Young People’s Concert Curriculum Guidewaterburysymphony.org/education/youngpeoples/Curriculum_Guide.pdf · Young People’s Concert Curriculum Guide ... liked “Pirates of the

Young People’s Concert Curriculum Guide

WSO Young People‘s Concert is made possible with support from:

The Leever Foundation Waterbury Arts & Tourism Commission

TABLE OF CONTENTS Fantastic Planet Concert Program……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...………. Meet the Conductor………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………….…………. Concert Etiquette…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….…….……… What is an Orchestra?............................................………………………………………………………………………...………………. Curriculum Guide Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….…………………………..…..….. A Brief Look at our Fantastic Planet……………………..…………………………………………………………………………………..… 18 About the Composers Claude Debussy...………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………… Igor Stravinsky……...……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………. John Williams……...…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Ralph Vaughan Williams….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Listening Guide Le Sacre du Printemps (excerpts)………………………….………………………………………………………………………….…… La Mer (excerpts)……...………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….…… Overture from “The Cowboys”……………………………………………………………………………………..……………..….…..… Sinfonia Antaractica (Symphony No. 7)…………………………………………………….………………………………..………. La Mer - The Ocean………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………......…… Make an Edible Coral Reef…..………………………………………………………………………………………………………...………...…… Overture from “The Cowboys”……………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………….. Make a Split-twig Figure……………………………….…………………………………………………………………...…………..……… Sinfonia Antarctica (Symphony No. 7)……...…………………………………………………………………………………….…….…… Make Your Own Weather Station…………………………………………………………………………...………………….……...… Keeping Our Fantastic Planet Fantastic……………………………………………………………………………………………………... Glossary………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...…………………...………...…… Selected Sources………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...…….………...…… Evaluation Forms………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………….

2 WSO Young People‘s Concert 2011

3 4 5 7 16 22 26 30 32 36 38 43 50 54 56 57 59 60 64 66 67 73 76

Waterbury Symphony Orchestra

Young People‘s Concert

Excerpts from Le Sacre du Printemps

(The Rite of Spring)

Excerpts from 3rd Movement La Mer

Final excerpt Sinfonia Antarctica

Overture from The Cowboys

Igor Stravinsky…………….………………………….…...

Claude Debussy……….….……………………….……....

Ralph Vaughan Williams……...………………………….

John Williams……….…….………………………………

TODAY’S PROGRAM

WSO Young People‘s Concert 2011 3

Meet the Guest Conductor Emil de Cou

Guest Conductor

Position: Music Director Pacific Northwest Ballet, NSO @ Wolf Trap

(National Symphony

Orchestra, DC) Festival Conductor, Music Director Virginia Cham-

ber Orchestra

Born: July 9, 1957 Los Angeles California

School: Cal State Long Beach, Music Academy of Vienna, University of

Southern California, Hollywood Bowl masterclass with Leonard

Bernstein

Current Home: San Francisco, CA

Age started music lessons: 15

Practices how often: When I played: everyday / Now: I study music everyday at the

piano

First Instrument: French horn

Favorite Composer: Tchaikovsky

Favorite Food: Mexican, Chinese, and Popcorn (sometimes at the same time)

Favorite Movie: The last one I saw, in this case “The Kings Speech,” but I also

liked “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Children: Only imaginary ones .

Pets: A large collection of stuffed play animals / many many cats, a

snake, lizards, rabbits, mice and a dog when I was a boy.

Accomplishment most proud of: having conducted for over a quarter of a million young people

at the Kennedy Center's Young Person's Concert over the past

decade.


Conductor [kuh n-duhk-ter] –noun a person who directs an orchestra or chorus,

communicating to the performers by motions

of a baton or the hands his or her interpre-

tation of the music.


CONCERT AND SCHOOL ASSEMBLY ETIQUETTE GUIDE

FOR THE BEGINNER AND EXPERT

Feeling out of place? Not sure when to clap? Sense a sneeze coming on? The following tips for novices and

regular attendees alike will satisfy even the strictest minders of manners.

What do I wear? Chances are, when you come to the performance, the performers will be in formal attire (unless you are at-

tending a school assembly or rehearsal). As an audience member, however, tails, top hats, evening gowns,

etc., are all optional. Many concert-goers will tend to dress up a bit, but they’d probably say that they’re

most comfortable attending a concert that way. So, don whatever you think would make you comfortable in

the setting of a concert hall; a good guide might be a little fancier than what you would normally wear to

school.

Video Games and Other Electronics, including Cellular Phones and Pagers Electronic equipment was not part of Bach and Vivaldi’s world, nor is it part of a Period-Instrument Orches-

tra. Step back in time and take a break from the modern world! Please turn off all games, cellular tele-

phones, pagers, and any other audible electronic devices before the concert begins.

How will I find my seat? You will most likely sit with your class for any in-school performance. Just follow your teacher’s lead.

Even the most experienced audience member may need help with seat locations. We promise you won’t need a

map or a compass. Any usher will be more than happy to guide you.

Late Seating Chances are you won’t be late for a school assembly.

If you arrive after a performance in a concert hall has begun, the ushers will do their best to seat you dur-

ing an appropriate pause in the program. However, late seating is not always available at all performances.


Please try to be on time.

How will I know when the concert is about to begin? When you first take your seat, you will notice that several of the musicians may already be on stage. Don’t

worry; you’re not late. The musicians are warming up and reviewing their music before the concert begins.

Just prior to the start of the concert, when all of the members of the orchestra are seated, the lights will

dim, and the concertmaster will stand and signal to the first oboe player to play the note A. The rest of the

orchestra will then tune their instruments to match the oboe. If there is a piano on stage, it will be used to

give the pitch from which the orchestra will tune. The next thing that will happen is that the conductor will

enter the stage. He or she will bow to the applauding audience, turn around and begin the concert.

Is it time to clap yet? Most artists appreciate applause at any time during a performance. Until the late 19th century and even into

the 20th century, it was customary for audiences to applaud at the end of every section of a given piece, and

some movements were even given an immediate encore if the applause was great enough. Modern audiences,

however, tend to wait until the end of an entire work to clap. Why? Holding applause between movements is

considered to be respectful to the performers’ concentration and mindful of musical continuity.

A good rule of thumb is to count the number of movements for an entire work—usually indicated by different

tempo (speed) markings—and then applaud after the final movement. Some composers are tricky, however,

and do not insert a pause between movements. Beethoven, for example, goes from the third to the final move-

ment of his 5th Symphony without any pause. Perhaps he wanted to be sure there would be no applause at that

moment.

The conductor should let you know, and usually does, when a piece is over. He or she will put his or her arms

down and turn to face the audience. The conductor will also shake the hands of the concertmaster and the

soloist if there is one. If you’re still in doubt, you can always wait until someone else begins to clap and then

join in!

Photographs and Recordings Please do not take any pictures or record this concert.

Coughing/Sneezing/Eating/Drinking Neither eating nor drinking is permitted inside most auditoriums. If you are hungry, please have a snack be-

fore the concert or during intermission. If you feel the onset of a cold or allergies, please use a cough drop

to ensure that the concert experience is as pleasurable as possible for you—and those around you. Kindly note

the next important step: unwrap them ahead of time.

If you cannot suppress a cough, it is perfectly acceptable, extraordinarily polite even, to excuse yourself

from the Hall until you feel better.

After the Concert As the applause starts to die down, the performers will put their instruments away, and leave the stage. The

house lights will be turned on. At this point, the concert is over and it is time to go home. Please exit the au-

ditorium or concert hall with the same courtesy you exhibited throughout the concert.

This website is helpful for more information:

http://www.geocities.com/marthabees/etiquette.html

http://www.geocities.com/marthabees/etiquette.html


Basically, an orchestra is a team of musicians led by a

conductor. If you compare an orchestra to a baseball team,

think of the conductor as the pitcher, and the concertmaster as

the catcher. No matter how many strikes a pitcher can throw,

or how well the catcher calls the plays, the team still needs

support from the field in order to win. The same is true of an

orchestra. Every player is critical for a successful performance.

The modern symphony orchestra is the result of centuries of

evolution. Hundreds of years ago there was no central conduc-

tor. In the 1600s the conductor stood to one side and literally

beat the time on the floor with a large pole. The composer Lul-

ly is rumored to have died of an infection that developed after

he hit his foot with the pole. Conductors often sat at the key-

board, or the concert master (1st violin) lead the ensemble. The

WHAT IS AN ORCHESTRA?

first conductor to turn his back to the audience and use a ba-

ton was Louis Spohr in 1820.

The orchestra as it functions today is made up of

four families of instruments who work together as a team to

create a successful performance. The instrument families are

the strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Every instru-

ment in the orchestra is a member of one of these families.

The orchestra has a specific seating chart—most follow

something like the one pictured here. Each player within a

section sits in a specific chair, or place. If a chorus is in-

volved in the performance, the singers usually stand on risers

behind the orchestra. The following offers brief descriptions

of the instruments and how they work.

Orchestra Seating Chart

Bass

Violin

Cello

Viola

STRINGS

Some musicians call the string family the ―heartbeat‖ of

the orchestra. There are more string players than any other in the

orchestra, and it was one of the first fully chromatic instruments

to be made. The string family is primarily made up of the violin,

viola, cello, and bass. Other members are the guitar, lute, mando-

lin, harp, and harpsichord, which are built and played very differ-

ently from the others in the family. Although strings are the main

source of sound for the piano, it is technically a percussion in-

strument because the strings are struck with hammers to produce

sound.

The main instruments of the string family are all built

and played in a similar manner. The bodies are made of var-

nished hardwood (spruce on the front and sides, maple on the

back) and carved into an ―S‖ shape. Ebony is used for the finger-

board, tailpiece, and tuning pegs. A bridge is placed in the center

of the front of the instrument to hold the strings up, and a sound

post is on the inside to add overall stability. Strings (made of gut,

steel, or nylon) are stretched from the tailpiece, across the bridge,

and then wound around the appropriate tuning peg.

Sound is produced in two ways. The primary method is

by drawing a bow (right hand) across a string causing it to vi-

brate. The vibrations resonate through the body of the instrument

to produce a rich tone. The player‘s left hand presses or ―stops‖

the string at the appropriate point to produce a specific pitch. The

other way to produce sound is to use the bowing hand to pluck

the strings.

String instruments range in size and pitch range. The

violin is the smallest and has the highest notes. Next comes the

viola—not just a big violin, which is like the alto in a chorus.

Both of these are held under the chin to play. The next in the

family is the cello, which has been described as the ―rich uncle‖

of the string family. It has a very full range and rich sound. To

play the instrument, the cellist sits down and places it between

his or her knees. An endpin in the floor helps to anchor the cello.

Finally there is the bass. It is the largest and lowest member of

the family. Players either sit on a tall stool or stand to play it be-


Bow

Head

Horse-Hair Stick Frog

727 mm

cause it is usually taller than a fully-grown person.

The violin, viola, and cello are all strung in intervals of a fifth. That means that each open string (no fingers pressing on

it) is five notes away from its neighbor. The bass is strung in intervals of a fourth. The open strings vary for each instrument and

are as follows:

Violin: G-D-A-E (treble clef)

Viola: C-G-D-A (alto clef)

Cello: C-G-D-A (bass clef)

Bass: E-A-D-G (bass clef—8ve below the staff)

The bow is most often made of brazilian wood (stick) with ebony and pearl inlay on the frog and tip. The hair is horse

tail hair—mostly Siberian because the hair is stronger. Rosin is used to help keep the bow hair from slipping on the instrument

strings. The hair is tightened and loosened using a turning screw on the end near the frog.

The woodwind section has its name because at one

point in time all of the instruments were made of wood. All

woodwinds have three things in common, regardless of their

materials and sound: They are all tubes, have keys and/or holes

for the fingers, and a place for the mouth to blow. Some have no

reeds (small piece of bamboo that vibrates to generate the

sound); some have a single reed, and some have a double reed.

The main instruments in the woodwind section are the flute,

oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. Other instruments include the pic-

colo, English horn, bass clarinet, contrabassoon, and the saxo-

phone.

Although most are made of metal (usually silver) to-

day, the flute was originally made of wood. It is one of the old-

est instruments in the world. Almost every culture has some sort

of flute as an instrument. Even prehistoric cultures figured out

that they could produce notes by drilling holes into a bone and

blowing down into one end. Early flutes did not have keys,

but modern ones do. Constructed in three separate sections

that slide together, flutes have 16 keys to cover 16 holes.

Some keys are linked so that by pressing down on one, two or

three move together. A flautist (also called flutist) produces

sound by placing his or her lower lip on the lip plate and

blowing across the mouth hole, the same way you can make a

sound by blowing across an empty bottle. Proper breathing is

very important for this little instrument, as is the use of the

player‘s tongue. The flute has a three-octave range from mid-

dle C to the C an octave above a high C in the treble clef.

Other types of flutes include the piccolo, which is half the

size of the standard C-flute and plays an octave higher. One

of the most famous piccolo solos is in Sousa‘s ―The Stars and

Stripes Forever.‖

The oboe is another member of the woodwind fami-

Basic members of the woodwind family (from left to right):

Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon

Woodwinds


ly. It is a double reed instrument that is made of hardwood,

usually African black wood, rosewood, or ebony, although

some modern oboes are made of a hard plastic designed to

look and resonate like wood. Like other woodwinds, the

oboe has metal keys. It is in three separate sections that slide

together. The reeds are made of thin slices of cane that are

tied together. The reeds vibrate when played to produce the

sound. Most oboists make their own reeds and fuss with

them frequently while playing. The reason is that the reeds

are delicate and can make the sound beautiful or terrible.

The oboe has such a unique sound it can be heard over all

the instruments in the orchestra. At the start of every con-

cert, following the concert master‘s lead, the oboe plays the

note ―A,‖ from which the rest of the instruments tune so that

they are all playing the same pitches and sound good togeth-

er. To find the original ―A,‖ the oboist will use either a tun-

ing fork or electronic tuning device to be sure that his or her

pitch is accurate. Throughout the Baroque era (ca. 1600–

1750) and into the Classical era (ca. 1770–1820), the oboe

was extremely popular. Its popularity surged again in the

20th century.

A lower-pitched cousin of the oboe is the English

horn. It is also a double reed instrument that is larger than

the oboe and isn‘t held as high when played. Its name ―cors

anglais‖ has really been mistranslated, since it is neither

English nor a horn. The literal translation of the French

means ―angled horn,‖ which is much less confusing. Instead

of a bell-shaped bell at the end, the English Horn has a pear-

shaped bell.

Younger than the oboe is the single reed clarinet.

Invented around 1700, it is one of the ―newer‖ instruments

in the woodwind family. Its name may come from the fact

that its high notes can sound a bit like a trumpet or

―clarion‖; ―clarionet‖ literally means ―little trumpet.‖ The

clarinet is an extremely versatile instrument being able to

play very low and very high notes (low C to high Eb). It is a

transposing instrument, meaning that it sounds at a different

pitch from what a musician sees on the page. For example, a

player using a Bb clarinet will see the note C on the music

and play that note, but the actual note will sound like a Bb.

In order to be in tune with the rest of the orchestra, the clari-

net part will be written in a different key than the non-

transposing instruments. The reason for the transpositions is

that there are several sizes of clarinets, each in its own key. It

is easier to change the transposition and keep the fingering

the same than to have to change fingering for each instru-

ment. It is played similarly to the oboe, there is only one

reed, which vibrates against a mouthpiece sending waves

down the body to produce its unique sound. Clarinets are

―cylindrical bores,‖ meaning that it is the same width all the

way down to the bell. It is also made of African blackwood

and has metal keys. The body is in five separate pieces that

slide together. Mozart loved the clarinet, and re-orchestrated

some of his works giving the oboe part to the clarinet. One of

the most famous clarinet solos is the beginning of Gersh-

win‘s ―Rhapsody in Blue.‖

The largest and lowest member of the basic wood-

wind family is the bassoon. Like the oboe, it has a double

reed. The bassoon is usually made of maple (a hardwood) in

four sections that join together with metal rings, and it has

metal keys. It is very heavy, and most players attach a sling,

which they sit on to help support the weight. It is played like

the oboe, but is a bit harder. The air needs to pass through the

metal crook (part that holds the reeds), down through one

section, back up through the larger sections and out the bell

at the top. Although it has a reputation of being a bit of a

clown, its role in the orchestra is more than just a supporting

bass line. It adds a rich sound to the low strings when dou-

bling their parts. It also has a very versatile three-octave

range (bass clef-low B♭ to a high tenor clef B♭). The com-

poser Stravinsky used the high range of the bassoon as a solo

line in his ballet ―Le Sacre du Printemps‖ (The Rite of

Spring), literally causing a riot in the theater during the

work‘s premiere. The contrabassoon is essentially a larger

and lower cousin of the bassoon. Its bell faces the floor rather

than the air, and it has a spike on the bottom to anchor it to

the floor because it is too heavy to hold in the air.


