Introducing the Great J - nac-cna.canac-cna.ca/pdf/en/education/bach_Feb2008_en.pdf · Teacher Study Guide Introducing the Great J.S. Bach – Page 3 Music is a powerful force –

The National Arts Centre Orchestra presents

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Teacher Study Guide Grades 4 to 8

2007-2008 Student Matinee Concerts

Teacher Study Guide Introducing the Great J.S. Bach – Page 2

Welcome Teachers and Parents! Page 3 Concert Programme Page 4 About the Centre and the Performers Page 5 Canada’s National Arts Centre Page 5 The National Arts Centre Orchestra Page 6 Boris Brott, Principal Youth and Family Conductor Page 7 Sarah Burnell, Celtic fiddle Page 7 Jan Lisiecki, piano Page 8 Programme Notes Page 9 J.S. Bach ‘s Life Page 9 The Large Musical Family of Bach Page 10 Bach’s Struggling Times Page 10 The Baroque Period Page 11 A Happening Time: Baroque Discoveries Page 11 Important Events During Bach’s Lifetime Page 12 Bach’s Career in Germany Page 13 Bach’s Music Page 14 Audience Participation Page 15 Minuet in G for recorder and orchestra Page 15 Minuet in G, simplified version of Recorder I Page 16 Performance Hall Etiquette Page 17 A Day in the Life of an Orchestra Musician Page 18 All About the Orchestra Page 19 Map of the Orchestra Sections Page 20 Suggested Classroom Activities Page 21 ArtsAlive.ca Musical Scavenger Hunt Page 27 Scavenger Hunt Page 27 Answers for teachers Page 30 Musical Glossary Page 31 Bibliography of Resources Available at the Ottawa Public Library Page 32 Other Available NAC Teacher Study Guides Page 34

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This programme is made possible by the National Youth and Education Trust supported by TELUS, (founding partner of the Trust) CGI Group Inc., SunLife Financial, supporters and patrons of the National Arts Centre Gala, and the

National Arts Centre Foundation Donors' Circle.

Audience Participation We invite you and your students to play the recorder or sing along with the NAC Orchestra during the concert. The piece we have selected for your participation, found on page 15 of this guide, is an arrangement for soprano recorder and orchestra of J.S. Bach’s “Minuet in G.” Don’t forget to bring your recorders to the concert! The conductor will announce when it is time to play and sing.


Music is a powerful force – one that enriches the lives of our children by opening their minds to the world around them. Music teaches us to work together cooperatively and encourages creativity and imagination. We at the National Arts Centre strongly believe that music is an essential component of a child’s education and should be a core subject in Canada’s schools. I hope you will enjoy the programs we’ve created for you and your students this year and thank you for making music a part of your teaching curriculum.

Sincerely,

Pinchas Zukerman Music Director, National Arts Centre Orchestra

About this guide As a support to your classroom work, we have created this guide to help introduce you to the program and content of the performance. In it you will find:

Programme notes for the pieces you will hear at concert

Biographical information about the conductor, the performers and the NAC Orchestra

Classroom activities for you to share with your students

We hope this study guide is helpful in preparing you for your concert experience. The level of difficulty for the activities is broad, so please assess them according the grade level you teach. If you have any comments about the study guide or the performance please write to us at mused@nac‐cna.ca.

See you at the NAC!

Should you have any questions regarding

music education at the National Arts Centre, please contact us:

General information

Tel: 613‐947‐7000 x 390 Email: mused@nac‐cna.ca

www.nac‐cna.ca

www.music.artsalive.ca

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mailto:[email protected]


(subject to change)

Introducing the Great J.S. Bach The National Arts Centre Orchestra

Boris Brott, Principal Youth and Family Conductor

FEATURING: Sarah Burnell, Celtic fiddle

The Sarah Burnell Celtic Ensemble Jan Lisiecki, piano

The Christ Church Cathedral Men and Boys Choir Joanna G’froerer, flute

Stellae Boreales (Suzuki Music)

In this Student Matinee, Johann Sebastian Bach, in period costume, will tell you about his life and times and of course his music. Throughout the concert, students will hear excerpts from:

J.S. BACH Magnificat BWV 243 No. 12: Gloria Patri

J.S. BACH Suite No. 2 in B minor BWV 1067: Badinerie

J.S. BACH “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring” from Cantata BWV 147

J.C. BACH Keyboard Concerto in B‐flat major, Op. 13, No. 4, CW C65 (I. Allegro) J.S. BACH Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria J.S. BACH Minuet in G, BWV Anh 114 J.S. BACH Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major BWV 1068 (V. Gigue) J.S. BACH Mass in B minor, BWV 232 (Dona Nobis Pacem) J.S. BACH Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043 (I. Vivace) J.S. BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (III. Allegro)

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Concert Dates: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 10:00 – 11:00 (English) 12:30 – 13:30 (English) Wednesday, February 13, 2008 10:00 – 11:00 (French)

Location for all concerts: Southam Hall, National Arts Centre

Running time for all concerts: 60 minutes without intermission


Canada’s National Arts Centre

Officially opened on June 2, 1969, the National Arts Centre was one of the key institutions created by Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson as the principal centennial project of the federal government. Built in the shape of a hexagon, the design became the architectural leitmotif for Canada's premier performing arts centre.

