are secondary melodies used to “decorate”
the primary melody.
As students hear each of the variations, stop to discuss how each one is different from
the theme that they sang.
• Note that the Introduction makes a dramatic change in the theme immediately. Ives
changes the rhythm and makes the notes short and disconnected (staccato).
• Next, the theme is presented in the same way that we sing the song.
• After students listen to the first variation, explain what a countermelody is.
• The dissonance in the Interlude after Variation 1 sounds like the musicians are
playing wrong notes. Ives deliberately creates the impression of two separate
orchestras by using two different keys at once. Tell students that Ives’ father gave
him that idea. He once had four bands march to the town square playing four
different tunes at once.
Teacher E
• The meter changes in Variation 2 from 3/4 (triple meter) to 6/8 (compound duple
meter). The effect is a change from three beats to two beats per measure.
• Ives uses Spanish rhythm patterns and instruments in Variation 3 in triple meter.
• The last variation has a trumpet countermelody and features a syncopated
accompaniment (instruments play between the beats in little bursts of sound).
• The Coda returns to the altered rhythm of the Introduction. The end is very showy in
the style an old movie soundtrack.
Variations on “America”
Charles Ives (1874-1954)
The Teacher’s Guide
Instruments
Melody
Rhythm
Tempo
Meter
Dynamics
Harmony
Mood
Introduction
Full orchestra
Xylophone at end
Fragments
New dotted
rhythm
Moderate
Triple
Loud
F major
March-like
Theme
Brass melody with
string accompaniment.
Bell at the end.
Like original
Like original
Slow
Triple
Soft
F major
Solemn
Variation 1
Strings melody,
Woodwinds and Brass
accompaniment.
Drum rim shot at end.
Winds and brass
countermelody
added
Like original
Slow
Triple
Moderate
F major
More playful
Interlude
Played first by woodwinds,
trumpets and violins in
F major. French horns,
trombones, and violas
then enter in Db Major.
Like a round (in
two different
keys)
Like original
Slow
Triple
Loud
Combines
two keys
(F major
and Db major)
very dissonant
Tense, scary?
Variation 2
Woodwinds, strings, bass
drum, triangle, cymbal.
Trumpet, then piccolo
have special ending
Like original
with notes
added
Dance-like,
skipping rhythm
Faster
6/8
(compound
duple)
Moderate
Db major
Variation 3
Brass plays melody.
Tambourine and castanets
play rhythm.
Like original
New “Spanish”
rhythm
Moderate
Triple
Moderate
F minor
Playful, happy
Variation 4
Woodwinds melody.
Trumpet, French horn and
bassoon accompaniment.
Strings added 2nd time.
Number of instruments
increases.
Trumpet added on
countermelody
Syncopated
accompaniment
Very fast;
slower at
end
Triple
Louder
2nd time
F major
Playful, happy
Coda
Full orchestra
Like Introduction
Return of the
dotted rhythm
from the
beginning
Increasing
speed
Triple
Very loud
F major
Exciting and
showy
Playful, happy
Please note that this performance does not include all of the original variations and interludes.
Teacher F
Fugue, from Schwanda, the Bagpiper
Jaromir Weinberger (1896-1967)
o you know the story about the Pied Piper of Hamelin? He played his
tunes, and all the children followed him. He created a very unhappy scene
when he took all of the children away. In this story, Schwanda, the Bagpiper,
makes trouble, too. He also gets out of trouble with his magic music.
D
About The Music
Like theme and variations, the fugue form is based on one theme. The theme
of a fugue is repeated many times also. In theme and variations form, the
repeats of the theme follow one after another. In a fugue, the repeats overlap
each other. It sounds like the themes are chasing each other. In fact, the word
fugue comes from fuga which means “flight.”
In the “Exposition” section of the music, you hear each voice or instrument
play the theme (called the subject or the answer). When each voice finishes
the theme, it then plays other music, written to be played along with the
subject. The composer varies the theme in the “Development” section of the
fugue. To really enjoy a fugue, you must learn to listen to more than one thing
at a time.
This happy piece was written for a scene in an opera. An opera is a story
told through music. The story of Schwanda comes from Bohemia, now a
part of the Czech Republic.
This is a map of the Fugue from Schwanda, the Bagpiper:
In this story, Schwanda has been in some very big trouble. He plays this
fugue (pronounced “fyoog”) to celebrate when his friend Babinsky helps
him to escape.
1. Violas/Theme (Subject) __________________________________________________________
Exposition:
2. Cellos/Theme (Answer) ________________________________________________
3. Violins/Theme (Subject) _____________________________________
4. Bass/Theme (Answer) _____________________________
Schwanda, the Bagpiper is Weinberger’s most
famous opera. It is still popular today. It has
been performed over 4000 times in more than
20 languages. This fugue is one of the most
popular pieces from that opera.
Development:
The theme is varied. The fugue ends with the brass instruments playing the theme slower and louder.
You might have noticed that this is like a round. Sing a favorite round like “Row,
Row, Row Your Boat.” Notice how the voices stack up as each new group enters.
Activity: This is the theme of Schwanda’s Fugue.
About The COMPOSER
Jaromir Weinberger was born in Prague in 1896.
He loved the music of his native country. He used
the folk music of that country in his operas.