Brass

The brass family takes its name from the fact that

most of its instruments are made of brass metal. Horns of all

types have ancient origins. Thousands of years ago people cut

off the end of an animal‘s horn and blew into them to create a

sound. Today, one can still hear a shofar (ram‘s horn) blown

for religious purposes in synagogues. In Ancient Rome horns

were used as signaling instruments, often for military events.

These horns were simple long brass tubes that had no valves.

All members of the brass family have a few things in com-

mon. They are all long metal tubes that are folded and coiled

around. They would be too long to play if the tubes were left

straight. They all have a cup- or funnel-shaped mouthpiece.

They all have a bell at the end. They also all have a water key

(sometimes called a spit valve) to release the build-up of con-

densation.

Another commonality is the basic way brass instru-

ments are played. The mouthpiece goes against the player‘s

lips instead of inside the mouth. To create sound on a brass

instrument, the player blows into the mouthpiece, making his

or her lips vibrate. This action creates waves that travel

through the instrument and come out of the bell at the end.

Pitch is determined by the speed of the lips‘ vibration and the

length of the tube. The trombone has a slide (u-shaped tube) to

change notes by altering the total length of the instrument. The

modern horn, trumpet, and tuba all have valves to change the

main tube‘s length and alter the pitch. The valves make even

chromatic notes possible. In the 17th and 18th centuries, horns

did not have valves, and the musicians had to change notes

with their lips and hands. They also had small tubes, called

crooks, to make more notes possible. Composers and con-

ductors had to give players enough time in the music to

change crooks. Outside the orchestra, brass instruments are

often heard in their own ensembles. They sound lovely all

together with all types of music—not just loud.

Trumpet

The trumpet is an ancient instrument. In fact, a

silver one was found as part of Tutankhamun‘s tomb. It is a

cylindrical tube that loops around and widens to the bell at

one end. It has a cup-shaped mouthpiece at the other end,

and three piston valves in the middle to help play different

notes. Trumpet players also change the size of the opening

between their lips (embouchure) to change pitch. Learning

to control one‘s breath is essential to trumpet playing. Many

trumpets are transposing instruments (like the clarinet). The

three most common are in C (non-transposing), D, and Bb.

Like the woodwinds, there are other less common types of

trumpets, including the piccolo trumpet and the cornet. The

piccolo trumpet is very small , has four valves and sounds

best on high notes. The cornet is like a slightly overweight

trumpet. Its sound is less piercing and sounds best in brass

bands or military settings. Different composers wrote for

specialty trumpets as well. For example, Verdi orchestrated

Aida to include a long, straight version with only one valve.

J. S. Bach wrote many pieces for an especially high trumpet,

but no one knows exactly how the instrument sounded. To-

day those pieces are played on the piccolo trumpet.

From left to right: French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba

The Brass Family


Trombone

Modern trom-

bones are one of the only

members of the brass fam-

ily without valves. They

are made of one long brass

tube that widens to a bell

at one end. The other end has a cup-shaped mouthpiece.

Instead of valves, the trombone has a slide to change notes.

Even the trombone‘s predecessor, the sackbut, used a slide,

giving it the largest range of notes among the early brass

family. The overall reach of the slide can be up to three

feet, but players need to be accurate within a quarter of an

inch to play in tune. Players hold their instruments almost

parallel to the floor. As with other brass instruments, the

lips are against the mouthpiece, and strong breath control is

needed. Even though there are several sizes of trombones

(alto and bass), they are not transposing instruments. The

trombone sounds at written pitch. Trombones are often

used in operas and symphonies to represent the supernatu-

ral. Beethoven was the first to use the trombone in a sym-

phony (Symphony No. 5, Op. 67). They sound best in

groups or with other instruments, and they are not often

heard as solos.

French Horn

French horns were named as such because they

were developed in France. They are not limited to French

music, however. Most often they are simply called horns

and are labeled that way in most scores. The horn is proba-

bly the most difficult instrument in the orchestra to play.

Even the best players make mistakes in performances. Its

rich, velvety timbre is somewhere between the woodwinds

and brass. It is capable of lush soft sounds as well as loud

exuberant sounds. Because of its long association with hunt-

ing, composers often use the horn to depict the outdoors. Its

use as a signal in hunting is what gave the horn its round

shape—horsemen were able to place it over their shoulders

when not using it. The horn is made up of many small pieces

of brass tubing to form a round instrument with a lot of inter-

nal curls. It has a three valves, a funnel shaped mouthpiece,

and a wide bell. Horn players literally blow a raspberry with

their lips. They also place one hand inside the bell to make

tiny adjustments to the sound, fine-tuning pitch, and even

bending it for special effects. It is a transposing instrument—

most are in F, sounding a perfect fifth below the written

pitch. A well-know relative of the horn is the Wagner Tuba.

Invented by the composer Richard Wagner for his operas,

the Wagner Tuba is shaped like a traditional tuba, but it has a

horn‘s mouthpiece, so horn players usually are the ones to

play it.

Tuba

The largest and lowest instrument in the brass fami-

ly is the tuba, which was invented in 1835. Because of its

size, one might think that it is only capable of playing slow-

ly, but it can be surprisingly light and quick and has a rich

mellow timbre. Most orchestras only have one tuba. Its pri-

mary function in the orchestra is to support and strengthen

the bass line. The tuba is made of an enormous brass tube

that is coiled around. Its large bell points up toward the ceil-

ing. There are three valves and a cup-shaped mouthpiece.

The tuba rests on the player‘s lap, and he or she wraps his or

her arms around it, using the right hand to press the valves. It

is so big that it is difficult to see the player. As one might

expect, it takes a great deal of strength to produce the breath

needed to play this mighty instrument.


Drums

Drums are the main instrument in the percussion

family. There are both pitched and non-pitched drums.

Drums exist in every culture and come in all different shapes

and sizes. Drums are played with hands, sticks, mallets, and

brushes to create different sounds.

Timpani (Kettledrum)

Timpani (plural for timpano, but the drums are al-

most always thought of as a pair) are an ancient style of

drum, dating back to a time when people stretched an animal

skin over a wooden frame. Modern timpani are skins

stretched over large copper bowls or kettles. The beaters

used to strike the timpani produce different sounds depend-

ing where on the drum they hit and the material they are

made of. They are pitched drums that can be tuned. There is

a foot pedal at the bottom that helps the timpanist tune his or

her instrument before a performance. Each drum can produce

up to eight notes, and some works call for four different tim-

pani—each a different size and pitch. Usually, the timpani

accent and add power to an orchestra‘s sound, playing the

dominant and tonic pitches.

Snare Drum (Side Drum)

The snare drum is also

called the side drum be-

cause it was originally a

military instrument that

was worn slung from the

Percussion instruments are probably some of the oldest in the world, second only to the human voice, which can also

make percussive sounds. They are musical instruments that are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed, or scraped. They don‘t

just play non-pitched rhythms, they can also play melody and harmony. In fact, the piano is technically a percussion instrument

because the strings are struck by hammers.

Percussion is often called the ―backbone‖ or ―heartbeat‖ of a musical ensemble. They work closely with the bass sec-

tion, particularly the timpani, in an orchestra. Most classical music has at least one pair of timpani to emphasize the bass line

and key of the piece in addition to providing the work‘s rhythmic drive. In the 18 th century Mozart and Haydn, as well as other

composers built the percussion section from mostly timpani, adding many more instruments as they sought to imitate Turkish

Janissary (military) bands. The new instruments included tam-tam, tambourine, glockenspiel, and snare drum, among others.

20th-century composers continued to expand the section, bringing it to the fore and expanding the range of instruments to in-

clude those from Africa, Latin America, and the Far East.

Percussionists are the only members of the orchestra who need to play a wide variety of instruments. Their sense of

rhythm needs to be precise, and they need to possess strong musicianship, knowing just how to strike, scrape, or shake in each

piece.

Percussion

shoulder at the player‘s side. This is still the way it is held in

modern marching bands. In an orchestra, the snare drum is

supported on an adjustable stand. It consists of a cylindrical

wood or metal shell covered at each end with a calfskin or

plastic head. The heads are tied to hoops and secured by

counterhoops (see photograph). Tension is created by thread-

ed rods or ropes. The upper head (playing head) is also

called the ―batter‖ head. The lower or snare head has eight or

more gut, wire, or wire-covered nylon strings (snares)

stretched across it, giving the drum its unique sound.

Bass Drum

The bass drum is the largest

orchestral drum of indefinite

pitch. Its construction is simi-

lar to a military snare drum,

but it does not have the

strings across the lower head.

In most North American or-

chestras, the bass drum has a

diameter of approximately 90

to 100 cm (close to 3 Feet). In an orchestra, the bass drum is

supported on a stand so that it can be played at any angle the

percussionist desires. The mallets are large with felt-covered

heads. In an orchestra, the player usually strikes the head

between the center and the rim, but in a marching band, it is

struck in the center to give a really loud beat to the rest of the

band. The bass drum player needs to have an acute sense of

the beat because the rest of the ensemble will hear it and

follow it.


Tom-Tom

A tom-tom is a cylindrical drum with no snare. It supposedly

originated in Native American and Asian cultures. The drum

can be single- or double-headed and can be fitted with an

adjustable mounting for a floor stand, bass drum or marching

rig. They are played with hands instead of drum sticks. The

diameters range from eight to 20 inches. The tom-tom was

added to the standard drum kit in the early 20th century. Jazz

drummers used to tune them using the heat from a match and

water (or whiskey depending on the venue).

Bongos

The bongos are a pair of small Afro-Cuban single-

headed cylindrical drums made of hard wood with a skin or

plastic head. They are made from hollow tree trunks. Each

drum in the pair is

the same height, but

each one has a dif-

ferent diameter. The

larger drum is called

the macho (male),

and the smaller one

is called the hembra

(female). They are attached together by a thick piece of

wood. They are held between the knees and played with the

fingers. Some contemporary classical works call for the bon-

gos to be played with sticks or brushes. Usually, in an en-

semble, the bongos are played by the same musician who

plays the cowbell—in Spanish: cencerro—he is called bon-

gocerro.

Other Pitched and Keyboard Percussion Instruments

Timpani are not the only percussion instruments to be tuned

to specific pitches. The marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel,

and vibraphone are all tuned percussion, and are considered

keyboard instruments because they are designed similarly to

the piano keyboard.

Marimba, Xylophone,

Glockenspiel, and Vi-

braphone

These instruments are all

very similar members of

the percussion family. The differences are in their construc-

tion and materials. Basical-

ly, they are all instruments

consisting of two or more

bars of graduated (different)

lengths. They look very

much like a piano keyboard,

(the pattern of black and

white keys), in the layout of

the bars. They are played by striking the bars with mallets.

Whereas the marimba and xylophone bars are made of rose-

wood, glockenspiel bars are made of steel, and vibraphone

bars are aluminum. Each bar is suspended over a tube reso-

nator, which amplifies the sound. The marimba is the

―grandfather‖ of these instruments, and is African in its

origin. These instruments have a range of 2 ½ to 5 octaves.

The vibraphone was developed in the United States in 1916

as a ―steel marimba‖. Unlike the xylophone, the keyboard‘s

bars are all on one level, making it easier to play chords and

to use three or

four mallets at

once. Each bar

has a resonating

tube that has a

vane or disc in-

side it. The disc

revolves produc-

ing a constant

vibrato (like a

violin or singer‘s voice), giving the instrument its name. The

disc‘s speed, and thus the speed of the vibrato, is controlled

by an electric motor. If no vibrato is desired, then the player

simply turns the motor off. The vibraphone is used exten-

sively in jazz music, and was made popular by jazz vibra-

phonist Lionel Hampton. In the 1970s, jazz vibraphonist

Mike Mainieri invented an electronic vibraphone called the

Synthivibe.

Handheld, Non-Pitched Instruments

Maracas

Maracas are simple instruments that

are usually played in pairs. They are

made from a dried gourd shell (cuia)

that is filled with seeds or dried beans.

Maracas can also be made of leather,


wood, or plastic. Frequently, one is pitched higher than the

other in a pair. Their origin dates back to prehistoric Amer-

ica. The word maraca is believed to be from the Tupi lan-

guage in Brazil, where it is pronounced ―ma-ra-KAH‖.

Maracas are heard in many forms of Latin American, pop,

and classical music. They are characteristic of the music of

Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil.

Cowbell

The cowbell as a tool is its namesake. A bell is placed

around a cow‘s neck to keep track of the ani-

mal. Greek herdsmen often use several bells

that together produce a particular

chord that uses the same tun-

ing as the herdsman‘s pipe.

Clapperless metal cowbells are

important instruments in Latin-

American music. These bells are

struck with a stick. Different tones or

pitches are produced by hitting different parts

of the bell and by damping (quieting) the bell with

your hands. In much World Music pairs or trios of bells are

joined together in a way that they can be played separately

or together. In Cuban music the cowbell is called the cen-

cerro and is played by the same musician who plays the

bongos.

Woodblocks

A woodblock is a small

slit drum made from a

single piece of wood, usu-

ally maple, that is used as

an instrument. It is struck

with a stick giving it a

distinct timbre. East Asian

music uses woodblocks of

all sizes ranging from

small handheld ones to

some that are so large, they are immovable and struck with

a log. Log drums (also called "slit drums"), made from

hollowed out logs, are used in Africa and the Pacific Is-

lands.

Claves

Claves are basically two wooden sticks (made from hardwood)

that are ten to twelve inches in length and approximately 1 ½ to

3 inches in diameter. In Latin-American dance music the claves

drive the rhythm with their steady, un-

changing beat. In order to obtain the clear

sound the player needs to rest one stick

lightly on his or her fingertips in one

hand while the cupped palm acts as a

resonator. The other stick is held in the

other hand between the thumb and first

two fingers. Claves are primarily used in Latin-American dance

music, but orchestral composers have used claves in their works

as well, such as Copland‘s Appalachian Spring.

Tambourine

The tambourine is an ancient instru-

ment, appearing in Babylonian and

Egyptian reliefs dating from 2000–

1500 B. C. Although it has Middle

Eastern origins, the tambourine ap-

pears in various cultures around the

world: India, Asia, North Africa,

and even near the Arctic Circle. In

North America and Greenland, the tambourine is said to be the

Inuit‘s only instrument. In most non-Western cultures, the tam-

bourine is the only drum that women play. Technically it is a

drum. It is made from a shallow ring made of wood and covered

on one side with parchment or plastic. Small metal discs, called

jingles, are arranged singly or in pairs inside openings in the

shell. Pop ensembles tend to use headless tambourines as rhythm

instruments. In Classical music Gluck and Mozart were among

the earliest Western European composers to incorporate the tam-

bourine into their works. It was introduced into orchestral works

to lend special effects such as Spanish or Gypsy music within a

piece. Some excellent examples works that use the tambourine

are Rimsky-Korsakov‘s Spanish Cappriccio and Sherherazade.

Usually the tambourine is played by striking its head or frame

with the fingertips, palm (open or closed), or knuckles, or by

shaking it to create a tremolo. Other more unusual playing tech-

niques include flicking and/or brushing the jingles.


As you read through this interdisciplinary guide,

you will find useful lessons to enhance your students‘

listening experience. There is a brief timeline for each of

the composers presented and a listening guide for each of

the works being played. Moreover, there are lessons re-

garding the earth‘s ecology.

