What Makes Music Sound Scary ?The music in a theater performance, television show, or movie often tells you that something scary might happen. But how? To create frightening music, composers might use:

Additional support for NSO Family Concerts is provided by The Clark Charitable Foundation; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; the U.S. Department of Education; and the Women’s Committee for the National Symphony Orchestra.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Education and related artistic programs are made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume

endorsement by the Federal Government.

© 2014 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

David M. RubensteinChairman

Deborah F. RutterPresident

Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education

Christoph EschenbachMusic Director

National Symphony Orchestra

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.

Macy’s and Washington Gas are the proud sponsors of the NSO Family Concerts.

ANKUSH

KUMAR BAHL

CONDUCTOR

STEPHEN DU

MAINE

TUBA

DIEGO ST

INE

TUBA

Welcome, boys and girls, to the haunted Concert

Hall of the Kennedy Center! Are you ready to solve

a mystery? There’s a missing musical instrument—

the tuba—and the conductor and musicians need your

help to find the thief. To discover “whodunit,”

listen carefully for clues in all the spooky musical

treats about witches, magical spells, fantastical

creatures, and more—all performed by the

National Symphony Orchestra ( NSO) .

fast tempos (speeds) that can give a sense of alarm, wildness, or a chase.

very slow tempos, often with low notes, that suggest someone or something might be sneaking up behind you.

high-pitched notes that can represent a wicked laugh or a whirling wind.

different combinations of tones to create unpleasant or uncomfortable sounds.

75 Musicians Led by One ConductorAt today’s concert, conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl will lead 75 members of the National Symphony Orchestra in playing the music.

The conductor is a person who leads the orchestra. Conductors generally use their right hand to tell the orchestra how fast to play and use their left hand to tell the musicians how loud or soft to play. Some use a slender white stick called a baton as they conduct. At the concert, watch how the conductor communicates with the musicians. And, be on the lookout for the musicians’ special Halloween costumes!

A Good Audience…

wait! there’s more!The Haunted HallBefore each concert, visit the Haunted Hall (the spookily transformed Kennedy Center Atrium on the Terrace Level), 12:30 –1:30 p.m. and 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. for trick-or-treating, face painting, costumed characters, and Halloween merriment galore. Plus, enjoy hands-on fun with the instruments that the musicians will play on stage at the Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo” (a project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO).

Kids’ ChatAfter the 4 p.m. performance, stick around to ask questions of conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl and some of the NSO musicians on stage.

Upcoming Family ConcertsPlease plan to join us at the next National Symphony Orchestra Family Concerts, performed by the full NSO:

Sunday, February 15, 2015 — The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! Sunday, March 29, 2015 — The Magic Horn Sunday, April 26, 2015 — Gershwin’s Magic Key

The NSO also presents full orchestra Young People’s Concerts for school groups in the Concert Hall each season during the school day for grades 3 through 6.

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

Watches and listens carefully.

Claps at the end when the conductor

turns around.Stays seated. Stays quiet.

SPECIAL GUEST SPECIAL GUEST

The story of Romeo and Juliet

includes lots of terrible events,

and this music describes one

of them — Romeo’s fight with

Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, who has

killed Romeo’s best friend.

Listen for the:

♦ swirling and falling sounds

(string instruments) — can you

picture the two young men

lunging and dodging each

other’s swinging swords?

♦ 15 single drumbeats

(timpani) signaling Tybalt’s

dying moments.

It’s a dark night in your living room—just you and the glow from your

television set as “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” begins. You already know

you’re in for a fright.

Famous director Alfred Hitchcock enjoyed telling mysterious stories, and to prepare you to be spooked,

he always started his television show with the same lighthearted

but devilish music. This music, written years before the TV

show began, features bouncing melodies that suggest the movements of marionettes

(puppets worked by strings).

Listen for the:♦ loud falling sound played by

the stringed instruments at the very beginning, suggesting something bad just happened.

♦ quiet, gentle ending.

Imagine being taken somewhere you don’t want to go. That’s what’s happening in this music inspired by a painting of a boat carrying someone across dark, spooky waters to a scary island.

Listen for: ♦ how the music suggests a boat moving slowly across water. ♦ the long, low tones that become louder and create a sense of fear.

Stravinsky wrote this music for a ballet, and this section is about a young prince being attacked by the demons of a monster-king. The prince’s friend, a magical creature called the Firebird, saves him by casting a spell that makes the demons dance while the prince escapes.

Listen for the:♦ loud, forceful rhythms of the demon dance.♦ the part in the music when you think the prince escapes.

A man dreams of the worst funeral

ever—his own. And making it even

worse? The witches are there dancing up a frightful storm

with all their ghoulish friends.Listen for the:♦ witches’ laughter and shrieks (strings and woodwinds).

♦ chimes for the beginning of the funeral (bells).♦ solemn song for the dead

(tubas and bassoons) which starts as the bells chime.

♦ parts in the music where the witches and their friends

are gleefully dancing.

Picture a drawing of a witch’s hut—

that’s what inspired this music, which

describes the mean witch who lives

there. Can you imagine her flying and

swirling on her broomstick?

Listen for the:

♦ sudden, strong first note—think of

the witch bursting from her door.

♦ low tones (contrabassoon)

as the witch starts hunting

for children to kidnap.

♦ sound like rattling bones

(xylophone).

♦ quieter music at the end

as the witch flies away.