He studied music in the music schools of Prague and Leipzig. Just before
World War II, Weinberger left his beloved country. He came to the United
States in 1939. In America, he sometimes wrote music based on American
folk tunes.
6-7
After you become familiar with the theme, listen to the entire piece and
follow the map. You will hear the theme repeated over and over. How does the
composer create variety?
Fugue, from Schwanda, the Bagpiper
Jaromir Weinberger (1896-1967)
Objectives: 1,2,3,4,6,9,10,11
Text Correlations: Gr. K: T87; Gr. 1: T324-T325; Gr. 2: p. 341; Gr. 3: p. 309; Gr. 4: p. 199;
Gr. 5: p. 352; Gr. 6: pp. 136-137
Resources:
http://intranet.cps.k12.il.us/Lessons/StructuredCurriculumTOC/SCMusic/HS_Music_
Lessons/SCMUHSG1/MU912lesson21.pdf This site includes another “spoken fugue”
based on instrument names. It is useful for students who read rhythmic notation.
http://www.crocker.com/~slinberg/poems/browning/piedpiper.html The text of the
Pied Piper story.
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~tas3/wtc.html The entire Well-Tempered Clavier (preludes and
fugues) of J.S. Bach in MIDI format with scores and diagrams.
More About the Opera
The story of Schwanda, the Bagpiper is a Bohemian folk legend. It is included here so
that you can relate it to the students in your own way.
The hero, Schwanda, is a famous Bohemian bagpiper. He is married to Dorota.
Babinsky, Schwanda’s friend, is a legendary Czech character very much like Robin Hood
– stealing from the rich to give to the poor.
Babinsky persuades Schwanda to go to the home of the Queen. She is very sad
because she is under the spell of a wicked magician. Schwanda’s music always makes
people happy, and Babinsky hopes Schwanda can break the spell with his music. He
does exactly that. The Queen is so happy, she asks Schwanda to marry her. Forgetting
that he is already married, he accepts!
When Schwanda’s wife Dorota arrives on the scene, the Queen is furious and condemns
Schwanda to execution. By playing his very best, he escapes that fate, but when Dorota
asks if Schwanda kissed the Queen, he says he will go to the devil if he did. Of course,
he immediately finds himself with the devil. Babinsky rescues Schwanda by winning a card
game against the devil. Dorota forgives Schwanda for being so foolish and they are reunited.
Schwanda plays this fugue in the opera to celebrate the resolution of this twisted plot.
In the opera, Schwanda says, “When Bohemia makes music, the whole world rejoices.”
The Teacher’s Guide
More About the Composer
Jaromir Weinberger was a successful composer early in his career. Schwanda is his most
familiar and popular work. Written in 1926, it received over 2000 performances by 1931.
The latter part of Weinberger's life was tragic. Though he continued to compose, he did
not enjoy the success of his early years. Since before his emigration to America, he
suffered from manic depression. Eventually he became a recluse. His depression
deepened until he committed suicide at his home in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1967.
Activity #1: Divide the class into at least two groups. Lead students in singing “Row,
Row, Row Your Boat” in a round. The second group (and subsequent groups) begin at
the beginning when the previous group reaches “gently down the stream.” Explain that
in a round everybody sings the same tune in the same key and the first group finishes
first, followed by the second, etc. There is no added musical material (countermelodies,
changed keys, etc.).
In a fugue, there is often a “countersubject,” which comes after the subject (theme) and
harmonizes (is “in counterpoint to”) the subject when played by the subsequent
groups. The composer has the freedom to vary the theme in the development section.
In a fugue, everyone finishes the music together.
See http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~tas3/wtc.html for a complete “anatomy” of the typical
fugue.
Activity #2: Ask students to listen to the first statement of the fugue theme (subject)
(CD :00 through :15) several times. Next, play the Exposition section (:00 through 1:26)
so they can hear each of the four voices of the fugue. Have students raise their hands
each time they hear a different group of instruments start the theme (subject or
answer). The development begins at 1:27. Make a list on the board of some possible
ways the composer develops (varies) the theme. This is the most difficult section to
analyze. Just make students aware of the fragments of the theme heard throughout.
Then play the entire fugue. Ask students to listen for the restatement of the theme in
augmentation (stretched out, with longer notes) at 4:56 on the CD. Help students
notice that the tune is “slower.” The note values are doubled, then doubled again.
Teacher G
Symphony No. 7, 3rd Movement
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
his piece of music will make you want to dance. Beethoven called his
7th Symphony his “most excellent symphony.”
T
Beethoven wrote nine symphonies. A
symphony has four movements or sections.
Most symphony movements can stand
alone as separate pieces. Each one has
its own musical form. Sometimes movements are in theme and
variations form. Some movements include a fugue.
About The
Activity #1: Download your own copy of a listening map of this piece from
www.atlantasymphony.org/family/peoples/teachers.html. Follow the listening
map as you listen to the 3rd Movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.
Activity #2: Use the “Building Your Music Memory” page in the back of the
book to describe the A and B sections. Compare and contrast the themes.
You’ll need to listen more than once.