First and foremost, this is a program dedicated to

orchestral concert music. The program features twentieth-

century composers from Russia, the United States, Eng-

land, and France, all of whom chose to write music that

evokes images of nature in some way. In addition, there

will be a fiddle demonstration to show this uniquely

American style of violin playing. Some students may al-

ready be familiar with orchestral music; others will be

CURRICULUM GUIDE INTRODUCTION By Gail Miller Armondino, Ph.D.

Ecology and conservation are predominant

themes in our culture. From reusable grocery bags to wa-

ter bottles and hybrid cars, the health of the planet is in

the forefront of our consciousness. Even orchestras are

concerned about preserving our natural and renewable

resources. The natural world has inspired composers for

centuries. One of the first pieces of programme music,

Vivaldi‘s Le Quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons) paints

a musical picture of temporal changes throughout the

year. In this Waterbury Symphony Orchestra concert, all

of the works are from the twentieth century, and are all

inspired in some way by the natural world. Three of the

four were originally a part of other works with a visual

component. Stravinsky‘s Le Sacre du printemps was orig-

inally a staged ballet, although today it is mostly per-

formed in concert. John Williams‘s ―Overture‖ for The

Cowboys was originally a film score as was Ralph

Vaughan Williams‘s Sinfonia Antarctica. La mer, howev-

er, was designed as an orchestral work. All of these piec-

es evoke powerful pictorial images from different parts of

the world: primitive Russia, the Grand Canyon, the

Ocean, and the South Pole. All of these places are awe-

inspiring and need to be protected. With this concert, the

goal is not only to introduce students to classical music,

but also to show how music is an integral part of our

world culture, and planet, all of which need to be pre-

served and protected.


exposed for the first time. Regardless of their levels

of experience, all students can improve their listening

skills, which in turn, helps to develop general critical

thinking. To aid in this process, we recommend that

you review the Listening Guide included here. It will

aid your students‘ understanding of the complexities

of concert music by breaking down the various com-

ponents into easier, more manageable segments.

Moreover, by increasing their level of un-

derstanding of the genre as a whole, most students

will discover ways in which orchestral music can

enhance their own daily experiences. Through read-

ing the artists‘ and composers‘ biographies, as well as

interacting with the performers, students will gain

insights into their lives as people. Hopefully these

stories will inspire students to work to realize their

own dreams—musical or not.

―Fantastic Planet‖ is an interdisciplinary

program, which teaches students the role of music in

a larger context. In addition to exploring new melo-

dies and rhythms, this program will use music to il-


lustrate the important concepts of ecology and

conservation using fun and engaging lessons.

Recognizing that time is of the utmost im-

portance in the classroom, this guide is broken

up into individual segments for teachers to use

as they are able. If there is not time to study all

of the lessons provided, we ask that teachers

prepare their students for the concert by listen-

ing to the music and encouraging them to dis-

cuss what they hear. We also ask that you re-

view the concert etiquette guide, so students

will know what to expect and will feel comfort-

able in the theatre.

Every musical composition played in this concert has an

Earthly association; two of the pieces, La Mer and Sinfonia Ant-

arctica contain direct references. The other two evoke natural

images such as primeval Earth and the American West. Nature

has inspired composers for centuries, and these works are no ex-

ception. It is important to explore the beauty of the places depict-

ed in the music, not only to gain greater insight into the compos-

ers‘ imaginations, but because these wonders need to be pre-

served for future generations.

Each part of this section will discuss the natural phenomenon or

locale depicted in the music, giving a few facts about each re-

gion‘s geography and history, followed by an interactive lesson.

Le Sacre du printemps Natural Image: Primitive Earth/Volcanoes

Some Volcano Terminology:

Ash: Fine particles of pulverized rock blown from vol-

canic opening. Ash may be either solid or molten when

first erupted. Most ash is comprised of glassy particles

formed by gas bubbles bursting through liquid magma.

Volcanic Ash is what rained down on both the Mt. Ve-

suvius eruption in 79 AD, killing roughly 3500 people,

and Mt. St. Helens in 1980.

Bomb: A fragment of molten lava or molten rock (2 ½

inches to several feet in diameter) that is blown out dur-

ing an eruption. Because of their plastic state, they often

A BRIEF LOOK AT OUR FANTASTIC PLANET

change shape during flight or on impact.

Crater: A deep-sided circular depression formed

either by an explosion or collapse at a volcanic

vent.

Fumerole: A vent or hole in the earth‘s surface

through with volcanic gases escape.

Lava: Magma that has reached the planet‘s surface

through a volcanic eruption.

Lava Tube: A tunnel formed when the surface of a

lava flow cools and solidifies while the still-molten

interior flows through and drains away.

Magma: Molten rock, crystals, and dissolved gases

found deep inside a planet‘s interior

Pyroclastic Flow: Lateral flow of a mixture of hot

gasses and solid volcanic material that can move at

high speeds (50–100 mph).

Vent: A volcano‘s opening at the earth‘s surface.

Some fun and interesting facts about volcanoes:

1. A volcano can make an island disappear!––On

August 27, 1883 the volcanic Indonesian island

Krakatoa exploded in one of the most violent erup-

tions in recorded history. It leveled the island,

which once stood 450 meters above sea level to 250

meters below it. The explosion was heard more than

4500 km away. A tsunami approximately 40 meters

high resulted and devastated nearby coastlines.


Fumerole

2. There are several ways to predict a volcanic eruption: 1)

Measuring the seismic activity in an area. Earthquakes

occur when magma pushes toward the surface. 2) Measur-

ing the gases that flow out of fumeroles. 3) Measuring

ground deformations near a volcano indicating rising mag-

ma.

3. The gas cloud that rises above a volcano is actually very

cold—close to freezing. The ash, however, can reach tem-

peratures in hundreds of degrees Celsius.

4. The word Volcano comes from the Roman god Vulcan,

who was said to wield power over volcanic fires.

5. The Russian word for volcano is vulkan (вулкан)

6. In March 2010 Iceland‘s glacial volcano Eyjafjallajokull

erupted. The volcanic ash forced cancellations of flights

over the North Atlantic, stranding thousands of travelers. It

was the volcano‘s first major eruption since 1821.

7. Mount Merapi on the island of Java in Indonesia recent-

ly erupted (October 2010). Seismologists and Volcanolo-

gists believe that it will be a long slow eruption.

8. The ―Ring of Fire‖ holds over 75% of the world‘s active

and dormant volcanoes. It is a geographic arc stretching

from New Zealand, along the eastern edge of Asia, north

across the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, and south along the

coast of North and South America.

9. Like the rhythm and harmonies in Stravinsky‘s Le sacre

du printemps, volcanoes can be violent and explosive.

They are also exciting, dynamic, and interesting. And, just

as Stravinsky‘s work forever changed the Western musical

landscape, volcanoes can forever change environmental

landscapes.

Volcanic Gas Cloud

Mount Redoubt, Alaska


Mount Merapi

Indonesia

Nov. 5, 2010

Tonga Eruption

New Island Formed

March 21, 2009

One of the best ways to understand how volcanoes work is to build your own model. Instructions for building a volcano and

observing how magma flows beneath the Earth‘s crust are outlined below. Be sure to have proper adult supervision before

embarking on your volcanic expedition.

Gelatin Volcano (Quoted from: http://www.spacegrant.hawaii.edu/class_acts/GelVol.html)

What you will need:

• Unflavored gelatin, 28 gm (one-ounce) box containing four packages

• Spoon

• Bowls or bread pans, either one 2-liter (or 2-quart) capacity, or

smaller sizes

• Red food coloring, to mix with water in a glass to make "magma"

• Syringe for injecting magma, best to use a plastic variety found at pet

stores for feeding birds

• Peg board, 40 x 60 cm, with 5-mm-diameter holes spaced 2.5 cm apart.

Or you can use a large, disposable aluminum pan that you've punched

holes into.

• Two bricks, 30 cm high

• Large knife to cut through the gelatin model

• Tray, for collecting drips

• Rubber gloves (optional) for protecting hands from food coloring

Directions:

1. Prepare gelatin for the volcano model by mixing two cups of cool water with four packages of unflavored gela-

tin in a large bowl. Stir for 30 seconds. Then add six cups of boiling water and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Trans-

fer mixture to a 2-liter bowl, smaller bowls, or bread pans. Refrigerate gelatin at least three hours or until set.

2. Prepare "magma" by mixing water in a glass with enough red food coloring to make a very dark liquid.

3. Loosen the gelatin by dipping the bowl briefly in a larger bowl of hot water.

4. Transfer the gelatin upside down to the center of the peg board and lift off the bowl. The gelatin cast will settle

somewhat after being removed from the bowl. It should resemble a colorless to milky, shimmering volcano. There

should be no cracks in the gelatin, but it's OK to proceed if one develops during unmolding.

5. Place the peg board on top of the two bricks.

6. Fill a syringe with red water. Remove air bubbles from the syringe by holding it upright and squirting out a

small amount of water. Air tends to fracture the gelatin.

7. Predict what will happen when red water is injected into the gelatin cast. What direction will it go? What shape

will it take? Will it erupt through the surface of the gelatin? If so, where?

8. Insert the syringe through a hole in the peg board into the center of the gelatin cast. Inject the red water slowly,

at a rate of about 20 cc/minute, and watch carefully.

9. Describe how the experimental results compare with your predictions.



10. Refill and insert the syringe as many times as possible. Compare magma migration each time. Are there differences in

the direction the magma takes when the syringe is inserted in different parts of the gelatin cast? Describe and explain what

you see.

11. Looking directly down on the gelatin cast, sketch the positions and shapes of the magma bodies. Label your drawing

"Map View."

12. Use a sharp knife to cut through the gelatin cast. Separate the pieces and examine the cut surfaces. Note the traces

made by the magma bodies; these are similar to what we see in highway road cuts or

cliff faces.

13. Sketch the positions and shapes of the magma bodies on a cut face. Label your drawing "Cross-sectional View."

14. Compare what you see in two dimensions on the cut face with what you see in three dimensions looking into the gela-

tin cast. Which view gives you more information? Why?

15. How and why does magma move through volcanoes?

―Regardless of how one interprets Debussy's music, it undeniably has a subtle

and a magical power over the imagination.‖

♫ Achille-Claude Debussy was born on August 22, 1862 in St. Germain-en-

Laye, a suburb of Paris, France. He was the eldest of four surviving chil-

dren. His parents, Manuel-Achille and Victorine, ran a small china shop

that eventually was forced to close during the Franco-Prussian War.

♫ Debussy‘s father wanted him to become a sailor.

♫ Debussy‘s mother did not like young children very much, and often sent

him, along with his siblings to Cannes to visit their aunt, Clémentine. In

1870 it was she who arranged for the young Claude to have his first piano

lessons with the Italian violinist, Jean Cerutti, while the family was living

with her to escape the Franco-Prussian War.

♫ During the war, Manuel Debussy became a captain with the Paris Com-

mune, who tried to seize political power in the spring of 1871. The upris-

ing was suppressed, and Manuel was arrested and sentenced to four years

in prison, but after one year, the sentence was commuted to suspension of

his civil rights. Claude tried to cover up this incident, and never talked

about it.

♫ Once back in Paris, Debussy continued his piano studies with Antoinette Mauté, who also happened to be mother-in-law of

poet Paul Verlaine. She recognized the young Claude‘s talent and persuaded his father to allow him to pursue his talent. Ma-

nuel agreed.

♫ Claude was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire in 1872 at the age of ten. He never attended an ordinary school. The Con-

servatoire, founded during the French Revolution, was the main school for training composers and performers. Between

1875 and 1877 he won several prizes for sight-reading and solfège (do-re-mi), but he did not win a premier prix for piano

performance, making a career as a soloist nearly impossible.

♫ Claude‘s youngest brother, Eugène succumbed to meningitis in 1877. He was three years old.

♫ Debussy was not a great student at the Conservatoire. He hated the long hours of practice required and the diligence needed

for studying. His teachers noted his poor habits in their reports. They also noted that he did not always see eye-to-eye with

his harmony professors who did not always appreciate his creativity.

♫ During the summer of 1879, he took a job at Chenonceaux, a castle in the Loire valley, where his main duty was to play

soothing music on the piano to lull the mistress of the house to sleep.

♫ Debussy finally won a premier prix for accompaniment in 1880, allowing him to remain at the Conservatoire.

♫ Also in 1880 he fell under the patronage of Madame von Meck, the Russian millionaire who was also Tchaikovsky‘s main

benefactor. Debussy traveled with her household for three summers touring the Continent and Russia. He was expected to

give piano and theory lessons to the youngest von Meck children, and to play in a piano trio. By all accounts he was a favor-

ite among the von Meck family, and he thoroughly enjoyed his time with them.

♫ In 1883, after three years of composition lessons with Ernest Guiraud, Debussy entered the Prix de Rome competition, a

famous award given by the French Academy of Fine Arts. That year he won second place. In 1884 he re-entered the compe-

tition and won.

CLAUDE DEBUSSY 1862–1918: BIOGRAPHY/TIMELINE



♫ Debussy was reluctant to travel to Rome largely because of his affair with the young Madame Vasnier (Marie-Adélaide), an

amateur singer for whom he wrote several songs and accompanied at private recitals. It was her husband who convinced him

to go. He was miserable during his two years in Rome, but still managed to complete two works, one of which was his or-

chestral suite Printemps. He left Rome in early 1887 to return to Paris.

♫ In 1887 he heard Richard Wagner‘s opera Lohengrin in Paris. Although most Parisians hated the performance—some even

hissed—Debussy was enthralled with Wagner‘s ideas. Debussy traveled to Bayreuth over two summers to hear Wagner‘s

operas. He even attempted to compose his own music-drama but gave up. Even so, Debussy felt Wagner‘s influence through-

out his life.

♫ 1889 saw the World Fair in Paris as a part of its centenary celebration of the Revolution. The newly built Eiffel Tower was

one of the main attractions. Debussy was most interested, however, in the Javanese pavilion and the new kinds of music he

heard there, particularly the delicate percussion instruments and the five-note, pentatonic, scales. At the World Fair he fell in

love with the visual art style now known as ―Art Nouveau‖ with its swirling lines and bold designs, floral patterns, etc. It re-

flected the new Symbolist poetry that also captured the young composer‘s imagination.

♫ In December 1889 he officially changed his first name from Achille-Claude to Claude-Achille.

♫ During the early 1890s he met Gabrielle Dupont (Gaby), who had come to Paris seeking her fortune as a courtesan. She and

Debussy lived together for seven years before she tired of his constant lack of money, and he sought marriage and greater

respectability. Nevertheless, he described this period of his life as his happiest, writing: ―It was no life of luxury, but even so,

it was the best time of all.‖

♫ After he and Gaby broke up, the only place area of Paris where Debussy could afford to live on his own was in Montmartre, a

working-class district up on a hill. This area was home to many artists, poets, and musicians living a ―Bohemian‖ life style.

Sacré-Coeur, not yet completed then, is in Montmartre as is the famous Moulin Rouge. Debussy captured the essence of the

area with his Suite bergamasque for piano, whose third movement, Clair de lune was considered so suggestive that respecta-

ble young ladies were forbidden to play it.

♫ While living in Montmartre, Debussy met and formed friendships with the composer Erik Satie and the wealthy patron Ernest

Chausson. The latter may have inspired Debussy to compose his only string quartet, which turned out to be a great success

when it was performed in 1893. Although his friendship with Chausson did not last, he remained close with Satie for the rest

of his life.

♫ December 22, 1894 saw the premiere of one of Debussy‘s most important and popular works, Prélude à l’après-mide d’un

faune. Although it was given a poor first performance, the work was an immediate success. Many years later, composer

Pierre Boulez wrote of the work: ―From that moment, music began to beat with a new pulse.‖

♫ In 1901 he worked as a music critic under the penname ―Monsieur Croche,‖ writing for the Revue blanche. His articles gave

him the opportunity to develop some of his non-traditional musical ideas.

♫ He completed his opera Pelléas et Mélisande, based on the Symbolist play by Maurice Maeterlinck, in 1895, but it was not

staged until 1902, when it premiered at the Opéra-Comique on April 30th. Although the work has remained in the operatic

repertoire, it was not successful when first performed. The public was openly hostile toward it.

