St. Paul`s Suite - Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

Concert Introduction………..………….………………………………....………..…………….…………….....2
Calling all Artists! ……..……...…………….……….………….………………………..……………….……......3
Instrument Families…………………….……….…..…………………………………………………………...….4
Machine, by Higdon…………………………………………………………………………..……...…..………....6
Composer Jennifer Higdon…...…..………………..……….……………….……………………………….….7
I. Preludium from the Holberg Suite by Grieg….....……………….…………………...……..….…...8
Composer Edvard Grieg………..………………………..………..……….…………………..………..………..9
II. Ostinato from St. Paul’s Suite by Holst….…….…………...…………………………….…..……....10
Composer Gustav Holst………..…....….………………...…….……………………………………..……....11
I. Vivace from Symphony No. 7 by Beethoven……………………..……………..……..…............12
Composer Ludwig Van Beethoven………...……………......………..…………………..…………….…13
“Warehouse Medicine” from The B-Sides, by Bates…………...….….……..………..……....…14
Composer Mason Bates……..……………………..……….….……..…….…………..………………….....15
“Largo al factotum” from The Barber of Seville, by Rossini…..…..……....………..……….…16
Composer Gioachino Rossini…………...………………………………………..…..…….…...…………...17
“Largo al factotum” Questions for Students…………………………..…………...………..………..18
“Largo al factotum” Libretto……….……………..………………………........…..…….…...…………...19
IV. Allegro non troppo from Symphony No. 5 Op. 47, by Shostakovich…....………..…..20
Composer Dmitri Shostakovich……………...………...…..…………………..…...…………..………….21
Star Wars Main Title, by Williams…………..………….……….………......….…...…………………….22
Composer John Williams…………………..………………………………….....…...………………..……...23
The Conductor’s Role…….……...………..…………………..….……….…………..…………………………24
KSO Youth Concert Puzzle and Power Listening……..…...………….………..……………………..25
Show What You Know……………………….….……………...…………….…………….…………………….26
Post-Concert Reflection……………………..…………..…………………………...………………………….28
Thank You to KSO Youth Concert Design Team……...….…..…….……..………………………..…32
Student and Teacher Guide cover design, composer pages, lesson formatting and graphic design by Cori Somers
1
Dear Students,
Welcome to the Kalamazoo Symphony Youth Concert of 2016! We will explore a very exciting musical idea
and discover how this idea teaches us to achieve success. In music, when a composer repeats a small musical
idea over and over, we call it an ostinato. When we hear composers use ostinato, we are reminded to keep
moving even when we fail.
We will also learn that many composers experienced significant obstacles during their lives. Some lost their
hearing, others faced unfairness, others experienced failure, and some even survived threats to their lives.
Despite these challenges, these composers did not give up, but kept on moving forward. With great
perseverance, these composers impacted people’s lives and are remembered for their great success.
At the Kalamazoo Symphony, we value your participation. In this concert, we invite you to conduct from your
seats, create patterns of your own, and submit artwork that may be shown on the stage. Most importantly,
you will have fun as you explore the wonders of the symphony orchestra. We look forward to seeing you at
the Kalamazoo Symphony concert, enjoying the music that keeps you moving! - Maestro Daniel Brier
CONCERT PROGRAM
Higdon
Machine
Grieg
I. Preludium from the Holberg Suite
Holst
II. Ostinato from St. Paul’s Suite
Beethoven*
I. Vivace from Symphony No. 7
Bates*
“Warehouse Medicine” from The B-Sides
Rossini*
“Largo al factotum” from The Barber of Seville
Shostakovich*
IV. Allegro non troppo from Symphony No. 5 Op. 47
Williams
Star Wars: Main Title
* Indicates a student participation piece or guest artist!
Youth Concerts are made possible in part by: The Burdick-Thorne Foundation, Education for the Arts, John E. Fetzer
Institute Fund, Diane S. Robertson Foundation, Mignon Sherwood DeLano Foundation, Schupan And Sons, Tyler-Little
Foundation, Youth Concert Luncheon supporters , Dorothy U. Dalton Foundation, Harold and Grace Upjohn Foundation, Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra League, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural
Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts, Pfizer Corporation, Upjohn Mason Grandchildren’s Chair in Music Education,
Zoetis
2
As you study the musical concept of an ostinato and the social concept of perseverance,
you will become inspired by your own ideas and creativity.