Music
The third movement of many symphonies is in three-part
or ABA form. In theme and variations form and in
fugues, composers use one theme over and over. In
ABA form, a completely new theme (B) is introduced
to give the piece variety. The repeat of the A
section at the end brings unity to the music.
The third movement of Beethoven’s 7th
Symphony uses a B theme. He then repeats
the first two sections of the third movement
(A and B) before he ends it with the A
melody. A map of this movement would be
ABABA. The name of this form is scherzo
and trio. The A theme is the scherzo
section. The B theme is the trio section.
About The
COMPOSER
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in
Bonn, Germany. His father made his
living as a musician. Ludwig’s father taught
him how to play the piano and the violin.
Ludwig attended school for only a few years. All of Ludwig’s time was
spent learning how to play and write music. His father wanted him to
be a famous musician. He made Ludwig practice for long hours. People
who knew the family said that they saw Beethoven standing at the
piano crying and playing.
Ludwig did become a famous musician. People crowded the concert
halls to hear him perform. He was among the first composers to make
a living with his writing.
Sadly, Ludwig became deaf later in life. Despite this, he wrote music
that earned him a place among the giants of classical music.
8-9
a
Loud – Full orchestra
b
b
Softer – flute/clarinet – Echo strings – Echo bassoon
(:22)
Flute/clarinet – Echo strings – Echo bassoon
(:31)
a
Oboe and woodwinds
(:40)
Flute
Strings
Timpani
Long note
(1:18)
Soft - Horn echo
(6:45)
Very, very soft
a
Loud – Full orchestra
(7:00)
timpani at end
Long note
a
b
b
Soft – relaxed – flute/clarinet/horn
(2:17)
Oboe with Echo from Flute
(2:30)
Softer – flute/clarinet – Echo strings – Echo bassoon
(7:13)
Flute/clarinet – Echo strings – Echo bassoon
(7:20)
***
b
Bassoon/flute/horn
(2:45)
French horn “wiggle”
(3:01)
Louder
(3:08)
Loud trumpet echo
a
Oboe and woodwinds
(7:28)
timpani at end
Strings
Long note
a
*****
Soft – relaxed – flute/clarinet/horn
(8:10)
5 BIG CHORDS
(8:16)
b
Softer – flute/clarinet – Echo strings – Echo bassoon
(4:40)
Flute/clarinet – Echo strings – Echo bassoon
(4:47)
Louder Full orchestra
Flute
(5:13)
a
a
Soft – relaxed – flute/clarinet/horn
(5:37)
Oboe with Echo from Flute
(5:51)
b
French horn “wiggle”
Strings
Timpani
a
Oboe and woodwinds
(4:56)
Teacher’s note: Students can download a copy of this listening map at the ASO’s
website at www.atlantasymphony.org/family/peoples/teachers.html.
(4:27)
b
Bassoon/flute/horn
(6:06)
Flute
(7:46)
Very, very soft
a
a
Louder Full orchestra
Coda: B
(3:22)
Loud – Full orchestra
(4:16)
B
Loud trumpet echo
a
Soft - Horn echo
(4:00)
A
A
Louder
(6:30)
Louder Full orchestra
a
B
(:10)
Timpani at end
A
Long note
***
Teacher H
Symphony No. 7, 3rd Movement
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Objectives: 1,2,3,4,5,7,9,10
Text Correlations: Gr. 1: T75; Gr. 2: pp. 343B, 343J; Gr. 3: p. 359K & L; Gr. 5: p. 113;
Gr. 6: p. 417I
Resources:
Mike Venezia. Ludwig van Beethoven (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest
Composers.) Children's Press. October 1996. ISBN: 0516200690
Andrea Bergamini. Beethoven and the Classical Age (Masters of Music). Barrons
Juveniles. February 1999. ISBN: 0764151339
http://www.kingsbarn.freeserve.co.uk/ For Beethoven enthusiasts.
More About the Composer
Beethoven’s father submitted young Ludwig to a very difficult regimen of practice,
hoping to exploit him as a child prodigy like Mozart. Beethoven was not a child prodigy,
but his talent was recognized early. He studied with both Mozart and Haydn in Vienna.
Though he studied with the greatest teacher/composers, Beethoven developed his
singular style according to his own tastes.
He was said to have terrible manners, a disheveled appearance and an awful
disposition. Despite his personal shortcomings, his public accepted his work and his
genius. Beethoven lived during a time of social change, with aristocracies giving way to
democracies and republics. Consequently, he could not depend on patronage for his
living. Beethoven was among the first businessmen/composers, selling his music to
publishers, presenting concerts, negotiating contracts and seeking commissions.
Teacher I
The Teacher’s Guide
More About the Music
Your students will enjoy this music. The form is very straightforward. The melodies are
memorable – in fact, after a few hearings, they’ll be humming the tunes!
Earlier symphony 3rd movements were often in “minuet and trio” form. The minuet was
a stately dance in triple meter. The trio was a contrasting section (B), in the same meter
and key.
This movement is a scherzo (skair’- tzo) and trio. The scherzo is faster and more playful
than a minuet, but still in triple meter. The German word scherzen means “to joke.”
Beethoven was one of the first composers to replace the minuet with the scherzo in his
symphonies.
