The Four Elements of a
Concert
Activity Guide
KWS School Concerts
Grades 4 - 6
May 7th — 8th, 2012
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Evan Mitchell, KWS Assistant Conductor
Season Sponsor
Dear Teachers
We are so pleased that your students will be involved in the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony’s
School Concerts Program!
This concert, Four Elements of a Concert, will introduce grade 1—3 students to some important concepts from the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum through music. Not only will
the students see and hear our wonderful 60-piece orchestra in the acoustically superb Centre
in the Square, they will also make connections to their classroom studies and learn new ideas.
To enhance the concert experience the KWS sends some of its musicians into the schools to
meet the students, give instrument demonstrations, talk about the concert and answer questions from the students. Please encourage your students to be inquisitive—we love answering
questions about what we do and the music we perform!
The materials in this booklet are assembled by a team that includes our KWS Educator in
Residence, Nancy Kidd, and our Education Department staff. Please contact me with any
feedback.
Thank you, and enjoy the program!
Christopher Sharpe
Director of Education and Community Programs
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
[email protected]
519.745.4711 ext. 276
KWS Education Concerts
Four Elements of a Concert
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 10:30 AM— Centre In The Square
Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 10:30 AM— Centre In The Square
Mikhail Glinka (1804 - 1857)
Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla
5:00
David Wadley
String Piece
4:00
Antonin Dvorák (1841 - 1904)
Symphony No.9, op.95, E minor (From the New World)
8:00
IV. Allegro con fuoco (with cuts)
Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937) /
Originally for piano 4-hands;
orchestrated 1911 by the composer.
Suite (5 pièces enfantines) from Mother Goose
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756 - 1791)
Concerto No.15 in B-flat major for Piano & Orchestra, K.450 *
Johannes Brahms (1833 1897) / A. Parlow
Hungarian Dances Nos.5 (arr. A. Parlow)
Johann, Sr. Strauss (1804 1849)
Radetzky March, op.228
3:00
Gioacchino Rossini (1792 1868)
Excerpt (from gallop to end) from Overture to William Tell
3:00
4:00
5. Le Jardin féerique (The Enchanted Garden)
8:00
III. Allegro
3:00
No.5
Evan Mitchell, KWS Resident Conductor
Evan Mitchell is proving to be one of Canada's most innovative young conductors. He has recently finished his residency as
the Assistant Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony, where he led
the Vancouver Symphony in more than one hundred concerts over
a three year period. During this time he acted as a Canadian ambassador during an historic two week tour of China, Korea and
Macau, served as an official consultant to the Vancouver Olympic
Committee and Assistant Producer for the recording of the medal
ceremony national anthems, and brought symphonic music to over
one hundred and seventy five thousand audience members, many
of them children experiencing this music for the first time.
The winner of the Jean-Marie Beaudet award for orchestral
conducting, Mr. Mitchell is comfortable with a wide variety of musical styles. Equally at home with symphonic masterworks, opera,
contemporary repertoire and pops, Evan has drawn significant and
consistent praise with his attention to detail, musical vision and innovative programming.
As an educator, Evan has taught extensively with student musicians ranging from elementary to undergraduate level.
He is often called upon as an adjudicator and coach, and has been the guest principal conductor of the BC Music
Educator's Conference Honour Ensemble, comprised of the brightest young musicians in the province. He has guest
lectured to hundreds of undergraduates, and has enjoyed repeat engagements as guest speaker for elementary and
high school students.
In addition to his conducting endeavors, Evan is an award-winning percussionist both home and abroad. The 2005
winner of the Pioneer Leading Edge performance award, Evan has also won First Prize at the Werlde Musik Kontest
in Kerkrade, Netherlands and was a top prizewinner in the 2008 TD Canada Trust Elora Music Festival Young Performers competition. His performance has been described as "awe-inspiring" and "wizardly," and he is the second
person in history to have won the soloist competition with the Wilfrid Laurier Symphony two years in a row.
Evan studied conducting with Maestro Raffi Armenian, earning his Masters degree at the University of Toronto on full
scholarship. He has also studied with Helmuth Rilling in the inaugural Toronto Bach Festival, and has a continued
partnership of over seven years with the National Academy Orchestra, Canada's largest Orchestral Music festival,
where he holds the title of "Associate Mentor" to the orchestral conducting and percussive apprentices.
A popular collaborator, Evan has also performed with such artists as Judy Collins, Pink Martini and Colin James, and
has been a guest conductor at the Vancouver International Jazz festival. His immediate upcoming engagements include perfromances with the Vancouver Symphony, the Pacific SWE, the International Symphony and the Guelph
Symphony. He is deeply grateful to Bramwell Tovey, the Vancouver Symphony and the Canada Council for the Arts
for their unwavering support of his career.
At Last, Students Learn Some Sound Sense...
"What are the sounds you love - what sounds would you miss, if you couldn't hear them any more?"
The elementary students respond to the facilitator with the same answer given by thousands of other Canadian
students receiving the Sound Sense presentation - music! After a brief discussion about why they love music (the
beat, the words, perks them up, calms them down), the children volunteer other favourites: outdoor sounds such
as rain on the roof and leaves crunching beneath their feet, their pets' voices, talking with their friends - and their
parents saying "I love you."
Sound Sense / Oui à l'ouïe is The Hearing Foundation's signature public education program, which we deliver to
students in Grades 4 to 6 in many areas across Canada. Its interactive and fun format packs a powerful message: practice safe listening now to prevent permanent noise-induced hearing loss for the rest of your life!
