Education & Community Engagement
Collaborations
Teacher’s Guide
Grades 3–8: Young People’s Concert
Norman Huynh, conductor
Pam Mahon, soprano
Stacey Murdock, baritone
Fukima Mizuno, violin
FEBRUARY 7 & 9 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland
FEBRUARY 10 Willamette University, Smith Auditorium
Bernstein – Overture to Candide
Mozart – The Bird Catcher’s Song from The Magic Flute
Mozart – Papageno/Papagena Duet from The Magic Flute
Tchaikovsky – Scene I from Swan Lake
Bizet – Prelude from Carmen, Suite no. 1
Sarasate – Introduction and Habanera from the Carmen Fantasy
Gershwin – Catfish Row and Porgy Sings from Porgy and Bess
Williams – Main Title from Star Wars
Bernstein – Mambo from West Side Story
Stravinsky – Infernal Dance and Finale from The Firebird
2016/17
Creating a stronger and more vibrant community through music
Welcome
Introduction
How To Use This Guide
This guide is designed to accompany the 2016/17 Young People’s
Concert, “Collaborations.” We offer background information on the pieces
you will hear at the concert, along with a listening guide for each piece
and biographical information about the composers.
Also included are introductions to the four families of instruments
(strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion) and online resources. It is our
hope that utilizing this guide will deepen the concert experience for your
students. We encourage you to fit this material into your teaching style
and specific student needs.
Providing this guide online allows teachers to project information
to the entire class and access listed websites in the resource section.
All materials are developed to help meet and exceed the Oregon
Department of Education’s Arts Content Standards curriculum objectives,
Common Core standards and to support your work in the classroom.
Concert Theme: “Collaborations”
Norman Huynh, associate conductor
Pam Mahon, soprano
Stacey Murdock, baritone
Fukima Mizano, violin
Peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies, Spielberg and Williams - some things
just go better together. Come to the Oregon Symphony’s “Collaborations”
concert and see why Russian ballet, Hollywood, and opera just wouldn’t be the
same without some of music’s most creative collaborations.
Program
Bernstein – Overture to Candide
Mozart – The Bird Catcher’s Song from The Magic Flute
Mozart – Papageno/Papagena Duet from The Magic Flute
Tchaikovsky – Scene I from Swan Lake
Bizet – Prelude from Carmen, Suite no. 1
Sarasate – Introduction and Habanera from the Carmen Fantasy
Gershwin – Catfish Row and Porgy Sings from Porgy and Bess
Williams – Main Title from Star Wars
Bernstein – Mambo from West Side Story
Stravinsky – Infernal Dance and Finale from The Firebird
Overall Goals of the Teacher’s Guide usage
and concert attendance:
• Introduce students to live orchestral music
• Provide students with an opportunity to participate as audience members
in the live music experience
• Introduce students to composers’ usage of particular instruments to express
particular musical ideas
• Demonstrate the role of music in various art forms throughout program
selections
• Introduce students to the classical music genre, its composers, its place in
the historic context and its evolution to date
• Encourage Students to critique selections listening for images suggested by
the composers music.
The Oregon Symphony believes that music is an essential part of the total
school curriculum. We hope that you will take full advantage of this guide
and CD so that your students in turn can be knowledgeable and eager
participants.
Please email us at [email protected] if you have questions or
wish to share your experiences in preparing your students for our Young
People’s Concert.
Monica Hayes, M.S. Ed.
Education & Community Engagement, Program Director
2016/17 Young People’s Concert: Collaborations
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Welcome
Introduction
Guide Contents
Companion CD
Page 2
Introduction, Concert Theme, Program and Concert Goals
Page 3
Guide Contents and CD tracks
Tracks 1-12 will be performed at the concert
(all tracks are selections from complete works)
Page 4
National and Common Core Standards
Page 5 Sound Awareness and Concert Expectations
Page 6
Resources on the web
Page 7Meet Conductor Norman Huynh
Page 8
Getting to know the Orchestra and its instruments
Page 9
Meet soloist Fumika Mizuno and
vocalists Pam Mahon, Stacy Murdock
Page 10
The Orchestra by the Numbers
Page 11
Brief History of the Oregon Symphony
Page 12
Brief History of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
1: Bernstein –Overture to Candide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:12
2: Mozart – The Bird Catcher’s Song from The Magic Flute. . . . . . . . . . . 2:41
3: Mozart – Papageno/Papagena Duet from The Magic Flute. . . . . . . . 2:49
4: Tchaikovsky – Scene I from Swan Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:03
5: Bizet – Prelude from Carmen, Suite no. 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:37
6: Sarasate – Carmen Fantasy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:39
7: Gershwin – Catfish Row from Porgy and Bess. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:21
8: Gershwin – Porgy Sings from Porgy and Bess. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:11
9: Williams –Main Title from Star Wars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:24
10: Bernstein –Mambo from West Side Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:08
11: Stravinsky- Infernal Dance from The Firebird. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:09
12: Stravinsky – Finale from The Firebird. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:19
Pages 13-20 Concert Program Notes and Biographies of Composers
Appendix
Pages 21-24 Instrument Families in the Orchestra
Page 25
Oregon Symphony Roster
Pages 26-30 Blackline Images of Instruments and Orchestra
Final page
Our Generous Education Program Supporters
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Curriculum Connections
National & State Content Standards
The Oregon Symphony has an ongoing commitment to support the
National Standards for Music Education as outlined below:
1. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied
repertoire of music.