Designed by Fred Lebensold (ARCOP Design), one of North America's foremost theatre designers, the building was widely praised as a twentieth century architectural landmark. Of fundamental importance to the creators of the NAC was the belief that, beautiful and functional as the complex was, it would need more than bricks and mortar and, in the words of Jean Gascon, "it would need a heart that beats." A programme to incorporate visual arts into the fabric of the building has resulted in the creation of one of the country's most unique permanent art collections of

international and Canadian contemporary art. Pieces include special commissions such as Homage to RFK (mural) by internationally acclaimed Canadian contemporary artist William Ronald, The Three Graces by Ossip Zadkine and a large free standing untitled bronze sculpture by Charles Daudelin. In 1997, the NAC collaborated with the Art Bank of the Canada Council of the Arts to install over 130 pieces of Canadian contemporary art.

The NAC is home to four different performance spaces, each with its own unique characteristics.

Today, the NAC works with countless artists, both emerging and established, from across Canada and around the world, and collaborates with scores of other arts organizations across the country. The NAC is strongly committed to being a leader and innovator in each of the performing arts fields in which it works ‐ classical music, English theatre, French theatre, dance, variety, and community programming. It is at the

forefront of youth and educational activities, supporting programmes for young and emerging artists and programmes for young audiences, and producing resources and study materials for teachers.

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Situated in the heart of the nation's capital across Confederation Square from Parliament Hill, the National Arts Centre is among the largest performing arts complexes in Canada. It is unique as the only multidisciplinary, bilingual performing arts centre in North America and features one of the largest stages on the continent.

Southam Hall is home to the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the largest film screen in the country and the Micheline Beauchemin Curtain.


The National Arts Centre Orchestra

The NAC Orchestra was founded in 1969 as the resident orchestra of the newly opened National Arts Centre, with Jean‐Marie Beaudet as Music Director and Mario Bernardi as founding conductor and (from 1971) Music Director until 1982. He was succeeded by Franco Mannino (1982 to 1987), Gabriel Chmura (1987 to 1990), and Trevor Pinnock (1991‐1997). In April 1998, Pinchas Zukerman was named Music Director of the NAC Orchestra.

In addition to a full series of subscription concerts at the National Arts Centre each

season, tours are undertaken to regions throughout Canada and around the world. Since the arrival of Pinchas Zukerman, education has been an extremely important component of these tours. Teacher Resource Kits have been developed for distribution to elementary schools in the regions toured and across Canada, and the public has been able to follow each tour through fully interactive websites which are now archived on the NAC’s Performing Arts Education Website at www.artsalive.ca. The Orchestra’s tour of Quebec in November 2006 included 65 education events. The NAC Orchestra has 40 recordings to its name, six with Pinchas Zukerman: Haydn, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Schubert and two of Mozart (a CD of flute quartets, and a CD of orchestral music and string quintets). The commissioning of original Canadian works has always been an important part of the National Arts Centre’s mandate with over 70 works commissioned to date.

The NAC Orchestra offers a number of programmes dedicated to fostering a knowledge and appreciation of music among young people. In addition to a highly popular subscription series of Family Adventures (formerly known as Young People’s Concerts) for families, the Orchestra presents a variety of opportunities for schools to learn about classical music: Student Matinees, Open Rehearsals, and specially priced concerts to allow students to hear the

Orchestra perform in its home at the NAC. In addition, Musicians in the Schools programmes including ensemble performances and instrument sectionals take the music to the students in their schools.

Pinchas Zukerman has led the Orchestra on tours within Canada in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006, to Europe and Israel in 2000, and the United States and Mexico in 2003, with educational activities ranging from masterclasses and question‐and‐answer sessions to sectional rehearsals with youth and community orchestras and student matinees.

Consistent praise has followed this vibrant orchestra throughout its history of touring both nationally and internationally, recording, and commissioning Canadian works. Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, now under the direction of renowned conductor/ violinist/violist Pinchas Zukerman, continues to draw accolades both abroad and at its home in Ottawa where it gives over 100 performances a year.

http://www.artsalive.ca/


Boris Brott - conductor Maestro Boris Brott began playing the violin when he was three years old and first performed with the Montreal Symphony when he was only five. At the age of 14 he won a scholarship to study conducting and shortly afterwards, when he was still a teenager, founded the Philharmonic Youth Orchestra of Montreal. When he was 18, Boris Brott became the assistant conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. At 24, he won the Dimitri

Mitropolous International Conducting Competition in New York and became Assistant to Leonard Bernstein. He is now well known within Canada and beyond for having developed no fewer than six different Canadian orchestras and guest‐conducted around the world. He is especially interested in helping young artists and developing new audiences for music. In addition to conducting the New West Symphony in Los Angeles, California, of which he is Music Director, Maestro Brott conducts the McGill Chamber Orchestra in Montreal. Boris Brott, along with his wife Ardyth, attorney and children's author, runs the Brott Spring, Summer, and Autumn Music Festivals based in Hamilton, Ontario which has as its centrepiece the National Academy Orchestra, Canada's National Orchestra training school.

Sarah Burnell ~ Celtic fiddle Sarah Burnell hails from Ottawa, Canada, but her musical roots may be found in Cape Breton, Scotland, Ireland, and Quebec. Her energetic fiddling reflects the wide variety of coaches with whom she has studied, including Alasdair Fraser, Jerry Holland, Shannon McDade‐Johnson, April Verch, David Greenberg, Sandy MacIntyre, Stan Chapman, Carl MacKenzie, and Glen Graham. In July, 2006, Sarah toured Scotland, and she enjoyed her first taste of Shetland, Norwegian, and Welsh fiddling! Sarah is also an accomplished singer, and she particularly enjoys singing in top‐level choirs. She is a graduate of the Cantiamo Girls’ Choir (Ottawa), the Canterbury High School Concert Choir, and has twice been selected to be part of the Ontario Youth Choir. Her

beautiful mezzo‐soprano voice is perfectly suited to Celtic songs. Sarah also plays the bodhran, which she has studied with Lisa Gallant (Nova Scotia) and Eoin Coughlan (Ireland). Sarah is a premier‐level highland dancer, and has enjoyed performing with the Loch Murray Dancers (Ottawa) and the RCMP Pipes and Drums Dance Ensemble (Ottawa). In June, 2006, she graduated from the prestigious Canterbury High School Fine Arts programme (strings). She is currently studying Violin and Music Education concurrently at McGill University, Montreal.


