2014 Boston Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerts “There`s Nothing

2014 Boston Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerts
“There’s Nothing Better Than A Good Story: A
Musical Look At The Components of Storytelling”
Thomas Wilkins, Conductor
February 26-28, 2014
Supplementary Materials for Teachers & Students
TCHAIKOVSKY Coronation March
COPLAND “Buckaroo Holiday” from the ballet
Rodeo
ANDERSON The Waltzing Cat
STRAVINSKY Circus Polka
WILLIAMS “Flight to Neverland” from Hook
RAVEL “The Enchanted Garden” from Mother
Goose
Prepared by the BSO
Educators Advisory Council and the
Education and Community Engagement Department
Welcome to the 2014 BSO Youth Concert supplementary materials!
We look forward to welcoming you and your students to Symphony Hall for the BSO’s 2014 Youth Concerts,
which have been designed especially for 4th- to 6th-grade students. This packet provides a number of
resources to help you get the most out of your concert-going experience at Symphony Hall. The BSO
Educators Advisory Council has designed these materials in accordance with both the Massachusetts
Department of Education’s Arts Curriculum Framework Music Learning Standards (grades 4-6) and the
National Standards for Music Education of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).
We’ve endeavored to make these materials as flexible as possible, so that they can be used to fit a variety of
different classroom contexts and situations. Inside this packet you’ll find:
Helpful information about BSO Germeshausen Youth and Family Concerts conductor Maestro
Thomas Wilkins, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Symphony Hall.
Tips for your students on what to expect at Symphony Hall during their Youth Concert experience.
Lesson plans and curriculum materials tailored to each piece on the Youth Concert program,
designed to be used not only in the music classroom but across a range of academic contexts and
subjects.
The BSO Educators Advisory Council is a group of music educators drawn by application from the greater
Boston area and charged with the responsibility of creating high-quality, relevant curriculum material for the
BSO Youth Concerts. The members of the 2013-2014 Educators Advisory Council are:
Julie Davis (Boston Public Schools)
Eva Ostrovsky-Kaminsky (Melrose Public Schools)
Caroline Rizzo (Boston Public Schools)
Natalya Edwards (Chelsea Public Schools)
Kimberly Vespo (Lynn Public Schools)
Paul Pitts (Boston Public Schools)
We hope these materials are helpful in creating a meaningful and lasting educational experience for your
students via the Youth Concerts. We also hope that their Youth Concert experience is the start of their longterm relationship with the BSO and orchestral music.
With thanks to all you do,
The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Educators Advisory Council and the Education and Community
Engagement Department
Meet Maestro Thomas Wilkins...
Music Director of the Omaha Symphony since 2005, Thomas Wilkins also
holds the positions of Principal Guest Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl
Orchestra as well as the Germeshausen Family and Youth Concert Conductor
chair with the Boston Symphony. Past positions have included Resident
Conductor of the Detroit Symphony, the Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay), and
Associate Conductor of the Richmond (VA) Symphony. He also has served
on the music faculties of North Park University (Chicago), the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga and
Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.
Devoted to promoting a life-long enthusiasm for music, Thomas Wilkins brings energy and commitment to
audiences of all ages. He is hailed as a master at communicating and connecting with audiences. Following
his highly successful first season with the Boston Symphony, the Boston Globe named him among the “Best
People and Ideas of 2011.”
His commitment to community has been demonstrated by his participation on several Boards of Directors,
including the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the Charles Drew Health Center (Omaha), the Center
Against Spouse Abuse in Tampa Bay, and the Museum of Fine Arts as well as the Academy Preparatory
Center both in St. Petersburg, FL. Currently he serves as chairman of the board for the Raymond James
Charitable Endowment Fund and as National Ambassador for the non-profit World Pediatric Project,
headquartered in Richmond, VA, which provides children throughout Central America and the Caribbean
with critical surgical and diagnostic care.
A native of Norfolk, Va., Thomas Wilkins is a graduate of the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music, and the
New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He resides with his wife Sheri-Lee in Omaha. They are the
proud parents of twin daughters, Erica and Nicole.
March 2013, www.hughkaylor.com
Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLTRd3tE1pk for an interview with Thomas
Wilkins from February, 2011.
Meet the BSO!
Now in its 132nd season, the Boston Symphony Orchestra gave its inaugural concert on October 22,
1881, and has continued to uphold the vision of its
founder, the businessman, philanthropist, Civil War
veteran, and amateur musician Henry Lee Higginson, for well over a century. The Boston Symphony
Orchestra has performed throughout the United
States, as well as in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong,
South America, and China; in addition, it reaches
audiences numbering in the millions through its
performances on radio, television, and recordings. It
plays an active role in commissioning new works
Photo by Michael Lutch
from today's most important composers; its summer season at Tanglewood is regarded as one of the world's most important music festivals; it helps develop the audience of the future through BSO Youth Concerts and through a variety of outreach programs
involving the entire Boston community; and, during the Tanglewood season, it sponsors the Tanglewood
Music Center, one of the world's most important training grounds for young composers, conductors, instrumentalists, and vocalists.
Henry Lee Higginson dreamed of founding a great and permanent orchestra in his hometown of Boston for
many years before that vision approached reality in the spring of 1881. The following October the first Boston Symphony Orchestra concert was given under the direction of conductor Georg Henschel, who would
remain as music director until 1884. For nearly twenty years Boston Symphony concerts were held in the
Old Boston Music Hall; Symphony Hall, one of the world's most highly regarded concert halls, was opened
on October 15, 1900. The BSO's 2000-01 season celebrated the centennial of Symphony Hall, and the rich
history of music performed and introduced to the world at Symphony Hall since it opened a century ago.
In 1929 the free Esplanade concerts on the Charles River in Boston were inaugurated by Arthur Fiedler,
who had been a member of the orchestra since 1915 and who in 1930 became the 18th conductor of the
Boston Pops. Fiedler would hold the post for half a century, to be succeeded by John Williams in 1980. The
Boston Pops Orchestra celebrated its 100th birthday in 1985 under Mr. Williams' baton. Keith Lockhart began his tenure as 20th conductor of the Boston Pops in May 1995, succeeding Mr. Williams.
Today the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc., presents more than 250 concerts annually. It is an ensemble
that has richly fulfilled Henry Lee Higginson's vision of a great and permanent orchestra in Boston.