2. Reading and notating music.
3. Listening to, analyzing and describing music.
4. Evaluating music and music performances.
5. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts and disciplines outside the arts.
6. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
In addition, this Youth Concert supports the following Common Core
State Standards as outlined below:
The Arts: Create, Present, Perform - Apply ideas, techniques and processes in
the arts.
•Apply artistic elements and technical skills to create, present and/or perform works of art for a variety of audiences and purposes.
•Communicate verbally and in writing, using knowledge of the arts to describe and/or evaluate one’s own artwork.
The Arts: Aesthetics and Art Criticism - Respond to and analyze works of art,
based on essential elements, organizational principles and aesthetic criteria.
•Use knowledge of technical, organizational and aesthetic elements to
describe and analyze one’s own art and the art of others.
•Respond to works of art, giving reasons for preferences.
The Arts: Historical and Cultural Perspectives - Understand the relationship
of works of art to their social, historical and cultural contexts, and the
influence of the arts on individuals, communities and cultures.
•Understand that the arts have an historical connection.
•Explain how a work of art reflects the artist’s personal experience in a
society or culture.
English Language Arts: Reading
English Language Arts: Writing
English Language Arts: Speaking and Listening
Social Sciences: History – Relate significant events and eras in United States
and world history to past and present issues and developments.
Download the most current version of Oregon’s Common Core Standards from
the Department of Education’s Web site at www.ode.state.or.us
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Sound Awareness Activity
Concert Expectations
Sound Awareness
Concert Day
We are constantly surrounded by sound, but rarely do we truly listen
to what we hear. Listening to a 50 minute concert may be a new and
unusual experience for many of your students. Essential to the development of deep listening skills is the acquisition of sound awareness.
Following are some suggested strategies for developing active listening
skills in listeners of all ages. These exercises will be helpful prior to any
of the following lessons as you introduce the music and concepts found
in this Teacher’s Guide.
Goal
Students will develop active listening skills.
Instructional Objectives
Students will:
• Identify and describe environmental sounds; and
• Identify and describe various sounds played on
a variety of musical instruments.
Instructional Activities
Environmental Sounds
• Turn off the classroom lights and have students close their eyes.
• Have students spend one full minute listening to environmental sounds.
• Elicit responses from students as to what sounds they heard. Create a word
bank using all student responses.
• After an initial list has been created, go back to each sound on the list and
ask students to describe their sound further. Add these descriptions to each
sound listed.
•Refer back to this word bank throughout the year, adding sounds and
descriptions to increase sound awareness.
The day of your Young People’s Concert experience is sure to be a
fun and exciting one. Knowing what to expect will help you and your
students prepare for the concert and will make the experience the best
it can be. Listed below are a few logistical details along with some basic
expectations that we have of concert attendees.
Arrival & Seating Information
Two weeks prior to the concert date you will receive a seat confirmation for
your group. Bring this with you on the day of the concert. For those coming
to the Portland concerts, please note on your confirmation your entrance
location (either the Broadway Street or Park Street entrance) and the section
in which you are seated. When you arrive at the hall please proceed directly
to the entrance noted on your confirmation. An usher will greet you and lead
you to your section. Groups will be seated front to back on a first-come-firstseated basis. If you arrive together, your group will be seated together. Please
arrive 30 minutes before the concert start time. Concerts must begin on time.
No student backpacks, food, drink or gum will be allowed in the concert hall.
If you plan to bring lunches, please store on your bus or in the lobby. Use of
cell phones and cameras is prohibited during the concert.
Concert Expectations
Please take a few moments before the concert to discuss with your students
and chaperones your expectations for their concert behavior. Young People’s
Concerts are designed to be informative and entertaining. We encourage
kids to move to the music and show that they are having a good time by
applauding and participating at appropriate times. Please remind your students to respect fellow audience members by refraining from conversation
throughout the concert, just as they would be asked in an assembly at their
school. The best way to show the performers that they are enjoying the concert is by listening quietly during the performance and clapping enthusiastically after each piece.