This year we invite you submit artwork based on Dimitri Shostakovich’s work
Symphony No. 5, Movement IV, Allegro non troppo.
We have given some guidelines and art lesson ideas to your teachers
to help this activity have some direction.
All artwork chosen will be displayed on our screen during the KSO’s performance of Shostakovich’s
Symphony No. 5. We will have a special presentation for each day of the week to
be sure that pieces chosen from your school will be shown
when your school is at the concert.
3
4
5
By Jennifer Higdon
http://jenniferhigdon.com/audio/Machine-Clip.mp3
Special thanks to Cori Somers from the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra for creating this lesson.
6
Jennifer Higdon did not begin studying or listening to classical music until she was a teenager! Jennifer taught
herself flute when she was fifteen and played in her high school’s concert band in Tennessee. She heard very little
classical music before she went to Bowling Green State University to major in flute performance. She did not begin to
study composition until she was 21 years old!
Higdon claims that her late exposure to classical music had an important effect on her style: “Because I came to classical
music very differently than most people, the newer stuff had more appeal for me than the older.” Higdon’s music is
clearly written in a modern style, featuring interesting combinations of instruments. Although written in a modern style,
Higdon’s music relies heavily on traditional sounds and structures. Higdon’s unique combination of old and new is very
popular. Her music is traditional enough for the audience to understand and enjoy, but original enough that the
audience and orchestra are exposed to something new and challenging.
Chris McGovern: Okay, so, you taught yourself the flute, which, by itself is an incredible achievement, then your flute
teacher Judy Bentley wants you to write an original piece for the flute. How did this impact your artistic abilities, and
then how did things progress from there?
Jennifer Higdon: I think having a chance to actually organize sound onto the page completely opened my musical world.
Once I had written that first piece and heard it played, I became entranced with the idea of doing it more and more. I
also must have had an innate interest in it, because I recently found some sketches that I had made (very primitive)
when I was in high school, attempting to write music. But I have to admit, everything in my musical world changed
profoundly with the first composition. It has been a steady road since them, filled with lots of dips, backslides, forward
jumps and hefty climbs….actually about 30 years worth! But worth every frustration and joy.
CM: Before you started, we’ve learned that you grew up with virtually no classical music around you, and later on when
you learned the flute, it led to composition. Was the sound of classical music something you needed to acquire a taste
for around this time, or was that more or less simultaneous with where you were headed?
JH: I don’t know that I needed to acquire much taste in it…since it hadn’t been part of my world, I found it kind of
interesting to listen to when I first encountered it. I probably have had to develop a taste for older classical (the
Romantic and Classical periods). I really had my first experiences through 20th century music, which I loved. So some of
the music felt natural, and some of it, I still really have to try to sit through calmly (meaning it’s more of an effort). But
the developing interest in it was quite simultaneous (I’m still learning the standard rep).
7
from the Holberg Suite
By Edvard Grieg
=
=
=
= Long note melody
0:03 / 0:31
Taking melodic shape
0:15
= Pizzicato
0:21
Trill
0:59
1:05
1:16 / 1:24
1:28
1:35
1:41
Do
Ti
La
1:57
2:09
2:03
Trill
Special thanks to Lisa Stucky, Diane Glass and Beverly Ropp from Portage Public Schools for designing this lesson.
8
Grieg had a genius ability to create perfect melodies rooted in the national folk tradition of Norway. He enjoyed
composing new harmonies and became a model for many European composers. The secret behind Grieg's world fame
lay in his ability to create new piano music that could be played by amateurs in homes all over the world.
It is almost impossible to listen to Grieg without sensing a light, fresh breeze from the blue waters, a glimpse of
sparkling glaciers, a recollection of the steep mountains and of life in the fjordland of western Norway, where Grieg
was born and dearly loved to roam.
But this romantic image of the composer, and of his art and environment was only half the truth. Success did not come
easily to Grieg. His life was a struggle in which he encountered both success and adversity. In the 1860s he worked hard
to support both himself and his family as a conductor, music teacher and a performer. In these fields he was successful,
but it took time to win the recognition of other musicians and of the public. His harmonies seemed dissonant to a
public still striving to understand Beethoven and Mozart. He decided to compose in his own country, but he also
needed outside inspiration. If he was ever going to make a living composing, he needed a broader musical market than
Norway and Scandinavia could provide. Grieg traveled to many European countries to compose and make a name for
himself.