Activity #1: Use the CD time markings to help students follow the
map. (Have them download the map, or you may make copies
from your book.) Teach them how to use the repeat signs
accurately. Once they are familiar with the themes, ask
them to follow the map independently. Young
students may only recognize the change from
the large Theme A to Theme B because of
the dramatic tempo and volume
change. Older students should
be able to distinguish
between the a and b
sections of each
theme.
Symphony No. 7, 3rd Movement
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
The Teacher’s Guide
Activity #2: The character of the A theme and the B theme are very different. See possible answers to
the “Building Your Musical Memory” questions below:
Tempo
Theme A is fast. Theme B is slow.
Volume
A is loud. B is soft (generally speaking). There are frequent changes in volume within sections.
Articulation
A is staccato (disconnected). B is legato (smooth).
Rhythm
A is uneven (like galloping). B is still uneven, but calmer.
Meter
A is in a very fast triple meter. B is in a slower triple meter
Tone Color
Instrumentation alternates among strings, woodwinds and brasses (see map).
Texture
Texture alternates between full orchestra and small groups of instruments.
Harmony
Major key (A is in F Major. B is in D Major.)
Mood
A is bright, happy and energetic. B is calm and relaxed. Nearly all of the elements are used to change the
mood. The use of the 1/2 –step interval over and over in B makes the B theme sound more melancholy.
Number of themes
There are two major themes and two separate sections within each theme.
Form
This is three-part form (scherzo and trio), even though the first two parts are repeated. There is no
introduction, but there is a short Coda.
Teacher J
Concerto for Orchestra, 4th movement
Béla Bartók (1881-1945)
eethoven and Bartók lived one century apart. They both obeyed
the rules for good musical form. They created both unity and
variety in their music.
B
Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra was one of the
last pieces of music he wrote. Béla left Hungary
when World War II began. The Nazis had taken
over his country. He was living in New York and
was very ill. He was asked to write a piece for
orchestra. The desire to write this music made him feel much better for a
while. He wrote the Concerto in only seven weeks. He died nine months later.
Activity #2: Use the “Building Your Musical Memory” page in the back of this
book to describe each of the three themes. Then answer these questions:
1. How does the composer provide unity in this movement? (What stays
the same?)
2. How does the composer create variety? (What
changes?)
About The
Music
In a concerto, a musician usually stands in front of the orchestra to play a
solo part. This concerto is unusual because there is no “star” soloist.
Bartók treats each of the regular orchestra musicians like soloists. This is a
showpiece for the whole orchestra.
Activity #1: In this movement, Bartók uses three themes – A, B and C. The
“C” theme is borrowed from the 7th Symphony of composer Dmitri
Shostakovich. Bartók heard the Shostakovich symphony on the radio while
he was working on his Concerto. He didn’t like it very much. He decided to
make fun of that piece in this movement. How can you tell when a composer
is making fun of a tune? You’ll soon find out as you listen to this piece.
About the COMPOSER
Béla Bartók was born in Hungary. His
parents were teachers and amateur
musicians. Béla showed his talent at an early
age. At four years old, he could play 40 songs on
the piano.
Béla was shy and not very healthy. His father died when Béla was only
seven. His mother moved the family often. She was looking for jobs. She
also wanted Béla and his sister to have good schools.
Béla began writing music when he was only ten years old. He went to
music school to become a piano soloist. Later, Béla became very
interested in the folk music of his country. He collected folk music by
listening to the people around him. The folk music of his
native land inspired his own music.
As you listen, write down the “solo” instruments. Look at the orchestra
picture at the beginning of this book. Decide which instrument is playing.
Theme
Solo Instrument(s)
A
B
(A)
C
B
A
10-11
11
Concerto for Orchestra, 4th movement
Béla Bartók (1881-1945)
The Teacher’s Guide
Objectives: 1,2,3,4,5,7,9,10,11
Activity #1: Students should note that this is the first piece we’ve studied that has
Text Correlations: Gr. 4: p. 95; Gr. 6: p. 417 I
http://www.smolder.com/bartok.htm Hear the entire Concerto for Orchestra played
three themes. Have students refer to the picture of the orchestra at the beginning of
their book as they identify the instruments. If students are not familiar with the sounds
of orchestral instruments, they can hear orchestral instruments at this website:
http://datadragon.com/education/instruments. Read more about the instruments at
by the New York Philharmonic. Click on the >>l button to change from one movement
to the next.
http://library.thinkquest.org/15413/instruments/instruments.htm?tqskip1=1&tqti
me=0416
Resources:
http://creatingmusic.com/ Look at Playing with Tempo and Dynamics and Playing with
Scales. Students can experiment with the effect of speed, volume and key on the mood
of music.
Order of the Themes
Solo Instrument
A
(In order) Oboe, flute, clarinet, horn, oboe
B
Viola, Full orchestra, oboe, English horn
More About the Composer
A
(Fragments) Oboe, flute
Béla Bartók was one of the world’s first ethnomusicologists. An ethnomusicologist
studies the music of various cultures at the source. Bartók spent many years of his life
recording and cataloguing the folk music of Eastern Europe.