The need for the hearing health program is urgent. Recent studies show an explosive increase in the number of
personal listening devices sold in Canada. Even more alarming - one in five teenagers has some degree of hearing loss, 30% more than the previous decade; noise damage is considered to be a leading cause of the increased
incidence. The studies also show that the majority of youth had never heard the prevention message, but would
respond positively to a prevention education program.
Despite the growing evidence that noise-induced hearing loss is on the rise, and that education programs do
make a difference in effectively promoting safe listening practices, elementary healthy living curricula do not yet
include hearing loss prevention. However, the program is s perfect complement to the Grade 4 Light & Sound
curriculum. To help us reach the youth whose listening practices put them at risk for permanent hearing loss, we
deliver Sound Sense with the generous financial support of a wide variety of corporations, foundations and private
donors,
The Sound Sense / Oui à l'ouïe classroom presentation is delivered by a trained facilitator who might be a postsecondary communications student, a supply teacher and/or a person with hearing loss. At the end of the presentation, the children understand the following key messages:
.
My sense of hearing is precious and connects me to people and the world around me.
.
My hearing can be damaged by listening to sounds that are too loud, and for too long!
.
Having a hearing loss will affect my quality of life and how I communicate with others.
.
I know how to protect my hearing from noise damage so I can enjoy music for a long time!
In addition to the interactive discussion, the students watch a partially-animated DVD and engage in a sound meter exercise that demonstrates just how loudly they are listing to their own MP3 players. They receive a takehome package of earplugs and a parent information sheet, and the teacher receives a poster and resource material.
Sound Sense has won several awards including the Promotions Award from the Canadian Association of Speech
Language Pathologists and Audiologists, and has been recognized by the Government of Canada as a Youth
Audiology Best Practice program.
At the end of the lively Sound Sense presentation, the facilitator points to the favourite sounds written on the
blackboard:
"These are the wonderful sounds you love; to enjoy them for all of your life, take care of your hearing. It's precious."
Note: in the 2011-2012 school year, Sound Sense is scheduled to be delivered to a limited number of schools
with Grade Four in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. For more information, contact [email protected].
A Brief History of Symphony Orchestras
The history of the modern orchestra that we are familiar with today goes all the way back to
Ancient Egypt. The first orchestras were made up of small groups of musicians that gathered
for festivals, holidays or funerals. During the time of the Roman Empire, the government suppressed the musicians and informal ensembles were banned, but they reappeared after the
collapse of the Empire. It was not until the 11th century that families of instruments started to
appear with differences in tones and octaves.
True modern orchestras started in the late 16th century when composers started writing music
for instrumental groups. In the 15th and 16th centuries in Italy the households of nobles had
musicians to provide music for dancing and the court, however with the emergence of the
theatre, particularly opera, in the early 17th century, music was increasingly written for groups
of players in combination, which is the origin of orchestral playing. Opera originated in Italy,
and Germany eagerly followed. Dresden, Munich and Hamburg successively built opera
houses. At the end of the 17th century opera flourished in England under Henry Purcell, and in
France under Lully, who with the collaboration of Molière also greatly raised the status of the
entertainments known as ballets, interspersed with instrumental and vocal music.
In the 17th century and early 18th century, instrumental groups were taken from all of the available talent. A composer such as Johann Sebastian Bach had control over almost all of the musical resources of a town, whereas Handel would hire the best musicians available. This
placed a premium on being able to rewrite music for whichever singers or musicians were best
suited for a performance—Handel produced different versions of the Messiah oratorio almost
every year.
As nobility began to build retreats away from towns, they began to hire musicians to form permanent ensembles. A composer would then have a fixed body of instrumentalists to work with.
At the same time, travelling virtuoso performers would write concerti that showed off their
skills, and they would travel from town to town, arranging concerts along the way. The aristocratic orchestras worked together over long periods, making it possible for ensemble playing to
improve with practice.
The invention of the piston and rotary valve led to improvements in woodwind and brass instruments. The orchestra expanded as more of these instruments were added to orchestras and
composers wrote for the increasing number of musicians. The orchestra size reached a peak
around the time of Wagner, who’s operas sometimes required 6 harps in the orchestra.
As the early 20th century dawned, symphony orchestras were larger, better funded, and better
trained than ever before; consequently, composers could compose larger and more ambitious
works. With the recording era beginning, the standard of performance reached a pinnacle. As
sound was added to silent film, the virtuoso orchestra became a key component of the establishment of motion pictures as mass-market entertainment.
The late 20th century saw a crisis of funding and support for orchestras. However, many orchestras flourish today and a large percentage of all music mp3 downloads are classical music.
The Instruments of the Orchestra
String family
Violin
Viola [vee-OH-lah]
Cello (violoncello) [CHEL-low]
Bass (double bass, contra bass) [rhymes
with “face’]
Woodwind family
Flute, Piccolo
Oboe, English horn
Clarinet, Bass clarinet
Bassoon, Contrabassoon
Saxophones
Brass family
Trumpet
Horn (French horn)
Trombone
Tuba
Keyboards and Harp
Celesta [cheh-LESS-tah]
Piano
Harpsichord
Organ
Synthesizer
Harp
Percussion family
Timpani (kettledrums) [TIM-pa-nee]
Snare drum
Bass drum
Cymbals
Tambourine
Triangle
Xylophone
Glockenspiel
Chimes
Marimba
Vibraphone (vibes)
plus other things to hit, scrape, and shake
Source: Naxos.ca
How to Listen to a Concert
There are lots of things to enjoy at a concert, lots of things to pay attention to. Your job is to be
affected by the music, but you can be affected by whatever most appeals to you, or by whatever grabs your interest. Here are a few choices for what to listen to. Choose whatever you
like, switch as often as you want, and feel free to add to the list.