In 1874 Grieg was awarded an annual artists' grant, and could support himself without needing to teach or to conduct.
He returned to his home town of Bergen. As the years went by, Grieg composed more slowly, and each new was
completed after a very long composing process. This was when he wrote the famous Holberg suite for strings.
In 1885 Grieg moved into his new home "Troldhaugen," outside Bergen. There he and his wife Nina lived for the rest of
their lives. The last twenty years of Grieg's life were mainly spent composing and long concert tours in Europe.
Around the turn of the century, you could hear Grieg’s music not only in the great concert halls, but in cafés , spas,
restaurants, and silent films everywhere. In some circles he was regarded as nothing more than a composer of popular
music. Grieg's music faded from the minds of musicians and the public.
Since then the pendulum of history has swung back again, and this time to Grieg's advantage. His works are now
performed in concert halls throughout the world, and the number of Grieg recordings is increasing. Works long
considered insignificant have been rediscovered by a new generation of musicians.
9
from St. Paul’s Suite
By Gustav Holst
Introduction
(In 1 or fast 3)
12 measures in 3
Theme
(In 1 or fast 3)
0:11-00:17
1 measure each
2 measures each
1 measure
4 measures 2x
0:25-0:30
0:18-0:24
1 measure each
1 measure each
6x
4x
0:45-1:05 (In 1 or fast 2)
0:31-0:44
Theme
(In 1 or fast 3)
1 measure
CODA
2 measures
1 drop = 1 sound
1 drop = 1 sound
1:19-1:34
4 measures
4 measures
1 measure
2 measures
1:35-1:41
1:42-1:49
2 measures
2 measures
2 measures
(Pause)
Special thanks to Stephanie Measzros from Kalamazoo Public Schools for designing this lesson.
10
Gustav Holst was born into a very musical family. His father was a pianist and his mother (who died when he was 8)
was a singer. Gustav had weak eyes, but no one realized that he needed to wear glasses. His chest was also weak, but
no one paid much attention to his asthma. He had to rest while climbing stairs. In his youth, Gustav hated practicing
the violin, but enjoyed the piano, which he had began to practice as soon as his fingers could reach the keyboard. His
father Adolph was determined to make young Gustav a good pianist, but even in his youth Holst was troubled with
neuritis in his hands that made his long hours of practice very painful.
He studied composition at the Royal College of Music in London (where he was a teacher later in his life). While in
college, the neuritis in his right hand was so bad that practice was impossible and he could not keep up his technique
any longer. He decided to take up the trombone. It would allow him to play in orchestras and provide him with an income. Also, the experience would be useful to him as a composer. He even thought that maybe playing the trombone
would help strengthen his chest and lungs.
In college he met another composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams. They soon became wonderful friends. Holst and
Vaughan Williams were known to spend many hours having deep conversations about music and life, but their music
composition styles were very different. After he finished college, Holst played his trombone professionally. He soon
found that it was difficult to earn a living as a trombonist and composer, so in 1904 he took a job as the Director of
Music at the St. Paul's Girl's School in Hammersmith, a job that he held until he died!
In 1913, the new music wing of St. Paul's was opened and he was given a large sound proof room for his work. On
weekdays he would teach in it, but on Sundays and holidays he spent hours composing there. The first piece he wrote
there was St. Paul's Suite. It was during his time as a teacher that he also composed his most famous work, The Planets.
Throughout his life, Holst continued to compose orchestral music, wind ensemble music, operas, chamber music, and
vocal music of many different styles, and had a great interest in various kinds of literature, poetry and astrology.
Gustav loved to travel, he walked and biked everywhere and was a vegetarian. He was a quiet man, that preferred to
stay out of the public’s eye, even when his pieces were gaining world wide popularity.
Holst enjoyed traveling to many countries, including America. In early 1923, he accepted an invitation to go to the
United States to conduct and lecture at a music festival at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor!