♫ In the late 1890s his relationship with Gaby reached a critical point when she discovered evidence of his infidelities. They

were constantly fighting, which was reflected in his orchestral work Nocturnes, completed in 1899. Even though their rela-

tionship ended, he remembered her affectionately.

♫ He married Lily Texier on October 19, 1899. their marriage was not a great one. They had nothing in common, were fraught

with money problems, and Lily was frequently ill.

♫ Debussy was promoted to Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur in January 1903.

♫ In the fall of 1903, Debussy met and fell in love with Emma Bardac, who was also married. They ran off together to the is-

land of Jersey in July 1904 causing quite a scandal. He eventually divorced Lily in 1907 and married Emma the following

year, three years after the birth of their daughter Claude-Emma (―Chou-Chou‖).

♫ Although he earned a decent living by this time, Debussy still had debts and financial trouble. He needed to embark on

concert tours in order to make ends meet. These problems, in turn, put a strain on his marriage to Emma, but because of


their daughter, they remained together.

♫ In 1905 he completed La Mer and then went on vacation to Eastbourne on the Channel coast of England. He always loved the sea

and never forgot that his father had wanted him to become a sailor.

♫ He wrote mostly piano music between 1906 and 1908, including his famous Children’s Corner for his daughter to play when she

grew older. The last movement of this work, ―Golliwog‘s Cakewalk‖, pokes fun at his former idol, Wagner.

♫ By 1909 Debussy was world famous. He accepted invitations to conduct his own music, and he even wrote two works for the

Conservatoire‘s annual exams: Petite pièce for sight-reading and the First Rhapsody as a test-piece. Moreover, his opera Pelléas

et Mélisande had has much success with performances throughout Europe and the United States.

♫ Diaghilev‘s entry into the Paris art scene in 1909 with his Russian Ballet changed the way audiences viewed the classical dance

form. They loved the exotic costumes, sets, and new style of choreography. Seeking new composers for his company Diaghiliev

approached Debussy who sketched a scenario, but never completed it. Instead, he finished his orchestral work: a set of three Im-

ages.

♫ Around 1909 Debussy‘s own health began to deteriorate. He developed early symptoms of cancer and had to take strong medica-

tion to reduce the pain. He still kept composing and touring, however, completing his Préludes for piano and embarking on a

successful conducting tour of Vienna and Budapest.

♫ He reluctantly wrote for the ballet in 1911 and in 1912 he finally accepted Diaghilev‘s invitation to write for the Russian Ballet.

The principal dancer Nijinsky was interested in choreographing some of the composer‘s orchestral works. L’après-midi d’un

faune met with much criticism, however. On May 15, 1913, his ballet Jeux premiered to a lukewarm reception. That opening was

quickly forgotten in light of the riotous premiere of Stravinsky‘s ballet Le Sacre du printemps two weeks later.

♫ He traveled extensively for much of 1914 giving concert tours. By August 1st of that year he was in Paris when the first troops

were mobilized as World War I began.

♫ In September 1914, as the German army advanced, Debussy and his family went to Angers, where they spent a month at the

Grand Hotel.

♫ In October 1914 his publisher, Jacques Durand, began to release new editions of major composers. Debussy agreed to supervise

new editions of Chopin. He later worked on Durand‘s edition of Bach as well.

♫ In March 1915 both his mother and mother-in-law passed away on the 23rd and 29th, respectively.

♫ Because of the war, he and his family stayed in the French countryside at Pourville from July through October 1915.

♫ He continued to compose and was annoyed by the popular success of his Noël des enfants qui n’ont plus de maison (Homeless

Children‘s Christmas).

♫ He had surgery on December 7, 1915 in an attempt to cure his colon cancer. The cancer could not be removed and left him in

pain.

♫ The following year, despite his professional successes, he was again beset with money problems. His ex-wife, Lily, sued him for

the alimony he owed for six years. He was forced to pay 3600 francs a year.

♫ From September to October 1916 he and his family resided in the Grand Hotel at Moulleau. There Debussy‘s chief complaint

was the number of pianos played by mediocre pianists.

♫ He did slow down as his health continued to deteriorate. He continued to play in charity concerts, however.

♫ By 1918 his illness forced him on continued bedrest.

♫ He died on March 25, 1918. His funeral took place on March 29th. He was temporarily buried in the Père-Lachaise cemetery in

Paris and later moved to the Cemetery of Passy.

♫ Sadly, Debussy‘s young daughter passed away from diphtheria the following year on July 16, 1919. She was thirteen years old.


Debussy as a baby Debussy as a young student at the Conservatoire

Deubssy ca. 1893

Debussy and Lily Texier

Chou-Chou Debussy


―I don‘t write modern music—I only write good music.‖

The first time most people learn of Igor Stravinsky‘s music, it is in the context of one of the most infamous premieres in

all of music history: the premiere of ―Le Sacre du Printemps‖ (―The Rite of Spring‖) on May 29, 1913. The music was so different

from what anyone in the audience had heard before that a veritable riot broke out in the theater resulting in the arrest of some of

Paris‘s elite. The event was, and is still, so notable that it deserves a more detailed description in the few pages following the com-

poser‘s biographical outline.

♫ Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky was born on June 17, 1882 in Oranienbaum (now Lomonosov) in Russia. His birthplace is

about 25 miles west of St. Petersburg, his family‘s primary residence. He was the third of four boys and did not get along

well with his two elder brothers, nor was he close to either of his parents. Young Igor‘s closest family relationships were

with his younger brother Guri, the family butler, and his nurse/nanny.

♫ Stravinsky came from a musical family. His father, Fyodor, was the principal bass singer with the St. Petersburg Imperial

Opera. According to the colpolser, his father ―was a very well-known artist in his day. He had a beautiful voice and an

amazing technique, acquired in studying by the Italian method at the St. Petersburg Conservatoire, in addition to great

dramatic talent—a rare attribute among opera singers at the time.‖

♫ His earliest musical memories and influences came from his childhood summer vacations in the country. He listened to

peasant women singing and imitated them for his parents, who complimented him. He also listened to an old man who

could not speak, but communicated by clucking his tongue. He put his hand under his armpit and made sounds by flap-

ping his arm up and down like a chicken. Stravinsky‘s parents were not so complimentary when he performed this imita-

tion for them. He also heard his father practice and read his father‘s opera scores.

♫ Stravinsky began piano lessons at the age of nine. He didn‘t always do what he was supposed to do, making up his own

tunes to play or improvising on the music he was supposed to be learning, but he also was a good student and quickly

learned to play works by some of the world‘s most renowned composers.

IGOR STRAVINSKY 1882–1971: BIOGRAPHY/TIMELINE


♫ The most influential musical moment in the young composer‘s life, according to Stravinsky himself, came when he spied

the famous Tchaikovsky in the lobby of the theater at a performance of Glinka‘s Ruslan and Lyudmila. Although the two

never met in person, Stravinsky wrote of that moment, ―. . . I was far from realizing that this glimpse of the living Tchai-

kovsky—fleeting though it was—would become one of my most treasured memories.‖

♫ When Stravinsky was eleven, his parents sent him to a formal school—he was previously home-schooled. He hated going

to class and doing his assignments. He admitted to being a poor student. He also had a hard time fitting in socially. He took

refuge in his music.

♫ After graduating from high school, Stravinsky knew he wanted to pursue a career in music. His parents made him study

law, however. Again, he was a poor student, preferring to study music privately instead.

♫ In the summer of 1902, Igor accompanied his parents to Germany where his father received treatment for cancer. On that

trip, Igor learned that the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was vacationing nearby. Igor and Rimsky-

Korsakov‘s son, Vladimir, were good friends, and so, Igor met the esteemed composer and played some compositions for

him. The young Stravinsky had much to learn, but Rimsky-Korsakov promised to teach him once he had learned more.

That promise was fulfilled three years later.

♫ In 1906 Stravinsky married his cousin Catherine Nossenko. They had four children: Theodore (1907), Lyudmila (1908),

Sviatoslav (1910), and Maria Milena (1914). He was successful as a composer. Having Rimsky-Korsakov as a patron

helped immensely, and Stravinsky was deeply saddened when his mentor passed away in 1908.

♫ Stravinsky‘s orchestral work, Fireworks, had its premiere in 1909. Sergei Diaghilev attended the performance. Following

the performance, Diaghilev wanted to create a Russian ballet company (Ballets Russes) to perform in Paris. engaged the

young Stravinsky to orchestrate some of Chopin‘s piano music for a ballet called Les Sylphides. During this period, Stra-

vinsky also began to work on his own opera, The Nightingale.

♫ In this era when Russian artists turned toward their own national myths and music for inspiration, Diaghilev wanted to pro-

duce a ballet based on the Russian legend of the beautifully colored Firebird. He ultimately commissioned Stravinsky to

compose the music. The Firebird was premiered in Paris on June 25, 1910. According to the composer himself, ―The per-

formance was warmly applauded by the Paris public.‖

♫ Following on the heels of The Firebird‘s success, Stravinsky and Diaghilev again collaborated on another ballet, Petrush-

ka, also based on Russian folk tales. The success of these two works rocketed Stravinsky from an unknown composer to

one of the most famous in all of Europe, setting the stage for The Rite of Spring.

♫ When The Rite of Spring had its premiere on May 29, 1913, the audience‘s reaction was vastly different from those who

attended the openings of Stravinsky‘s first two Parisian ballets. In fact, the riot that this new work induced forever secured

Stravinsky a place in music history. (see next page for details).

♫ With the outbreak of World War I in 1914 and the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, Stravinsky‘s life was forever changed.

He could not return to his native Russia, nor did he feel safe in Paris. So, like many other European artists, he moved his

family to Switzerland, a neutral country, for the duration of the war.

♫ After peace was restored, Stravinsky and his family returned to Paris. In 1920 his new ballet Pulcinella premiered. The

work is significant in that it marks the beginning of a new style of composing for Stravinsky, one in which he looks back in

time for inspiration. This style is called neoclassicism, and would remain Stravinsky‘s main compositional approach for the

next 30 years.

♫ In 1921 Stravinsky embarked on a hugely successful conducting tour. He came to the United States in 1925. When his ship

docked in New York, he held a short press conference during which a reporter asked him if he liked modern music. The

composer answered that he hated it, and is remembered for the quote that appears above.

♫ The 1920s and early 1930s were happy and prosperous for Stravinsky. He became a French citizen in 1934. However, in

1938, he met with tragedy when both his wife and daughter Lyudmila died of tuberculosis. His mother also died that same

year.

♫ The 1930s saw Hitler‘s rise to power in Germany, and Europe was again on the brink of war. After Hitler‘s attack on Po-

land on September 1, 1939, Stravinsky knew that it was only a matter of time before Germany invaded France. So, he took

advantage of an invitation to lecture at Harvard University and set out for the United States.


♫ Feeling more at home and appreciated in the USA, Stravinsky decided to settle there permanently, making his home in Hol-

lywood, CA, where he received many offers to compose film scores. Very few of those came to fruition, however. He also

married Vera Sudeykina in March 1940.

♫ Barnum and Bailey Circus commissioned Stravinsky to write for its New York performances in 1942. Circus Polka was

the piece that he wrote. It was a ballet and became an instant hit; the tutued performers were all baby elephants!

♫ In 1945, at the end of World War II, Stravinsky composed his Symphony in Three Movements to celebrate the restoration of

peace time. He also became a U. S. citizen.

♫ He traveled to Chicago in 1947. After seeing an exhibit of William Hogarth‘s comic engravings titled A Rake’s Progress at

the Chicago Art Institute, Stravinsky decided to compose a comic opera on the subject. American poet W.H. Auden and writer

Chester Kallman wrote the libretto. The work premiered on September 11, 1951 at La Fenice in Venice, Italy. It was Stravinsky‘s

last work in the neoclassic style.

♫ Around the time that Stravinsky began his work on The Rake’s Progress, he met Robert Craft, a young musician. Soon

thereafter, Craft became Stravinsky‘s personal assistant, friend, and biographer. It was Craft who introduced Stravinsky to the cur-

rent compositional style known as 12-tone music.

♫ When Stravinsky was 80 years old, the Soviet Union (Russia) invited him to return. Although he did not like the Com-

munist government, Stravinsky accepted the invitation—he had not been to his birthplace in 48 years. He was welcomed every-

where he went. In St. Petersburg he even saw his old friend Vladimir Rimsky-Korsakov again.

♫ He wrote his last major composition Requiem Canticles in 1966. While he was working on it, Stravinsky moved to New

York because of its superior medical care. He died there on April 6, 1971. He was buried in Venice, Italy near his friend Sergei Di-

aghilev.

Stravinsky as a baby Stravinsky as a young man


Even before its infamous opening night, Stravin-

sky‘s ballet The Rite of Spring ran into many difficulties.

The members of the orchestra had never seen music like

Stravinsky‘s before. It was rife with unusual rhythms and

harmonies. Pierre Monteux, the conductor recognized that

the music would be difficult, and as such, scheduled 17

rehearsals in two weeks. During the rehearsal process the

musicians kept stopping the conductor to ask if there were

mistakes in the music. It happened so often that Monteux

finally said, ―Do not stop me asking if you have a mistake.

If you have one, I will let you know.‖ One of the orches-

tra‘s members wrote of the musicians‘ initial impression of

the music,

When we came to a place where all the brass in-

struments, in a gigantic fortissimo, produces such

an offending conglomeration that the whole or-

chestra broke down in a spontaneous nervous

laugh and stopped playing. But Stravinsky

jumped out of his seat, furious, running to the

piano and saying, ―Gentlemen, you do not have to

laugh. I know what I wrote,‖ and he started to

play the awful passage, reestablishing order.

The dancers were just as confused by Stravin-

sky‘s unusual music as the orchestra was. The choreogra-

phy was tricky and made harder by the complicated

rhythms. The dancers had well over 100 rehearsals to pre-

pare for the first performance.

There was a great deal of hype surrounding the ballet‘s

premiere. So much so, in fact, that many people had al-

ready formed opinions of the work before they even heard the

music or saw the dancing. The opening night audience was full of

Paris‘s elite, for whom the premiere was also a social event of

seeing and being seen. Some of them already had heard that the

work was difficult and hard to understand. They planned ahead of

time to ridicule the choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky during the

performance, after rumors spread that the work was violent, diffi-

cult, and incomprehensible. The planned ridicule went much fur-

ther than anyone could have predicted, however.

The debacle started with the opening measures of Stra-

vinsky‘s music. The solo bassoon played a line pitched well

above the instrument‘s traditional range. One audience member

started to laugh at the unusual sound. Another slapped him. The

scene quickly devolved into what one modern author describes as

―a rock concert gone wild.‖ One man, who became caught up in

the frenzied rhythms of the music, pounded on the head of man in

front of him. Another member of the audience called for a dentist

after seeing socialite Maria Piltz ―with her head resting on her

clenched hands at the start of the Sacrificial Dance.‖ The uproar

continued on. An elderly gentleman tied a white handkerchief to

his cane and waved it in the air in surrender. Fistfights broke out

in the audience.

Amid the chaos, the orchestra tried to play louder in or-

der to be heard. Stravinsky left his seat in the audience and hur-

ried backstage in a rage. Later, wrote: ―I have never again been

that angry. The music was so familiar to me; I loved it, and I

could not understand why people who had not yet heard it wanted

to protest in advance.‖ Nijinsky, the choreographer, was standing

on a chair in the wings shouting the counts to the dancers who

were unable to hear the music over the din. The stage manager

began flashing the houselights to try to calm the audience. He also

kept the house lights on during the introduction to the second sce-

ne in an attempt to maintain control. It worked for a while, espe-

cially as police officers escorted a few people out of the theater

and placed them under arrest, but as soon as the lights went out,

the riot began again. Somehow, amid all the chaos, the musicians

and dancers completed the performance, which lasted just over a

half an hour.

THE RITE OF SPRING: OPENING NIGHT, MAY 29, 1913

Choreographic Sketches

The Dancers at the Premiere

♫ John Towner Williams was born on Long Island in February 8, 1932.

♫ He started piano lessons at the age of eight, and after moving with his family to Los Angeles in 1948, continued his stud-

ies with pianist-arranger Bobby Van Eps. He attended North Hollywood High School, class of 1950.