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Resources on the Web
Resources
Interactive Music Resources – Web Sites for Kids & Teachers
Oregon Symphony Education Resources - Links to materials related to
orchestra sections, and more. www.orsymphony.org/edu/resources.aspx
Oregon Symphony - An interactive map of the orchestra plus learn all about
the musicians. www.orsymphony.org/edu/instruments
Oregon Symphony Players Association - Find out from the Oregon
Symphony musicians what it’s like to play in the orchestra.
www.concertgoersguide.org
Classics for Kids - Award-winning interactive programs with classroom
activities, games and historic information. www.classicsforkids.com
Dallas Symphony for Kids - A national award-winning site to get students
and teachers more involved in classical music. www.dsokids.com
New York Philharmonic for Kids: “Kidzone” - Interactive games, music,
classroom activities, information about classical music and fun facts about
music composition. www.nyphilkids.org
Sphinx Kids - Includes games, videos and music, with a special focus on
minority composers and musicians. www.sphinxkids.org
FirstGovforKids: Federal Citizen Information Center - Do you ever wonder
where your favorite band would be without music? Learn how “note”-able
music is in our society by clicking on the links.
www.kids.gov/k_music.htm
North Daviess Elementary School Music Links www.mcatee.biz/music/
Carnegie Hall Weill Institute Resource Center www.carnegiehall.org/orc/curriculum-materials-list-view
History of the Orchestra en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra
Building an Orchestra www.uky.edu/~deen/Philharmonic/toc.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0PgeKZBYhg
Lesson ideas from Teacher’s Institute SFSO
www.keepingscore.org/education/mentor_showcase
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Collaborations
Meet our Conductor
Norman Huynh
Oregon Symphony Associate Conductor
The Oregon Symphony welcomes Norman Huynh
as he begins his first season as our Associate
Conductor. Selected from a field of over 100
candidates from around the world, he was chosen
for his exceptional conducting technique, his
passion for a wide-ranging repertoire, and his
unique ability to communicate with an audience.
The recipient of the 2015 Felix MendelssohnBartholdy Scholarship, he has previously conducted
the Baltimore Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Virginia
Symphony, Macon Symphony, and the Peabody Symphony Orchestra.
He made his international conducting debut with the Princess Galyani
Vadhana Youth Orchestra in Bangkok, Thailand and has also conducted
the Leipzig Symphony. He previously served as assistant conductor for the
Spoleto Festival USA, the Portland Symphony Orchestra in Maine, Opera
Carolina, the Lyric Opera of Baltimore, the Peabody Opera Theatre, and The
Peabody Singers.
He co-founded the Occasional Symphony, an organization renowned for
playing innovative musical programs in unique venues throughout the city
of Baltimore.
Huynh received his Master’s Degree in orchestral conducting at the Peabody
Institute of the Johns Hopkins University where he studied with Gustav Meier,
Markand Thakar, Edward Polochick and Marin Alsop.
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Collaborations
Getting to Know the Orchestra
It’s the big day and you take your seat in the concert hall ready to hear some
classical music. You look up and see almost 77 people in the orchestra. Here’s
a breakdown of the instruments they’re playing:
• Bassoon: Looks like a plumbing pipe; sounds like a dream. High notes
sound throaty, even otherworldly. Middle notes sound luscious, full,
mellow; low notes can be very powerful.
• Violin: The instrument is made of wood; the bow is made of horsehair;
the four strings are made of metal; the sound is sweet, singing, and divine.
They’re divided into two sections, First and Second Violins, each with
different music to play.
• French Horn (or just Horn): The most noble-sounding brass instrument; has
a full, round, dark tone, great for majestic hunting calls.
• Viola: Slightly larger than a violin, playing slightly lower notes, with a
breathier or throatier sound than a violin.
• Trombone: A powerful low brass instrument with a slide to change notes.
Essential for parades, as well as symphonies.
• Cello: Played sitting down, with the instrument between the legs. Makes a
beautiful, rich, singing sound.
• Bass (or Double Bass): Enormous, bigger around than the average human
being. Plays the lowest notes of all the strings, providing the foundation for
the orchestra’s sound. Played sitting on a tall stool or standing up.
• Trumpet: The most powerful orchestral instrument and the highest-pitched
brass instrument. Executes impressive runs and leaps in a single bound.
• Tuba: Lowest of the brass instruments. Can produce a wall of low,
blasting sound.
• Flute: Blown across, just like a bottle; produces a sweet, silvery sound.
• Percussion: The player is expected to be a master of a vast range of
different instruments: timpani (the great big kettledrums), bass drum, snare
drum (for marches), cymbals (for crashing together), xylophone (played
with mallets), and other oddities.
• Oboe and English horn: Played by blowing into a reed, a whittled-down
flat piece of sugar cane. Produces one of the most beautiful sounds on
earth: clear, vibrant, sweet, plaintive, and full.
• Piano: a musical stringed instrument resembling a harp set in a vertical or
horizontal frame, played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike
the strings and produce audible vibrations.
• Clarinet: A dark, tubular woodwind instrument that creates a full, round
sound, very pure, without the edge of the oboe’s sound.