11
Listen for all of
these amazing
sounds
from Symphony No.7
throughout
By Ludwig Van Beethoven
Beethoven’s
Symphony!
0:02-2:37
Rhythmic Theme
Melodic Theme
2:38-4:38
Rhythmic Theme
Dynamic Changes!
               

Dynamic Changes!
               

Rhythmic Theme
4:39-7:09
Rhythmic Theme
7:10-8:25
Dynamic Changes!
               
Dynamic Changes!
               
Special thanks to Norma-Jean Forshey from Kalamazoo Public Schools for designing this lesson.
12
Beethoven, one of seven children, grew up in Bonn, Germany in a very unhappy home. He was forced to
practice the piano by his father, who would punish him mercilessly when he made mistakes. By the time he
was twelve, he was earning a living for his family by playing organ and composing. He was eventually known
as the greatest pianist of his time.
In his early twenties, he went to Vienna, Austria to study with a very well-known composer named Joseph
Haydn. Beethoven had an unusual skill where he could hear music in his head and then write it down
without ever playing it on the piano. Even though his first two symphonies are very much in the same style
and form as Haydn, it wasn’t long until Beethoven's writing developed beyond that of his teacher. Eroica, his
Third Symphony was so different from the ones that had come before that it changed music forever. Its
originality and innovation even inspired others to change the way that they composed. It was originally
dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, but when Beethoven heard that Napoleon had proclaimed himself
Emperor of France, he went into a rage and destroyed the title page.
At the age of 26, he began to realize that he was losing his hearing, which got worse as he got older.
Although Beethoven gradually lost his hearing, he continued composing. He composed many of the most
famous musical works of all time, such as his Ninth Symphony with the famous “Ode to Joy” them, after he
had become totally deaf!
Beethoven never married and didn’t have any children. In fact, he spent most of his life alone.
Many people think he is one of the greatest composers in the history of music. He composed hundreds of
important pieces, including many symphonies.
Beethoven became quite ill during the last years of his life with gout, rheumatic fever, and a variety of other
illnesses. He began to sketch out a Tenth Symphony while suffering on his deathbed, but he never got to
complete it. He died on March 26, 1827. Three days later, 20,000 people gathered at his funeral to say
good-bye to the loved and respected composer.
13
from the B-Sides
www.youtube.comembedbrw5zMewByQ
By Mason Bates
A
0:00
to
2:06
B
2:06
to
3:03
CD 2:11
CD 2:39
CD 2:19
CD 2:57
BRIDGE (3:04 – 3:18)
A
3:19
to
4:41
1217 Griswold Street
Special thanks to Kim Licavoli from Allegan Public Schools for designing this lesson.
14
Mason Bates is an American composer of symphonic music and DJ of electronic dance music. He spins as DJ
Masonic in the San Francisco Bay area. Distinguished by his innovations in orchestration and large-scale form,
Bates is best known for his expansion of the orchestra to include electronics. The second-most performed
living composer in the United States, he has worked closely with the San Francisco Symphony and currently
holds the position of composer-in-residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In January 2015 he was
named composer-in-residence of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Mason Bates lives in two musical worlds. In one, he spends his nights playing some of the most world's most
exclusive dance clubs. In the other, he creates pieces as the composer-in-residence for the Chicago
Symphony Orchestra.
"I never thought of these two things as compatible when I started getting interested in DJing about 10 years
ago," Bates tells Weekend All Things Considered host Guy Raz. "I would keep these two lives pretty separate
— I would write a piece for the Phoenix symphony and then I would go and DJ for a few hours in San
Francisco."
Bates says it took a while for him to realize how the two genres could be integrated. "It was a real
revelation," he says. Bates says that classical fans have put up the most resistance to what he's doing, but
that in general, people have been receptive to the cross-pollination of classical and electronic music.
"I've found that there's a remarkable amount of curiosity across these two worlds," Bates says. "There might
be an image of the classical patron as someone who is fairly distrustful of pop music," he says, but he
maintains that classical audiences can be converted: "They're open-minded if something works."