About Symphony Hall
The first home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra was the
Old Boston Music Hall, which was threatened in 1893 by a
city road-building/rapid transit project. That summer, the
orchestra's founder, Major Henry Lee Higginson, organized
a corporation to finance a new and permanent home for
the orchestra. Symphony Hall opened on October 15, 1900
with an inaugural gala led by music director Wilhelm
Gericke. The architects, McKim, Mead & White of New
York, engaged Wallace Clement Sabine, a young assistant
professor of physics at Harvard, as their acoustical consultant, and Symphony Hall became the first auditorium designed in accordance with scientifically derived acoustical
principles.
Symphony Hall is widely regarded as one of the finest concert halls in the world. The walls of the stage slope inward
to help focus the sound. The side balconies are shallow so as not to trap any of the sound, and the recesses
of the coffered ceiling, along with the statue-filled niches along the three sides, help to distribute the sound
throughout the hall. The 16 replicas of Greek and Roman statues are related in some way to music, art, or
literature. They were placed in the niches as part of an appreciation of the frequently quoted words,
"Boston, the Athens of America," written by Bostonian William Tudor in the early 19th century. The Symphony Hall organ, an Aeolian Skinner designed by G. Donald Harrison and installed in 1949, is considered
one of the finest concert hall organs in the world.
Symphony Hall (Courtesy BSO Archives)
A couple of interesting points for observant concert-goers: Beethoven is the only composer whose name
was inscribed on one of the plaques that trim the stage and balconies; the other plaques were left empty
since it was felt that only Beethoven's popularity would remain unchanged. The initials "BMH" for "Boston
Music Hall", as the building was originally to have been called, appear on the stairwell banisters at the
Huntington Avenue side, originally planned as the main entrance. The old Boston Music Hall was gutted
only after the new building, Symphony Hall, was opened.
Make the most out of your trip to Symphony Hall!
Before you arrive:
Ask your teacher lots of questions about the music you are going to hear.
Leave your cell phone at home or school along with any food, candy or gum.
Leave your backpack at school or on the bus, since theater style seats really just have room for you.
Go to the bathroom at school (the lines get really long at Symphony Hall!)
When you arrive to Symphony Hall:
The ushers will take your group to your seats. Listen to your teacher and chaperones so you will know where to sit,
and take your coat off and get comfortable.
If you forgot to go to the bathroom at school, ask your teacher to go now so you won’t have to miss a minute of
the concert.
Be as quiet as you can so you can hear your teacher’s instructions.
Make sure to stay with your group.
While you wait for the concert to begin:
Look around Symphony Hall. How many statues are there? Whose name is over the stage? How many balconies are
there? How many chandeliers are there?
The orchestra musicians will begin to come out on stage and warm up. See if you can pick out the different families
of the orchestra (strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion).
After the musicians warm up, you will see the concertmaster stand up and tune the orchestra. Listen carefully as
the different instrument families tune their instruments. How are their sounds different?
You will know the concert is about to begin when the conductor walks out on stage. Show your enthusiasm by clapping! Then get quiet so you can be ready when the music begins.
During the concert:
Your job as a music listener is to be affected by the music! As you listen, let your imagination and emotions move
along with the music.
Watch the conductor’s motions and try to notice what type of reaction he gets from the musicians with each gesture.
Listen for instrument solos and see if you can tell who is playing the solo.
In each musical selection, listen for the loudest and softest parts, and for the fastest and slowest parts. Think about
how each piece makes you feel – happy, sad, nervous, angry, peaceful?
Pick out your favorite melodies to hum to your family when you get home.
Remember that everyone listens to music in a different way! Keep your thoughts to yourself during the concert,
and then share them with your friends on the bus ride back to school.
At the end of each piece, the conductor will turn around and face you. This is the time to clap, showing your appreciation to the musicians and conductor.
After the concert:
Gather your belongings and listen carefully for your teacher’s instructions.
When you are back at school, ask your teacher questions about the music you just heard.
Tell your friends and family about your experience at Symphony Hall.
Be a music critic! Write about what you heard. Be sure to include what you enjoyed, what you didn’t like, and why.
We hope you will come back to Symphony Hall soon!
TCHAIKOVSKY Coronation March
Natalya Edwards
Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework Music Learning Standards:
5.7 Analyze the uses of elements in aural examples representing diverse genres and cultures
5.8 Describe specific music occurrences in a given aural example, using appropriate terminology
5.11 Listen to formal and informal performances with attention, showing understanding of the protocols of audience behavior appropriate to
the style of the performance
National Standards for Music Education:
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
Define the genre of march in music
Move to the music in a style appropriate to the genre being studied
Analyze elements in aural examples representing specific genres
Describe specific occurrences in given musical examples
Explain the following terms and their relationship to the music being studied:
coronation, czar, music citation
Materials:
Lesson plan, recording of the Coronation March, recording of the “God Save
the Tzar”, world map, digital projector, Laurits Tuxen painting “Coronation of
Nicholas II”
Introduction:
For this lesson students will need room to move. Please arrange the
student seating to allow for movement to be comfortable to students.
Without introducing the piece to the students, play the recording of the
Coronation March and ask students what genre they just listened to (e.g.
dance, song, symphony, etc). If students have difficulty identifying the
genre, ask the following question: “If you were to move to this music,
what movement would be the most suitable, in your opinion?” and then
ask students to get up and move as the music is playing.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) in 1875
At least one student should be able to identify a genre of march. Ask
students: “What is a march?” and then explain that a march is a rhythmic
procession of a person or a group of people from one place to another.
It’s halfway between a walk and a run, and the main difference from
either of those is that it’s rhythmic: it is governed by music.
Ask students to list reasons for writing a march (for an act of marching, as festival music, for celebrations,
funeral march, etc.).
Then introduce the title of the composition: Coronation March. The author of the Coronation March, Pyotr
Ilyich Tchaikovsky, was a highly regarded Russian composer. He is best known as a composer who forever
changed the world of ballet with Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.
The piece was commissioned by the Mayor of the City of Moscow for a public performance in Sokolniky
Park, for the coronation celebrations of the
Russian Czar Alexander III in 1883. Tchaikovsky
received the commission while in Paris, where he
was busy with the instrumentation of his opera
Mazeppa, and he protested his great displeasure
at being forced to interrupt this work. However,
he began composition and finished it shortly after.