♫ From 1951 to 1954 he served in the United States Air Force conducting and orchestrating the music for service bands.

♫ Once he left the military, he moved back to New York. He attended the Juilliard School, and studied with Rosina

Lhévinne. Using the name Johnny Williams, he also played in jazz clubs and recording studios. He also played in bands

for composers, the most notable of whom was Henri Mancini.

♫ He returned to Los Angeles, where he enrolled at UCLA and began private composition lessons with Mario Castelnuovo-

Tedesco and Arthur Olaf Anderson.

♫ In 1956, Twentieth Century Fox hired him as a studio pianist. He was soon writing for TV series‘, such as Gilligan’s Is-

land, Lost in Space, Wagon Train, and Land of the Giants, as well as for low budget movies.

♫ His Oscar nominated score for The Valley of the Dolls (1967) rocketed him to the A list of Hollywood composers. Other

successful film scores included The Poseidon Adventure (1972), which included the popular hit song ―The Morning Af-

ter,‖ and the score for The Cowboys (1972), starring John Wayne.

♫ His iconic status as a film composer came in the 1970s when he began his long association with Steven Spielberg, scoring

Jaws (1975) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

♫ During the 1970s he also began working with George Lucas, scoring the music for Star Wars, a movie that changed a

generation.

♫ He went on write the music for other movies that have since become classics. Those include Superman (1978), The Em-

pire Strikes Back (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E. T.: the Extra Terrestrial (1982), Return of the Jedi (1983),

Jurassic Park (1993), and Schindler’s List (1993), among others. He has also written the music for other directors such as

Oliver Stone, and he even composed for hit comedies, such as Home Alone (1990).


JOHN WILLIAMS B. 1932: BIOGRAPHY/TIMELINE


♫ In addition to his work on movies, Williams composed the music for several NBC series and the Olympics.

♫ His work has earned him five Academy awards (nominated 36 times), and over 30 Grammy awards/nominations.

♫ In 1980 he succeeded Arthur Fiedler as the music director of the Boston Pops, giving him the chance to write music for spe-

cial occasions and to conduct on many recordings of both classical and film music.

♫ Although he retired from the Pops in 1993, Williams continues to make appearances as a guest conductor both in Boston

and at Tanglewood (the orchestra‘s summer home). He also appears with other major orchestras, ―ranking high among

America‘s most eloquent and representative composers.‖

Cartoon of Williams as a Rock Star

John Williams—age 25

―The image we have been left of Ralph Vaughan Williams could only be

of an Englishman.‖

♫ Ralph Vaughan Williams was born on October 12, 1872 in Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, England. As he said, he was

born ―with a very small silverspoon in my mouth.‖ His father‘s family was made up of generations of lawyers, although

Arthur Vaughan Williams, the composer‘s father, was a reverend. His mother was Charles Darwin‘s niece. The Vaughan

Williams family was of a social class one step below that of landed gentry.

♫ Following his father‘s death in 1875, when the composer was only two-and-a-half years old, he moved with his mother and

two older siblings (a brother and sister) to his mother‘s family home, Leith Hill Place in Surrey.

♫ Music was a big part of his serene and happy childhood. His aunt, Spohy Wedgwood, taught him to play the piano. She

also taught him the rudiments of composition. He was not a prodigy like Mozart. In fact, learning to compose did not come

easily to him. But, after years of diligent study, his genius emerged.

♫ He began prep school in Sussex in 1883, at which time he was also acquainted with the violin in addition to piano and or-

gan.

♫ In January 1887 he transferred to Charterhouse School. By that time he was an accomplished arranger of chamber music,

having arranged chamber works for whatever instruments available. He also made the switch from the violin to the viola

and played in the school‘s orchestra. In 1890 he gave a concert at Charterhouse, during which one of his math teachers told

him, ―You must go on.‖ The composer said it was one of the few words of encouragement he received.


RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS 1872–1958: BIOGRAPHY/TIMELINE

♫ He attended the Royal College of Music for two years and then Trinity College in Cambridge where he earned a Music

Baccalaureate in 1894, and a BA in history in 1895. He then returned to the RCM for an additional year of musical stud-

ies. His teachers were Charles V. Stanford, Sir Hubert Parry, and Charles Wood. During his last year at the RCM, he met

and befriended fellow composer Gustav Holst. They maintained a close friendship until Holst‘s death in 1934. Later, in

1897 and 1908, respectively, he studied in Berlin with Max Bruch and in Paris with Maurice Ravel.

♫ 1895 was a busy year for Vaughan Williams. During this period of intense study he met cellist and pianist Adeline Fish-

er. They became engaged in 1896 and were married on October 9, 1897.

♫ He struggled with composition for a long time, but by 1909/1910 he found his own style, looking toward older English

music for inspiration. He composed both On Wenlock Edge and the Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis during these

two years.

♫ With the outbreak of World War I, Vaughan Williams felt it necessary to volunteer to serve his country. Although he was

in his early 40s, he served as a wagon orderly with the Royal Army Medical Corps in France and later as an artillery of-

ficer there. After the war ended he became the music director for the First Army of the British Expeditionary Force. His

job in that position was to organize amateur music-making among the troops.

♫ In 1919 Vaughan Williams joined the faculty at the RCM and became the conductor for the Bach Choir, a position he

held for eight years.

♫ From the 1920s on he was increasingly in demand as a composer, and his works were played in festivals all over the

world.

♫ He was invited to Connecticut in 1922 to conduct the American premiere of his Pastoral Symphony.

♫ Starting in 1919 with an honorary Doctorate of Music from Oxford, Vaughan Williams would receive many musical

awards and honors throughout his life.

♫ The 1935 premiere of his Fourth Symphony cemented Vaughan Williams‘s position as a leader of the ―English school‖

of composition. Also in 1935 he turned down a knighthood and other honors because of the obligations that came with

them. He did accept the Order of Merit, however, because it did not come with additional obligations.

♫ He met Ursula Wood, a writer and poet, in March 1938. The two developed a close personal and professional relation-

ship.

♫ Because he was sympathetic to the German refugees during the third Reich, the Nazis banned Vaughan Williams‘ music

in Germany.

♫ During World War II he was the director for the Home Office Committee for the Release of Interned Alien Musicians.

He organized lunchtime concerts and worked for the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts.

♫ Beginning in the 1940s he started to compose music for films, which he found to be very exciting.

♫ In 1947, as a part of his venturing into film music, he received a commission from Ernest Irving to write the music for a

film about Captain Scott‘s expedition to Antarctica. Vaughan Williams was intrigued. He greatly admired the crew‘s

courage, even though the expedition was not well organized. RVW completed the film score in the spring of 1948, and

the film was released in December of that year. Vaughan Williams later decided to rework the film‘s score into a full-

length symphony, completing Sinfonia Antarctica (his seventh symphony) in 1952 and had its first performance on Janu-

ary 14, 1953.

♫ On May 10, 1951 Vaughan Williams‘ wife Adeline, who had been in poor health for 30 years, passed away at the age of

80.

♫ He married Ursula Wood on February 7, 1953. The newlyweds signed a 21-year lease on their new home, which the 80-

year-old composer felt was too short.


♫ Later in 1953 the couple visited Italy, and then in 1954, decided to visit America. RVW took a position as a visiting pro-

fessor at Cornell University. His colleague and friend there, Keith Faulkner, arranged for Vaughan Williams to do a lec-

ture tour across the United States. Before leaving America he was awarded the Howland Prize and Medal from New

Haven University. He was only the third composer to receive this honor.

♫ He began writing his Eighth Symphony in 1953 and finished it in 1955. the work was first performed on May 2, 1956.

♫ RVW‘s last symphony began as a programme piece based on his impressions of Salisbury, including Stonehenge. He

later decided to expand the work into a full symphony and discarded the programmatic elements. This work had its

premiere on April 2, 1958 by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

♫ Ralph Vaughan Williams died peacefully in London on August 26, 1958.


Ralph Vaughan Williams as a young man


Ralph Vaughan Williams Statue

Dorking in Surrey, United Kingdom


The Music: Listening Guides Le Sacre du Printemps (excerpts) by Igor Stravinsky

Historical Note:

Le Sacre du Printemps was Stravinsky‘s second collaboration with Sergei Diaghilev‘s Ballets Russes. It fol-

lowed four years after the The Firebird (1909), which was a huge success. By 1913 Parisian audiences were fascinated with pagan-

ism in history. The idea of the ―strange, explicit, sexual, and grotesque‖ appealed to Paris‘s elite. On the eve of the First World

War, Parisian taste tended toward primitivism, ―ultra-originality,‖ exoticism, and lively dance. This was the prevailing cultural

attitude in which Stravinsky wrote his ballet. As early as 1910 he claims the idea came to him. He wrote in his autobiography, ―. . .

there arose a picture of a sacred pagan ritual: the wise elders are seated in a circle and are observing the dance before the death of

the girl whom they are offering as a sacrifice to the god of Spring in order to gain his benevolence. This became the subject of The

Rite of Spring.‖ Following the work‘s riotous premiere (outlined in detail with Stravinsky‘s biography), there were several more

performances. Its greatest early success came in April 1914 when it was performed as an orchestral suite at the Casino de Paris,

again under the baton of Pierre Monteux. Although it has been choreographed and staged several times since 1913, Le Sacre du

Printemps has had its greatest success in the concert hall. Nearly a full century since its premiere, this work remains as vibrant and

innovative as it was on May 29, 1913.

Instruments:

Key(s):

The work is polytonal and also uses modal harmonies as well as harmonies based on the octatonic scale. In Le Sacre du

printemps the pattern is as follows:

H-W-H-W-H-W-H-W (i.e., E♭-E♮-F♯-G♮-A♮-B♭-C♮-D♭-E♭).

Tempo and Meter:

(speed and rhythm)

Rhythm is the driving force in this work. The frequent shifts in the meter add excitement and a sense of unpredictability

to the ballet.

The meter in this work shifts frequently, in some places as often as every measure. In the opening measures alone, the

meter changes with almost every measure: 4/4-3/4-4/4-2/4-3/4-2/4/-3/4-2/4. (see example of bassoon solo in Additional

Elements)

In other passages the meter has the same frequent shifts, using less-traditional time signatures: 11/4-5/8-9/8.

Piccolo

3 Flutes (Fl. III = Piccolo II)

Alto Flute

4 Oboes (Oboe IV = English Horn II)

English Horn

Small Clarinet (D, E♭)

3 Clarinets (B♭, A) (Clarinet II = Bass Clarinet II)

Bass Clarinet (B♭) (=Clarinet IV)

4 Bassoon (Bassoon IV = Contrabassoon II)

Contrabassoon

8 Horns (F) (Horns VII, VIII = B♭ Tenor [Wagner] Tubas)

D Trumpet

4 Trumpets (C) (Trumpet IV = E♭ Bass Trumpet)

3 Trombones

2 Tubas

Small Timpani

Large Timpani

Percussion

Triangle

Tambourine

Guiro

Antique Cymbals (A♭, B♭)

Cymbals

Bass Drum

Tam-tam

Strings


Form: Two-part ballet, each divided into sections.

Part I: The Adoration of the Earth

Introduction

The Augurs of Spring [Dances of the Young Girls]

Ritual of Abduction

Spring Rounds

Ritual of the Two Rival Tribes

Procession of the Sage

The Adoration of the Earth (The Sage)

The Dance of the Earth

Part II: The Sacrifice

Introduction

Mystic Circle of the Young Girls

Glorification of the Chosen One

Evocation of the Ancestors

Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)

Additional Elements: Le Sacre du printemps is structured in cells layered upon one another; each cell is typically made up of three- and four-not

motives. All of its ―modern‖ elements had been heard and used before. Stravinsky‘s innovation with this ballet is derived

from the way in which he used these elements in rapid succession, [Walsh, 44]

The opening bassoon solo is the only folk song that Stravinsky acknowledged to have borrowed, although other borrow-

ings are evident in the work.

There is a four-note ostinato pattern also derived from folk song sources.


Questions for the Classroom: After hearing Stravinsky‘s work for the first time, what do you think of the bassoon solo that started the riot?

How does Stravinsky‘s music make you feel when you listen to it? Does it make you feel like dancing? What other activi-

ties would you do to this music?

Can you hear the ostinato? What instruments play it?

________________________________________

La Mer (excerpts) by Claude Debussy

Historical Note:

Debussy had a fascination with the sea throughout his life. His father originally wanted him to be a sailor, and in 1889,

while completing a questionnaire, he replied to the question of what he would be if not himself, he replied a sailor. Some of his ear-

liest compositions used water as a subject and in their titles. Given his love of the ocean, with all of the emotions it can stir, it seems

appropriate that Debussy wrote La Mer during one of the most turbulent periods in his life. At the time he began to compose La

Mer, Debussy was already well-known in Paris society and ―a cause célèbre,‖ largely from the success of his opera Pelléas et Mé-

lisande. Nonetheless, his personal finances were still in disarray. He continued to live a Bohemian lifestyle, preferring to spend his

money on oriental (exotic) art and trinkets, rather than on more practical things like food and rent. Moreover, he met Emma Bardac

(the composer‘s second wife) on December 1, 1903. Once his wife Lilly learned of their affair, she attempted suicide. The entire

episode, and his private life in general, became fodder for gossip and the press; there was even a play written about Debussy‘s mari-

tal affairs called La femme nue. Hid divorce from Lilly was an embattled one, and he was involved in litigation for the rest of his

life.

Debussy kept a detailed journal that included sketches of his works. There is evidence that La Mer, especially the

―Dialogue du vent et de la mer,‖ is a metaphor for the breakdown of his marriage to Lilly. The sketches in his journal point to this

work being one of his most deeply personal using his love of the sea and its power as a reflection of his emotional turmoil.

His personal life notwithstanding, Debussy‘s professional life between 1903–05 was also one of turmoil. At the time he

decided to compose La Mer, he also began an operatic setting of a story by Edgar Allan Poe, The Devil and the Belfry. He worked

on the latter for nine years. Both works tell stories of disruption and confusion. Leading up to La Mer, he had already written several

multi-movement works, so a large-scale one was a natural consequence of these earlier pieces. He composed La Mer while land-

locked in Burgundy, and he even commented on the irony in a letter dated September 12, 1903. By the time the work was ready for

performance, it had been revised several times. While it seems hard to imagine now, over a century later, the conductor who led the

premiere had difficulty with Debussy‘s ―contemporary‖ score. The concert programs from the first two performances also included

works by Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, and Berlioz. The work was not immediately successful, partly because of lingering feelings

about the composer‘s private life. Following performances abroad, Parisian audiences were treated to another concert that included

La Mer. This time it earned its rightful place in the repertoire.

Instruments:

2 Flutes

Piccolo

2 Oboes

English Horn

2 Clarinets in A

3 Bassoons

Contrabassoon (Third movement only)

4 Horns in F

3 Trumpets in F

2 Cornets in C (Third movement only)

3 Trombones

Tuba

Timpani

Percussion

Cymbals

Tam-Tam

Triangle

Glockenspiel

Bass Drum

2 Harps

Strings


Key:

Introduction: B (Tonal center is around B,not specifically major or minor)

I. De l’aube à midi sur la mer: Continues in B; modulates to a mode based on D♭ (m. 31); Modulates to E major (m.

52); shifts to B♭ major (m. 84); returns to D♭ (m. 122).

II. Jeux de vagues: E major (F♭ major)

III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer: C♯ minor/D♭ major

Tempo and Meter (Movement III, ―Dialogue du vent et de la mer‖):

―Time passing is a fundamental subject of any piece of music. Without the shaping and manipulation of one‘s

sense of time in transit, most or all Western art music would lose its underlying reason for being.‖ (Simon Trezise, De-

bussy: La Mer, p. 76)

Debussy wrote very detailed tempo markings throughout La Mer.

The first movement, ―De l‘aube à midi sur la mer‖ has seven tempo changes alone. The second movement, ―Jeux de

vagues,‖ has two.

Details for concert excerpt:

III. ―Dialogue du vent et de la mer‖

(Dialogue between the wind and the sea)

Animé et tumultueux) 2/2 (mm. 1–292)

(Lively and tumultuous)

Cedez très légèrement et (mm. 56–73)

retrouvez peu à peu le mouvement initial.