Some things to enjoy in classical music
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
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Loudness and softness
Changes and transformations
Recognition of something heard earlier
Different speeds
Instrument sounds
Melodies
Rhythms
Patterns
Terrific performing
Ebb and flow of energy
Musical conversation
Moods and feelings
Memories that get triggered
Visual images that come to mind
What to Watch
A concert is an event for the ears, but there is plenty for the eyes, too. Watch the players and
feel their energy and intensity; watch what they do to make their instruments sound in different
ways. Watch as the music moves between players, or between groups of players. Watch the
way the conductor controls events, or how he or she gives control to the musicians.
Source: Naxos.ca
History of Classical Music
Medieval (c.1150 - c.1400)
This is the first period where we can begin to be fairly
certain as to how a great deal of the music which has
survived actually sounded. The earliest written secular
music dates from the 12th century troubadours (in the
form of virelais, estampies, ballades, etc.), but most notated manuscripts emanate from places of learning usually connected with the church, and therefore inevitably
have a religious basis.
Gregorian chant and plainsong which are monodic (i.e.
written as one musical line) gradually developed during
the 11th to 13th centuries into organum (i.e. two or
three lines moving simultaneously but independently,
therefore almost inadvertently representing the beginnings of harmony). Organum was, however, initially
rather stifled by rigid rules governing melody and
rhythm, which led ultimately to the so-called Ars Nova
period of the 14th century, principally represented by
the composers de Vitry, Machaut, and Landini.
History of Classical Music
Renaissance (c.1400 - c.1600)
The fifteenth century witnessed vastly increased freedoms, most particularly in terms of what is actually
perceived as 'harmony' and 'polyphony' (the simultaneous movement of two or three interrelated parts). Composers (although they were barely perceived as such)
were still almost entirely devoted to choral writing, and
the few instrumental compositions which have survived
often create the impression (in many cases entirely accurately) of being vocal works in disguise, but minus the
words.
There is obvious new delight in textural variety and
contrast, so that, for example, a particular section of
text might be enhanced by a vocal part dropping out
momentarily, only to return again at a special moment
of emphasis. The four most influential composers of the
fifteenth century were Dunstable, Ockeghem, Despres
and Dufay.
The second half of the 16th century witnessed the beginnings of the tradition which many music lovers readily associate with the normal feel of 'classical' music.
Gradually, composers moved away from the modal system of harmony which had predominated for over 300
years (and still sounds somewhat archaic to some modern ears), towards the organisation of their work into
major and minor scales, thereby imparting the strong
sensation of each piece having a definite tonal centre or 'key'.
This was also something of a golden period for choral composition as a seemingly
endless flow of a capella (unaccompanied) masses, motets, anthems, psalms and
madrigals flowed from the pens of the masters of the age. In addition, instrumental
music came into its own for the first time, especially keyboard music in the form of
fantasias, variations, and dance movements (galliards, pavanes etc.). Composers of
particular note include Dowland, Tallis, Byrd, Gibbons, Frescobaldi, Palestrina, Victoria, Lassus, Alonso Lobo, Duarte Lobo, Cardoso and Gesualdo.
History of Classical Music
Baroque (c.1600 - c.1750)
During the Baroque period, the foundations were laid
for the following 300 or so years of musical expression:
the idea of the modern orchestra was born, along with
opera (including the overture, prelude, aria, recitative
and chorus), the concerto, sonata, and modern cantata.
The rather soft-grained viol string family of the Renaissance was gradually replaced by the bolder violin, viola
and cello, the harpsichord was invented, and important
advances were made in all instrumental groups.
Until about 1700, the old modes still exerted themselves
from time to time by colouring certain melodic lines or
chord progressions, but from the beginning of the 18th
century the modern harmonic system based upon the
major and minor scales was effectively pan-European.
Choral music no longer dominated, and as composers
turned more and more to writing idiomatic instrumental
works for ensembles of increasing colour and variety, so
'classical' music (as opposed to 'popular') gradually began to work its way into the very fabric of society, being
played outdoors at dinner parties or special functions
(e.g. Handel's Water Music), or as a spectacle in the form
of opera. On a purely domestic level, every wealthy lady
would have a spinet to play, and at meal-times the large
and rich houses would employ musicians to play what
was popularly called Tafelmusik in Germany, of which
Telemann was perhaps the most famous composer.
Of the many 17th century composers who paved the way for this popular explosion
of 'classical' music, the following were outstanding: Monteverdi, Corelli, Alessandro
Scarlatti, Schutz, Buxtehude, Purcell and Lully. Yet, the most popular composers of
the period, indeed those who seem to define by their very names the sound of Baroque music at its most colourful and sophisticated are Johann Sebastian Bach, Handel, Telemann, Rameau, François Couperin, Domenico Scarlatti, and Vivaldi, all of
them at their creative peak during the first half of the 18th century.
History of Classical Music
Classical (c.1750 - c.1830)
The Baroque era witnessed the creation of a number of
musical genres which would maintain a hold on composition for years to come, yet it was the Classical period
which saw the introduction of a form which has dominated instrumental composition to the present day: sonata form. With it came the development of the modern
concerto, symphony, sonata, trio and quartet to a new
peak of structural and expressive refinement. If Baroque
music is notable for its textural intricacy, then the Classical period is characterised by a near-obsession with
structural clarity.