15
from Barber of Seville
By Gioachino Rossini
Introduction (0:00)
(0:06)
Crescendo
||: La la la la la
Strings
A
Woodwinds
& Brass
(0:13)
Strings
(0:26-0:36)
La la la la :||
=
Interlude
Flute (0:50)
B
=
Orchestra Only
(1:34)
Piccolo
(1:44)
Ascending Modulation
(1:51)
Orchestra Only
(1:58)
Operatic Recitative
Into Development of B
(2:07-3:20)
Key
Change
C =
(3:20)
Figaro!
Figaro!
Figaro!
Recap of Theme A: (3:32-3:47)
(4:10-4:23)
C Theme:
Rhythm Pattern
altered
(4:24-4:46)
Coda
Special thanks to Jeanna Cervantes-Hickman from Kalamazoo Public Schools for designing this lesson.
16
Rossini was the son of Giuseppe Rossini, a poor trumpeter who played in miscellaneous bands and
orchestras, and Anna Guidarini, a singer and daughter of a baker. Rossini spent his entire childhood
surrounded by music and the theatre, as his mother was a singer for the stage. He was often arrested due to
voicing his support for Napoleon.
At age 14, in 1806, Rossini entered Bologna’s Philharmonic School (now the G.B. Martini State Conservatory
of Music) and composed his first opera. At age 15 he had learned the violin, horn, and harpsichord. Rossini
often sang in public, even in the theatre, to earn some money for his family.
Rossini was influenced by the German school of composition, following the compositional style of Haydn
and Mozart. Rossini composed 40 operas in 20 years’ time. Rossini is known for his work in the genre of the
then-fashionable Venetian style of opera buffa (comic opera). Rossini broke the traditional form of opera
buffa by embellishing his melodies. Rossini created an effect that became known as the “ Rossini Crescendo”,
which he began to use consistently. His fame spread from Naples to Rome, where he became a sought after
opera composer.
Rossini’s opera Il barbiere di Siviglia (1816; The Barber of Seville) was considered a failure. The Romans, who
knew and loved the version of the original play, disliked the new opera. However, when it was given
elsewhere in Italy it was received with unbounded success.
In 1819 Rossini left Italy for Paris after his work La donna del lago (The Lady of the Lake) was not well
received by the opera audiences in Venice. They did not understand Rossini’s bel canto and comic style.
Rossini left for Paris where he was fawned over and made doubly famous.
In 1845 Rossini’s wife Isabella Colbran died. In 1847 Rossini married Olympe Pélissier. After a period in Italy,
he returned to Paris in 1855, never again to leave it. He enjoyed his retirement in Passy, France.
17
from Barber of Seville
By Gioachino Rossini
1. Listen for the rhythm. Is it fast or slow? Does it speed up or get slower? Where does this happen?
2. Listen to the voice. Is it male or female? What is the energy level that the singer uses to tell the story?
3. In what language is this sung? How can you tell? Which words are the most memorable?
4. What instruments do you hear? What instruments grab your attention the most?
1. Listen for the rhythm. Is it fast or slow? Does it speed up or get slower? Where does this happen?
2. Listen to the voice. Is it male or female? What is the energy level that the singer uses to tell the story?
3. In what language is this sung? How can you tell? Which words are the most memorable?
4. What instruments do you hear? What instruments grab your attention the most?
1. Listen for the rhythm. Is it fast or slow? Does it speed up or get slower? Where does this happen?
2. Listen to the voice. Is it male or female? What is the energy level that the singer uses to tell the story?
3. In what language is this sung? How can you tell? Which words are the most memorable?
4. What instruments do you hear? What instruments grab your attention the most?
1. Listen for the rhythm. Is it fast or slow? Does it speed up or get slower? Where does this happen?
2. Listen to the voice. Is it male or female? What is the energy level that the singer uses to tell the story?
3. In what language is this sung? How can you tell? Which words are the most memorable?
4. What instruments do you hear? What instruments grab your attention the most?
18
from Barber of Seville
Make Way for the Handyman
Largo al factotum
Make way for the handyman of the city.
Hurrying to his shop now that it is already dawn.
Ah, what a fine life, what a fine pleasure
For a barber of quality! Of quality!
Ah, well done Figaro!
Well done, very good!
Very fortunate indeed!
Ready to do everything,
Night and day
He is always on the move
Largo al factotum della città.
Presto a bottega che l'alba è già.
Ah, che bel vivere, che bel piacere
per un barbiere di qualità! di qualità!