Jan Lisiecki ~ piano Jan has been studying piano since the age of five with Colleen Athparia at the Mount Royal College Conservatory (Calgary). In the July finals of the 2005 Canadian Music Competition, Jan was awarded the CBC Galaxy Rising Star Scholarship for receiving the highest mark for the age group 7 to 9 (he won the first place in his age category for three consecutive years).

In 2004, Jan was the youngest winner of the Calgary Concerto Competition and soloist to appear with the Calgary Civic Symphony. In May 2005, he won the Alberta Provincial Music

Festival for age 12 and under. He won numerous awards, medals and scholarships at the Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival, where he was, in 2005, the youngest laureate in history of the Mozart Competition.

In 2006, Jan appeared as a soloist in five concerts at the National Arts Centre including the 10th Anniversary Gala Concert (September 27, 2006) where he performed alongside Yo‐Yo Ma, Gil Shaham, Emanuel Ax, Natalie MacMaster and Pinchas Zukerman. He also performed with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Calgary Civic Symphony, and Calgary Kantorei Chamber Orchestra. Jan excels outside of music, too. He won a gold medal at the Calgary Youth Science Fair in March 2005 and received a Centennial Award after winning the Provincial Essay Contest‐ “What democracy means to me” in 2006.


Prepared by Robert Markow

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)

Johann Sebastian Bach’s effect on the course of music history was nothing less than phenomenal. Virtually every composer who came after learned from him. Essentially Bach summed up an age, bringing its styles and musical forms to their peak of perfection. That said, he was never rich and did not invent new musical forms. Nor did he enjoy an international reputation, at least not until long after his death. But today, Bach stands at the top of the list of great composers, and some people claim him to be the greatest

ever. That’s a matter of opinion, of course, but his music continues to affect us deeply and puts us in close touch with our emotions. One could say it is difficult not to like Bach’s music. Let’s find out more about this remarkable man and the exciting times he lived in.

Bach’s Life

Johann Sebastian was born the youngest of eight children in 1685 in the small, central German city of Eisenach. Families were certainly large in those days! His mother died when he was just nine, his father a year later. So J.S. went to live with his older brother Johann Christoph, an organist who gave him musical instruction. But most of what Bach learned he taught himself. By the age of eighteen he was already working as an organist, and from then until the end of his life (at the age of 65) he never stopped. Bach had a very normal and ordinary life. He came from the middle class, worked hard, provided good service to his employers, enjoyed family life, got into arguments, even landed in jail once. He was also a deeply religious man (he was Lutheran), and firmly believed that all music should be written for the glory of God and the development of the spirit. He fathered seven

children by his first wife, Maria Barbara, and, after she died, thirteen more little Bachs by his second, Anna Magdelena.

Wow! J.S. Bach had 20 children in total!

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The Large Musical Family of Bach

Johann Sebastian came from the largest musical tree that ever grew. Since the birth of J.S. Bach’s great‐great‐great‐grandfather (Veit Bach) in the sixteenth century, there have been ten generations in which about 80 Bachs were involved in music!

Bach’s own father was a court trumpeter. Several of his older brothers were musicians. And some of the most famous Bachs were sons of J.S.: there was Johann Christian, known as the “London” Bach since that’s where he spent most of his career; another excellent composer was Carl Philipp Emanuel, who

achieved great fame in Hamburg; then there was Wilhelm Friedemann, who settled in Berlin; Johann Christoph in Bückeburg; and so on. The Bachs certainly got around!

Bach’s Struggling Times

Life in Bach’s time was not all pleasure and joy. There were no modern conveniences like ovens or dishwashers. No indoor plumbing or central heating. No radios, televisions, or cell phones. Only a few people lived well – the aristocracy. Most worked much harder and longer hours than people do today. Medical care was primitive, to say the least. Many suffered under the rule of kings, queens, and emperors. Democracy such as we enjoy today was still far in the future.

The job market for musicians in Bach’s time was very different from what it is today. There were basically only two kinds of employment: working for the church or for royalty. Among other things, once you had a position, you were not permitted to leave unless your employer agreed. Bach got into serious trouble over this. When he attempted to leave the service of Duke Wilhelm Ernst at the court of Weimar for a better job in Cöthen, he got into such an argument with the Duke that he was sent to jail for a month. But this was not wasted time; Bach went right on composing while in confinement!

DID YOU KNOW? A litre of milk in Bach’s day cost about what it does today, around $1.40. A bottle of ordinary wine was around $10 in today’s dollars.


The Baroque Period

When we talk about the Baroque period, we mean a period of time lasting from about 1600 to 1750. These dates are not exact, but they represent an era when painting, sculpture, music, dance and architecture all had certain similarities of style. Big dramatic effects, wildly expressive gestures, intricate patterns, strong colours, enormous contrasts of light and dark, and lots of ornate, curly lines were features of baroque art and architecture.

The word “baroque” comes from the Portuguese term barrôco, meaning a pearl of irregular shape; in other words, something poorly made, coarse, vulgar or even grotesque. We have a very different viewpoint of baroque art and architecture today. Many of the greatest painters who ever lived were from the Baroque period: Rubens, Rembrandt, Velásquez, Canaletto and Jacob van Ruisdael to name but a few.