The seeds of the Classical age were sown by a number
of composers whose names are now largely forgotten
such as Schobert and Honnauer (both Germans largely
active in Paris), as well as more historically respected
names, including Gluck, Boccherini and at least three of
Johann Sebastian Bach's sons: Carl Phillip Emmanuel,
Wilhelm Friedmann and Johann Christian (the so-called
'London' Bach). They were representative of a period
which is variously described as rococo or galante, the
former implying a gradual move away from the artifice
of the High Baroque, the latter an entirely novel style
based on symmetry and sensibility, which came to
dominate the music of the latter half of the 18th century through two composers of extraordinary significance: Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
History of Classical Music
Early Romantic (c.1830 - c.1860)
As the Classical period reached its zenith, it was becoming increasing clear (especially with the late works
of Beethoven and Schubert) that the amount and intensity of expression composers were seeking to achieve
was beginning to go beyond that which a Classically
sized/designed orchestra/piano could possibly encompass. The next period in musical history therefore found
composers attempting to balance the expressive and the
formal in music with a variety of approaches which
would have left composers of any previous age utterly
bewildered. As the musical map opened up, with nationalist schools beginning to emerge, it was the search
for originality and individuality of expression which began here that was to become such an over-riding obsession in the present century.
The Romantic era was the golden age of the virtuoso,
where the most fiendishly difficult music would be performed with nonchalant ease, and the most innocuous
theme in a composition would be developed at great
length for the enjoyment of the adoring audience. The
emotional range of music during this period was considerably widened, as was its harmonic vocabulary and
the range and number of instruments which might be
called upon to play it. Music often had a 'programme' or
story-line attached to it, sometimes of a tragic or despairing nature, occasionally representing such natural
phenomena as rivers or galloping horses. The next hundred years would find composers either embracing whole-heartedly the ideals of Romanticism, or in some way
reacting against them.
Of the early Romantic composers, two Nationalists deserve special mention, the Russian Glinka (of Russlan and Ludmilla fame) and the Bohemian Smetana (composer of
the popular symphonic poem Vltava or 'The Moldau'). However, the six leading composers of the age were undoubtedly Berlioz, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt
and Verdi.
History of Classical Music
Late Romantic (c.1860 - c.1920)
With the honourable exceptions of Brahms and Bruckner, composers of this period shared a general tendency
towards allowing their natural inspiration free rein, often pacing their compositions more in terms of their
emotional content and dramatic continuity rather than
organic structural growth. This was an era highlighted
by the extraordinarily rapid appearance of the national
schools, and the operatic supremacy of Verdi and Wagner. The eventual end of Romanticism came with the
fragmentation of this basic style, composers joining
'schools' of composition, each with a style that was in
vogue for a short period of time.
History of Classical Music
Post 'Great War' Years (c.1920 - Present)
The period since the Great War is undoubtedly the most
bewildering of all, as composers have pulled in various
apparently contradictory and opposing directions. Typical of the dilemma during the inter-war years, for example, were the Austrians, Webern and Lehar, the former was experimenting with the highly compressed and
advanced form known as 'serial structure', while simultaneously Lehar was still indulging in an operetta style
which would not have seemed out of place over half a
century beforehand.
So diverse are the styles adopted throughout the greater
part of the present century that only by experimentation
can listeners discover for themselves whether certain
composers are to their particular taste or not. However,
the following recordings serve as an excellent introduction and will certainly repay investigation:
KWS School Concerts
Four Elements of a Concert
KWS, Evan Mitchell
Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla
COMPOSER
During the summer, he
worked in his uncle’s orchestra. This helped him
develop musically through
cultural aspects of the city
and he became known for
musicals, mostly romantic.
Mikhail Glinka
Evan Mitchell
CD Track #1
Overture to Russlan
and Ludmilla
Ruslan employs
some aspects of
Russian folk music; it is also noted
for imaginative use
of dissonance,
chromaticism,
whole tone scales,
and Eastern elements.
Terms:
Opera:
A story told
through music,
usually with singers, actors and
orchestra
References:
YouTube:
There are many performances of this
lively work on YouTube.
1804 - 1856
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka
was born in Belarus,
Russia. He is generally
considered to be the
father of Russian classical music. He was born
into a rich family and
was well educated
throughout his childhood, studying at a
school in St. Petersburg
for the privileged children of noblemen. Mikhail could speak 6 languages and sing, as well
as play flute and violin,
but had a weak body
and became sick easily.
In St. Petersburg Mikhail
took music lessons and
visited the theater very
often where he listened
to the operas of Mozart,
Kerubini, Rossini.
Mikhail Glinka
At the age of 24 Mikhail
became the undersecretary
in the communications
Council in St Petersburg
and travelled extensively.
Although he travelled, Russian folk music was Mikhail’s main influence in writing his operas.
One of Glinka’s operatic
songs was used as Russia’s national anthem from
1990-2000. Glinka died
after a cold on February 15,
1857.
Activity
This opera was based on a poem that tells of the abduction of Ludmilla by
an evil sorcerer. Three suitors, one of whom is Ruslan, ride off to save the
girl, encountering a fantastic assortment of witches, hermits, magic castles, enchanted gardens and magic swords. The sorcerer is defeated in the
end by Ruslan, who revives Lyudmilla from a trance and wins her hand in
marriage.