Boo!You’ll hear 11 musical selections at today’s

concert — read about six of them here and learn

more online at http://goo.gl/

XQqlbQ

The story of Romeo and Juliet

includes lots of terrible events,

and this music describes one

of them — Romeo’s fight with

Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, who has

killed Romeo’s best friend.

Listen for the:

♦ swirling and falling sounds

(string instruments) — can you

picture the two young men

lunging and dodging each

other’s swinging swords?

♦ 15 single drumbeats

(timpani) signaling Tybalt’s

dying moments.

It’s a dark night in your living room—just you and the glow from your

television set as “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” begins. You already know

you’re in for a fright.

Famous director Alfred Hitchcock enjoyed telling mysterious stories, and to prepare you to be spooked,

he always started his television show with the same lighthearted

but devilish music. This music, written years before the TV

show began, features bouncing melodies that suggest the movements of marionettes

(puppets worked by strings).

Listen for the:♦ loud falling sound played by

the stringed instruments at the very beginning, suggesting something bad just happened.

♦ quiet, gentle ending.

Imagine being taken somewhere you don’t want to go. That’s what’s happening in this music inspired by a painting of a boat carrying someone across dark, spooky waters to a scary island.

Listen for: ♦ how the music suggests a boat moving slowly across water. ♦ the long, low tones that become louder and create a sense of fear.

Stravinsky wrote this music for a ballet, and this section is about a young prince being attacked by the demons of a monster-king. The prince’s friend, a magical creature called the Firebird, saves him by casting a spell that makes the demons dance while the prince escapes.

Listen for the:♦ loud, forceful rhythms of the demon dance.♦ the part in the music when you think the prince escapes.

A man dreams of the worst funeral

ever—his own. And making it even

worse? The witches are there dancing up a frightful storm

with all their ghoulish friends.Listen for the:♦ witches’ laughter and shrieks (strings and woodwinds).

♦ chimes for the beginning of the funeral (bells).♦ solemn song for the dead

(tubas and bassoons) which starts as the bells chime.

♦ parts in the music where the witches and their friends

are gleefully dancing.

Picture a drawing of a witch’s hut—

that’s what inspired this music, which

describes the mean witch who lives

there. Can you imagine her flying and

swirling on her broomstick?

Listen for the:

♦ sudden, strong first note—think of

the witch bursting from her door.

♦ low tones (contrabassoon)

as the witch starts hunting

for children to kidnap.

♦ sound like rattling bones

(xylophone).

♦ quieter music at the end

as the witch flies away.

Boo!You’ll hear 11 musical selections at today’s

concert — read about six of them here and learn

more online at http://goo.gl/

XQqlbQ

What Makes Music Sound Scary ?The music in a theater performance, television show, or movie often tells you that something scary might happen. But how? To create frightening music, composers might use:

Additional support for NSO Family Concerts is provided by The Clark Charitable Foundation; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; the U.S. Department of Education; and the Women’s Committee for the National Symphony Orchestra.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Education and related artistic programs are made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume

endorsement by the Federal Government.

© 2014 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

David M. RubensteinChairman

Deborah F. RutterPresident

Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education

Christoph EschenbachMusic Director

National Symphony Orchestra

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.

Macy’s and Washington Gas are the proud sponsors of the NSO Family Concerts.

ANKUSH

KUMAR BAHL

CONDUCTOR

STEPHEN DU

MAINE

TUBA

DIEGO ST

INE

TUBA

Welcome, boys and girls, to the haunted Concert

Hall of the Kennedy Center! Are you ready to solve

a mystery? There’s a missing musical instrument—

the tuba—and the conductor and musicians need your

help to find the thief. To discover “whodunit,”

listen carefully for clues in all the spooky musical

treats about witches, magical spells, fantastical

creatures, and more—all performed by the

National Symphony Orchestra ( NSO) .

fast tempos (speeds) that can give a sense of alarm, wildness, or a chase.

very slow tempos, often with low notes, that suggest someone or something might be sneaking up behind you.

high-pitched notes that can represent a wicked laugh or a whirling wind.

different combinations of tones to create unpleasant or uncomfortable sounds.

75 Musicians Led by One ConductorAt today’s concert, conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl will lead 75 members of the National Symphony Orchestra in playing the music.

The conductor is a person who leads the orchestra. Conductors generally use their right hand to tell the orchestra how fast to play and use their left hand to tell the musicians how loud or soft to play. Some use a slender white stick called a baton as they conduct. At the concert, watch how the conductor communicates with the musicians. And, be on the lookout for the musicians’ special Halloween costumes!

A Good Audience…

wait! there’s more!The Haunted HallBefore each concert, visit the Haunted Hall (the spookily transformed Kennedy Center Atrium on the Terrace Level), 12:30 –1:30 p.m. and 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. for trick-or-treating, face painting, costumed characters, and Halloween merriment galore. Plus, enjoy hands-on fun with the instruments that the musicians will play on stage at the Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo” (a project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO).

Kids’ ChatAfter the 4 p.m. performance, stick around to ask questions of conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl and some of the NSO musicians on stage.

Upcoming Family ConcertsPlease plan to join us at the next National Symphony Orchestra Family Concerts, performed by the full NSO:

Sunday, February 15, 2015 — The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! Sunday, March 29, 2015 — The Magic Horn Sunday, April 26, 2015 — Gershwin’s Magic Key

The NSO also presents full orchestra Young People’s Concerts for school groups in the Concert Hall each season during the school day for grades 3 through 6.

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

Watches and listens carefully.

Claps at the end when the conductor

turns around.Stays seated. Stays quiet.

SPECIAL GUEST SPECIAL GUEST