Ask students if they know what a coronation is.
Please explain that a coronation is a ceremony
marking the formal installation of a monarch,
usually involving the placement of a crown upon
their head and the presentation of other items of
regalia. This rite may also include the taking of a
special vow, acts of homage by the new ruler's
subjects, and the performance of other ritual
deeds of special significance to a given nation.
Laurits Tuxen (1853-1927), Coronation of Nicholas II (1898)
The rite often also includes processions and festivities. You can show students a painting of “Coronation of
Nicholas II” by Laurits Tuxen to give a better idea of what coronations looked like (to prepare students for
“Development” of the lesson).
Development:
Ask students if they know who a “czar” is. “Czar" was the official title of the supreme ruler in many Slavic
countries. The term is derived from the Latin word Caesar, which was intended to mean "Emperor" in the
European medieval sense of the term.
Ask the students if they know where Russia is. Help the students to find Russia on a world map.
Development:
Before playing the march again, ask students to pay attention to change of mood, dynamics, and
instrumentation. After listening ask students to describe the dynamics (volume). Why does the march
begin forte (loud)?
What instruments are added as the piece progresses? Did the dynamics change with the arrival of other
instruments?
What hasn’t changed throughout the entire piece? (answer: tempo (=speed)). Why didn’t the tempo
change? (answer: because it’s a march – a march requires a steady pace.)
Listening and imagination:
Have students listen to the march again and ask them to engage their imagination: What is the czar doing
while the march is playing? What is happening around the czar?
Is the march written to be performed in a large hall or in a small room? What tells us that the march was
written to be perform in a large hall? (answers: number of instruments, grand sound, use of cymbals, etc.)
Extension:
Tchaikovsky used part of the Russian National Anthem in his Coronation March. This is called music
citation. Ask the students why, in their opinion, did Tchaikovsky use music written by another composer in
his original composition? Explain to students that it was acceptable practice, and it still is. Music citations
are quite common in modern music. Since the Coronation March was written for the Coronation of the
Czar, it made perfect sense to use a music citation that glorified the Czar, the ruler of the country, even if
citation was written by another composer.
Ask students if they can think of a modern song or a composition that has a music citation.
Play “God Save the Czar” and before the final listening ask students to raise their hands when they hear
“God Save the Czar” appear in the March.
Evaluation:
Have students think about the following scenario: if they were a famous composer writing a march for a
national march competition, what kind of march they would choose to write? Why? What instruments
would they choose for their march? Why? What tempo and volume would they choose?
COPLAND “Buckaroo Holiday” from the ballet Rodeo
Kimberly Vespo
Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework Music Learning Standards:
5.2 Listen to and describe aural examples of music of various styles, genres, cultural and historical periods, identifying expressive qualities, instrumentation, and cultural and/or geographic context.
5.3 Use appropriate terminology in describing music, music notation, music instruments and voices, and music performances
5.6 Describe and demonstrate audience skills of listening attentively and responding appropriately in classroom, rehearsal, and performance
settings
National Standards for Music Education:
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
Exhibit good audience manners
Learn about the art form of ballet and how it relates to the music
Identify themes and variations
Infer the story of the music by listening and following a listening map
Materials:
Recording, listening map, biography
Introduction:
Aaron Copland was an American composer born in Brooklyn, New York on November 14,
1900. At a young age, he learned piano from his sister and at 17 decided he wanted to be
a composer. He went to Europe to study music. When he was only 25, he was asked to
compose a piece of music for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This marked the beginning
of Copland’s life as a composer. Copland had a habit of composing at night with the help
of his noisy piano, so he had to move several times. Copland wrote music with a very
“American" sound by incorporating jazz and folk music into his own music. In the early
1940’s Copland began writing film scores and ballets so that his music would reach a
larger audience.
Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
In the spring of 1942, Agnes de Mille, the American dancer and choreographer, asked Aaron Copland to
write music for a new ballet set on a western ranch. Having already composed one ballet that took place in
a similar setting, Copland was reluctant to accept the assignment. But de Mille persuaded him by promising
that her work would strike a different tone: no legendary figures, no high drama—just a simple and universal story in a pastoral American setting.
Development:
Introduce the song as a song that is telling a story. Play the first 2 minutes of the song and ask the students to imagine what is happening. After listening have students share their ideas.
Play the first minute or 2 of the song again and this time have the students listen for the different instruments.
Are all the instruments playing at once or are they playing at different times?Do you think there are
a few people or a lot of people playing in this song? Why do you think that?
Briefly tell the story of the ballet and also clarify what a ballet is if needed.
The story of Rodeo is simple: a girl from Brooklyn moves out west to become a cowgirl. She looks tough on
the outside but tender at heart. She is searching for — and finds — a man from the prairie whom she can
invite to the Saturday night dance. She tries impressing the cowboy with her cowgirl tricks. Will that be
enough to catch his eye?
What is ballet? Ballet is an art form created by the movement of the human body. It is theatrical-performed on a stage to an audience utilizing costumes, scenic design and lighting. It can tell a story or express a thought or emotion. Ballet can be magical, exciting, provoking.
Have students listen to the whole song while looking at the listening map. After listening, ask if they
could figure out the story. Was the music different for the cowgirl and cowboy? What do they
think was happening in the saloon?
Listening map key:
- A descending scale theme. Represents the cowgirl – what kind of person do you think she is? Is
she shy, adventurous, mean, sad?
- A variation of the descending scale theme. A variation is when a melody is slightly changed.
- Another variation of the descending scale theme. What instruments are playing the theme?
- The descending scale travels up making it an ascending scale.
- The descending scale theme that climbs higher at the end.
- Sets up the scene inside the saloon.
- The cowgirl is trying to catch the eye of the cowboy by impressing him. What do you think she
is doing? Can you hear the horse galloping? There is a rhythmic motif here that represents a trotting horse.
- Begin the rhythmic motif. Can you hear the gallop?
- Cowboy enters.
- Cowgirl is upset she does not have the cowboy’s attention and then has the idea
that doing tricks on her horse she will impress the cowboy and continues to do
tricks on her horse until the closing bell of the saloon is heard.
Extension:
Music Vocabulary: Beat, Accent Syncopation, Accelerando
Using the music show examples of each of these terms and have the students figure out the definitions
based on what they hear.