1. Listen to the Overture and write the words on chart paper that
describe the actions and characters in the story.
energetic; colourful instrumentation (full orchestra – strings, woodwinds, brass,
percussion); fast tempo; extreme dynamics (louds and softs)
2. Listen again and write a short story or poem that tells the story that
you hear in the music.
3. Choose a picture to colour that best describes a scene while you listen
to the Overture. (see attached) Why did you choose your picture?
KWS School Concerts
Four Elements of a Concert
KWS, Evan Mitchell
Rondo for Strings
Evan Mitchell
CD Track #2
Rondo for Strings
This track is from
a live performance
by the Youth
Strings, the
youngest ensemble in the KWS
Youth Orchestra
Program.
David composed this
Rondo as part of a 3movement piece written
expressly for performance
by young players -- ten to
twelve years old on average. The CD has a live performance by the youngest
members of the KWS Youth
Orchestra Program.
COMPOSER
David Wadley
David Wadley is not only a
composer, he is also a musician in the KitchenerWaterloo Symphony. He
joined the viola section of
the Kitchener-Waterloo
Symphony in 1984. He
studied composition at
Wilfrid Laurier University
and the University of Calgary.
David Wadley
In addition to teaching and
coaching many local violin
and viola students, he
Activity
Music Arranger:
A music arranger takes
an already written
composition and
changes it so that it
can be performed in a
different form or by
different instruments
than the original.
This is a brand new
composition that has
only been performed
once by an ensemble the KWS Youth
Orchestra. The recording on the CD is
the only recording so
far.
1. This composition uses Rondo Form.
One section of the music is repeated. This is called A.
The other sections in between are different. They are called B , C, D etc.
A RONDO is constructed like a “MUSICAL CLUB HOUSE SANDWICH!”
A - SLICE of BREAD
B - PIECE OF CHEESE
A - SLICE of BREAD
C - PIECE OF HAM
A - SLICE of BREAD
D - PIECE OF LETTUCE etc …….
2. As you listen to the Youth Orchestra play Wadley’s, Rondo for Strings:
* raise your hand when you hear the
A section
* hands on your head when you hear the
B section
* hands on shoulders when you hear the C section
Etc ,,,,,,,
3. Listen to “Rondo for Strings.” Using cut out letters on the board, point to the section of the
Rondo you are hearing?
4. Create your own “RONDO FOR SPRING.” Perform it for the Primary classes!!
Use rhythm instruments or body percussion. Repeat each part at least twice.
A – Group 1 plays/patches created rhythm: “SPRING IS HERE TO STAY ‼ “
B – Group 2 plays/patches created rhythm: “FLOWERS ARE BLOOMING DAILY”
A – Group 1 plays/patches created rhythm: “SPRING IS HERE TO STAY ‼ “
C - Group 3 plays/patches created rhythm: “BIG BLACK CRAWLY BUGS!”
A – Group 1 plays/patches created rhythm: “SPRING IS HERE TO STAY ‼ “
ETC……
KWS School Concerts
Four Elements of a Concert
KWS, Evan Mitchell
Symphony No.9 (From the New World), 4th Mov’t
Evan Mitchell
CD Track #3
New World Symphony (4th Mov’t)
One of his most
famous compositions, this work
was composed by
Antonín Dvořák in
1893 during his
visit to the United
States from 1892
to 1895. North
America was referred to as the
New World.
Terms:
Classical Period:
The dates of the
Classical Period in
Western music are
generally accepted
as being between
about 1750 and
1830 .
References:
YouTube: “New
World Symphony”
brings up several
video performances of this famous piece.
COMPOSER
Antonin Dvorák
1841 - 1904
Dvořák was born on
September 8, 1841, near
Prague which is now in
the Czech Republic. His
father was a butcher, yet
encouraged Antonin to
pursue music, enrolling
him in the village school
at six. Antonin learned
the violin and then entered Prague’s music
school where he
emerged at 18 as a professional organist. Both
Richard Wagner and
Johannes Brahms heavily influenced Antonin’s
music however Antonin’s
musical pieces remained
yet classical in the style of
Beethoven and Schubert.
Antonin Dvořák first became a professor in the
Prague Conservatory, and
later, the Director, before
taking up the director post
in the National Conservatory of Music in New York.
Antonin Dvorák
Activity
Please turn to the next page for the activity...
While in America, Antonin
wrote his 9th symphony titled “From The New World”
and remained there as Director for three years before
returning home to Prague,
dying of a heart failure on
May 1, 1904.
Dvorak Symphony NO. 9, 4th Movement
Listen to the excerpt from the fourth movement of the New World Symphony.
Listen to the main theme (main melody). It’s marked in the red box below.
Can you hear it? Try singing it to “doo”.
KWS School Concerts
Four Elements of a Concert
KWS, Evan Mitchell
The Fairy Garden from Mother Goose
Evan Mitchell
CD Track #4
The Fairy Garden
The Mother Goose
Suite was 5 pieces
composed for piano
duet
for
close
friends. The pieces
were written as tone
poems to the tales of
Ma Mere l'Oye. The
Fairy Garden was
the 5th piece from
this suite.
COMPOSER
Maurice Ravel
1875 - 1937
He had a Swiss father and a
Basque mother, but his family
really came from France. His
brother Maurice was interested in both mechanics and
music. At one point, Maurice
and his brother invented a
somersaulting car. At the age
of seven, Maurice began
studying piano and began
composing about five or six
years later. When he was
fourteen, he went to school at
the Paris Conservatory, however, he was not a good student and was expelled for a
while for not paying attention.