(Yield very slightly and little by little find the initial tempo again.)

Tempo I (mm. 76–132)

Très soutenu (Very sustained) (mm. 133–36)

Retenu au Movement (mm. 137–56)

Plus calme et très expressif (mm. 157–59)

(Calmer and very expressive)

Retardez un peu pendant ces (mm. 159–62)

4 mesures (Ritard a little in these 4 measures)

Reprenez peu à peu (mm. 163–70)

le Mouvement (Retake the tempo little by litte)

[repeat prior two markings]

En animant (Becoming livelier) (mm. 187–94)

A Tempo (mm. 195–98)

Serrez au Mouvemente (mm. 199–207)

Retenu au Mouvemente (mm. 210–44)

Au Mouvemente initial en (mm. 245–69)

laissant aller jusqu‘au très animé

Très animé (mm. 270–92)

Form:

―In La mer Debussy invented a procedure of development in which the notions of exposition and development co-exist in an un-

interrupted stream, permitting the work to be propelled along by itself without recourse to any pre-established model.‖ (Quoted in

Trezise, p. 53).

Form in La Mer does not conform to any prior nineteenth musical designs. The first movement comprises five sections, each with

its own formal design. The second movement is even more complex and continues to be the subject of great scholarly debate.

Overall, ―Jeux de vagues‖ is a loosely structured A-B-A ternary form that also includes A-A-B bar form, A-A‘ strophic form and

rondo form.


Details for concert excerpt:

III. ―Dialogue du vent et de la mer‖

General rondo form with two dramatically contrasting themes, representing the wind and the sea, alternating with other

material.

First theme (The wind) group (mm. 1–55)


Second theme (The sea) group (mm. 56–79)

First theme group (mm. 80–132)

Interlude with chorale melody (mm. 133–56)

Second theme group (mm. 157–94)

Climax of second theme (mm. 195–210)

(Note change of tempo here.)

First theme group (mm. 211–43)

Second theme group (mm. 244–69)

with chorale melody

Synthesis of both groups (mm. 270–end)


Additional Elements: La Mer is an example of musical Impressionism. Like its counter-part in visual art, Impressionism in music avoids clear

outlines of form and traditional harmonies. Instead, it tends toward primary intervals, such as fourths, fifths and octaves;

makes use of modal, whole-tone, and pentatonic scales; lighter sonorities in the orchestra; Rhythms tend to avoid a clear

pulse; Formal designs are on a smaller scale. It is a programmatic work, but it creates a general impression, evoking and

images and emotions about the sea, rather than tell a detailed story.

Questions for the Classroom

1. As you listen to the third movement, ―Dialogue du vent et de la mer,‖ (A Dialogue between the Wind and the Sea), can

you figure out what themes represent each of these characters? What does each theme sound like?

2. What instruments did Debussy use to depict the wind? The sea?

3. If you were to compose a work about the sea, or any other natural scene, how would you depict it musically? What in-

struments would you use? Would the music be loud or soft? Fast or slow? Major or Minor keys?


―Overture,‖ from The Cowboys by John Williams

Historical Note:

When John Williams composed the overture to the 1972 movie The Cowboys, he was no stranger to film music. He was 40

years old and had been composing/arranging for the movies and television since for over 15 years. During that time he had written

the music for what we now think of as classic TV shows, such as ―Gilligan‘s Island,‖ ―Lost in Space,‖ ―Wagon Train,‖ and ―Land of

the Giants.‖ As a studio musician he worked on low-budget films. He also had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest

film composers of his day: Bernard Herrmann, Alfred Newman, and Franz Waxman. His big break came with the Oscar-nominated

score for the 1967 movie The Valley of the Dolls. Five years later he composed the score for The Cowboys starring John Wayne and

Bruce Dern. It was this score and his earlier one for The Reivers (1969) that first attracted Steven Spielberg‘s attention; he wanted to

meet ―‗this modern relic from a lost era of film symphonies.‘‖ (Quoted in Mervyn Cooke, A History of Film Music, 461). After this

meeting, Williams would go on to compose some of the most famous scores in modern cinema, including Jaws, Close Encounters of

the Third Kind, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Arc, E.T., and Harry Potter.

Instruments:

Key:

F Major

Tempo and Meter:

Vigoroso ♩= 144; Andante

Several meters shifting from triple to duple (different themes have

different meters):

3/4-2/4-3/4-4/4

Form:

A-B-A‘

A (Tempo I, mm. 1–126) Four primary themes introduced

B (Tempo II, mm. 127–82) New thematic material added

A‘ (Tempo I, mm. 183–end) Synthesis of themes from both

A and B sections.

Piccolos

2 Flutes

2 Oboes

2 Clarinets in B♩ 2 Bassoons

4 Horns in F

3 Trumpets in B♩ 2 Trombones

Bass Trombone

Tuba

Timpani

Percussion

Snare Drum

Piatti

Tambourine

Small Headless Tambourine

Glockenspiel

Xylophone

Hi-Hat

Bass Drum

Cymbals

Suspended Cymbals

Triangle

Harp

Piano

Strings

44 WSO Young Peo-

The Cowboys Overture: Theme 1, mm. 1–10








The Cowboys Overture: B section, Theme 1, mm


The Cowboys Overture: A’ Section, Combined Themes, mm. 201–16


Additional Elements:

Williams‘s Overture to The Cowboys, like many of his other film scores, is symphonic in its score and highly Romantic in

its character. He uses leitmotivs (short themes that have specific dramatic references), an operatic technique, to tell his story. This

overture is no exception. The themes from the overture are used throughout the entire movie to enhance the dramatic moments.

Each of his scores shows earlier influences. The Cowboys is reminiscent of Aaron Copland‘s music especially the ballet Rodeo

(think about the ―Beef, it‘s what‘s for dinner,‖ commercial). Like Copland, Williams uses big sweeping melodies to paint his musi-

cal picture of the American West. French Horns are used as melodic instruments in the orchestration—not simply as harmonic and

orchestral color. Another influence on Williams‘s music is heard in the fourth theme of the A section. The syncopated dance

rhythms in this theme are similar to those heard in Stravinsky‘s Le sacre du Printemps.

Questions for the Classroom

1. The movie, The Cowboys is about a cattle drive, in which young boys/teenagers learn to be cowboys and act as the team

leading the herd across the plains. Does this music fit the story? Why or why not?

2. Listen carefully to each theme. How are they similar? How are

they different?

3. In what ways do the themes change when the instruments that play them also change? For example, toward the end of

the overture the entire orchestra plays different themes together. Earlier in the piece they were isolated. How do these dif-

ferent ways of playing the same theme alter the way the theme makes you feel?

______________________________________

Sinfonia Antarctica (Symphony No. 7) (excerpts) by

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Historical Note:

Vaughan Williams‘s Sinfonia Antarctica Symphony No. 7) has its origins in the score for the 1948 movie Scott of the Ant-

arctic about the ill-fated Terra Nova expedition of 1912. In what was primarily supposed to be a scientific expedition, Robert Fal-

con Scott, a British captain, successfully led five men to the South Pole. However, the group all perished from cold, starvation, and

exhaustion on the return journey. Captain Scott kept a journal throughout the trek. His last entry was dated March 29, 1912. In No-

vember 1912 a search team discovered the remains of their camp and the last three bodies (the first two having perished earlier) as

well as Scott‘s diary. Once their fate was discovered, the crew immediately became national heroes. In composing the film‘s score,

Vaughan Williams reflected that heroism, although privately, he was said to have been furious over Scott‘s poor planning with the

expedition. Nonetheless, he felt the material to be substantial enough to expand into his Seventh Symphony. Although the sympho-

ny itself is not merely an enlarged version of the movie‘s incidental music, Vaughan Williams did include some of its original

themes. Sinfonia Antarctica had its premiere on January 14, 1953 at the Free trade Hall in Manchester. Sir John Barbirolli led the

Hallé Orchestra for this first performance.

Instruments:

Piccolo

3 Flutes

2 Oboes

English Horn

2 Clarinets in B♭

Bass Clarinet in B♭

Bassoon

Contrabassoon

4 Horns in F

3 Trumpets in B♭

3 Trombones

Tuba

Timpani

Percussion

Triangle

Cymbals

Side-Drum

Tenor Drum

Bass Drum

Gong

Bells

Glockenspiel

Xylophone

Vibraphone

Wind Machine

Celeste

Harp

Pianoforte

Organ

Soprano Solo

Women‘s Chorus (SSA)

Strings


Critics agree that the brilliance of Sinfonia Antarctica lies mostly in its creative orchestration. The human voices ironically is used to

illustrate the inhuman landscape of the region. Even though it is unconventional, Vaughan Williams wanted to keep the wind ma-

chine in the symphonic version for dramatic effect.

Themes of Epilogue:

Rather than following traditional tonal relationships, this symphony is thematically based to paint various tonal pictures

In his own writings about the Sinfonia Antarctica, Vaughan Williams himself, did not identify any tonal centers, but instead pointed

to the salient themes.

1. Prelude:

Theme 1 (Main theme—shown here because theme recurs throughout

all five movements)

5. Epilogue:

Theme 1 (Opening flourish)

Theme 2 (March Tune—resembles main theme of Prelude)

The march theme pervades the movement. The rising whole-tone scale the highlights feeling of the unrelenting cold and walking the

scene depicts.

Soprano Solo (textless melody)

Tempo and Meter:

1. Prelude: Andante maestoso 3/4 (triple meter)

Lento 4/4 (duple meter)

Più mosso 2/2 (duple meter)

2. Scherzo: Moderato 6/8 (mixed meter)

3. Landscape: Lento 4/4 (duple meter)

(There is no break between movements III and IV)

4. Intermezzo: Andante sostenuto 3/4 (triple meter)

5. Epilogue: Alla Marcia, 4/4 (duple meter)

moderato (non troppo allegro)


Form:

One question that remains with Sinfonia Antarctica is whether it is a symphony or a symphonic poem. This work does not

follow conventional symphonic form and development, and it is most definitely programmatic. It is more of a suite of movements

that, in combination, tell the story of the failed expedition to the South Pole. The themes themselves propel the work forward.

Additional Elements:

Each movement is introduced with a literary quotation reflective of the music:

1. Prelude.

To suffer which hope thinks infinite,

To forgive wrongs darker than death or night,

To defy power which seems omnipotent,

Neither to change, nor falter, nor repent,

This . . . is to be

Good, great and joyous, beautiful and free,

This is alone life, joy, empire and victory.

Shelley, Prometheus Unbound.

2. Scherzo.

There go the ships

And there is Leviathan

whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein.

Psalm 104

3. Landscape.

Ye ice falls! Ye that from the mountain’s brow

Adown enormous ravines slope amain––

Torrents, methinks, that hears a mighty voice,

Motionless torrents! Silent cataracts!

Coleridge, Hymn before Sunrise, in the Vale of Chamouni

4. Intermezzo.

Love, all alike, no season knows, mor clime,

Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.

Donne, The Sun Rising

5. Epilogue.

I do not regret this journey; we took risks, we knew we took them, things have come out against us, therefore we

have no cause for complaint.

Captain Scott‘s last journal entry.

Questions for the Classroom:

What instruments would you use to depict different seasons/weather?

Do you think Vaughan Williams‘ musical painting of the South Pole and its

extreme cold is effective?

What music would you use to tell the story of a great adventure?


Some Oceanic Terminology:

Aquatic Animal: Any animal that lives in water for most or all of its life (including mammals and amphibians). It may

breathe air through lungs, or it may extract its oxygen from the water through gills or directly through its skin (Also

known as marine animals).

Coral Reef: A complex marine habitat formed from coral polyps (tiny animals that live in colonies). When the polyps

die, they leave behind a hard, stony limestone structure. Living coral provides a habitat for a variety of marine animals.

Many coral reefs are in danger of dying because of manmade environmental hazards and pollutants.

Crustacean: Any animal, usually marine, with a hard exoskeleton, jointed legs, and segmented bodies with bilateral

symmetry. They are invertebrates and have two sets of sensory antennae. The most common examples of crustaceans are

lobsters, crabs, and shrimp.

Estuary: The region between rivers and near-shore ocean waters, where tides and rivers mix fresh and salt water. These

areas tend are nutrient rich and provide good habitats for many species of marine animals, birds, and other wildlife.

Microorganism: An organism that is too small to be seen by an unaided eye (requires a microscope to view it). Many

microorganisms live in the ocean.

Mollusks: Marine invertebrates, such as clams, oysters, and scallops. Octopus and squid, which have interior shells, are

also mollusks.

Photosynthesis: The process that converts carbon dioxide, light, and water into sugar (food for plants) and oxygen. All

plants, including marine plants such as algae go through photosynthesis.

La Mer The Ocean


Some Fun and Interesting Facts about the Ocean:

1. The Earth has one big ocean with many different basins (North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic,

Indian, and Arctic). It covers approximately 70% of the planet‘s surface.

2. Most of the Earth‘s water comes from its oceans. Oceans are made of saltwater, and its freezing point is slightly lower

than that of fresh water (32º Fahrenheit/ 0º Celsius).

3. Some of the Earth‘s, flattest plains, highest mountain peaks and lowest valleys are beneath the ocean‘s surface. For exam-

ple, the Mariana Trench in the Western Pacific is 10,911 meters (approximately 22 miles) deep! Hawaii‘s island of Mauna

Kea is one of the tallest mountains in the world, rising more than 10,000 meters above the sea floor.

4. The ocean is connected to all major bodies of water, such as lakes and rivers, and all major bodies of water drain to the

ocean, carrying with them nutrients, sediment, salt, and pollutants.

5. The ocean controls the Earth‘s weather and climate. Rain is formed when the ocean loses heat through evaporation, and

water vapor is released into the air. The vapor condenses as it cools as forms rain. Most rain that falls on land comes from

the tropical ocean.

6. The ocean has had, and continues to have a significant impact on climate change.

7. Photosynthetic organisms living in the ocean provide most of the oxygen in the Earth‘s atmosphere.

8. The first life on Earth is thought to have started in the ocean. There is fossil evidence of oceanic life in areas that are now

deserts.

9. There is a greater diversity of species living in the ocean than there are on land. Most life in the ocean exists as microbes.

Some regions of the ocean support all kinds of life forms, while others are considered deserts. Estuaries provide important

nursery areas for many marine and aquatic species.

10. People are inextricably linked to the ocean. The ocean provides food, recreation, medicine, livelihoods, and inspiration,

among other things. It serves as a transportation highway between continents. Much of the world‘s population lives near the

ocean.

11. Most of the ocean (95%) remains unexplored. Oceanic exploration and discovery is an interdisciplinary process among

biologists, chemists, physicists, geologists, and meteorologists, among others. Their collaboration and a willingness to use

new ideas are essential for learning more about the ocean and its resources.

12. Although vast and complex, the ocean‘s resources are finite and limited. It is everyone‘s responsibility to take care of

them.

Reuse/Recycle/Think Green!


Make an Edible Coral Reef (Quoted from http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/edufun/book/Makeanediblecoralreef.pdf)


What You Will Need:

One half sheet cake; if you want to bake your own cake you will need a box of cake mix and other ingredients listed

on the box

Icing in various colors

Food coloring

Marshmallows, licorice whips, small cookies, candy sprinkles, or other edible materials for modeling coral reef ani-

mals and habitat features

Disposable gloves rated for food handling.

Be sure to have an adult help with the baking!

Directions:

1. If you aren‘t familiar

with coral reefs, read the side-

bar ―What is a Coral Reef?‖

2. If you plan to bake you own

cake, mix the bat-ter according to

instructions on the box, and bake

the cake in an oversized flat pan

like a broiler pan or turkey roast-

ing pan. Your cake will probably

take less time to bake than the

time stated on the cake mix box,

because your cake will be thinner

than usual.

3. The flat cake is the base of

your model reef. Add the features

you planned in step 1 to complete the model. This is a lot of fun to do with two or three other people, but be sure you

wash your hands and wear disposable gloves so you can safely eat the model later.