Evaluation:
Have students identify the parts of the story in the ballet. Who are the characters? Where is the story taking place? What is the plot? Are the parts of the music that represent the different characters and the
events in the story?
Extension Activities:
Have the students act out the story as the music is playing. Having them working in groups of 4-5 allows
everyone to have a part (cowgirl, cowboy, horse, other people at the saloon).
Have the students tap along to the rhythm of the trotting horse. Can they find all the places it appears?
LISTENING MAP ON NEXT PAGE!
ANDERSON The Waltzing Cat
Eva Ostrovsky-Kaminsky
Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework Music Learning Standards:
5.1 Perceive, describe, and respond to basic elements of music, including beat, tempo, rhythm, meter, pitch, melody, texture, dynamics, harmony, and form.
5.5 Respond through purposeful movement to selected prominent music characteristics or to specific music occurrences while singing or listening to music
5.10 Interpret more complex music through movement
6.1 When viewing or listening to examples of visual arts, architecture, music, dance, storytelling, and theatre, ask and answer questions such
as, “What is the artist trying to say?” “Who made this, and why?” “How does this work make me feel?”
National Standards for Music Education:
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
Identify and demonstrate differences between active/ passive state
To create slow and fast motion movements
Write a story or cartoon based on a piece of music
Materials:
Paper cut-outs, pencils, markers and/or crayons, paper, scarves/staff toys
Introduction:
Leroy Anderson was born June 29, 1908 in Cambridge, Massachusetts and was famous for his orchestral
music as well as his songs. (The most famous is “Sleigh Ride”).
He was organist and choir director at the East Milton Congregational Church, led
the Harvard University Band, and conducted and arranged music for dance bands
around Boston. In 1936 his arrangements came to the attention of Arthur Fiedler, long-time conductor of the Boston Pops.
Anderson's musical style employs creative instrumental effects and occasionally
makes use of sound-generating items such as typewriters and sandpaper.
Anderson died in in 1975, and is buried in Woodbury, Connecticut
For his contribution to the recording industry, Leroy Anderson has a star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1620 Vine Street.
Leroy Anderson
John Williams, the author of [ask children to name the movies they watched that
have been scored by Williams], described him as "one of the great American masters
of light orchestral music."
Ask questions about cats: how long they live, what they eat, how they behave, who loves cats, who does
not and why (contribute about 3 cats’ personality traits).
Announce that our bodies (not mouths – this will reduce the “sound effects”) are going to act as cats’
bodies during this class
Suggest that while listening to music we are going to think about and then brainstorm our ideas of the
movement and behavior of cats
Development:
Listen to the recording of The Waltzing Cat (first time).
Using paper cut-outs or scarves (or just by movement of the hands), express the movement of the cat.
Listen to the music, creating hand movements that reflect “Events” in the music.
Questions to ask: show or raise hands when, according to the music, the Cat is “relaxed”, and when it is
“mischievous” (active).
Rhythm connection: when does the cat move mostly in a pace of quarter notes (relaxed)? When does his
movement includes mostly eight notes (active)
The last activity can also be converted to combination of half notes (relaxed) and quarters (active) as an
additional goal here is to develop their hearing of the difference between the two.
Extension:
Listen to The Waltzing Cat (second time).
In a small group, plan, discuss and create your own dance piece reflecting both movements (can be done
using non-locomotors, and locomotor movements)
Listen to The Waltzing Cat (third time – include performances of the group dances)
Plan, discuss and draw the cartoon (can also be done in small groups)
Plan, discuss and write a small story, or poem, including different ways of portraying the movements about
your Cat’s adventures
While writing about and listening to the piece, please be a good observer of the Waltzing Cat’s mood!
Evaluation:
During the group dances performances, assess students’ understanding of the movement in short beats
(faster pace) and longer beats slower)
For the story, adhere to the story map that is accepted by your school (check with classroom teacher)
Extension Activities:
Share the stories; discuss/model the story map following student examples.
Listen to the “Cat’s Duet” by Rossini (Duetto buffo di due gatti) and discuss the difference between the
ways Anderson and Rossini communicate the character of the cat (e.g. one using singing voices, another
orchestral effects, etc.)
Classify the genre of the operatic duet and devote next class to an opera unit.
STRAVINSKY Circus Polka
Eva Ostrovsky-Kaminsky
Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework Music Learning Standards:
5.6 Describe and demonstrate audience skills of listening attentively and responding appropriately in classroom, rehearsal, and performance
settings
5.8 Describe specific music occurrences in a given aural example, using appropriate terminology
5.12 Demonstrate an understanding of how musical elements interact to create expressiveness in music
5.16 Demonstrate the ability to perceive, remember, and describe in detail significant occurrences in a given aural example
National Standards for Music Education:
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
Identify a polka
Create a story based on sound effects of music in accordance with story map
and with the inclusion of the “Cat” character who is traveling just like
students who are going to hear the BSO Youth Concert
Distinguish the themes and genres in the Polka such as the March
Identify quotation in music and to connect the concept with the same
literary concept of quotation
Develop strategic thinking and team work
Materials:
Recording of Circus Polka, story map copies
(blank, and also with explanations of shapes), pens/pencils
Introduction:
Balanchine: "I wonder if you'd like to create a
little ballet with me."
Stravinsky: "For whom?"
Balanchine: "For some elephants."
Stravinsky: "How old are the elephants?"
Balanchine: "Very young."
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Stravinsky: "All right. If they are very young
elephants, I will do it.”
George Balanchine (1904-1983)
At the time of the conversation, Igor Stravinsky was a prominent composer and Balanchine was a famous
choreographer. The Polka was made into a successful ballet which Stravinsky never saw.
Even though Stravinsky considered the Circus Polka a very minor work, it displays many features drawn from his eccentric personality, such as the mix of
the genres. The polka (a fast-paced, lighthearted dance of Polish origin with
many jumps) is blended with the heavy steps of the military march. The contrast of the light texture of the strings and the strong projected sounds of the
winds can leave us in a state of awkwardness and discomfort.
The Cheshire Cat, from an 1866 edition of
Alice in Wonderland
This discomfort can also be very captivating, as we are enchanted in a swirl
of dance, bringing to mind all things non-logical and making them all attractive, very much like Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” (introduce the plot
very briefly to ignite interest for the students who are unfamiliar with it).