Maurice Ravel
During WWI Maurice became
a truck driver and had many
adventures before the war
finished and he travelled to
Canada and the United States.
While there, he enjoyed jazz
and ragtime music. This kind
of modern music influenced
his compositions.
Activity
Terms:
Suite:
a set of musical
pieces considered
as one composition
1. Close your eyes and listen to “Le Jardin feerique” (The Enchanted Garden) While listening, try to imagine colours that are inspired by the music
2. Using paints, markers or coloured pencils create a picture of your own
“Enchanted Garden.” What colours have you used? Why?
3.
References:
YouTube
You’ll find several
versions of Mother
Goose Suite in its
original form for 2
pianos or the orchestrated form.
Can you conduct this piece? It is in ¾ time. Will your pattern be:
smooth
or
jumpy
small
or
big
slow
or
fast
KWS School Concerts
Four Elements of a Concert
KWS, Evan Mitchell
Piano Concerto No. 15
Evan Mitchell
CD Track #5
Piano Concerto
No 15
In a letter to his
father, Mozart
compared this
concerto with the
16th concerto in D:
"I consider them both
to be concertos
which make one
sweat; but the B flat
one beats the one in
D for difficulty”
Terms:
COMPOSER
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1756 - 1791
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
was born in Salzburg, Austria in 1756. By the time
Mozart was six, Leopold
had begun to tour through
Munich and Vienna, having
Mozart perform as a child
prodigy. Over the three and
a half years they toured
Europe, Mozart met many
other musicians and composers
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart wrote his first symphony at the age of eight,
and wrote over 600 musical
pieces in his lifetime. This
includes 41 symphonies, 27
piano concertos, multiple sonatas, and operas. Mozart
had composed 30 symphonies by the time he turned
18. Despite his musical talent, Mozart was not good
with money and suffered
from poverty, continually. In
his last years, he was ill and
in desperate circumstances.
On the day Mozart died at
36, he worked on his last
piece “Requiem.” He is considered to be the greatest
composer that ever lived.
Activity
Child Prodigy:
a child, typically
younger than 18
years old, who is
performing at the
level of a highly
trained adult in a
very demanding
field
1. A Concerto is a musical piece in which a solo instrument is accompanied by an
orchestra.
A performing music group (orchestra, band, choir) is like a team.
There is a conductor (the coach), the musicians (the team players) and often a
soloist (the star player.)
1. Ask the class – “What is teamwork?”
2. “What activities do you do that require teamwork?”
teams, choir, youth groups, dance class, student council, group work in school
References:
YouTube:
“Concerto No. 15”
brings up several
video performance
of this famous
piece.
3. “What are the qualities of a great team player?”
cooperation, listening, watching, respecting, and valuing each individual.
4. As you listen to the Mozart Concerto:
* raise your hand when you hear the piano soloist alone
* hands on your head when you hear the orchestra alone
* arms crossed when you hear the piano and orchestra together
5. When listening to and watching Renee Kruisselbrink and the KWSO play Mozart’s
Piano Concerto, what do you notice happening on stage between the conductor, the
musicians, and the soloist. “Why do they have to be great team players?”
KWS School Concerts
Four Elements of a Concert
KWS, Evan Mitchell
Brahms Hungarian Dance No.5
Evan Mitchell
COMPOSER
Johannes Brahms
1833 - 1897
Brahms became famous for
mixing both the Hungarian
style and Gypsy style of
music, hongrios. During his
adult years he further refined his
musical style and became
one of the leading composers in the Romantic Period
of music.
CD Track #6
Hungarian Dance
No. 5
Brahms based this
on a czardas he
had heard in Hungary. It became the
most famous of his
21 Hungarian
Dances.
Johannes Brahms was
born in Germany on May 7,
1833. Brahms studied in a
private elementary school
where he learned basic
subjects, cello, piano and
horn. He was accepted,
free of charge into the instruction of piano and theory by Eduard Marxen.
Brahms devoted most of
his time to reading and music, and began to compose
in his early teens, writing
the F sharp Piano Sonata
op. 2 as his first piece.
Johannes Brahms
Brahms didn’t write his first
symphony until late into his
adult years because he felt
he was in the ’shadow’ of
the great Beethoven who
preceeded him.
Terms:
Activity
Romantic Period:
Western classical
music that existed
roughly from 1810
to 1900
Czardas:
Traditional Hungarian folk dance
References:
YouTube:
There are many videos of this work in live
performance on YouTube. Watch how the
conductor indicates
the tempo changes.
1. Brahms was inspired to write several dances after hearing Gypsy Bands in
Hungary.
Find Hungary on a map of the world.
Which other countries surround Hungary?
2. Listen to the Hungarian Dance No.5 while closing your eyes.
This dance is called a czardas (chardosh) - a traditional Hungarian dance.
**What instruments do you hear?
Strings (violin,viola,cello,bass); Woodwinds (flute,clarinet,oboe);
Brass (trumpet,french horn,trombone); Percussion (snare drum, timpani, triangle)
** Imagine how you would move to this music?
FAST ….. SLOW
HEAVILY ….. LIGHTLY
BIG MOVEMENTS…. SMALL MOVEMENTS
LOUD …. SOFT
SMOOTH … JUMPY
BIG CIRCLE …. TWIRLING CIRCLE
3. In small groups, make a circle and create your own dance. Be sure to use
movements that are described above and don’t forget to change direction in
your circles. Perform your “Hungarian Dance” for each other.