• Harp: a musical instrument consisting of a triangular frame formed by a
soundbox, a pillar, and a curved neck, and having strings stretched between
the soundbox and the neck that are plucked with the fingers.
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Collaborations
Guest Soloist and Vocalists
Fumika Mizuno
Violin
Fumika Mizuno is a junior at Tualatin High School
and studies with Carol Sindell. She is in her eighth
season as a member of the PYP organization,
and third season as co-concertmaster of the
Philharmonic. She also performs in the PYP quartet
and Camerata PYP. Fumika has won local Young
Artists Competitions including those held by the
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Beaverton Symphony, and MetroArts Inc.
As Runner-Up of the PYP Concerto Competition, she performed with the
Portland Youth Conservatory Orchestra in February. Fumika has attended the
Boston University Tanglewood Institute twice, serving as concertmaster and
principal 2nd violin both years. In 2015, she led the National Youth Orchestra
of the USA as concertmaster in a Carnegie Hall performance and tour of China
with conductor Charles Dutoit and pianist YUNDI Li. This summer, she will
join NYO-USA in their Europe tour led by Valery Gergiev. Fumika is also a state
medalist and national competitor in racquetball, and enjoys eating, playing
tennis, and singing karaoke with friends.
Pam Mahon
Soprano
Pam Mahon is thrilled to be sharing the stage once
again with the Oregon Symphony. She thoroughly
enjoys entertaining and educating our youngest
audiences in the guise of a major general, a
superhero, a cowgirl, and an alien from outer space,
to name a few of the zany characters she has played
over the years. Ms. Mahon also performs as host in
the Oregon Symphony’s school day Kinderkonzerts, Young People’s Concerts,
and Carnegie Hall Link Up National Concerts. Other Portland credits include:
Lureena Jones, Adrift in Macao (Broadway Rose); Wicked Witch of the West,
The Wizard of OZ, Brooke Wyndham, Legally Blonde, The Musical (Pixie Dust
Productions); Mazeppa, Gypsy (Portland Center Stage); Susan, [Title of Show]
(Triangle Productions); Mary Bland, Eating Raoul (Live on Stage); Aldonza,
Man of La Mancha; Mother, Ragtime; Baker’s Wife, Into the Woods; Claire Ganz,
Rumors; Donna/Oolie, City of Angels; Carmen, Sweet Charity; Pam in The Full
Monty (Lakewood Theatre Company); young boy, Jenufa; Chocholka/Jay, The
Cunning Little Vixen; Papagena, The Magic Flute; Nurse Maid, Street Scene
(Portland Opera).
Stacey Murdock
Baritone
Stacey Murdock has performed extensively
throughout Oregon and the Northwest region
appearing in opera, oratorio, and musicals. He
performed the title role in the world premiere of
the first comic book-based opera: Too Much Coffee
Man. He often performs with Portland Opera and
has been a member of the Portland Opera to Go
outreach program for 9 seasons, performing around the western region for
students in schools in that ensemble of teaching artists.
Stacey was a featured artist in Martina Arroyo’s Prelude to Performance
program where he performed the role of the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro and
the Sacristan in Tosca at the Da Capo Opera Theater in New York City.
Mr. Murdock’s most recent musical credits include: Gaston in Beauty and the
Beast, The Governor in The Man of La Mancha, and Stephen Kodaly in She
Loves Me. He has been a frequent performer with the Muses Collaborative
Arts Program, Astoria Music Festival and Portland Summerfest.
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The Orchestra By The Numbers
Conductor
Total Musicians
1
76
STRINGS
Violins
24
Violas
8
Cellos
7
Double Basses
5
WOODWINDS
Flutes
About the Orchestra
3
Piccolo
1
Oboes
3
English Horn
1
Clarinets
3
Bassoons
3
BRASS
French Horns
5
Trumpets
3
Trombones
3
Tuba
1
PERCUSSION
Timpani
1
Percussion
3
Keyboard
1
Harp
1
The symphony orchestra is the largest and
most exciting of all
musical groups, with
as many as 100 players.
It is divided into four
musical families called
strings, woodwinds,
brass and percussion.
Every instrument in the
orchestra belongs to
one of these families.
In a symphony orchestra the musical families
are related to one
another just like cousins, aunts and uncles.
The orchestra is a big
family of instruments
playing together.
To learn more about
your Oregon Symphony check us out
oneline at www.
OrSymphony.org/
orchestra/roster.aspx
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History
Brief History of the Oregon Symphony
The Oregon Symphony is Portland’s largest performing arts organization today,
but it has long and deep roots that go all the way back to 1896 and the founding of the Portland Symphony – the first orchestra west of the Mississippi River.
W.H. Kinross conducted the inaugural concert at Portland’s Marquam Grand
Theatre on Oct. 30 of that year. By 1899 the symphony performed an annual
concert series, and in 1902 it embarked on its first state tour.