Now let’s try to imagine the story from the other point of view, of the Cat that wanders into the Circus.
First listening:
Ask questions about the music: what is the mood of the piece? What sound effects do you hear? How do
different rhythms and combinations of beats contribute to the general atmosphere?
Development:
Decide ahead of time whether students are going to work individually or in small groups.
Talk about the time period during which the Polka was written (1942) and the Second World War. Use a
piece like Franz Schubert’s Marche militaire No. 1 to make connections between war and military music.
Distribute the Cat Story Maps, Directions and Cat Outs.
Read and discuss directions together with students/groups.
Read the Story Maps and find connections and similarities with the Story Maps and writing rules familiar to
the students.
Listen to the piece a second time
Extension:
Let the students discuss and brainstorm if they are working in a small group.
While they are writing, let them listen to the piece for the third time
Evaluation:
Share their stories, asking questions (e.g. what made you write about this event?) Encourage them to be
specific about sounds of instruments and the changes of rhythms and beats that they discussed earlier.
Extension Activities:
Divide students into groups
Distribute and let them work on different parts of Mad Libs.
When they are done, read the entire text together, using it as a review of the following concepts : composer, Stravinsky, genre, polka, march
Explore the secondary concepts (optional): ballet, Balanchine, Second World War
Directions to the “Cat in the Circus” Story Activity
Think and plan the story according to the Story Map.
Using the Cat Out, write a story about the Cat’s adventures in the Circus while listening to the Circus Polka:
For a Young Elephant by Igor Stravinsky.
Let the music influence your writing!
Check your work and outline the parts of your story in corresponding shapes from the Story Map
Did you know?
A polka is a fast paced light hearted dance of Polish origin with many jumps.
Stravinsky conceived the Circus Polka for a humorous ballet directed by the famous ballet choreographer
George Balanchine. According to Balanchine’s original conception, the elephants were suppose to dance in
pink tutus alongside with ballerinas wearing the same tutus, only in smaller sizes.
After a successful premiere, the ballet was performed by the Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Marching Surprise: there is a citation of Franz Schubert's Marche militaire No. 1 toward the end of the
piece!
WILLIAMS Flight to Neverland from Hook
CALL SHEET: “The Flight to Neverland” by John Williams
Paul Pitts
Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework Music Learning Standards:
5.4 Identify the sounds of a variety of instruments, including many orchestra and band instruments, and instruments from various
cultures, as well as children’s voices and male and female voices.
National Standards for Music Education:
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
1. The Flight to Neverland begins with harp, celesta, oboes and strings. Can you hear what instrument introduces the
first melodic theme?
A. trumpet
B. bells
C. French horn
D. Bassoon
2. When this theme is introduced what imagery comes into your mind?
A. peaceful and tranquil
B. angry and evil
C. strong and nautical
D. slow and sad
3. After the first theme is developed we are presented with a strong melody of great forward motion and joy, this
main theme is played by what family of instruments?
A. Brass
B. Strings
C. Woodwinds
D. Percussion
4. Fill in the following correctly, after having answered the previous question: The main theme in the
________________ is accompanies by driving rhythmic figures in the __________ and fast runs in the
________________ .
“brass”; “percussion and fast flying runs in the strings”
“strings”; ” brass and fast flying runs in the woodwinds”
“percussion”; “woodwinds and fast flying runs in the brass”
“woodwinds”; ” strings and fast flying runs in the percussion”
5. Take a few minutes to write several sentences on the back of this page describing how the music makes you feel.
What type of characters does the music make you think of?
What type of place does the music make you think of?
When do you think this piece was written?
Musical Storytelling with Flight to Neverland
Paul Pitts
Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework Music Learning Standards:
6.1 When viewing or listening to examples of visual arts, architecture, music, dance, storytelling, and theater ask and answer questions such
as, “What is the artist trying to say?” “Who made this, and why?” “How does this work make you feel”
National Standards for Music Education:
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
Materials:
Learn how tempo, dynamics, tone, melody and other musical elements can
convey emotions, images, and other narrative devices
Identify and recognize the sounds of the instruments in an orchestra and
the tonal colors they can create
Video projector/sound system/screen, Recording of Flight to Neverland, You
Tube access (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-0wghH4OL8), copy of
Steven Spielberg’s Hook (Movie Cues: Flight to Neverland, Movie Cue 34:55
to 35:55; “Lost Boys & Pan”, Movie Cue 1:40:10 to 1:42:32; “End & Credits”,
Movie Cue 2:14:04 to 2:17:27)
Introduction:
Sometimes music is composed to tell a story and sometimes, there isn’t supposed to be any story attached to a piece. Because of the way the music
makes us feel, however, we can imagine for ourselves what we think a piece
of music is about.
First, we are going to listen and talk about how the piece makes us feel. Then
we will listen to it again while watching the orchestra play it. We’ll identify all
of the different instruments that we hear and see. Finally, we will listen to the
music as it is used in the movie for which it was written.
“Peter Pan, or, The Boy Who Would Not
Grow Up” by J.M.Barrie. Produced at the
Duke of York's Theatre on December 27,
1904, the play ran for 145 performances.
The piece we are going to listen to today is
The Flight to Neverland, written by John Williams. John Williams has written many great
film scores to movies including Jaws, Star
Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and the
Harry Potter movies. What you might not
know is that John Williams is also a great conductor and was the principal conductor of the
Boston Pops from 1980 to 1995. He is currently the Laureate Conductor of the Boston
Pops.
The Flight to Neverland was written for the
movie Hook by Steven Spielberg, which is a
contemporary version of J.M. Barrie’s Peter
Pan, a play written in 1904 and premiered in John Williams conducting his score to Raiders of the Lost Ark
England just after Christmas at the Duke of
York’s Theater. Although this piece is from a film score, it has great value on its own, and is an excellent
example of contemporary scoring for the symphony orchestra. Williams’ use of the many colors that are
available in an orchestra is truly fantastic and certainly evokes a variety of feelings and images for us all.
Development:
First listening: Play recording alone. As the students listen to the piece, have them identify the musical
characteristics and instruments they hear. Write their comments and ideas on the board.
What is the tempo of the piece, what are the dynamics of the piece, what instruments play the
melody?
How does the music make you feel?