C
Clarinet, violins, loud blasts from trombone
B
High strings,
A
(Fragments) clarinet, English horn, flute cadenza
(like bird song), oboe, bassoon, piccolo, strings
More About the Music
In the 4th movement of Concerto for Orchestra, Bartók borrows one of his themes
from the 7th Symphony of Shostakovich. Shostakovich wrote the piece to depict the
siege of Leningrad. Bartók heartily disliked this piece (it was quite popular across the
world). He called this movement an “interrupted intermezzo,” because he literally
interrupts his simple and lovely Hungarian melodies with a parody of what he
considered vulgar and trite music. His sarcastic musical treatment of this theme tells all
we need to know about his disdain for Shostakovich’s “patriotic” symphony. Keep in
mind that Bartók was struggling for recognition, while Shostakovich was enjoying
worldwide success. Students will learn more about Shostakovich’s struggle between
the Soviet state requirements and his own musical integrity later. We’ll hear the first
movement of his 9th Symphony at the end of our concert.
Activity #2: Use this chart to help students describe each theme:
The term intermezzo refers to a very old form of comic music, singing and acting
performed between major acts of a serious play. Later, the term came to mean a short
movement inserted for variety (or to parody) the music heard earlier in the longer work.
The Intermezzo Interrotto (4th movement) in Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra depicts
the contrast between Bartók’s yearning for his native country and the rude interruption
brought about by the war.
Tempo
Volume
(Dynamics)
Articulation
Rhythm
Meter
Mood (some
possibilities)
Introduction 3 chords
only
Loud
Smooth
Even
Theme A
Moderate
Soft
Smooth
Even
2 and
5 (3+2)
Sad
Theme B
Moderate
Louder
Smooth
Even
2 and
5 (3+2)
Sweet,
very calm
Theme A
Moderate
Soft
Smooth
Even
2 and
5 (3+2)
Sad
Theme C
Faster
Loud
Mostly Disconnected
Even
2 (like
Wild,
a march) funny
Theme B
Moderate
Softer
Smooth/
Connected
Even
2 and
5 (3+2)
Sweet,
very calm
Theme A
Slow
Soft
Smooth and Even
Disconnected
2 and
5 (3+2)
Sad
Scary
Unity is provided by the recurrence of the A theme and by the consistent meter (except
for the “interruption”). Variety is created by three separate melodies and their
orchestration, the volume (dynamics), tempos and moods.
Teacher K
Peachtree Street, from City Scape
Jennifer Higdon (1962 - )
his music is about our hometown. You can almost see the
busy scenes on Peachtree Street, the “Main Street” of Atlanta.
T
About The
Music
“Peachtree Street” is the name of this music. It is
the 3rd movement of a long piece called City Scape.
When you come to hear the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra, you will be on Peachtree Street.
Activity #1: First, you should listen to all of “Peachtree Street.” Do you hear busy
places and calm places? Try to make your own map of the music. Start with just
two words: “busy” and “calm.”
There are SIX themes in “Peachtree Street.” Ms. Higdon wrote this piece in
Rondo Form. That means that the A theme is repeated after every new theme.
The map of the piece is A-B-A-C-A-D-A-E-A-F-A. Write down your “busy” and “calm”
ideas below. Try to decide which instruments are the main instruments in each
theme. You’ll know you’re hearing the A theme when you hear the full orchestra.
THEME
Watch carefully as you ride down Peachtree Street. You will see lots of traffic
lights. You will probably see lots of people and cars moving down the street.
Peachtree is a busy street. This “Peachtree Street” movement is Jennifer
Higdon’s memory of the busy spots and the quiet spots on that long street.
Theme A
The first two movements of City Scape are also about Atlanta. The first
movement is called “Skyline.” The second movement is called “river sings a
song to the trees.” Jennifer was thinking about her old
hometown when she wrote this music.
Theme A
Loud & Busy or Calm & Quiet
Instruments
Full orchestra
Theme B
Theme A
Theme C
Theme D
Theme A
Theme E
Theme A
About the
COMPOSER
Jennifer Higdon was born in Brooklyn, New York.
When she was one year old, her family moved to
Atlanta. Her mother and father took Jennifer to hear
the Atlanta Symphony for the first time when she was
eight years old. She attended the ballet, museums, film festivals and even
rock concerts in Piedmont Park. Her parents loved all of those things. They
wanted Jennifer to see and hear it all.
Jennifer played percussion instruments. She also became a very good flute
player. She decided to study music in college. She also wanted to learn how
to conduct an orchestra and write music. One of her teachers was Robert
Spano. Mr. Spano is now the Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Jennifer makes her living writing music. She also teaches other people how
to write music. You will hear that she writes special parts for her two
favorites – flute and percussion.
12-13
Theme F
Theme A
Activity #2: Look at the “Building Your Musical Memory” chart on page 16.
Which musical elements does Jennifer Higdon change to create a busy or calm
mood? The repeat of the A theme provides unity. Is the music unified by other
elements that stay the same across all of the other themes?
Peachtree Street, from City Scape
Jennifer Higdon (1962 - )
Objectives: 1,2,3,4,5,7,9,10,11
Text Correlations: Gr. 2: pp. 238-239; Gr. 5: pp. 258-259; Gr. 6: p. 74
Resources: http://www.jenniferhigdon.com Learn more about Jennifer Higdon.
http://www.gpb.org/gptv/georgialegacy/peachtree/ Take the aerial tour down
the entire length of Peachtree Street. Learn more about the history of the street and
its landmarks.