The decades that followed saw many milestones, but two of the biggest came in
1967 – when the orchestra’s name was officially changed to Oregon Symphony
to reflect the increasing number of concerts played outside Portland and a commitment to serve the larger statewide and regional community – and in 1984
when, under the leadership of Music Director James DePreist, the orchestra
moved from the Portland Civic Auditorium (now Keller Auditorium) to its current
home, the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The move, and DePreist’s leadership,
were turning points in the Oregon Symphony’s history that resulted in a new
level of concert activity, even greater service in the areas of education and community programs, and recordings.
In 2003, when DePreist retired after 23 seasons with the orchestra, Carlos Kalmar
took over as its 10th music director. He continues to lead the orchestra’s 76 musicians to new heights and took the podium on May 12, 2011, when the Oregon
Symphony made its debut at last in music’s most prestigious concert venue, New
York’s Carnegie Hall, as part of the first Spring for Music Festival. The orchestra’s
newest CDs are This England and Spirit of the American Range. This England, on the
Pentatone Classics label, are broadcasting concerts recorded live on All Classical
Portland, and have received two Grammy Award nominations for th CDs.
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History
Brief History of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall is an historic theater building and
performing arts center in Portland, Oregon. Part of the Portland Center for
the Performing Arts, it is home to the Oregon Symphony, Portland Youth
Philharmonic, Metropolitan Youth Symphony, White Bird Dance Company,
and Portland Arts & Lectures. The Oregon Symphony is the main tenant in
this city-owned building, renting the hall for all rehearsals and performances.
Originally (and sometimes still referred to as) the Paramount Theatre, it is
also locally nicknamed “The Schnitz”.
It is the last surviving theater building on Portland’s Broadway, which was once
lined with large theater houses. The architectural firm Rapp and Rapp, famous
for its theater buildings, designed the Italian Renaissance-style building. The
building was variously described by the newspapers as being of the French
Renaissance or Northern Italianate style. The Paramount was considered, at its
opening, to be the largest and most lavish theater for a city the size of Portland.
Originally opened as the Portland Publix Theatre, a vaudeville venue in March
1928, the name changed to the Paramount Theater in 1930, as the owners had
a contract to run Paramount films locally. The building continued to show films
until 1972, after which it hosted rock concerts.
Visitors were greeted by a 65-foot (20 m) high “Portland” sign above the
Broadway Marquee, which contained approximately 6,000 theatrical lights.
The current sign is an exact replica of this original sign. The sign read
“Paramount” from 1930-1984. The theater was designed with many foyers and
lobbies. The main entrance to the auditorium boasted huge French-paned
windows facing east and south, covered with velvet drapes. The walls were
covered with mirrors and marble, and the floors were covered with expensive
carpets. The furnishings had been purchased from a French museum and
private collections. The concessions stand was made of marble and stretched
nearly half the length of the main lobby. It was described as the “longest
candy counter in the West.”
The lobby was lit with huge crystal chandeliers. Nearly $35,000 had been
spent on them. The largest had a span of nearly 8 feet, weighing over 1700
pounds and containing 181 lights. Currently, the largest chandelier has 137
candle bulbs, and the smaller ones each have 124 bulbs.
In 1972, the Portland City Council voted to give the building Landmark Status,
over the objections of John Haviland, the owner. The landmark status applied
only to the exterior of the building. Many people felt that the interior of the
building was more valuable architecturally. The building (as the Paramount
Theatre) was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In
the 1970s Haviland wanted to either sell or renovate the building as it was
coming into disrepair and the concert goers were ruining the interior. The
original theater organ and statuary were sold off in an auction on March 26,
1975. During the auction, there was a general outcry from the audience to keep
a particular marble statue, called “Surprise” (a nude girl with her hands thrown
across her face) in the theater. A hat was passed among the 1200 member
audience to take up a collection, and $5,233.97 was raised to purchase the statue
and keep it in the theater lobby. The statue had a finger missing from a bullet
from a box-office robbery in the 1920s, it
is now restored. “Surprise” still greets all
visitors to the hall in the main foyer.
A major renovation began in September
1983 to the designs of Boora Architects,
restoring the building to much of its
original opulence. The interior of the
auditorium, however, was painted one
neutral color, rather than restoring the
murals that had decorated it. Portland
residents Arlene and Harold Schnitzer
contributed generously to the completion
of the initial phase of the Portland
Center for the Performing Arts. The oneyear, $10 million renovation involved
repairing, recasting or replacing much
of the theatre’s ornate interior as well as
making it comfortable and safe for today’s
audiences and performers. It is a gem in
our city and we are happy to welcome
you into the Oregon Symphony’s home!