A Happening Time: Baroque Discoveries

The Baroque period was an exciting time. The spirit of adventure and discovery filled the air. Astronomers like Copernicus and Galileo looked high into the heavens and learned that the Earth revolves around the sun. Anton van Leeuwenhoek found a whole new world under the microscope ‐ bacteria, blood cells and much more. William Harvey discovered the circulation of blood and Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity. James Cook sailed off to the unexplored seas of the South Pacific. Is the 21st century anything like the Baroque period? What do you think?


Important Events During Bach’s Lifetime

1678 1680 1683 1685 1694 1697 1707 1709French explorer

Robert de La Salle explores the Great

Lakes region of Canada.

Antonio Vivaldi is born.

Antonio Stradivari makes his

first cello. His instruments are worth millions today.

Sir Isaac Newton

explains the gravitational pull of the sun, moon and earth on

the tides.

Bach, Handel and

Domenico Scarlatti – three of the Baroque period’s greatest

composers – are all born in the same year.

French writer and philosopher Voltaire is born.

French author Charles Perrault

brings out a collection of fairy tales, Contes de ma mère l’Oye

(Mother Goose).

Antonio Canaletto, one of the Baroque’s greatest

painters, is born.

The British land in Acadia, eastern Canada.

Italian harpsichord

maker Bartolomeo Cristofori invents the pianoforte (ancestor of the modern piano).

1717 1719 1732 1735 1742 1750 1757 1759Handel’s

Watermusic is first

performed on the

Thames River in London.

Inoculation against

smallpox is introduced in England.

Mozart’s father

Leopold is born.

Franz Joseph Haydn, one of the most important

composers of the

eighteenth century, is

born.

Johann Christian

Bach, Johann Sebastian’s

youngest son, is born.

Handel’s Messiah is

first performed in

Dublin.

Bach dies.

Population of Europe stands at

140 million.

Domenico Scarlatti dies.

Handel dies.


Bach’s Career in Germany

BACH THE ORGANIST Bach never set foot outside his native Germany. But within Germany he lived and worked in many places. When he was fifteen he left his brother’s home in Ohrdruf, where he had been living since his parents died, and walked 300 kilometres to become a chorister (a singer in a choir) in St. Michael’s Church in Lüneburg. Bach also walked to Hamburg, Lübeck and Celle to hear famous organists play. In 1703, he accepted a post as organist in Arnstadt, where there was a brand new organ for him to play at St. Boniface’s Church.

BACH THE COMPOSER His next post as organist was in Mühlhausen but he stayed there for only a year before moving on to Weimar. It was beginning to look like Bach just couldn’t stay put anywhere, but he remained in Weimar for nine years. Here Bach wrote many of his finest compositions for organ. Yet he was not happy in Weimar, and in 1717 he moved on to Cöthen, where he had an employer, Prince Leopold, who loved music, especially instrumental music. The prince had a good‐sized orchestra, for which Bach wrote many outstanding works. But this happy relationship soured when the prince married a woman who preferred fireworks to art and music. Bach was soon looking for another job. This would be his sixth and last.

THIRD CHOICE MUSICIAN? In June 1722, the position of cantor (musician/choir director) at St. Thomas’s Church in Leipzig became vacant. This was one of the top musical jobs in Germany, and the city councillors wanted the very best man for the job. Bach got it, but he was only their third choice after two other candidates turned down the offer. It seems almost incredible that a musician of Bach’s calibre wasn’t the first choice.

BACH THE BUSINESSMAN Bach stayed in Leipzig for the last 27 years of his life. In addition to composing a phenomenal amount of music there, he also rehearsed and conducted several choirs and ensembles, taught at several schools and churches, and played the organ and harpsichord. He also developed a profitable business as consultant on organ building and maintenance in neighbouring cities. Essentially, Bach was a one‐man music factory. One has to wonder if he ever found time to sleep!

DID YOU KNOW? Leipzig (pronounced Lype‐zig), the city where Bach spent most of his life, is a city of business and commerce. It is almost a thousand years old. The Leipzig Trade Fair is the oldest trade fair in the world, having begun back in the Middle Ages.


Bach’s Music

MOSTLY UNPUBLISHED WORKS Even though Bach was highly regarded throughout his career, very little of his music was published during his lifetime. However, this was no sign of disrespect. In Bach’s day, music was written for immediate use, with little or no thought of the future. Music was looked upon as a service provided to an employer, a product for consumption, not as a series of masterpieces to be adored two or three centuries later. BACH’S COUNTLESS COMPOSITIONS Bach wrote a tremendous amount of music ‐ well over a thousand compositions. They range in length from a couple of minutes to over two hours. There are more than 300 cantatas, each lasting between 15 and 25 minutes. Then there are sonatas, partitas, concertos and suites for solo violin, for solo cello, for harpsichord and for small combinations of instruments. There are

hundreds of preludes, fugues, toccatas, fantasias, passacaglias and more for organ and other keyboard instruments. There are six wonderful Brandenburg Concertos for orchestra. And the monumental choral works lasting 2 or 3 hours each: the B‐minor Mass, the Christmas Oratorio, the St. John Passion and the St. Matthew Passion. FRANCOPHONE BACH? When Bach sent his six Brandenburg Concertos to the Margrave of Brandenburg as a gift, he attached a long, beautifully written letter in French. Why French? Because many German aristocrats, impressed by the magnificence of the Palace of Versailles, had adopted French for formal occasions. THE BEAUTY OF BAROQUE MUSIC In baroque music we find a sense of splendour and dramatic effects, dynamic movement, great rhythmic energy, and continuously unfolding musical lines that go on and on, rarely pausing for breath. Even clothes, hairdos, furniture and gardens reflected these qualities. The famous gardens at the Palace of Versailles, outside Paris, are a good example. It was an era of extravagance, splendour and deliberate intent to impress. That overused word we use today to describe practically everything ‐ “awesome!” – truly applied to many artistic creations of the Baroque.