A more plentiful fate for a barber,
A more noble life, no, it cannot be had.
Razors and combs
Lancets and scissors,
At my command
Everything is here.
Miglior cuccagna per un barbiere,
vita più nobile, no, non si da.
Rasoi e pettini
lancette e forbici,
al mio comando
tutto qui sta.
There are the tools,
Then, of the trade
With the ladies... with the gentlemen...
V'è la risorsa,
poi, del mestiere
colla donnetta... col cavaliere...
Everyone asks for me, everyone wants me,
Ladies, children, elders, young girls;
Here is the wig... The beard is ready...
Here is the blood...
The ticket is ready...
Here is the wig, the beard is ready,
The ticket is ready, hey!
Tutti mi chiedono, tutti mi vogliono,
donne, ragazzi, vecchi, fanciulle:
Qua la parrucca... Presto la barba...
Qua la sanguigna...
Presto il biglietto...
Qua la parrucca, presto la barba,
Presto il biglietto, ehi!
Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!, etc.
Alas, what a fury!
Alas, what a crowd!
One at a time, please!
Hey, Figaro! I am here.
Figaro here, Figaro there,
Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!, ecc.
Ahimè, che furia!
Ahimè, che folla!
Uno alla volta, per carità!
Ehi, Figaro! Son qua.
Figaro up, Figaro down,
Quicker and quicker I am like lightning:
I am the handyman of the city.
Ah, well done Figaro! Well done, very good;
You will never lack for luck!
Figaro qua, Figaro là,
Figaro su, Figaro giù,
Pronto prontissimo son come il fulmine:
sono il factotum della città.
Ah, bravo Figaro! Bravo, bravissimo;
a te fortuna non mancherà.
Ah, bravo Figaro!
Bravo, bravissimo!
Fortunatissimo per verità!
Pronto a far tutto,
la notte e il giorno
sempre d'intorno in giro sta.
19
from Symphony No. 5
By Dmitri Shostakovich
Special thanks to Marcia Working from the Crescendo Academy of Music for designing this lesson.
20
Dimitri Shostakovich was born in 1906 as the second of three children. He was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, during
the beginnings of the Russian Revolution. As a child, he was a prodigy as both a pianist and composer. At the age of
eight, his talent became apparent after beginning piano lessons with his mother Sofiya. He entered the Petrograd
Conservatory at the age of 13 in 1919 and completed his Symphony No. 1 when he was only 19 years old. For some
time, he wrote traditional music that was well received by Russian audiences. Shostakovich was extremely modest and
did not comment on his music.
In 1917, the new leadership of the country, under the direction of Joseph Stalin, had its own ideas as to what
appropriate music should sound like. In the midst of a government that strongly enforced the style and elements of
symphonic music, the works that Shostakovich produced as an adult reveal his genius. Not only do they show great
depth, but also his struggle to make his music fresh and original without overstepping the boundaries
established by the former Soviet Union. The government insisted that composers use folk and folk-like elements,
straight forward rhythms, minimal dissonance and simple harmonies. Not adhering to these expectations, especially in
the years of Stalin's regime, may have literally meant death.
Shostakovich is well known for his huge body of works, which includes several operas, 15 symphonies,
numerous chamber works and concerti. Shostakovich’s works highlight the role of the artist and the dilemma of
humanity in the face of war.
World War I (1914-1918) unraveled Europe’s old system of empires. The Russian Empire crumbled from within in 1917,
with two revolutions and a long Civil War. In early 1917 the Russian people revolted against the rule of the
Romanov family and their poor treatment of average Russians, who were starving and dying by the millions in the
war. By March of that year, Russians were protesting, and Tsar Nicholas II was the symbol of their anger. The Tsar
became so fearful of his own people he eventually stepped down.
The protesters now found themselves in charge. Their revolution meant they now had to govern Russia, which was
very difficult as the war continued and a new group of protesters--the Communists--demanded to be put in charge.
They wanted to make Russia a new country where workers were in charge. That October, the new "majority" party, or
Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, led a revolution and took charge. They immediately signed a treaty with Germany
that ended World War I on the eastern front.
Russia now isolated itself from European affairs as it underwent a three-year civil war between Lenin's Communists
(they wore red) and those who supported the restoration of the Tsar (they wore white). By the time the Reds had
defeated the Whites, the Tsar and his family had been killed and Russia was ruled by a “soviet” Communist system.