What is the artist trying to say?
Now we are going to discuss the mood of the piece.
How do the tempo, rhythm, dynamics, instruments and melody make you feel?
Do you feel like you are sitting still or moving around?
What specific sounds and instruments help create the feeling that you get from the music?
Discuss the following inscription that John Williams wrote in the score with the class.
"For countless centuries mankind has dreamed of flying, which is why I think it could be argued that
the greatest achievement of the Twentieth Century may have been the accomplishment of flight itself.
Our fascination with flying and the freedom we associate with it may also be one of the principle reasons why the story of James Barrie's 1923 play has been retold in every imaginable medium. My favorite moment has always been when Peter Pan and Tinkerbell rise above the rooftops of London and fly
off to Neverland. In writing the music for Steven Spielberg's film version of the story, which he called
Hook, I tried to create a clear singing melody that might combine some of the wonder of childhood
with the energy and 'lift' required for this famous flight."
Extension:
How do the music and the movie work together to intensify the mood the composer is trying to convey?
Have students draw pictures of what the music makes them visualize and then compare with imagery from
the movie.
Second Listening: This time play the Youtube video of John Williams conducting the Boston Pops. (http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-0wghH4OL8) Before the students watch the video, ask them to pay close
attention to the instruments that they see while they listen to the music. Have them name the instruments
they see on the video and write them on the board. Ask them to talk about how each one of the instruments
sounds to them.
Do you have a favorite instrument?
What instrument would you like to play someday?
Discuss abbreviated instrumentation: flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, french horns, trumpets,
trombones, tuba, timpani, glockenspiel (bells), cymbals, harp, piano and strings
Talk about how different types of instruments are played – woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings
Third Listening: Play the three movie segments and discuss how the music helps to intensify the feeling
and mood of the movie. (The last clip is only a small part of the movie followed by the movie credits.)
Movie Cues from “Hook”
“Flight to Neverland” Movie Cue 34:55 to 35:55
“Lost Boys & Pan” Movie Cue 1:40:10 to 1:42:32
“End & Credits” Movie Cue 2:14:04 to 2:17:27
Can you hear the motion and flying in the music?
How does the third excerpt make you feel, even without the movie?
Does it work with the music alone?
Is it better when the two mediums are combined into one?
Which excerpt do you like the best?
Evaluation:
Using Audacity (or any other digital audio editing software, like GarageBand, Pro Tools, etc.), create the
following audio excerpts (listed below) from The Flight to Neverland and ask the students to name the
instruments. Regardess as to which program you use, I would suggest expanding the waveform screen as
much as possible to make it easier to see what you are working with. Once the audio excerpts are selected
exactly, you can export the selections as MP3 files.
1. At the very beginning of the piece we hear strings and oboes. What instrument and instrument
family introduces the first melodic idea? (Brass/French horn)
Hook excerpt no.1 –( 0:00 – 0:20)
2. After the introduction, the main theme is introduced in what family of instruments? (Strings)
Hook excerpt no.2 – ( 0:52 - 1:16)
3. The next excerpt has a driving rhythm idea in what section? (Trumpets) That is followed by some
melodic material by what instrument? (Trombone) And finally we hear from one more member of
the same family, what instruments are they? (French horns)
Hook excerpt no.3 – ( 0:35 – 0:48)
4. In the next excerpt we hear the main theme in the strings with a different feel. What instruments
answer the melody here? Hint: the answer is from two different families. (Trombones and Timpani)
Hook excerpt no.4 – (2:39 — 3:02)
5. Finally we will hear an excerpt that has the strings playing the main theme with the answer by a
different instrument. What instrument is it? (French horns)
Hook excerpt no.5 –(3:02 — 3:52)
Extra Credit: What family of instruments is used to represent the wind blowing by us as we fly away?
(Woodwinds)
Extension Activities:
Listen to other John Williams pieces and see how he uses the orchestra in them. Talk about sections of the
orchestra that are most prominent throughout his other pieces.
Listen to and identify instruments from other orchestral music. Watch additional clips of orchestral works
on YouTube so the students can connect the instruments’ sounds to what they look like and how they are
played.
RAVEL The Enchanted Garden, from Mother Goose
Julie Davis
Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework Music Learning Standards:
5.1 Perceive, describe, and respond to basic elements of music, including beat, tempo, rhythm, meter, pitch, melody, texture, dynamics, harmony, and form
5.4 Identify the sounds of a variety of instruments, including many orchestra and band instruments, and instruments from various cultures, as
well as children’s voices and male and female adult voices
5.8 Describe specific music occurrences in a given aural example, using appropriate terminology
5.12 Demonstrate an understanding of how musical elements interact to create expressiveness in music
National Standards for Music Education:
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
Describe the musical elements of melody, instrumentation, and dynamics in
the context of Ravel’s piece Le jardin féerique
Demonstrate an understanding of how Ravel’s Le jardin féerique can illustrate
programmatic actions of a fairy tale
Materials:
Recording of the orchestral arrangement of Le jardin féerique, scrap paper,
three listening charts (provided), pencils, colored pencils, stickers, pastels,
and other art supplies (extension only), recording of Le jardin féerique for two
pianos (extension only)
Introduction:
With the lights turned off, have students enter the classroom as Ravel’s Fifth Movement from the Mother
Goose Suite Le jardin féerique plays.
Have students close their eyes and announce that this piece of music is noted to be the “Fairy tale ending
for all fairy tales.” Have students listen to their entire movement. Then ask the question “What do you
think it means to be “The Ending for All Fairy Tales?”
As soon as the music stops, have students gather in small groups. Give each group a piece of scrap paper
and announce they have will listen to the movement once again.
This time, they must silently write as many fairy tales they know that end with “And they all lived happily
ever after.” The team with the most fairy tales written before the movement ends wins. (For assistance,
see the following link : http://storytimeforme.com/topics/fairy-tale-stories-for-kids/ )
Evaluation: Students are able to list several fairy tales from memory
Introduce Maurice Ravel as French composer who
was born in 1865 and lived until 1937. “He was a
leading composer of his time, famous for redefining
the how orchestral music could create new sounds.