DID YOU KNOW? Women were not allowed to sing in church choirs in Germany during Bach’s day. So soprano and alto parts were sung by boys or by men with special training.


Please learn J.S. Bach’s Minuet in G for soprano recorder. We will perform it with the NAC Orchestra at the concert.

N.B. Two versions of Bach’s Minuet in G have been included in this guide: The version below for two recorders as well as a simplified version of the Recorder I part on page 16.

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SIMPLIFIED VERSION of Recorder I


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Teachers: Help us ensure that everyone enjoys the performance! As a teacher bringing your students to a performance at the National Arts Centre, please keep in mind that you are responsible for the behaviour of your students. It is up to you to ensure that the students behave in a respectful and attentive manner towards the performers on stage as well as NAC staff. Use the guidelines below to brief your students about behaviour in the performance hall before you attend your NAC performance.

✓ Performers on stage rely on the audience for the energy to perform: audiences need to be attentive, quiet and respectful in order to help create the magic of live performance.

✓ Performers can see and hear everything that you do, just as you can see and hear everything that they do, so:

❏ Please save your snacks, drinks, candies and gum for another time - the performance hall is no place for eating and drinking.

❏ Please discuss what you like and dislike about a performance - but definitely do it after you leave the hall, not during the performance.

❏ It is important that you be comfortable in your seat in the hall - but please don’t leave your seat once the performance has started. It’s distracting to those on stage.

❏ Be sure to turn off cell phones, pagers and anything that beeps before you enter the hall.

✓ Musicians love to have their performance acknowledged by your applause, but remember to wait until the whole piece is over. Some composers choose to write music in several movements. It may seem like the end of the piece when the performers come to the end of a movement, but often a piece of music is made up of several movements. If you get confused about when a piece of music is finished, watch the performers on stage—you’ll be sure to know when the piece is over when the conductor turns and faces the audience.

✓ Remember that there are a lot of people who work very hard to put on a performance: not just actors, dancers and musicians, but administrators, front-of-house and technical staff. Everyone will have a different opinion of what they see on stage, but consider that constructive criticism is always appreciated more than purely negative criticism.

✓ Through the performing arts we can explore other points of view, learn new and different things about ourselves and about others. Everyone who views a performance will experience it in a different way. It is important to respect this process of exploration in yourselves and those around you.


The Rehearsal

The musician: ♪ Arrives early, before the start of the rehearsal, to warm up and organize the music ♪ Sits on stage, in an assigned chair, ready to for the start of the rehearsal ♪ Waits for the concertmaster, or first violinist of the orchestra, to stand to ask the oboe

player for the tuning note, “A” ♪ Tunes with the orchestra to this note ♪ Watches the conductor for a downbeat to begin the rehearsal ♪ Rehearses with the orchestra until the orchestra break that usually occurs 60 or 70

minutes into the rehearsal ♪ Breaks for 25 minutes, often taking a refreshment in the Green Room (the cafeteria

backstage for the artists) ♪ Returns to the stage after the break to finish the rehearsal

There are up to five rehearsals for a “premier” series concert. The final rehearsal is called the “dress” rehearsal and is normally on the day of the concert. Each rehearsal is two and a half hours long with one 25‐minute break in the middle. Rehearsals always start on time.

The Performance

The musician: ♪ Dresses in a black tuxedo (with tails) for men and all black (pants, shirt, dress) for

women ♪ Arrives early to warm up and organize the music ♪ Tunes with the orchestra on hearing the “A” note ♪ Performs on the downbeat of the conductor ♪ Breaks approximately one hour into the performance for an intermission ♪ Returns after 25 minutes to finish the concert

Performances generally begin at 8:00pm and end at 10:00pm. There is one break in the middle so the audience and musicians can stretch their legs and refresh themselves. The NAC Orchestra performs over 100 concerts each year from the Premier, Pops and Young People’s Concerts series. Additionally, the Orchestra performs on tour within Canada and abroad, plays in the orchestra pit for ballet and opera, records and performs in summer concerts as part of the NAC Great composer’s Festival. The NAC Orchestra in concert

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What is an orchestra? An orchestra is a group of musicians playing different musical instruments under the direction of a conductor. It can be large or small, depending on the pieces that are performed. Orchestras are comprised of instruments from four different families (also known as sections):

♪ Strings ♪ Woodwinds ♪ Brass ♪ Percussion

Strings: Violin, viola, cello, and double bass All string instruments of the orchestra have four strings. The vibration of the strings produces the sound. A string player either draws a bow made of horsehair across the strings, or plucks the strings with his or her fingers to produce sound. The larger the instrument, the lower the sound – violins make the highest sounds and double basses the lowest. Every string instrument is constructed of pieces of wood carefully glued together and covered with several coats of varnish – no nails or screws are used.

Woodwinds: Flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon Woodwind instruments are simply tubes pierced with holes. The musician blows through or across the tube while covering some holes to produce different notes. Many wind instruments are played with reeds. A reed is a thin piece of cane that is set in motion as the musician blows across it. The oboe and bassoon use a double reed while the clarinet uses a single reed. Most wind instruments are made from wood, like ebony, except for the flute, which is almost always made of silver. Flutes create the highest notes, bassoons create the lowest.