This new Russia claimed that average Russian workers were now in charge. However, the reality was that their
freedoms were destroyed under the leadership of a brutal dictator named Joseph Stalin. The Russia Stalin created
would play key roles in both World War II and the Cold War." 21
By John Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKA9DQZC510&feature=player_embedded
Special thanks to Beth Stachura from Comstock Public Schools for designing this lesson.
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John Williams is the winner of five Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, and 22 Grammys, and has composed many of
the most popular and recognizable film scores in cinematic history (Jaws, Superman, Indiana Jones, E.T., Jurassic Park, the
Harry Potter Films, and Star Wars). He crafts themes that become living, breathing characters in their own right, but it
may come as a surprise that the man who writes music for space pirates and evil glactic empires prefers a fairly
old-fashioned method of composition. “I work very much in what some would consider old school,” he says, “in front of
the keyboard with pencil and paper. The piano is my favorite tool. Over the decades there has been so much amazing
technological change in the music business, but I’ve been so busy that I never really retooled.”
Williams explains that it used to be standard practice for a film composer to write music that was then passed off to
assistants to flesh out for full orchestra. By contrast, he typically composes fully orchestrated sketches, with eight to 10
lines indicating winds, brass, strings, and percussion. “The music library then transfers these directly to a computerized
score from which instrumental parts are made,” he says. “We can reprint parts, edit as needed, change the bowings,
etc.” He admits the irony is not lost on him that his work quickly becomes state of the art despite its more traditional beginnings.
Somewhat surprisingly, Williams prefers not to read scripts before he tackles writing his first ideas on a score. “I’ve
always preferred to write only to footage,” he says. A little like a set designer, he writes music according to a story’s
mood and setting, and the feeling that a particular scene might be trying to convey. The process starts with a “spotting”
session, deciding in meetings with the director which scenes will feature music and which will not. For four decades,
Williams has enjoyed a fruitful (to say the least) collaboration with director Steven Spielberg, and—for most of the
previous Star Wars films—George Lucas as director and/or screenwriter.
John Williams was born in Queens, New York in 1932. His father, a jazz drummer and classical percussionist, was his first
music teacher. The family moved to Los Angeles when he was 12 years old. Mr. Williams went to UCLA to study
composition. After serving in the Air Force, he attended the Julliard School in New York. While in school he worked as a
jazz pianist, playing in clubs and on professional recordings. He composed many familiar theme songs for events such as
the Olympic Games, the Special Olympics, and the re-dedication of the Statue of Liberty. He composed the theme for
NBC News as well. Mr. Williams has also written many concert pieces, including concertos for cello, flute, clarinet, violin,
trumpet, and tuba. Mr. Williams conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra from 1980-1993 and has appeared as guest
conductor with orchestras in the United States and England.
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Duple Pattern
Sing “This Old Man” or “Old McDonald” while
you conduct a pattern in two beats with your
right hand:
1
2
“This old
man,
1
2
He played one…”
2
4
ONE-two,
ONE-two
Triple Pattern
Sing “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” or “Rock-abye Baby” while you conduct a pattern in
three beats with your right hand:
3
1
“My
1
Tis
4
ONE-two-three,
ONE-two-three
Four/Four Pattern
2
3
coun - try,
2
3
of thee…”
Sing “Frere Jacques” or “Bingo” while you
conduct a pattern in four beats with your
right hand:
1 2 3 4
“Fre-re Jac-ques
1 2 3 4
Fre-re Jac-ques”
4
4
ONE-two-three-four,
ONE-two-three-four
Largo: Try a slow tempo.
Presto: Try a fast tempo.
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Enjoy the sounds and sights at the concert
Zoom in to hear the details of the sound
Zoom out to hear all the sounds at once
Notice the feelings that the music communicates
Watch and hear individual instruments
Watch the conductor to see “hand signals”
Remember information about the music and composers
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Machine is composed by ____________________
1. Machine was written to represent______________?
a. Gears
b. Hammers
c. Springs
d. Saws
2. Jennifer Higdon was _______ years old when she was first introduced to playing an instrument.
a. 5
b. 12
c. 15
3. How would you describe the tempo of Machine?
a. Andante
b. Allegro
c. Largo
Edvard Grieg composed the ______________Suite.