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Collaborations
Composer and Program Notes
COMPOSER: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Born: January 28, 1756, Salzburg, Austria
Died: December 5, 1791, Vienna, Austria
Education: Private instruction with his father, Leopold
Country of residence: Austria (As a boy, Mozart performed in a number of
European cities, including Mannheim, Paris, Stuttgart, Munich, Milan, and Naples)
Notable compositions: 41 symphonies; operas, including The Marriage of
Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte, and The Magic Flute; chamber music;
concertos for various instruments, including nearly 30 for piano; a Requiem
Mass, left unfinished at his death.
Musical era: Classical Period
Personal: When Mozart was six years old, he toured the great courts of
Europe with his sister Maria Anna (Nannerl), playing the violin and piano to
the amazement of his aristocratic audiences. These tours were supervised by
their father, Leopold (1719-87), who curtailed his own career as a violinist and
composer in Salzburg in order to promote his talented children.
Fun facts: Mozart’s full baptismal name was Johannes Chrysostomus
Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. Theophilus comes from the Greek word for
“loved by God,” which is translated into Latin as Amadeus
SELECTIONS TO BE PERFORMED: Two pieces from The Magic Flute (1791):
Papageno’s aria “Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja” and the duet “Pa…pa…pa…
Papagena”
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR: Papageno is a bird catcher, and in his aria he suggests
that he can probably apply the same techniques for capturing women as he
does for birds. In their duet from the second act of the opera, Papageno and
Papagena sing about their future together as husband and wife.
Melody: The orchestra introduces the tune in the aria before Papageno
sings it, a rustic sounding melody that reminds us of the character’s simple
background. In the duet, Mozart writes a series of contrasting melodies to
evoke the give and take that occurs during a conversation.
Harmony: Both selections are in the key of G major, which one writer in
the 19th century claimed expressed “every gentle and peaceful emotion of
the heart.”
Rhythm: Both of these selections are light and playful, and Mozart relies on
short repeated rhythmic ideas to emphasize this.
Instruments: In addition to a small orchestra consisting of flutes, oboes,
bassoons, horns, and strings, Mozart wrote music for a set of shepherd’s pipes
in Papageno’s aria to suggest that he might use these to lure and trap birds.
Most modern performances of the opera use a piccolo here.
Links for further study:
http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2014/01/03/opera-plot-video-mozart-sthe-magic-flute
http://www.metopera.org/Discover/Synposes-Archive/The-Magic-Flute/
Why were these pieces included?: Opera is a collaborative art form
that brings together many different people, including musicians, stage
directors, set builders, lighting designers, and costumers. In these two
selections from The Magic Flute, we can hear how the conductor, the
members of the orchestra, and the singers work in tandem to create
something truly delightful.
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Collaborations
Composer and Program Notes
COMPOSER: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Born: May 7, 1840, Votkinsk (present day Udmurtia), Russian Empire
Died: November 6, 1893, St. Petersburg, Russia
Education: Studied piano privately; was one of the first students to enroll in
the St. Petersburg Conservatory when it opened in 1861
Country of residence: Russia; Tchaikovsky also travelled in France, Germany,
and England, and in 1891, he conducted concerts in New York, Philadelphia,
and Baltimore
Notable compositions: Six symphonies; several works for orchestra,
including the Fantasy-Overture Romeo and Juliet, Capriccio Italien, and the
1812 Overture; three piano concertos; a violin concerto; three ballets (Swan
Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker); eleven operas (most notably
Eugene Onegin and The Queen of Spades); three string quartets; a piano trio;
and numerous solo piano pieces.
Musical era: Late Romantic
Personal: From 1877 to 1891, Tchaikovsky was sponsored by the wealthy
widow of a Russian industrialist. One condition of her financial support was
that she was never to meet the composer in person; however during that 14
year period, she and Tchaikovsky exchanged over 1,200 letters.
Fun facts: In 1891, Tchaikovsky was invited to participate in the ceremonies
for the opening of Carnegie Hall in New York.
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR: Tchaikovsky uses a solo oboe and a rustling figure in
the harp to depict swans gliding across a mountain lake, but the scene quickly
grows more dramatic with the addition of the full orchestra.
Melody: The main theme in the oboe comes back throughout this selection,
each time with greater emotional intensity.
Harmony: The key of this music – B minor – seems to conjure up a mood
that is sad and full of menace. And yet the scene here is one of swans on a
moonlit lake.
Rhythm: Since this music accompanies a ballet, rhythm plays an important
role in determining how the dancers move on stage. How does the flowing
nature of Tchaikovsky’s score support this idea?
Instruments: The score calls for two flutes and piccolo, two oboes, two
clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets and two cornets, three
trombones and tuba, timpani, triangle, snare drum, cymbals, bass drum, harp,
and strings. Solo oboe, horns, and harp dominate this particular selection.
Links for further study:
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-12171253
http://www.npr.org/2015/01/19/377283936/a-rare-bird-after-120-yearsaudiences-still-flock-to-swan-lake
SELECTION TO BE PERFORMED: Opening Scene from Swan Lake Suite
Why was this piece included?: As a ballet composer, Tchaikovsky worked
very closely with dancers and choreographers to create an art form that told
stories through a combination of music and movement.