More About the Composer
Jennifer Higdon moved to Atlanta with her parents in 1963. Her father taught at the
Atlanta College of Art at the Woodruff Arts Center. Higdon teaches composition at the
Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She has enjoyed enormous popularity,
receiving several commissions each year.
The Teacher’s Guide
More About the Music
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra commissioned City Scape in 2002. The “Peachtree
Street” movement was written especially for the ASO Young People’s Concerts. Ms.
Higdon calls it a “playful rondo.”
Help students imagine a long city street like Peachtree Street. The A themes might be
the intersections along the street, where cars are stopping and starting and turning.
Horns are blowing and people are crossing the street in two directions (you might even
hear the bell of the old Atlanta trolley). As students think of driving down each block of
the street (themes B-F), have them imagine the scene. Is this block quiet and treelined? Can you hear the birds singing? Are people shopping in the mall or other stores
along the way? Are there people walking on the sidewalks, or is there no one around?
(If possible, have students go to the Peachtree Street website at left to see the street.)
Activity #2: In addition to a number of themes, Higdon changes dynamics (loud/soft)
and the instruments to create variety. You know you are hearing the A theme when the
full orchestra plays. Each new theme features a single section of the orchestra. The
tempo remains almost the same throughout, even though the mood changes.
THEME
Loud & Busy or Calm & Quiet
Instruments
Theme A
Loud and busy
Full orchestra, trumpet in the background
Theme B
Quieter, but still busy
Strings (like a fugue)
Theme A
Loud and busy
Full orchestra
Theme C
Calm & quiet
Woodwinds (oboe hints of B theme)
Theme A
Loud and busy
Full orchestra
Theme D
Quieter, but busy
Percussion
Theme A
Loud and busy
Full orchestra, becoming softer at end
Theme E
Quiet, but busy
Brass instruments, trumpet solo
Theme A
Loud and busy
Full orchestra, becoming softer at end
Theme F
The themes are reviewed. This section starts with B, then adds C,
D and E. It’s a cacophony of all parts of Peachtree.
Adding instruments one section at a time (strings, woodwinds,
percussion)
Theme A
Loud and busy
Full orchestra
Teacher L
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
his music is full of fun and humor. It was written at the end of World
War II in 1945. Instead of a great “victory” symphony, Shostakovich
wrote a playful piece of music. This was his way to celebrate the end of war.
T
About The
Music
The first movement of a symphony has a very
special form. It is called sonata-allegro form.
Sonata-allegro form is different from any other
musical form. At first, it sounds like three-part
form. If you listen carefully, though, you’ll hear that the middle section of
the music is not new. It contains old themes changed in some way.
Activity: Follow this map of the 1st movement of the Shostakovich 9th
Symphony. The recapitulation of the themes is not an exact repeat, but you’ll
know them when you hear them. (Read left to right.)
I. EXPOSITION:
A theme:
a
strings
b
oboe
B theme:
a
piccolo
a
piccolo
a
strings
b
woodwinds
a
brass
II. DEVELOPMENT:
This form has two large parts. The first part is called the Exposition. In the
exposition, you hear the main theme (A) and a second theme (B). The A theme
is in the “home” key. The second theme moves away from the home key.
In the second part, the composer “develops” the themes. The key is
always changed, often many times. The melodies may be decorated or
even turned upside down.
At the end of the Development, you know that something important is
about to happen. You can tell that the music is moving back to the “home”
key. You feel very satisfied when you hear the main
theme again in the home key. The repeat of the
main theme is called the Recapitulation.
About the COMPOSER
Dmitri Shostakovich lived through two terrible
wars. He was a very quiet person. It seems that
all of his feelings came out in his music.
After World War II, the Soviet government in his native
Russia did not like some of Dmitri’s music. They thought it did not display
Soviet ideas. He had to apologize and write music that the leaders
liked. He never forgot how to write great music, though. His fifteen
symphonies are especially dramatic and full of feeling.
14-15
A theme (new keys):
a
high strings
upside down
b
high strings
a
low strings
B theme (new keys):
a
woodwinds
b
horn and bassoon
A theme (home key):
a
strings
b
strings
B theme:
a
violin solo
b
trombones
A theme:
a
clarinet solo
B theme:
a
high strings
A theme:
a
clarinet, oboe and trumpet
small fragment
RECAPITULATION:
a
bassoon
Symphony No. 9, 1st movement
Symphony No. 9, 1st movement
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Objectives: 1,2,3,4,5,7,9,10,11
Text Correlations: Gr. 5: 391E; Gr. 6: p. 417C; Gr. 2: p.14; Gr. 3: p. 359K; Gr. 5: p. 117
Resources: http://www.siue.edu/~aho/musov/dmitri.html Read the letters of
Shostakovich, and learn about his struggle as a Soviet composer.
More About the Composer
Shostakovich walked a tightrope between his government and his art. The Soviets
insisted upon music that celebrated the virtues of the Soviet life, the heroism of its
soldiers and the validity of its government. Shostakovich was at heart a dissident. He
was forced to balance the demands of the Soviet government with his creative spirit.
Often, he was in trouble. He unhesitatingly apologized for his errors then proceeded to
write as he pleased.