Brass: Trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba The Brass Section has the most resounding instruments in the orchestra. They are metallic loops of tubing of different lengths, with a mouthpiece at one end and a bell shape at the other. The longer the length of tube, the lower the sound of the instrument will be. The vibration of the musician’s lips produces the sound as air is blown in the mouthpiece. Most brass instruments have valves that the players press and release in order to change and produce different notes. The trombone has a slide that moves to change notes.

Percussion: Timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle Percussion instruments are made of naturally resonant materials like skin, wood, and metal. The sound is produced when the instrument is struck. The percussion provides rhythm and character to the orchestra. Different pitches are produced on the timpani by changing the skin tension either by tightening or loosening screws fixed to the shell, or by using the pedal.

Visit the Instrument Lab on ArtsAlive.ca to tweak, tinker and listen to all your favourite instruments of the orchestra!

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MUSIC AND VISUAL ARTS – Drawings inspired by music Listen to the fifth movement of Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 "Gigue". Draw or paint a picture or line patterns inspired by the music. Choose colours that match the feeling of the piece.

Student volunteers may show their two pieces of art to the class, and students then try to guess which piece of art was inspired by the "Gigue". Post these on a display along with the name of the music which inspired the artwork.

Try this activity with other music selections, especially music that conveys a particular mood, or music composed with a story, place or theme in mind, known as "program music".

Discussion: What is it that makes a piece of music sound sad or happy, frightening or triumphant? Do certain instruments create certain moods? Is it the tempo? The dynamics? The use of major or minor chords? Ask the students to think about music that they know, any kind of music. Besides the lyrics, what is it that makes us feel a certain way when listening to music?

MUSIC (Recognizing Vocal + Instrumental Timbre) Guess Who? Every instrument has a unique sound. The musical term for this is "timbre". Every performer has his or her particular sound as well! Have you ever recognized your favourite performers or band when their latest song is played on the radio? Directions: Check your ability to recognize a particular timbre. One student stands in front of the class, facing away from the class. The teacher silently indicates which student will say, "Hello, _(student at front of class)__". The student at the front answers, "Hello, (guess the name of student who spoke). After a few students have had a turn listening to "normal” speaking voices, speakers should try disguising their voices.

LANGUAGE ARTS – Interview with J.S. Bach 1. If you had an opportunity to interview Bach, list five

questions you would ask.

2. Imagine you and two other classmates are making a movie about J.S. Bach’s life. Pick an incident and write a scene that you will perform for your class.

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GEOGRAPHY - Bach in Germany Bach lived and worked in many places within Germany. Plot on a map the location of all cities listed on page 13 of this guide in which Bach traveled to.

MUSIC – Instruments of the Orchestra Select an instrument and find out as much as you can about it. Refer to page 19 of this guide, the Instrument Lab on the ArtsAlive.ca website, or find outside resources. Did this instrument exist during Bach’s time? Has it changed, and if so, how? Use diagrams to inform your classmates.

MUSIC/CREATIVE ARTS - Make your own instrument Invent a musical instrument using materials found in the classroom or home. In which category would your instrument belong: strings, woodwinds, brass or percussion? Why? Does your instrument sound similar to any instrument you are familiar with? If so, in what ways is it constructed the same (i.e. shape, materials used, method of playing)? How is it different? Refer to the ArtsAlive.ca Instrument Lab to make comparisons.

MUSIC – Listening Guide Choose a work by Bach that is outlined on page 4 of this guide. Listen carefully to a recording of that piece. What elements can you identify in that piece that make it special? Play the recording for your classmates, stopping at appropriate moments to point out these elements to your audience. Hint: Use the Musical Glossary on page 31 as a guide.

MUSIC & RESEARCH – German Composers Germany has produced several excellent composers besides J.S. Bach. These include among others: Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Felix Mendelssohn, and Richard Wagner. Select one of these and do a little research to learn more about him. Make a speech to your classmates, telling them what you have learned. Bonus: Play a recording of some music your composer has written.

For additional information and activities on Ludwig van Beethoven, visit ArtsAlive.ca/Music (see Music Resources, Resources for Teachers) and download the NAC Teacher Resource Kit entitled “Introducing Beethoven” free of charge!


CREATIVE WRITING - Response to the Concert Have the students write a letter to the NAC Orchestra, create a report for the school newsletter, or draw a picture in response to the program. What did they like or dislike about the concert? What music did they like best? What

differences did they notice about the music from the various eras? What questions do they have about the music or the production? An interesting twist on this exercise is to have the students write a story or draw a picture about something that didn’t happen on stage. What happened to the characters before or after the scenes in the story? (The NAC Orchestra is always happy to receive feedback from students and teachers. Students can send their responses to the email address listed on page 3.)

MUSIC ANALYSIS - Word Wall & Discussion Which piece did you like best? (Music is like food… each of us has different favourites, or "tastes"). When the music is loud, how did you feel? (soft, fast, slow, one instrument, orchestra) Make a word wall of actions (flying, hopping, twirling, jumping, clapping, crying, dancing, laughing, sleeping, etc.)

Make a word wall of describing words. (smooth, calm, fast, happy, exciting, rhythmic, strong, soft, loud, quiet, adventurous, ….). Use the word wall to answer oral questions. Example: How did the composer feel when he wrote this piece? Use the word wall to help write a sentence, or short paragraph: "I like __________________ (name piece) by __________________. It was __________________. It made me feel like __________________."