KWS School Concerts
Four Elements of a Concert
KWS, Evan Mitchell
Radetzky March
Evan Mitchell
CD Track #7
Radetzky March
When it was first
played in front of
Austrian officers in
1848, they
promptly clapped
and stomped their
feet when they
heard the chorus.
This tradition is
carried over today
Terms:
Waltz
A waltz is a piece for
dancing in triple (3/4)
time.
March
A march is a piece of
music with a strong
regular rhythm
References:
YouTube:
“Radetzky March”
brings up several
video performance
of this famous
piece. Notice the
reaction of the audience in live performance videos!
Johann Strauss, Sr., had a son
he named Johann Strauss, Jr.
in 1825 and he eventually became Johann Strauss Sr.’s
greatest musical rival.
COMPOSER
Johann, Sr. Strauss
1804 - 1849
Johann Strauss. Sr. was born
on March 14th, 1804 in Vienna, Austria. Boatmen from
different countries came to
Vienna singing folk music from
their countries and this was
where Strauss was first exposed by music.
Strauss became a leader of
the first citizen regiment and
directed military pageants and
often went on music tours in
Europe. Every tour was a
great success.
Johann Strauss Jr. secretly
learned how to play violin and
performed his first concert on
October 15, 1844 so Vienna
had two famous violinists with
the name Johann Strauss. On
September 25, 1849 Johann
Strauss Sr. passed away on
scarlet fever. He was considered to be one of the greatest
composers of Waltzes.
Johann Strauss. Sr.
Activity
Listen to the Radetzky March.
Keep the beat on your thighs.
Now put the strongest beat on your thighs and the weaker one on your
shoulders.
X
x
x
x
>
│
X
x
x
x
>
2. Where have you heard marches like this played?
parades, sports games, concerts
March around the room to the music, keeping a steady beat.
Try to keep the first beat of the 4 stronger than the other 3.
How does this march make you feel? proud, happy, strong, energetic
Which instruments are important? Why?
Can you conduct this march? Try a 4 beat pattern.
Loud = big pattern
Accents = strong pattern
Soft = small pattern
Legato = smooth pattern
KWS School Concerts
Four Elements of a Concert
KWS, Evan Mitchell
Excerpt from Overture to William Tell
Evan Mitchell
COMPOSER
Gioacchino Rossini
1792 - 1868
Chevalier Giusti admired Rossini’s talent and took him under his wing ready to enter
Bologna’s Liceo Communale,
where he was put in counterpoint class. According to the
stories, Rossini was very lazy,
and wrote in his bed. Once he
noticed on the evening of the
premier, he 'forgot' to write an
overture. The director of the
opera house locked him in a
room and threatened to throw
him out of the window should
he not provide him of an overture!
CD Track #8
Overture to William
Tell
Rossini’s opera William Tell premiered in
1829 and was the last
of Rossini's 39 operas.
parts of this overture
in both classical music
and popular media,
most famously as the
theme music for the
Lone Ranger .
Terms:
Overture:
(from the French
ouverture, meaning
opening) in music is
the instrumental introduction to a dramatic, choral or, occasionally, instrumental composition
References:
YouTube: “William
Tell Overture” brings
up several video
performance of this
famous piece.
Rossini was born into a family of musicians in Italy. His
father was town trumpeter
and mother was a singer. Rossini began his musical training at a young age, and by age
of six he was playing triangle
in his father’s band. At age
eight Gioacchino received his
first music lessons and soon
became a renowned musician.
Gioacchino Rossini
Activity
1. Listen to the excerpt from the William tell Overture.
Keep the beat on your thighs.
Now put the strongest beat on your thighs and the weaker one on
your
shoulders.
X
>
x
│
X
>
x
│
X
>
x
│ X
x
>
2. WHAT DO YOU HEAR? See activity on attached following page
3. Can you conduct this piece while listening?
Try a 2 beat pattern.
WILL YOUR PATTERN BE:
FAST
›
MODERATE › SLOW
BIG (loud) › MEDIUM ›
SMALL (soft)
BOUNCY › ACCENTED › SMOOTH
Rossini’s “William Tell Overture”
WHAT DO YOU HEAR?
Circle the answer you think is correct for each statement.
1. The music begins with a trumpet playing a
a. fanfare
b. single note
2. The rhythm in the beginning suggests
a. horses
b. soldiers
3. Theme A comes back
a. one time
b. three times
4. The percussion instrument you hear most is
a. triangle
b. snare drum
5. Dynamics in this music
a. change
b. don’t change
6. A theme is a melody that you can recognize.
How many different themes are there?
a. three
b. five
7. Each theme is repeated.
a. true
b. false
8. The last sound you hear is
a. soft
b. loud
9. The rhythm below is first heard near the
a. beginning
2/4
b. middle
….. insert galloping rhythm here …..
10. This music makes me feel like
a. walking
b. galloping
Name __________________________________________________________
Date __________________________
Families of Instruments
KWS Education and Community Programs
Cornerstone KWS Education Programs
Pathways
STAFF
Chris Sharpe
Barbara Kaplanek
Evan Mitchell
Nancy Kidd
Youth Orchestra
Program Conductors:
Evan Mitchell
Youth Orchestra
Julie Baumgartel,
Youth Sinfonia
Angela Cox-Daly,
Youth Strings
Allene Chomyn,
Preludium Strings
Trevor Wagler,
PATHWAYS—MUSIC
This program, based on a
model from Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood,
adds a music component
to the successful Pathways
to Education after-school
program. The KWS will
offer several components
to the participating high
school students: guest
passes to select KWS concerts; music appreciation
workshops; and music instrument and vocal lessons
– all offered free of charge.