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Collaborations
Composer and Program Notes
COMPOSER: Georges Bizet
Born: October 25, 1838, Paris, France
Died: June 3, 1875, Paris, France
Education: Bizet grew up in a household surrounded by music – his
father taught singing and his mother was a fine amateur pianist – and he
exhibited musical talent very early on. By the age of ten, he had enrolled in
the Paris Conservatory.
Country of residence: France
Notable compositions: Symphony in C; operas, including The Pearl Fishers,
The Fair Maid of Perth, and Carmen; incidental music to L’Arlésienne (The Girl
from Arles); songs and choral works; several pieces for keyboard, the most
famous of which is Jeux d’Enfants (Children’s Games) for piano duet.
Musical era: Romantic Era
Personal: Despite its popularity today, Bizet’s Carmen was a complete failure
when it premiered in Paris in 1875. Audience members found the plot,
which featured bandits, gypsies, and women smoking on stage, to be too
controversial. By the end of its first run of 48 performances, management at
the theater was giving tickets away.
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR: One of Bizet’s friends took music from the opera
Carmen and arranged it into a pair of orchestral suites not long after the
composer’s death. This selection includes the lively first theme of the Prelude
as well as the “Entrance of the Toreadors” from the last act.
Melody: In contrast to the energetic opening, the music accompanying the
entrance of the Toreadors about half way through this selection is calmer and
statelier. It is also one of the most famous melodies from the opera.
Harmony: The music at the beginning is in the bright key of A major, while
the toreador’s entrance music takes on a different mood when it immediately
shifts to F major.
Rhythm: Bizet uses lots of short notes – played at a quick tempo – to create
a sense of excitement in the opening, and longer, more drawn out notes to
emphasize the nobility and grandeur of the toreadors as they prepare to enter
the bull ring.
Instruments: Much of the time, strings and woodwinds play together, which
helps to increase the volume level. But Bizet assigns the toreadors’ melody to
the strings alone. How does this change of instruments affect your mood?
Fun facts: In 1943, the lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II used music from Bizet’s
opera as the basis for his musical, Carmen Jones.
Links for further study:
SELECTION TO BE PERFORMED: “The Toreadors” from the
Carmen Suite No. 1
http://www.npr.org/2011/04/01/135014971/carmen-bizets-one-opera-hit-parade
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Georges-Bizet
Why was this piece included?: “The Toreadors” provides an exciting
introduction to Sarasate’s brilliant Carmen Fantasy.
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Collaborations
Composer and Program Notes
COMPOSER: Pablo de Sarasate
Born: March 10, 1844, Pamplona, Spain
Died: September 20, 1908, Biarritz, France
Education: Began studying violin with his father at the age of five and later
took private lessons from a local teacher; enrolled at the Paris Conservatory
at twelve
Country of residence: Spain and France, though he toured extensively
throughout Europe, North America, and South America as a concert violinist
Notable compositions: Ziguenerweisen for violin and orchestra; two books
of Spanish dances for violin and piano; over 50 virtuoso works for violin,
including a number of pieces based on melodies from operas by Mozart,
Rossini, Carl Maria von Weber, Charles Gounod, and Giuseppe Verdi.
Musical era: Romantic
Personal: In 1879, Sarasate founded the Navarra Symphony Orchestra, which
is the oldest active ensemble in Spain.
Fun facts: Several famous composers wrote music especially for Sarasate,
including Saint-Saëns, Bruch, Lalo, Wieniawski and Dvořák. However, he
refused to play Brahms’s Violin Concerto, claiming that the only proper
melody in the work was actually given to the oboe.
SELECTION TO BE PERFORMED: Introduction and Habanera from the
Carmen Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR: Sarasate was famous for his pure and beautiful tone
and perfect technique, qualities he carried over into his own compositions.
Melody: The tunes Sarasate uses in the Carmen Fantasy were originally
meant to be sung, but when arranged for violin, they take on a very different
character. Note how Sarasate decorates the melodic material to reflect its new
virtuosic setting.
Harmony: D minor is the predominant key area for both selections, with D
major making several appearances throughout the Habanera.
Rhythm: The accompaniment of the Introduction consists of regular sets
of three short notes, over which the solo part moves in a more free-flowing
fashion. The rhythmic figure you hear in the cellos at the start of the Habanera
is a very common one in music from Spain and Latin America.
Instruments: In addition to exploiting the full range of the solo violin
from low to high, Sarasate also employs a variety of special performance
techniques, including pizzicato (plucking instead of bowing the strings),
glissando (sliding from one note to another), double and triple stops (playing
more than one note at a time), and harmonics, which produce an almost
other-worldly sound.
Links for further study:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pablo-de-Sarasate
Why was this piece included?: This selection demonstrates the partnership
between soloist and orchestra, as well as the Oregon Symphony’s
collaboration with the Portland Youth Philharmonic.