Colouring Page


Word Search As you look for the hidden words, remember that they can be horizontal, vertical or

diagonal – forwards or backwards!

X H R O V F I D R Y D R J A Q O Y L A A X E T Y Z R P L O E M V W N X N P T E O O M F E H O U I X U A K D D G H G N G T A S L J S B V M U E C E H R U K N S G E L W F L R I L C Q T F G N E I M F F E L S E A E U Q O R A B Z I H R S P J B G E B V X U N A P E P O R C H E S T R A C B C S I K F A S X A E U P T O Q N P T E N H X K W J R F G N U S E E I L A R I O H C L L C U O G D C A W G C H U R C H E A N F Q N G N I R Z G U J V R A A T X F A Z Q L O K G U I T S T R V T O R N E S U G U N O W A D I S X I B E W H Y

BACH BAROQUE BRANDENBURG CHOIR CHURCH CONCERTO

FUGUE GERMANY HANDEL HARPSICHORD JOHANN LEIPZIG

ORCHESTRA ORGAN PRELUDE SCARLATTI SEBASTIAN SONATA


Criss Cross Puzzle Across 3. The word “Baroque” comes from the term meaning ________ of irregular shape. 7. In 1680, Antonio _________ made his first cello. 9. The language in which letters were written in during Bach’s time. Down 1. Italian harpsichord maker Bartolomeo _________ invented the pianoforte in 1709. 2. Bach’s first name. 4. The number of Brandenburg Concertos Bach composed for orchestra. 5. The period of time lasting from about 1600 and 1750. 6. The Duke in Weimar who sent Bach to jail for a month. 8. Bach wrote more than 300 _________.

Solution

s 1. Cristofori

2. Jo

hann

3. Pearl

4. Six

5. Baroq

ue

6. W

ilhelm Ernst

7. Stradivari

8. Cantatas

9. French


1. Go to the Great Composers section and click on Beethoven.

a) In what year was Beethoven born? _______________________________ b) Name the famous composer who taught music to Beethoven in Vienna. ________________________________________________ 2. Go to Music Resources and click on Watch Videos, then click on the J.S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto no. 5 – I. Allegro. a) What are the first two instruments that perform solos with the orchestra? ________________________________________________ b) What is the name of the solo keyboard instrument that you hear and see in the video? ________________________________________________ 3. Remaining in same section as question 2, click on Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36. Watch the video. a) What section of the orchestra begins this symphony? I) strings III) brass II) winds IV) percussion 4. Go to Music Resources ‐ Dictionary. Find “Zukerman”. Complete the following sentences about this man. a) His first name is _________________________________________. (Do you know how it’s pronounced? Your teacher can tell you.)

b) He comes from __________________________________________.

c) The two instruments he plays are the ______________________ and the _________________________.

MMuussiiccaall SSccaavveennggeerr HHuunntt Welcome to ArtsAlive.ca, a music website for students and teachers!

You will have about 30 minutes to complete this musical scavenger hunt. All of the answers can be found on the web pages of ArtsAlive.ca. Read the instructions carefully to direct you to the specific section of the site. Then read each question and look for the right answer as you scroll down the web page.

Good luck, and what’s more importantl, have fun!


d) The position he holds with the National Arts Centre Orchestra is _____________________________________________________.

5. Scroll back up the page and go to the Instrument Lab. a) Name the four sections (also known as instrument "families") of the orchestra. I. __________________________________ II. __________________________________ III. __________________________________ IV. __________________________________ b) Click on Strings. Name the four instruments of the string family. I. __________________________________ II. __________________________________ III. __________________________________ IV. __________________________________ 6. Go to NAC Orchestra and friends. a) Think of your favourite orchestral instrument. Choose one musician from the list of Musician Interviews that plays that instrument. Watch the video interview or read the musician’s biography; then write down three of the most interesting things that you learned about that musician. I. _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ II. _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________

Later on you can learn more about this famous musician and watch an interview with him by clicking on the link associated with this dictionary definition.


III. _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ 7. In NAC Orchestra and friends click on National Arts Centre Orchestra. a) When was the National Arts Centre Orchestra formed? ________________________________________________ b) How many full‐time musicians are in the NAC Orchestra? ________________________________________________ 8. Go to Orchestra on Tour. a) Between 1999 and 2006, in which year did the NAC Orchestra not go on tour?

________________________________________________

b) The United States and Mexico Tour introduced the work of which Canadian composer?

_________________________________________________ c) Locate the Tour Map on the Quebec Tour main page. Name three cities that the NAC Orchestra visited during the Quebec Tour. I. ____________________________________________ II. ____________________________________________ III. ____________________________________________ 9. Go to NAC Orchestra and friends ‐ Musicians Bios. Find Donnie Deacon. Donnie plays the violin. a) Where was Donnie born? ___________________________

b) How old was Donnie when he joined the National Arts Centre Orchestra? _________________________________________________

Congratulations, you have finished the hunt! To reward yourself click on Activities & Games and try out a game!