A unique quality of Ravel was his child-like wonder,
including his love for fairy tales.” Read or have a
student read the following passage:
Although he had none of his own, Ravel loved
children. Throughout his life, he kept his ability to
see the world through a child’s eyes, and he never
outgrew his passion for creating elaborate toys and
reading fairy tales aloud. The adult composer, little
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) at the piano in 1912
taller himself than most children, particularly enjoyed the company of Mimie and Jean Godebski, the daughter and son of his friends Cipa and Ida Godebski, a young Polish couple whose Paris apartment was a gathering place for some of the greatest artists of the day, including André Gide, Jean Cocteau, Erik Satie, and,
from time to time, Igor Stravinsky. Ravel was a regular visitor to the Godebskis’ salon, and it’s possible that
he was drawn as much by the enchanting games and conversation he shared with Mimie and Jean as he
was by the more rarefied discussion among the grown-ups.
Tell the class that the piece of music they heard was a movement from the Mother Goose Suite. It is the
resolution, or the “Happy Every After Ending” for the story Sleeping Beauty.
Ask a student to summarize what happens in the resolution of this story. (I.e. The prince approaches the
Sleeping Beauty’s castle, and awakens her with a kiss. She slowly opens her eyes and the storybook characters gather around her as the Good Fairy gives her blessing to the happy couple.) Ask the class “Is this a
usual ending for a fairy tale?” “Why do you think fairy tales appeal to children?”
Evaluation: Students discuss whether or not this is a typical fairy tale. Students argue that fairy tales appeal
to children for reasons such as their elements of fantasy and magic and happy endings.
Development:
Students will understand how Ravel used melody, instrumentation, and dynamics to create a “Happy Ending for All Endings” in Le jardin féerique. Students should have some prior understanding of the meanings of
melody, instrumentation, and dynamics. If appropriate, provide students with the score, with each section
clearly labeled.
Gather students in groups of three. Students should self-assign themselves to have one of the following
roles: The Melody Expert, the Instrumentation Expert, and the Dynamics Expert.
Tell the students that they will listen to the recording in three sections, and take notes on their “expertise”
as outlined on the Listening Chart 1.
Play the recording, and stopping after each section. Provide time for students to answer the appropriate
“Expert Opinion” questions on the Listening Chart.
After each section, allow alike experts (i.e. all Melody Experts) to meet and compare/contrast their findings
for 1-2 minutes.
Evaluation: Students fill out the chart with thoughtful answers demonstrating an understanding of melody,
instrumentation, and dynamics within the context of the musical piece. Students are able to compare and
contrast their answers with others, and can defend or change their answers with confidence.
Ask all experts to return to their original group of three.
Give each student a second chart and a pencil to draw with. Ask students to sketch what they think is happening during each section of the music on Listening Chart 2.
Have students pass their sketches to another person in their group so that every student has a peer’s
sketches. Looking at each sketch, instruct students to write a short statement labeling the action in each
picture on Listening Chart 2.
Evaluation: Students sketch events
of Sleeping Beauty’s Resolution in
correct sequence. Examples include
1st Section – the Prince discovering
the castle, 2nd Section – the princess waking up from her long slumber, 3rd Section – the Fairy bestowing her blessing on the couple and
the kingdom celebrating. Students
accurately label their peer’s illustrations.
Remind the class that some critics
consider Ravel’s piece Le jardin
féerique is the “Fairy tale ending
for all fairy tales.” Does this statement hold true?
Sleeping Beauty is found by the Prince, 1867 engraving by Gustave Doré, from Charles Perrault’s Sleeping
Beauty (Ravel modeled much of the Mother Goose Suite after the work of Perrault)
Ask students to choose their favorite fairy tale. Using the Listening Chart 3 provided, have students sketch
the resolution of their favorite fairy tale. Instruct students to sketch what they think is happening at the
ending of their fairy tale. Tell them to organize their sketch into three sections, and base each sketch on
Ravel’s musical elements of melody, instrumentation, and dynamics.
Ask students if this task was simple or difficult. Vote: Does Ravel’s musical structure allow Le jardin féerique
to represent a fairy tale ending for all fairy tales?
Evaluation: Students accurately sketch the resolution of another fairy tale. Students discuss whether or not
they believe Ravel’s piece to represent a typical fairy tale ending.
Extension:
Hand out colored pencils, pastels, stickers, and other easily accessible art supplies and ask students to
elaborate the sketches with these materials.
Explain that Ravel’s Le jardin féerique was once a less-elaborate “sketch.” Le jardin féerique originally was
written for simply two pianos. He then orchestrated the piece, or revised the piece to be performed by a
set of instruments. “The purpose of orchestration is to create a more vivid or colorful quality of sound. As a
composer, Ravel not only orchestrated his own works, but he orchestrated other composers’ works as
well.”
Play the Le jardin féerique arranged for two pianos as students continue to “orchestrate” their illustrations.
Ask students to write a letter to Ravel, arguing that either the orchestral or the piano duet arrangement of
Le jardin féerique is more effective at conveying the blissful and grand “Fairy tale ending for all fairy tales”.
Students must mention whether or not the “melody” “instrumentation” or “dynamics” is more effectively
used in either the orchestral arrangement or the arrangement for two pianos.
Evaluation: Students are able to argue their opinion on which arrangement is more effective. Students
accurately use the terms melody, instrumentation, and dynamics to express which musical piece they think
is more effective at conveying the fairy tale ending.
STRAVINSKY Berceuse & Finale from the ballet The Firebird
Caroline Rizzo
Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework Music Learning Standards:
5.6 Describe and demonstrate audience skills of listening attentively and responding appropriately in classroom, rehearsal, and performance
settings
5.8 Describe specific music occurrences in a given aural example, using appropriate terminology
6.1 When viewing or listening to examples of visual arts, architecture, music, dance, storytelling, and theatre, ask and answer questions such
as, “What is the artist trying to say?” “Who made this, and why?” “How does this work make me feel?”
National Standards for Music Education:
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
Use their knowledge of the introduction, conflict, and climax of the story to
make a prediction of how the story is resolved
Use their ideas about the music to guide their imaginative prediction of what
the conclusion to the story might be
Materials:
Recording of The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky (“Berceuse” and “Finale”
movements from the 1919 orchestral suite, “Choose Your Own Conclusion”
worksheet (included), “Musical Listening Log” worksheet (included, optional),
Pencil and drawing materials
Introduction:
Provide a brief introduction to The Firebird, explaining that it is a piece of
orchestral music composed by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky in 1909
as a score for a ballet.