This is an interest-based
mentoring program offered
to high school students in 2
underserved Kitchener
neighbourhoods.
YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Music students ages 5
through 23 can participate
in the Kitchener-Waterloo
Symphony Youth Orchestra
Program which is now comprised of five ensembles:
Preludium Strings, Youth
Strings, Youth Sinfonia,
Valhalla Brass and the senior Youth Orchestra.
This nationally acclaimed
program provides a training
ground for future generations of musicians.
Through its programs, students develop their instrument technique, communication, team work, leadership and performance skills.
SCHOOLS CONCERTS
Each season, students in
grades 1 – 3 and 4 – 6
come to the Centre in the
Square to see an hour-long,
full orchestra educational
concert, free of charge. The
content of each concert has
been developed to tie into
the Ontario Ministry of Education Curriculum. A set of
6 unique concerts are now
offered on a 3-year cycle so
that students have an opportunity to see a unique
concert each year. The
KWS provides supplementary materials for teachers
as well as in-classroom visits by musicians before and
after they attend the concert.
Quote:
There's a clear correlation between
mathematics performance and
music – spatial
skills, verbal skills,
reading skills.
Every study you
read indicates
strong, strong connections between
music and one's
performance in life.
Jeff Melanson
A Week in the Life of Barb, Education Coordinator
Barbara Kaplanek coordinates
the following KWS programs:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Youth Orchestra Program
Schools Concert Program
Symphony@Work
Family Concerts
Kinderconcerts
KWS Education Programs—What We Do
Kinderconcert Series
These programs for children ages 3 months to 4 years are developed and presented by KWS musicians at the Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts. New this season: Music For Young Children offers pre-concert classes. This series is repeated at River Run Centre in Guelph.
School Concerts
Each season, elementary school students in grades 1 – 3 and 4 – 6 come to the Centre in the Square to see an hour-long, full orchestra educational concert, free of charge. The content of each concert has been developed by our Educator in Residence to tie into the Ontario Ministry of Education Curriculum. A set of 6 unique concerts are now offered on a 3-year cycle for grades 1 to 3 and grades 4 to 6 so that students have an opportunity to see a unique concert each year. The KWS provides supplementary materials for teachers as well as inclassroom visits by musicians before and after the concert experience.
Youth Orchestra Program (YOP)
Music students ages 5 up through 23 can participate in the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Youth Orchestra Program which is now comprised
of five ensembles: Preludium Strings, Youth Strings, Youth Sinfonia, Valhalla Brass and the senior Youth Orchestra. Each ensemble is led
by a professional musician/conductor. This nationally acclaimed program provides a training ground for future generations of musicians.
Through its programs, students develop their instrument technique, communication, team work, leadership and performance skills. There
are four YOP concerts at the Centre in the Square and Conrad Centre per season, side by side opportunities with the KWS and Wilfrid
Laurier University Symphony Orchestra, and a range of outreach and education concerts around the Region. Touring and exchange opportunities are offered as they arise.
Family Series
The Family Series is an engaging concert experience designed for ages 4 – 12. Conductor and host, John Morris Russell, has designed this
set of 3 concerts to entertain and illuminate. Each concert includes a wide range of activities and explorations in the KW Art Gallery and Centre in the Square lobbies prior to the start of each concert.
Generations
The Generations Series tells the story behind the music, as Music Director Edwin Outwater leads the orchestra on an exploration of the masterpieces of classical music. This series targets ages 10 and up in four Sunday afternoon concerts.
Symphony @ Work
This program is offered to students in grades in 7 & 8. Students attend a brief portion of a KWS rehearsal and then go on a guided tour to
meet the people behind the scenes. From learning about the conductor, the marketing director to learning what a stage crew does, this program gives students a glimpse of the wide range of distinct careers under one roof.
Design a Concert
This program gives selected high school students an opportunity to work under the mentorship of KWS staff to develop and run their own
KWS concert. Students gain an understanding of all aspects of programming, marketing, sponsorship and stage production, with lots of
hands-on practical experience. This teaches general project management as well as specific skills required to launch any event.
Unlocking the Music (Preludes)
The KWS provides informative presentations that tie into the music on KWS concerts and classical music appreciation in general. These
presentations will be in a variety of formats and take place in various locations in the region.
High School Music Programs Partnership
Edwin Outwater and Evan Mitchell make a point of visiting area high schools to work with music students and their teachers. KWS musicians
also participate in mentoring programs by rehearsing with high school and university orchestras.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Pathways to Education
This program, based on a model from Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood, adds a music component to the successful Pathways to Education after-school program. The KWS will offer several components to the participating high school students: guest passes to select KWS
concerts; music appreciation workshops; and music instrument and vocal lessons – all offered free of charge. This is an interest-based mentoring program offered to high school students in 2 underserved Kitchener neighbourhoods.
Sunnydale Community Centre
The Sunnydale Community Association has provided programs to an underserved neighbourhood in Waterloo since 1997. The KWS has
been invited to send small groups of musicians to perform outdoors during food distribution, or larger concerts in a nearby school. In addition,
groups from this community will be invited to see selected KWS concerts and take guided tours of the Conrad Centre during the season.