4. Show your model to your friends, parents, school, or other groups, and talk about why coral reefs are im-

portant, why they are in trouble, and what we can do to help save them. If you are using your model at school, your

teacher may be able to arrange for you to make a presentation about coral reefs to another group of students, perhaps a

younger class. When you have finished your presentation, you can say, ―Now it is time for us to have a direct interac-

tion with this model reef.‖ Which means everyone can eat the cake!

http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/edufun/book/Makeanediblecoralreef.pdf


Some Geological and Geographical Terms for the Grand

Canyon:

Canyon: A deep valley with steep cliff sides, often with

a river or stream at the bottom; a gorge.

CFS: Cubic Feet per Second—the way river flow is

measured.

Colorado Plateau: A large geologic area lifted up thou-

sands of feet in elevation, covering parts of Arizona,

Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.

Colorado River: A major river in the American South-

west, flowing from its mouth in the Rocky Mountains in

Colorado, through the Grand Canyon, and ending in the

Gulf of California.

Deposit: Anything that is laid down by a natural pro-

cess, especially the settling of matter, such as minerals.

Erosion: The process by which the Earth‘s surface is

worn away by the action on water, wind, glaciers, etc.

Fault: A break in bedrock along which movement takes

place.

Fossil: The hardened remains of a plant or animal pre-

served in stone or other material.

Gneiss: A common metamorphic rock similar to granite

in its composition, but in which the mineral grains are

aligned in distinct bands.

Overture, from The Cowboys

Igneous Rock: Rock formed from hot magma that

has cooled then hardened. Granite is an igneous

rock.

Inner Gorge: The steep-walled gorge at the bot-

tom of the Grand Canyon where the Colorado Riv-

er flows.

Metamorphic Rock: Rock that has been subjected

to high heat and pressure, causing it to change

chemically or physically from its original form.

Unlike igneous rock, metamorphic rock has never

melted.

North Rim: The top of the north side of the Grand

Canyon. It is approximately 8000 feet in eleva-

tion—1000 feet higher than the South Rim.

Plate Tectonics: The theory that the Earth‘s sur-

face is made up of moving plates which are re-

sponsible for geologic activity, such as earth-

quakes, mountain range formations, etc.

Sedimentary Rock: Rock formed by deposits of

loose materials being cemented together, usually

by lime or silica, to form layers (limestone, sand-

stone, shale, etc.). The upper 4000 feet of visible

rock in the Grand Canyon are sedimentary.

South Rim: The top of the south side of the Grand

Canyon. The elevation at the South Rim is approx-

imately 7000 feet.

Some Fun and Interesting Facts about the Grand Canyon:

1. No one knows for certain how the Grand Can-

yon was formed. Several natural forces appear to

have been involved, but the primary force seems

to be erosion, both by water and by wind.

2. The first sedimentary layer of the Grand Can-

yon, the Bass Formation, was laid down approxi-

mately 1.25 billion years ago. Fossil evidence

indicates that the area was coastal at that time.

3. The Grand Canyon is in the state of Arizona.

It is more than 250 miles long and more than one

and a half miles wide.

4. The Grand Canyon is one of the country‘s first

national parks. It was largely unknown until

1869, when John Wesley Powell, a Civil War

veteran, first explored the region via the Colora-

do River. He was part of a nine-person expedi-

tion, including his wife Emma, who was the first

woman to climb Pike‘s Peak.

5. The Paleo-Indians were the first people to settle in the Grand Canyon region approximately 10,000 years ago. Evi-

dence of their presence was discovered by a hiker, who found an arrowhead just off the trail where she was hiking.

6. A report from 2008 states that there is new geological evidence indicating that dinosaurs once inhabited the rim of

the Grand Canyon.

7. As recently as October 2010, geologists have discovered evidence of a large river (California River) from 55 million

years ago which flowed from Arizona to Utah in the opposite direction from the modern Colorado River. Shifts in to-

pography, such as the formation of the Rocky Mountains, are the likely cause for the change in the river‘s flow, form-

ing the Colorado-Green River system.

8. Twig figurines of animals dating back 4000 years have been found in preserved

in the red wall limestone caves at the Grand Canyon. So many have been found

(beginning in 1932) that archeologists have stopped collecting them.

9. The Navajo nation was the last indigenous group to arrive near the Grand Can-

yon, following the Paiute and Cerbat Indians. The Navajo lived region for 400

years (the current Navajo reservation is in the outlying areas) until the Freemont

culture moved in followed by

the Southern Paiutes. Mormon

settlers migrated to the region in

the 1870s.

10. In addition to human inhabitants, the Grand Canyon is home to a

wide variety of desert plants and animals. Small rodents, coyotes,

big horn sheep, reptiles, and the California Condor are among the

many species living in the region. Plant life ranges from wildflowers

and cacti to the large Engelmann Spruce (often called the perfect

Christmas Tree and is the type of evergreen used at the White House

for Christmas 2010).


1. Use several pipe cleaners twisted together to create a three-foot long section or one three-foot piece of wire. Fold it in

half.

2. Bend the fold down to form the back legs.

3. Bend one side down and then straight up, to form the front legs.

4. Wrap the other end around the outside of both legs to form the body.

5–7. Use the remaining end to form the head and neck.

Make a Split-Twig Figurine (Quoted from Grand Canyon National Park Human History Lesson Plans)


Some Antarctic and Exploration Terminology:

Altitude: The height of an area measured from sea level.

Chronometer: A very accurate time-keeping device used to determine one‘s longitude at sea.

Compass: A device that always points to magnetic north. It is used for navigation.

Compass Rose: A design on a map that shows direction. It points which way is north, east, south, and west, with some

intermittent points as well.

Equator: The imaginary circle around the center of the Earth. It is halfway between the North and South Poles.

Glacier: A slowly moving river made up of snow and ice.

GPS: The abbreviation for Global Positioning System, and electronic device that can locate your exact longitude and

latitude. The device receives its information from orbiting satellites.

Ice Breaker: A ship with a very strong hull and powerful engines to be able to travel in icy waters.

Knot: The way speed is measured on the water. A knot is the equivalent of 1.15 miles/hour (one nautical mile/hour).

Latitude: The angular distance north or south to a specific location from the equator (0º latitude). The South Pole is

90º south; the North Pole is 90º north.


Symphony No. 7, Sinofonia Antarctica

Antarctica

The South Pole

Longitude: The angular distance east or west from the north-

south line that passes through Greenwich, England (0º longi-

tude), to a specific location. The farther east or west of Green-

wich you are, the greater your longitude (east or west). The Mid-

way Islands (on the opposite side of the globe from Greenwich,

in the Pacific Ocean) have a longitude of 180º.

Map: A representation of a place.

Nautical Mile: The unit of distance used on the water. It is

equal to 1.15 miles, or one minute (1/60 of a degree) along a line

of longitude.

North Magnetic Pole: The point on the Northern Hemisphere

of the Earth toward which a compass' needle always points; at

the North Magnetic Pole, a compass's needle will stand vertical-

ly. It is now located near in northern Canada (its location changes over time).

North Pole: The most northern place on Earth. There is no land, only a think layer of ice on top of the Arctic Ocean around

the pole.

Pole Star: A star that is located almost due north or due south, which makes it useful for navigation. Polaris is the pole star

of the Northern Hemisphere. There is no pole star for the Southern Hemisphere; the constellation Crux, however, is around

the south celestial pole.

South Magnetic Pole: The point on the Southern Hemisphere of the

Earth toward which a compass' needle always points; at the South Mag-

netic Pole, a compass's needle will stand vertically. It is now located just

off the coast the continent of Antarctica (its location changes over time).

South Pole: The most southern place on Earth. It is located on the conti-

nent of Antarctica.

Strait: A narrow passage connecting two larger bodies of water.

Submersible: A small underwater vessel

Trade Winds: Strong easterly winds that blow through the tropics and

subtropics. They blow from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere

and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere.


Some Fun and Interesting Facts about Antarctica:

1. The coldest temperature ever recorded was in Antarctica. On July 21, 1983 it was -128º F (-89º C).

2. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, and driest place on Earth. Its average snowfall is only about two inches per year.

3. The South Pole is at 90º latitude. It has no longitude because all longitudinal line/points converge at the poles.

4. Although scientific expeditions travel to Antarctica, there are no permanent human settlements there because of the ex-

treme climate. About 4000 seasonal visitors travel there each year.

5. Antarctica hasn't always been located at the South Pole. It has drifted, like the other continents, and has ranged from the

equator (during the Cambrian period, about 500 million years ago) to the South Pole. During the time of the dinosaurs, (the

Mesozoic Era, about 65–248 million years ago), Antarctica was more temperate and housed dinosaurs and many other life

forms. Now, there is very little indigenous life.

6. Of the 34 meteorites from Mars found on Earth so far, 11 have been discovered in Antarctica.

7. Captain James Cook, a British explorer and astronomer, went on an expedition to Antarctica and Easter Island from 1772

–75). He was the first sea captain to cure scurvy by giving his sailors fresh fruit, giving them the Vitamin C they needed to

combat the disease.

8. Roald Amundsen of Norway was the first person to reach the South Pole on December 14, 1911. He was the first person

to reach both the North and South Poles.

9. On his 1823 expedition to the South Pole, Captain James Weddell set an 80-year record the farthest southern latitude

reached (74º15‘ South) on February 20, 1823.

10. Captain Robert Scott led the second expedition to reach the South Pole (1910–12). He died on his second trip there,

which turned out to be a disaster.

11. Penguins are some of the indigenous animals inhabiting Antarctica. All penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere and

live in climates ranging from the tropics to the icy South Pole.

12. The Antarctic is full of life ranging from

tiny zooplankton and Antarctic krill to the

Blue Whale, the largest animal on Earth.



As always be sure to have adult supervision before starting your project.

(Quoted from: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/kids/weather_station_rain_gauge.html)

Rain Gauge

What you will need:

An empty plastic bottle (2 liter soda bottle would be ideal)

Scissors

Sticky tape

Ruler

Paper

Pencil

Instructions:

1. Cut around the plastic bottle about two thirds of the way up.

2. Turn the top part of the bottle upside down and place it inside the bottom part - fix it in place using the tape.

3. Make a scale in centimeters on a piece of tape, using a ruler, and fix it to the side of your bottle.

4. Find a place outside to put your rain gauge. It must be open and away from trees.

5. Dig a hole and bury your rain gauge so that the top is sticking out about 5cm out of the ground. This will stop the wind

gauge from blowing down on windy days.

6. Check the rain gauge every day at the same time, measure the amount of rain collected, and empty the bottle.

Remember to write down the amount of rain collected in your weather diary.

Weather Vane

What you will need:

A ruler

A pen top

A plastic soda bottle

Card

A knitting needle

Matchsticks

A cork

Sand

Picture hanging putty

Instructions:

1. Draw an arrow 25 cm long on the card and cut it out.

2. Make another arrow by drawing around the first arrow and cutting it out.

3. Place the pen top between the arrows, in the centre, and glue together.

4. Push four matchsticks into the long edge of the cork at right angles to each other.

5. Cut out four small squares of card and label with the four main points of the compass; N, E, S, W. Attach these to the end

of each matchstick with Picture-hanging putty.


Make Your Own Weather Station

6. Fill the bottle with sand.

7. Push the knitting needle into the cork and push the cork in the top of the bottle. Now balance the wind vane on top of the

needle.

Choose an open area, perhaps near your rain gauge, to place your wind vane. Ask an adult or use a compass to point the N

label on the bottle towards North.

Thermometer Box (to protect it from the elements):

What you will need:

A sturdy plastic or wooden box that can stand on its side

White paint

A thermometer

Picture-hanging putty

Instructions:

1. Paint the outside of your box white and wait until it's dry.

2. Stick the thermometer inside the box using Picture-hanging putty.

3. Take the box outside and find a safe, shady place to keep it.

4. Stand the box on its side so that the thermometer is at the back of the box and protected from direct weather conditions.

Now you can take temperature readings at the same time every day.


How Orchestras and Musicians Are Helping the Planet:

♪ Although string players most often use instruments constructed long ago (the most prized instruments date to the

17th and 18th centuries), string-instrument makers are looking for ways to protect and preserve the now-endangered

forests used to construct musical instruments. Organizations such as Soundwood (http://www.globaltrees.org/

soundwood.htm) work with instrument makers to continue their crafts using sustainable resources.

♪ Many orchestras have moved to paperless marketing strategies, advertising their performances electronically.

♪ Several new or newly renovated concert halls are using alternate energy sources for their power and insulation. For

example, as part of its renovations, Lincoln Center in New York included a lawn roof to cover its new restaurant.

In the UK, the Glyndebourne Festival plans to build a 230-foot wind turbine to generate the electricity for its opera

house.

♪ The San Francisco Symphony has hired a bus company that uses soybean oil fuel to transport musicians on tour.

♪ Many music schools are constructing new ―green‖ buildings, using local and recycled materials, and ecologically

friendly heating and cooling systems.

What You Can Do to Help the Planet:

♪ With an adult‘s help, organize a clean-up the neighborhood or park day. Pick up trash and recyclables that are lying

on the ground in your area. Be sure to wear disposable gloves.

♪ Keep a pitcher of cold water in the fridge instead of letting the tap run a long time for cold water.

♪ Take shorter showers and turn off the water when you brush your teeth.

♪ Carry water in refillable bottles instead of using plastic ones. If you do use a plastic bottle, recycle it when you are

through with it.

♪ With your parent‘s permission walk or ride your bike to school, on errands, and/or play dates, instead of driving.

You will use less gas, and get exercise.

♪ Turn off lights when you leave a room. Try to use natural light during the day. Ask your parents to switch to energy

-efficient light bulbs.

♪ Ask your parents to keep the heat in your house turned down. Wear a sweater to keep warm.

♪ Wash your clothes in cold water.

Question for the Classroom:

What other are some other things you can do to keep the planet fantastic?

Keeping Our Fantastic Planet Fantastic


http://www.globaltrees.org/soundwood.htm


Glossary

Absolute Music Music that has no literary or pictorial associations. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 is an example of

absolute music.

Acoustics The total effect of sound (the quality of the sound), especially as it is produced in an enclosed space.

Ballet A staged work in which dancers, using mime and choreography, perform to music to tell a story or express

a mood. Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du printemps is an example of a ballet.

Basso Continuo “Continuous bass” in Italian. A group of musicians comprised of one chordal instrument (harpsichord or

lute) and one single-line bass (low sounding) instrument (cello or bassoon).

Bassoon A conical-bore, double-reed woodwind instrument. Its tubing, or bore, is so long that it must be folded

back on itself in snake-like curves, and the finger holes may be drilled at extreme angles to make them reachable.

The bassoon (also called the contrabassoon) is the lowest pitched member of the woodwind family.

Brass The instruments of the symphony orchestra are traditionally divided into groups based on the way that

sound is produced. One such group is the brass instruments, all of which consist of a brass or metal tube and a cup

-shaped mouthpiece. Sound is produced when the player blows into the mouthpiece, causing his or her lips to vi-

brate and air to travel into the tube. Brass instruments in a modern orchestra are the French horn, the trumpet,

the trombone, and the tuba.

Cadenza

In a concerto, an ornamental passage for the soloist that is either improvised or written out. It usually

occurs at the end of a movement, just before the end.

Chord A combination of two or more notes played simultaneously.

Concertino The small group of soloists in a concerto grosso

Concerto A concerto is a piece of music for a soloist to play with orchestra. Sometimes the soloist and orchestra

play separately and at other times they play together. In the best concertos the soloist and the orchestra share

the spotlight equally. Listen not only for the virtuosity in the solo parts, but also for how the solo and orchestral

parts fit together. Most concertos consist of three movements. The first movement is usually the longest and WSO Young People‘s Concert 2011 67

most serious. The second movement is often called the "slow" movement, while the final movement is often light

and fast with a catchy theme repeated over and over. All concertos, however, will have the following three ele-

ments in common: 1) Contrasting groups of sound; 2) A Solo/Large group relationship; and 3) An element of virtu-

osity.

Consonance A combination of notes that sounds pleasing. The opening of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 is conso-

nant. Compare with dissonance.

Counterpoint The musical combination of two or more melodies played or sung together in a way that is coherent and

works well together.