Explain to students that the music and ballet are based on a Russian
folktale. Activate the students’ knowledge of folk tales and fairy tales be
asking them to brainstorm a list of popular folk tales/fairy tales in their own
culture, and then comparing and contrasting the narrative and characters of
these stories.
Stravinsky in 1910
Make children aware that a “movement” in a piece of music can sometimes be used to tell different parts
of a story. Introduce the students to the folktale of The Firebird by describing the aspects of the story that
have occurred preceding the Berceuse and Finale movements of the orchestral piece they are about to
hear. A brief summation of the introduction, conflict, and climax of the story should be shared with the students before listening to the final movements of the piece. A synopsis of the folktale can be read/told
aloud by the teacher, or students can independently read the text provided on the attached “Choose Your
Own Conclusion” worksheet. Explain to students that after hearing/reading the first parts of the story, they
will then use the music to guide their imaginative ideas of how the story might conclude.
Below, you will find a brief summary of the events that have taken place in the story of The Firebird before
the Berceuse and Finale movements. The provided script can be used as a read aloud or as the basis for a
theatrical telling of the story.
After a day of hunting in a magical forest, a young
Prince named Ivan is granted one special favor from a
magical bird, the Firebird, after Prince Ivan agrees to
release the bird back into the forest and spare its life.
Later in his travels through the forest, the prince encounters an evil ogre named Kashchei and his army of
monsters who are holding an entire kingdom captive.
The prince falls in love with one of the princesses being
held captive, and calls upon the Firebird to help him free
the princess and her kingdom. The Firebird reveals to
Prince Ivan that Kashchei’s soul is contained in a magical egg, which is guarded by monsters. In order to destroy Kashchei and break the spell he and his evil monsters have cast upon the kingdom, the Firebird and
Prince Ivan must somehow capture Kashchei’s soul and
destroy it.
After students have heard and read the above portion
of the folktale, explain that they will now hear the final
musical movements of The Firebird, and use the music
to guide their ideas of how the story is resolved.
Ivan captures the Firebird in the forest. Painting by Ivan Bilibin (1876-1942)
Development:
As students listen to the Berceuse and Finale Movements of Stravinsky’s The Firebird, it is helpful to guide
their listening of the piece. You may choose to have children use the attached “Musical Listening Log” to
record their ideas while listening to the piece, or the teacher can help facilitate an analytical discussion of
the piece. It is helpful to direct the listeners’ attention to how the use of certain instruments
(instrumentation), variation of speed (tempo) and levels of volume (dynamics) effect the mood and storyline the piece depicts. Have students make connections between the music and the story, asking how they
imagine the story developing as they listen. Ask students to use their impression of the music to guide their
ideas of how the story of The Firebird was resolved.
Evaluation:
Using the attached “Choose Your Own Conclusion” worksheet, ask students to illustrate how the music has
led them to believe the story concludes.
Remind students to refer to their ideas about the music when imagining how this story might be resolved.
If the “Musical Listening Log” was used, students can refer to it as a resource to remind them of their ideas
about the music while drawing.
Play the music again as the students draw, giving them an additional chance to evaluate how the music
guides their ideas about the story’s conclusion.
It is beneficial to allow students to share their own creative ideas of how the story concludes before “giving
away” the ending, and describing the intended conclusion of the folktale, as follows:
The Firebird dances with the monstrous guards, and later with Kashchei himself. The dance led by the Firebird is both captivating and exhausting, and soon Kashchei and the other monsters fall fast asleep. While
these evil creatures are sleeping, Prince Ivan take the magical egg containing Kashchei’s soul and destroys
it, which causes the destruction of Kashchei and his guards, while also setting the princess and her kingdom
free. Prince Ivan and the princess are now able to get married, and the whole kingdom rejoices in being set
free due to the help of Prince Ivan and the Firebird.
Initiate a class discussion in which students compare and contrast their own conclusions with the traditional conclusion of the folktale. Which ideas did you like the best and why? How did students use the music to guide their thinking?
Extension Activities:
Students can further develop their ideas by writing their own conclusion to the story in full paragraph form.
Creative movement or theater can be used to act out students’ ideas for the conclusion of the piece.
Using writing, drawing, or theatre, students can create a fictional narrative in which they imagine and then
describe another of the Firebird’s magical encounters, which might have taken place before or after the
Firebird’s encounter with Prince Ivan. Students can include the characters mentioned in the folktale, or create their own cast of characters to interact with the Firebird in their extension of the folktale.
If time is available, students can watch portions of the ballet, and describe how music and dancing are used
to interpret the story of The Firebird.
Choose Your Own Conclusion
Directions: After reviewing how the story of The Firebird begins, illustrate your own idea of how the music
leads you to believe the story concludes. Use color, line quality, and texture to fully develop your illustration. You should also provide at least 2-3 sentences to support your drawing and ideas about the conclusion of The Firebird.
The Firebird: A Russian Folktale
Introduction: After a day of hunting in a magical forest, a young Prince named Ivan is granted one special
favor from a magical bird, the Firebird, after Prince Ivan agrees to release the bird back into the forest and
spare its life.
Conflict: Later in his travels through the forest, the prince encounters an evil ogre named Kashchei and his
army of monsters who are holding an entire kingdom captive. The prince falls in love with one of the princesses being held captive, and calls upon the Firebird to help him free the princess and her kingdom.
Climax: The Firebird reveals to Prince Ivan that Kashchei’s soul is contained in a magical egg, which is
guarded by monsters. In order to destroy Kashchei and break the spell he and his evil monsters have cast
upon the kingdom, the Firebird and Prince Ivan must somehow capture Kashchei’s soul and destroy it.
To be continued (by you!)….
Draw and describe your own conclusion to the story.
Musical Listening Log
Composer:________________________________________________________________________
Title of piece:______________________________________________________________________
Time Period:______________________________________________________________________
Instrumentation
What instruments do you hear while listening? Are certain instruments featured more than others?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Tempo
What is the speed or speeds of the music?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Dynamics
Is the music loud or soft? Does the volume change?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Mood
How is the music meant to make you feel?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Illustrate what you hear
Draw a picture showing what the music makes you imagine, or how the music makes you feel. Think about using
color, shape, and line quality to help illustrate your idea.