1. What is an ostinato?
a. A long pause
b. A repeated phrase or pattern
c. A beautiful melody
d. A large musical instrument
2. Which rhythmic pattern do you hear most throughout this piece?
a.
b.
c.
3. Grieg played the ___________.
a. Clarinet
b. Bass
c. Piano
d. Saxophone
St. Paul’s Suite is composed by __________________.
1. How many different instruments do you hear in this string orchestra?
a. 2
b. 5
c. 4
d. 3
2. Holst started out playing the piano as a child but in college he was forced to switch to the ___________.
a. Clarinet
b. Bass
c. Trombone
3. How does this continued ostinato make you feel throughout the piece?
a. Calm
b. Happy
c. Sleepy
d. Excited
e. _________?
Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Vivace is from Symphony No. _____.
1. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 is full of ______________.
a. Repeated Themes b. Timpani
c. Crescendos
d. All of those things!
2. By the time Beethoven was 12 years old, he supported his family by playing the________.
a. Organ
b. Violin
c. Trumpet
d. Cello
3. Despite losing his _____________, Beethoven is considered to be one of the best composers of all time.
a. Right Arm
b. Left Leg
c. Hearing
d. Eye Sight
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“Warehouse Medicine” was composed by___________________.
1. “Warehouse Medicine” was written about what famous Michigan
city:
a. Ann Arbor b. Kalamazoo c. Detroit
d. Portage
2. Mason Bates is a living composer:
a. True
b. False
3. Mason Bates is a composer by day and a ______________ by night.
a. Opera Singer
b. DJ
c. Tap Dancer d. Rapper
The ____________________ is a comedic opera composed by Gioachino Rossini.
1. In opera you not only have to sing beautifully, you also have to be able to :
a. Dance
b. Juggle
c. Act
2. Largo al factotum is sung by Figaro, the barber, in what language?_____________.
a. Italian
b. English
c. Spanish
3. What best describes Figaro’s personality to you?
a. Confident
b. Silly
c. Mischievous
d. Serious
Dmitri Shostakovich’s Allegro non troppo is from Symphony No.____.
1. Shostakovich wrote compositions that used elements of _______________due to government restrictions.
a. Russian Arias
b. Russian Folk Songs
c. Russian Jazz Standards
d. Russian Pop Songs
2. True or false, the orchestra ostinato in this symphony is the same repeated rhythm pattern and the same repeated
pitch.
a. True b. False
3. Shostakovich composed during which major revolution of his time?
a. The French Revolution
b. The Russian Revolution
c. The Spanish Revolution
John Williams wrote the film score for ___________________ .
1.This composer is most famous for:
a. Broadway
b. Ragtime
c. Film Score
d. Opera
2. The main theme in this piece begins like this:
a.
b.
c.
3. What best describes John Williams’ music to you?
a. Saddening
b. Exciting
c. Thrilling
d. Mysterious
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e. Adventurous
1
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Many thanks to the teachers who helped design this year’s
materials. We appreciate your hard work and dedication!
Jeanna Cervantes - Hickman
Kim Licavoli
North Ward and Dawson Elementary
Allegan Public Schools
Winchell Elementary
Kalamazoo Public Schools
Stephanie Measzros
El Sol Elementary
Kalamazoo Public Schools
Marcia Working
Orff Instructor
Crescendo Academy of Music
Norma-Jean Forshey
M.L. King-Westwood Elementary
Kalamazoo Public Schools
Beth Stachura
Green Meadow Elementary and
North Elementary
Comstock Public Schools
Mary Foster
Arcadia Elementary
Kalamazoo Public Schools
Lisa Stucky
Cindy Cross
Hillside Learning and Behavior Center
Allegan ISD
Moorsbridge Elementary
Portage Public Schools
Courtesy of Naxos of America
8.553477 Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
8.557890 Grieg: Holberg Suite
8.550823 Holst: St. Paul’s Suite
8.556652 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5
8.555922 Rossini: The Barber of Seville
Major funding provided by:
Burdick-Thorne Foundation, Diane S. Robertson Foundation, Tyler-Little Foundation and Schupan and Sons