Teachers: Click on Contact Us at the bottom of the website. Tell ArtsAlive.ca what you thought of the Scavenger Hunt


1a. 1770 1b. Franz Joseph Haydn

2a. violin & flute 2b. harpsichord

3. I) strings

4a. I. Pinchas [pronounced PINK‐uss with a hard “C” sound] II. Israel III. Violin & Viola IV. Music Director 5a. I. Strings II. Woodwinds III. Brass IV. Percussion

5b. I. Violin II. Viola III. Cello IV. Double Bass

6a. Responses to this question will vary depending on which musician the student chooses. Musician interviews and biographies can be found here: http://www.artsalive.ca/en/mus/nacorchestra/index.html 7a. 1969 7b. 50 full‐time members (Note: A Classical‐sized orchestra is about half the size of a symphony orchestra.) 8a. 1999 8b. Denys Bouliane The interview is located here: http://www.artsalive.ca/en/mus/nacorchestra/interviews/composers/boulaine‐interview.html 8c. Students may choose between the 9a. Glasgow, Scotland following cities: 9b. 22 years old

Montréal Pierrefonds Bécancour Trois‐Rivières Saint‐Irénée Québec City Neufchâtel Val‐Bélair Roberval Jonquière Chicoutimi Mashteuiatsh

AArrttssAAlliivvee..ccaa MMuussiiccaall SSccaavveennggeerr HHuunntt:: Answers for Teachers

http://www.artsalive.ca/en/mus/nacorchestra/index.html

http://www.artsalive.ca/en/mus/nacorchestra/interviews/composers/boulaine-interview.html


Beat – is there a strong pulse (like walking), or little sense of a beat, (like floating)? Is the speed (tempo): fast (allegro), medium (moderato), or slow (adagio)?

Metre/Time Signature – 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8 are most common. Listen for the strong beat, then find the grouping of beats in 2s, 3s 4s. Try conducting in 2 (down/up) or 3 (triangle) to feel duple or triple time. Rhythm – Are sound patterns simple, or complex? Are they fast patterns (like eighth notes) or long notes (like whole notes)? Is the rhythm jazzy and syncopated (on the off‐beat)?

Melody – Is the tune memorable? Does it have leaping from high to low (disjunct) or notes moving in close steps (conjunct)? Is the playing smooth (legato) or detached playing, like hot potato (staccato)?

Harmony – is more than one pitch sounding at the same time (example do + mi + so, or the “I chord”). One person singing alone creates unison, not harmony! Are the combined sounds modern, jazzy, more traditional?

Dynamics – How dramatic is the music? Are there loud and soft sections? The music terms (and symbols) are:

• pianissimo (pp) – very soft • piano (p) – soft • mezzo piano/mezzo forte (mp, mf) – medium soft/medium loud • forte (f) – loud • fortissimo (ff) – very loud

Texture – describes the density of sound: one sound (thin), or two sounds layered, or many sounds layered, performed simultaneously (thick). Polyphonic music has many layers, starting at different times, like singing the round Frère Jacques.

Timbre – Can you identify what is making the music: voice (male/female, adult/child), woodwinds, brass, strings, or percussion? Form – is how music is organized in repeating or recognizable sections, Examples: ABA, Sonata, Theme and Variations, Rondo, Symphony

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Children’s Services Ottawa Public Library

Non-fiction Canagrel, Gilles Passion Bach: l’album d’une vie Catucci, Stefano Bach and Baroque Music Catucci, Stefano Bach et le baroque musical Cencetti, Greta Bach Dowley, Tim Bach (French edition also available) Dubouchet, Paule Magnificat: Johann Sebastian Bach, le cantor Fischer, Hans Conrad Johann Sebastian Bach: his life in pictures and documents Holst, Imogen Bach Kendall, Alan The chronicle of classical music: an intimate diary of the lives and music of the great composers Krull, Kathleen Lives of the musicians: good times, bad times (and what the neighbors thought) Kupferberg, Herbert Basically Bach: a 300th birthday celebration Lynch, Wendy Bach Moroney, Davitt Bach, une vie Rachlin, Ann Bach Rachlin, Ann Bach (adaptation française) Schweitzer, Albert J. S. Bach Schwendowius, B. Johann Sebastian Bach: life, times, influence Spence, Keith Musique vivante Summerer, Eric Johann Sebastian Bach Thompson, Wendy The great composers: an illustrated guide to the lives, key works and influences of over 100 renowned composers Vernon, Roland Introducing Bach Winter, Jeanette Sebastian: a book about Bach Wohfarth, Hannsdieter Johann Sebastian Bach

Fiction Jobert, Marlène Panique chez les sorcières: pour faire aimer la musique de J.‐S. Bach Nickel, Barbara Hannah Waters and the daughter of Johann Sebastian Bach

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Audio-Visual Bach Around the World (videorecording) Celebrates the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death Bach raconté aux enfants (disque compact) Bach’s Fight for Freedom (videorecording) Johann Sebastian Bach (videorecording) Meet the Musicians Series Mr. Bach Comes to Call: fun, drama, music & history (Classical Kids, sound recording) Mr. Bach Comes to Call (videorecording [DVD]) P.D.Q. Bach in Houston (videorecording [DVD]

PIANO AND ORCHESTRA Non-fiction Ardley, Neil Les instruments de musique Ardley, Neil Music Barber, Nicola Should I play the piano? Dearling, Robert Keyboard instruments and ensembles Ganeri, Anita The young person’s guide to the orchestra Harris, Pamela Pianos Hawthorn, Philip Le piano Koscielniak, Bruce The story of the incredible orchestra Ricignuolo, Claudio La grande musique à la portée de tous Rosenfeld, Michael Tout sur la musique Schlarb, Anita Beginner’s luck (5 volumes) Turner, Barrie The living piano Fiction Gingras, Charlotte La boîte à bonheur Mills, Claudia Gus and Grandpa and the piano lesson Miller, William The piano Reynolds, Marilynn The magnificent piano recital Silsbe, Brenda The duet Vigneault, Gilles Le piano muet


Documents

Introducing the Great J - nac-cna.canac-cna.ca/pdf/en/education/bach_Feb2008_en.pdf · Teacher Study Guide Introducing the Great J.S. Bach – Page 3 Music is a powerful force –