The 9th Symphony was commissioned by Stalin to celebrate his victory over Germany
in WWΙΙ. The music was meant to praise Stalin. Because millions of people were dead
and the Soviets were still in control, Shostakovich saw the end of the war quite
differently. He wrote a symphony in a mocking, light mood - quite the opposite of
Stalin’s expectations. There is not even a dedication to Stalin. The 9th Symphony
brought Stalin’s fury down on Shostakovich. It resulted in dismissal from his job at the
Leningrad Conservatory in 1948.
The Teacher’s Guide
More About the Music
The sonata-allegro form is considered by many to be the pinnacle of musical forms. Its
dramatic potential arises from three sources: 1) The tension between the two themes,
2) the departure from and dramatic return to not only the original themes, but also the
tonic (home) key, and 3) the possibility of almost unlimited exploration of thematic
material in the development section. Together, these allow for full expression of the
composer’s creativity.
The 9th Symphony of Shostakovich is relatively straightforward in its exposition and
development of the two themes. The themes are appealing, memorable and
lighthearted. No matter the political intentions of the symphony, audiences have
delighted in hearing it for over half a century.
Activity: Allow students to hear the two themes separately before playing the entire
first movement. Use the CD time markings to isolate these sections. (A theme :00 to :41
and B theme :42 to 1:19) You may play the repeat, if you like. Stop at 2:37 to play the
repeated A and B themes.
Use the “Building Your Musical Memory” page to help students describe the
characteristics of each theme. List the characteristics on the board for easy reference.
Also, list the instruments from the map for each theme in the Exposition section.
Ask students to indicate when they are hearing the A theme or the B theme (use index
cards with the letters, or have an A group and a B group who listen for their particular
theme). Older students should be able to distinguish between the a and b subdivisions
of each theme. Familiarity (musical memory) is the key. Give students multiple
opportunities to listen.
Melody
Rhythm
Tempo
Meter
Dynamics
Harmony
Mood
Theme Aa
Moving down by leaps, then steps
Even
Fast
Duple
Soft
Eb Major
Happy
Theme Ab
Moving up by steps
Even
Fast
Duple
Soft
Eb Major
Happy
Theme Ba
Very disconnected, moving by leaps down
More Uneven
Fast
Duple
Loud
Bb Major
Like a march
Theme Bb
Moving up by steps, smoother
Even
Fast
Duple
Softer
Bb Major
Like a march
Teacher M
Building Your Musical Memory
Answer these questions so you can remember each theme. Write your
answers in the chart below.
1. Which instruments are playing? Does that stay the same or do new
instruments enter on the same theme? List them in the order you hear
them. Do you hear one instrument, several instruments or the full
orchestra play the theme? Does that change?
2. Is the tempo slow or fast?
3. Is the music loud or soft? Are there changes in the dynamics?
4. Is the articulation of the melody smooth and flowing (legato) or
disconnected (staccato)?
5. Is the melody line curved or jagged? Does it move stepwise or by leaps
from one note to the next?
6. Is the rhythm even or uneven? Are the accents on the beat or off the
beat (syncopation)?
More Questions to Help You Describe the Music
9. Is there more than one theme? How many? If there is only one theme, how
does the composer create variety? What is repeated for unity? (Same =
Unity / Different = Variety)
10. What do you hear that helps you know that a new section of the music is
about to begin? (Does it get slower or faster, become softer or louder? Are
there big loud chords or a pause?)
11. Make a map of the events in the entire piece of music. (A A1 A2 A3; A B A;
A B A B A; A B C B A; A B A C A D A E A F A, etc.) Does this musical form
have a name? (Theme and Variations; Fugue; Three-part Form; Rondo;
Sonata-allegro)
12. Is there an Introduction? Is there a Coda? Sometimes a composer writes
an Introduction at the beginning before starting Theme A. Sometimes a
composer writes a Coda (tail) to end the piece. Small pieces of the themes
may be used in both the Introduction and the Coda.
7. Is the meter duple (sets of 2 beats) or triple (sets of 3 beats) or a combination?
8. What is the mood of the theme? (Happy, sad, spooky, wild, calm, etc.)
Does the mood change? Which musical elements above are changed
to create a new mood?
Theme
1. Instruments (Tone Color)
Make a list
16-17
2. Tempo
3. Volume (Dynamics)
Slow/Fast
Loud/Soft
4. Articulation
5. Melody
Legato/Staccato Curved/Jagged
6. Rhythm
7. Meter
8. Mood
Even/Uneven
Duple/Triple
You decide
Georgia Quality Core Curriculum Objectives
Each lesson is correlated with QCC standards. Refer to the Objective Numbers in the first column as your guide to the correlated QCC Strand and Standard.
OBJECTIVE #
GRADES
QCC STRAND
QCC STANDARD
1
3,4,5
General Music
Responds to music in a variety of instrumental and vocal styles through
listening, moving, singing, and playing instruments.
2
3,4,5
General Music
Distinguishes among string, woodwind, brass, percussion and electronic
instrument families by sight and sound.
3
3,4,5,6,7,8
General Music
Distinguishes among repeating and contrasting phrases, sections and simple
formal structures -- AB, ABA, AABA, ABACA, theme and variations, rondo, suite,
musical theatre, opera, string quartet, sonata, and fugue.