Dissonance

A grating, often unpleasant sound. The first few notes of "Chopsticks" are dissonant. Also, the opening of

The Four Seasons: Winter, in which the strings and continuo play notes found next to each other is another exam-

ple of dissonance. Compare with consonance.

Fanfare Music primarily played by brass instruments—other instruments may be used—occasionally with percussion

accompaniment, for ceremonial purposes, especially to call attention to the arrival of a dignitary or public official,

as well as to announce a public ceremony. “Hail to the Chief” to announce the U. S. President is an example of

a fanfare.

Fugue A type of music that involves "imitation", that is, the playing of the same theme successively by different

instruments or voices. Fugue originated in the fifteenth century, but it was perfected by Johann Sebastian Bach

(1685-1750). The term is used to describe the method of imitative writing, as well as the composition that is

formed when the method is used throughout. It is common to find "fugal" sections in compositions that are not

fugues.

Harmony In general, harmony refers to the combination of notes into chords. Musicians also use the word to refer

to the study of the way that chords are made and how they relate to one another.

Hemiola A rhythmic

device in which

three notes of equal value occupy the same time as two notes of equal value. Instead of feeling a pattern of LONG

-short-LONG-short, you would feel it as LONG-LONG-LONG. In musical notation it would look like this:

Regular LONG-short-LONG-short pattern Hemiola pattern of LONG-LONG-LONG


Hornpipe A dance that was popular in England, Wales, and Scotland from the 16th to 19th centuries. It is related to

the jig, and as a solo dance the hornpipe is often associated with sailors. Most use syncopations with the short

notes falling on the accented beat. The theme for the cartoon “Popeye” is a hornpipe.

Improvisation Creating music during the course of performance. The performer makes it up as he or she goes along.

March Music with a strong repetitive beat usually used to accompany orderly military processions and movements.

In the 1800s the functional march declined in popularity giving rise to the stylized marches used in concert per-

formance, such as those by John Philip Sousa

Melody The term melody refers to a series of tones played or sung one after another, rather than at the same

time (see chords, harmony). To many, the term melody is just a more formal way of saying, "tune." Each tone in a

melody has two characteristics, pitch and duration.

Meter The organization of the beats of a piece of music into regular units. This organization is made audible by

the emphasis that is placed on the first of each beat of each group. The most common meters are duple meter,

which has two beats in each group counted as 1 2, 1 2, 1 2; triple meter, having three beats in each group and

counted as 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3; and quadruple meter, with four beats in each group counted as 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4, 1 2

3 4, with the primary emphasis placed on beat 1 in each group of four, and a lesser emphasis placed on beat 3.

Minuet & Trio Typically, the third movement of a Classical Symphony. It is in a three-part form A-B-A. Each large sec-

tion is comprised of two smaller sections. Each of those is repeated before moving to the next large section. The

instruments used in each large section are also usually very distinct from one another (i.e., strings for the Minuet

and woodwinds for the Trio). See diagram.

Minuet (A) Trio (B) Minuet (A)

Strings Woodwinds Strings

||:a||:b:|| ||:c:||:d:|| ||a-b||

Movement A movement is a self-contained piece of music that is part of a larger work. Many larger classical works

like symphonies and concertos contain three or four movements, each with its own themes as well as its own char-

acter and mood. There is usually a brief pause between movements, as the musicians prepare for the next one.

Musical Painting Most often associated with Renaissance vocal music, this technique uses music to evoke a visual image. For


example to depict a mountain, the melodic line might get higher and then lower in pitch. A musical sunrise might

start with a solo instrument playing quietly with other instruments entering gradually while the whole piece

gets louder.

Oboe A conical-bore, double-reed woodwind instrument. It has a high range and looks like a long straight tube

with a flared bell at the end. The modern oboe is a descendant of the Renaissance shawm, but its tone is not as

nasal as its predecessor. Because the oboe is difficult to tune quickly, its A is used for the rest of the orchestra

to match.

Oratorio An extensive dramatic work (usually unstaged) based on a sacred text with both narrative (recitative) and

contemplative (arias, ensembles) elements. Oratorios have all of the elements of staged operas but place a great-

er emphasis on the chorus. Handel’s Messiah is an example of an oratorio.

Orchestration The art of deciding what instrument or instruments should play what part. The orchestration of a piece

plays a large role in how the piece sounds, so composers often adopt favorite ways of using the instruments. More

than anything else, the orchestration influences the color or sound quality of the piece, so that a decision to use

trumpets to play a melody, for example, will yield very different results from a decision to use muted violins, even

though the melody itself is the same.

Percussion A percussion instrument is one that is hit, scraped, or shaken to produce sound. Percussion instruments

are often divided into two types, those that can produce a definite pitch, such as xylophones and timpani, and

those that do not produce a specific pitch, such as cymbals and snare drums.

Pitch The highness or lowness of a tone, the pitch of a sound is measured in the number of vibrations the sound

produces in a second. The more vibrations produced, the higher the pitch; the fewer the vibrations, the lower the

pitch. Pitches are referred to by letter names, and sometimes even by the number of vibrations per second; many

modern orchestras, for example, tune to the pitch known

as A=440.

Prodigy A term frequently used in music and art to describe someone who shows extraordinary talent at a young

age. Saint-Saëns, Mozart, and Mendelssohn were all prodigies.

Program Music Instrumental music that has a literary or pictorial association. The Four Seasons is an example of program

music. Compare with absolute music.

Quadrille One of the most popular ballroom dances of the 1800s, consisting of elaborate steps for four, six, or

eight couples. The music was lively and rhythmic with strict eight-or sixteen-measure phrases.


Recorder A woodwind instrument with a whistle-shaped mouthpiece. Usually associated with early music.

Rest Rest is the term given to a period of silence in music. Rests can be of any length and are indicated by dif-

ferent signs accordingly. The manner in which composers combine silence and sound can be very dramatic.

Rhythm The organization of movement in time created by a pattern of long and short notes within a phrase, in a

section, or an entire piece of music.

Ripieno The larger orchestral group in a concerto grosso.

Ritardando A brief slowing of a work’s tempo. Virtually the same as rallentando.

Ritornello A short, recurring instrumental passage in a concerto or aria.

Scherzo A fast, light-hearted piece in triple meter. In the early nineteenth-century, the scherzo and trio came to

replace the minuet and trio as the form for a symphony’s third movement. It is faster and more vigorous than the

minuet and can have abrupt changes of mood ranging from the humorous to the demonic. Beethoven used it to cre-

ate works with very strong rhythms.

Sonata-rondo Typically, the form of the finale in a Classical symphony or string quartet. It is identified by the repeti-

tion of the first theme, which is played after each of the other themes. The structure is as follows: A-B-A-C-A

or A-B-A-C-A-D-A.

Subject The melody or fragment of a melody that forms the basis for a composition, such as a fugue. Fugues can

have several subjects, however. Those that follow the first one are known as countersubjects.

Symphony A large piece, usually in four movements, that varies in tempo (speed) and mood, written for orchestra.

Although opera overtures were sometimes called symphonies in the early 1700s, by 1759 Franz Joseph Haydn be-

gan writing pieces that we now recognize as symphonies.

Syncopation A rhythmic effect created by placing emphasis on beats where it is not expected. While a piece written in

quadruple meter emphasizes beats one and three, a syncopated passage could emphasize two and four instead so

that the standard 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4, becomes the syncopated 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4.

Through-composed


Musical work that moves from beginning to end without any long repeated sections.

Timbre Tone color, or the way a particular instrument sounds; the timbre of a trumpet, for example, is very dif-

ferent from that of a cello.

Timpani Kettledrums. The most important member of the percussion family, and the only one in the Western art

music that is capable of producing specific pitches.

Tuning

The process of adjusting the frequencies or pitches of an instrument or instruments usually in order to

bring it or them into agreement with a pre-determined pitch such as A440.

Two-Step

A fast ballroom dance that originated in America, largely because of Sousa’s Washington Post. The steps

follow a quick-quick-slow rhythm (6/8) in every measure, and are done in a light, skipping, gliding motion similar to

a polka.

Virtuosity

The technical skill, fluency, or style exhibited by a musician of great talent and skill or a composition that

is very difficult, requiring much skill to play.

Virtuoso

A musician with exceptional ability, technique, or personal style.


FOR FURTHER REFERENCE AND READING: ONLINE SOURCES

GENERAL MUSIC

Grove Music Online (by subscription): http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/

http://www.dsokids.com/default.aspx

THE COMPOSERS (BIOGRAPHY)

Igor Stravinsky

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Igor_Stravinsky

http://www.keepingscore.org/sites/default/files/swf/stravinsky/full

Claude Debussy

http://www.notablebiographies.com/De-Du/Debussy-Claude.html

http://www.helium.com/items/990862-biography-claude-debussy

http://www.debussy.fr/encd/bio/bio1_62-82.php

http://www.classicsforkids.com/composers/bio.asp?id=16

Ralph Vaughan Williams

http://www.rvwsociety.com/bio_expanded.html

John Williams

http://www.dlwaldron.com/JohnWilliamsbio.html

http://www.johnwilliams.org/

THE MUSIC:

Le Sacre du Printemps


http://igorsrite.blogspot.com/

http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft967nb647;brand=ucpress

http://www.edgreenmusic.org/Stravins-a.htm

La Mer

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105417197

http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics/lamer.html

Sinfonia Antarctica (Symphony No. 7)

http://www.agentsmith.com/rvw/guides/symphonynotes.html

http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/v-w/v-wsymoverview.php

Overture, The Cowboys




http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/

http://www.dsokids.com/default.aspx

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Igor_Stravinsky


http://www.notablebiographies.com/De-Du/Debussy-Claude.html

http://www.helium.com/items/990862-biography-claude-debussy

http://www.debussy.fr/encd/bio/bio1_62-82.php

http://www.classicsforkids.com/composers/bio.asp?id=16

http://www.rvwsociety.com/bio_expanded.html




http://igorsrite.blogspot.com/

http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft967nb647;brand=ucpress

http://www.edgreenmusic.org/Stravins-a.htm

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105417197

http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics/lamer.html

http://www.agentsmith.com/rvw/guides/symphonynotes.html

http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/v-w/v-wsymoverview.php



THE FANTASTIC PLANET

General

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/kids/amazing_facts_065.html

http://www.climatechangeeducation.org/

http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/


Volcanoes

http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/

http://www.stormthecastle.com/how-to-make-a/how-to-make-a-volcano.htm

http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/volcano.php

http://www.spacegrant.hawaii.edu/class_acts/VolcanologyDoc.html

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/volcano-video/

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/15/g35/earthquakes.html

The Ocean

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/18/gk2/doubiletocean.html

http://learningcenter.nsta.org/search.aspx?action=browse&subject=38

http://www.theoceanproject.org/resources/conservation.php?category=For%20Kids

http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/edufun/book/

http://www.sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/help/glossary.asp


http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/literacy/ocean_literacy.pdf


http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/kids/amazing_facts_065.html

http://www.climatechangeeducation.org/

http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/


http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/

http://www.stormthecastle.com/how-to-make-a/how-to-make-a-volcano.htm

http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/volcano.php

http://www.spacegrant.hawaii.edu/class_acts/VolcanologyDoc.html

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/volcano-video/

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/15/g35/earthquakes.html

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/18/gk2/doubiletocean.html

http://learningcenter.nsta.org/search.aspx?action=browse&subject=38

http://www.theoceanproject.org/resources/conservation.php?category=For%20Kids

http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/edufun/book/



http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/literacy/ocean_literacy.pdf

Antarctica

http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/history_of_the_land_geological-timeline_of_antarctica.htm

http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/antarctica/history.html

http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr043.shtml

http://funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/articles/antarctica.htm

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/antarctica.shtml

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/school/Antarctica/

The Grand Canyon

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/grandcanyon/

http://www.bobspixels.com/kaibab.org/misc/gc_misc.htm#cfs

http://www.nps.gov/grca/forteachers/lessonplansandteacherguides.htm

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/07/g35/canyon35.html


http://www.zionnational-park.com/grand-canyon-history.htm

http://www.t-rat.com/Pages/GeologicalHistGrandCanyon.html


http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/History/history_of_the_land_geological-timeline_of_antarctica.htm

http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/antarctica/history.html

http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr043.shtml

http://funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/articles/antarctica.htm

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/antarctica.shtml

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/school/Antarctica/

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/grandcanyon/

http://www.bobspixels.com/kaibab.org/misc/gc_misc.htm#cfs

http://www.nps.gov/grca/forteachers/lessonplansandteacherguides.htm



http://www.zionnational-park.com/grand-canyon-history.htm

http://www.t-rat.com/Pages/GeologicalHistGrandCanyon.html

Before today, had you ever attended an orchestra concert? Y N

Did you enjoy today‘s program? (Circle One)

It Was Fantastic It Was Good It Was Okay Not Really Not At All

What was your favorite part/selection/instrument and why?

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you play a musical instrument? (Which one?) ___________________________________________________

If not, would you like to? (Which one?) ___________________________________________________

Name one non-musical thing you learned today. (History, social studies, science, language arts, or other academic subject.)

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Did today‘s concert change your perception of an orchestra concert? Y N

What did you think of the video portion of the Concert?

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Would you like to attend another orchestra concert? Y N

Do you have any further comments?

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for completing this survey, your opinion is very important to us!

Student Feedback Survey

Greetings students, we hope you enjoyed this morning‘s concert and learned a few things about orchestral music. Young People‘s

Concerts are some of the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra‘s favorite concerts to perform, because it gives us an opportunity to open

students‘ ears and eyes to orchestral music. Please respond to the following questions regarding the WSO Fantastic Planet Young

People‘s Concert as honestly and completely as you can.

School Name & City: ____________________________________________________ Grade Level: __________________

Teachers: Please return completed surveys to: WSO

YPC Evaluation

P.O. Box 1762

Waterbury, CT 06721

Fx: 203-755-6948 Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Educator Feedback Survey

Greetings educator, we hope you and your students enjoyed this morning‘s concert and learned a few things about orchestral music.

Young People‘s Concerts are some of the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra‘s favorite concerts to perform, because it gives us an op-

portunity to open students‘ ears and eyes to orchestral music. Your satisfaction with the WSO concert experience is very important

to us. Please respond to the following questions as completely as you can.

Name (optional): ________________________________________School Name & City:________________________________

Core Education Subject: _________________________________ Grade Level(s): _____________________

The Concert

Before today, had you ever brought students to an orchestra concert before?

Y N

Please rate today‘s concert on an educational basis.

5-Excellent 4-Very Good 3-Good 2-Average 1-Below Average

Please rate today‘s concert on an artistic basis.

5-Excellent 4-Very Good 3-Good 2-Average 1-Below Average

Do you feel your students enjoyed the concert and gained a new appreciation for orchestral music?

Yes Possibly Maybe Probably Not No

Were the program selections appropriate for your student‘s grade level?

Y N Comments___________________________________________________________________

Was the onstage dialog informative and easy to understand?

Y N Comments___________________________________________________________________

Concert Preparation and Production

Did you use the Curriculum Guide to prepare your students? If so, what were the most useful parts?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Did you use the listening examples? Y N

Was the Logistical Guide helpful and easy to understand?

Y N Comments___________________________________________________________________

Was the NVCC Fine Arts Center an appropriate venue for an educational concert?

Y N Comments___________________________________________________________________


Was dropping students off and picking them up a relatively easy process?

Y N Comments___________________________________________________________________

Were you satisfied with your seats?

Y N Comments___________________________________________________________________

Could you hear the music and dialog clearly?

Y N

Summary

Will you schedule class time for students to complete their feedback survey?

Y N

Would you like to bring your students to another WSO Young People‘s Concert?

Y N Maybe

Do you have any further comments or suggestions?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for completing this survey, your opinion is very important to us!

Please return completed surveys to:

WSO

YPC Evaluation

P.O. Box 1762

Waterbury, CT 06721

Fx: 203-755-6948

Email: [email protected]

WSO Young People‘s Concert is made possible with support from:

The Leever Foundation Waterbury Arts & Tourism Commission

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Young People’s Concert Curriculum Guidewaterburysymphony.org/education/youngpeoples/Curriculum_Guide.pdf · Young People’s Concert Curriculum Guide ... liked “Pirates of the