4
3,4,5,6,7,8
General Music/Music Appreciation,
History, and Literature
Demonstrates growth in knowledge of music vocabulary appropriate
to the level.
5
3,4,5,6,7,8
General Music
Describes personal response to listening selections.
6
4,5,6,7,8
General Music
Distinguishes aurally between music in major and minor keys.
7
4,5,6,7,8
General Music/Music Appreciation,
History, and Literature
Expands knowledge of selected famous composers and their music.
8
6,7,8
Music Appreciation, History,
and Literature
Integrates many elements of music with other art forms and other
curricular areas, and related use of technology.
9
4
General Music
Recognizes how melody, rhythm, timbre and texture affect the style
of music.
10
5,6,7
General Music
Describes the expressive effects of music in terms of its elements: melody,
dynamics, frythm, harmony, timbre and texture.
11
5,6,8
General Music
Discriminates between and conducts simple and compound meters:
2's, 3's, 4's and 6's.
12
6,7,8
General Music ,Music Appreciation,
History, and Literature
Demonstrates proper audience etiquette.
13
6,7,8
Music Appreciation, History,
and Literature
Demonstrates knowledge of the historical and cultural context of Baroque,
Classical, and 20th century music.
Teacher N
Meet the Orchestra
The orchestra is made up of many people playing various instruments.
These musicians work together with the conductor to play music for
students who attend the ASO Young People’s Concerts.
Below, four ASO musicians answer some frequently asked questions.
What is it like to be a musician in an orchestra?
Kenn Wagner, ASO Violin: A very difficult job, but there
is a lot of variety in the music, and my ASO colleagues
are wonderful!
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA EDUCATION STAFF:
Susan Merritt, Director of Education
Brenda Pruitt, Assistant Director of Education
Tell us about your first important musical experience.
Gloria Jones, ASO Bass: In 3rd grade, a group of string
players came and demonstrated instruments. I knew
then that I HAD to play violin. I begged so hard for a
violin. Then, I switched to bass at age 12. I begged hard
for that too!
How often do you have to practice?
Stephen Wilson, ASO Trombone: I play the trombone
every day, seven days a week. I practice 2-3 hours a day,
four days a week.
What advice do you have for students who would like to
be professional musicians?
Juan de Gomar, ASO Contrabassoon: If playing
professionally is something you want to do, it has to be
burning your soul. You can't just want to do it; you have
to need to do it.
18-19
Melanie Darby, Coordinator of Youth and Family Programs
A Note to Parents:
We are delighted that your child will have an opportunity to visit Symphony Hall to hear the
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. This student guide is part of the extensive preparation materials
provided for educators to use in preparing young people for the concert. The teacher materials
are available for your perusal on the Internet at www.atlantasymphony.org/family/peoples/teachers.html.
The theme of the 2003-2004 ASO Young People’s Concert is Musical Form. Students will
explore the element of form in music – how it is created and how it conveys meaning. In
subsequent years, students will learn about other elements of music. We hope you will
encourage your school leaders to take advantage of these future concerts.
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra provides other opportunities for you to share the joy of music
with your child. The Sunday afternoon Family Concert series is designed to be an entertaining
learning experience for the whole family. Also on Sunday afternoons, you and your children
may enjoy concerts performed by the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. This talented group
of student musicians ranging in age from 13 to 18 performs three subscription concerts a year.
We hope you’ll take advantage of these and other concerts to instill in your child a love of
orchestral music – a lifelong gift that your child will treasure.
AT L A N TA S Y M P H O N Y
YOUTH ORCHESTRA CONCERTS
Jere Flint, Music Director
Fall Concert
Winter Concert
Spring Concert
November 23, 2003
3:00pm
March 7, 2004
3:00pm
May 9, 2004
3:00pm
Sponsored by:
with support from Equifax
and the Lanie & Ethel Foundation
T H E A S O C O C A - C O L A F A M I LY C O N C E R T S
October 26, 2003
March 21, 2004
Halloween Spooktacular!
Babar the Elephant
William Shakespeare, conductor
Lee Harper & Dancers
1:30 & 3:30pm
Jere Flint, conductor
Atlanta Ballet
1:30 & 3:30pm
February 8, 2004
April 25, 2004
Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs &
Ham and Gertrude McFuzz
The Tempest
Jere Flint, Conductor
Alliance Theatre Company
1:30 & 3:30pm
Sponsored by:
Jere Flint, conductor
Underground Railway Theatre
Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra
1:30 & 3:30pm
with support from Publix Super Markets
To order tickets to these and other ASO concerts, please call the
Woodruff Arts Center Box Office: 404-733-5000.
Order Online: www.atlantasymphony.org
For Group and Student rates for these concerts call 404-733-4848
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA EDUCATION STAFF:
Susan Merritt, Director of Education
Brenda Pruitt, Assistant Director of Education
Melanie Darby, Coordinator of Youth and Family Programs
25
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
ASO YOUNG PEOPLES CONCERTS ARE SPONSORED IN PART BY:
The William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
Education and Outreach Fund, the First Union Foundation and The Goizueta
Foundation. We are grateful to these organizations for their continued support of
the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.