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Collaborations
Composer and Program Notes
COMPOSER: George Gershwin
Born: September 26, 1898, Brooklyn, New York
Died: July 11, 1937, Los Angeles, California
Education: Gershwin began playing the family piano – an instrument
originally intended for his brother – around the age of 12. Although he took
private lessons, much of his love for music came through jazz tunes and
selected works in the classical repertoire.
Country of residence: United States
Notable compositions: Concert works, including Rhapsody in Blue, Piano
Concerto in F, Preludes for Piano, and An American in Paris, Second Rhapsody,
A Cuban Overture, and Variations on I Got Rhythm for Piano and Orchestra;
Porgy and Bess (his only opera); 10 musical comedies, most notably “Lady Be
Good,” “Oh, Kay,” “Funny Face,” “Strike Up the Band,” and “Of Thee I Sing”; and
approximately 700 popular songs.
Musical era: 20th century.
Personal: During the 1920s Gershwin established himself as one of the
musical theater’s most talented and successful composers, writing a series of
shows with his brother, Ira, as lyricist. Over the next decade the duo would
create some of the most enduring popular songs of all time.
Fun facts: When Gershwin was 15, he went to work for a large publisher of
popular music as a try-out pianist. He began writing his own songs about
this time, none of which his employer was interested in publishing. Finally, in
1916, his first song appeared: “When You Want ‘Em You Can’t Get ‘Em,” which
earned him 50 cents.
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR: Prior to beginning work on Porgy and Bess, George
Gershwin lived for a while on a small island off the coast of South Carolina
in order to soak up the local atmosphere and get a better feel for the area’s
musical traditions. Many of the tunes in the opera reflect his exposure to the
sights and sounds of Folly Beach.
Melody: Gershwin’s melodies are firmly rooted in American popular song, so
there are few wide leaps or difficult passages for the vocalists. His instrumental
music also acknowledges a debt to song and song-like influences.
Harmony: Gershwin’s harmonic language owes a great deal to his jazz
upbringing, while at the same time embracing popular elements and
composers who employed a rich chordal vocabulary, such as Debussy, Ravel,
and Stravinsky.
Rhythm: Once again, Gershwin’s ties to jazz and popular music are evident in
his use of syncopation, accents, and lively rhythmic figures.
Instruments: The orchestra for Porgy and Bess is quite large and includes a
wide variety of percussion instruments, piano, and even a banjo. However, the
two selections featured in this concert (“Catfish Row” and “Porgy Sings”) do
not utilize a banjo.
Links for further study:
http://gershwin.com/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Porgy-and-Bess
SELECTIONS TO BE PERFORMED: Music from Porgy and Bess (1935)
Why was this piece included?: Porgy and Bess is an excellent example of a
collaboration between composer and lyricist, in this case DuBose Heyward,
who wrote the novel that served as the basis for the opera, and Gershwin’s
brother, Ira.
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Collaborations
Composer and Program Notes
COMPOSER: John Williams
Born: February 8, 1932, Floral Park, New York
Education: North Hollywood High School, followed by composition studies
at the University of California, Los Angeles, and private piano studies at the
Juilliard School in New York
Country of residence: United States
Notable compositions: Scores to over 75 Hollywood motion pictures,
including Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, all seven films in the Star
Wars franchise (as well as the eighth film to be released in 2018), E.T. the
Extraterrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan,
Memoirs of a Geisha, and the first three Harry Potter films. John Williams
has also written music for television, concertos for various instruments, and
fanfares for four Olympic Games.
Musical era: 20th and 21st Century
Personal: Williams’ first major job in Hollywood was pianist in the studio
orchestra at Columbia Pictures, and he can be heard playing on the
soundtracks to such films as South Pacific (1958), Some Like it Hot (1959),
West Side Story (1961), and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).
Fun facts: In 1975, Williams wrote the score to a musical set in the 12th
century and based on the turbulent friendship between Thomas Beckett and
King Henry II. “Thomas and the King” opened in London and closed before it
reached Broadway.
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR: The Main Title music in a film functions very much
like an overture – it signals to the audience that the action is about to begin
and it sets the tone for the rest of the movie. In the case of Star Wars, we hear
orchestral sounds that are bold, heroic, and larger than life, quite in keeping
with the epic nature of the story and characters.
Melody: Williams has said that the music has to “kind of smack you right in
the eye and do something very strong.” The opening fanfare, which consists
of triplet figures and leaps of a fifth and an octave, certainly does that. The
countermelody in the strings incorporates aspects of that first theme, but also
provides a more lyrical contrast by emphasizing melodic notes next to each
other.
Harmony: Although the Main Title music is quite tonal, Williams relies on
mild harmonic tension to create dramatic interest. Pay special attention to the
massive – and very dissonant - chord that gradually takes shape about half
way through this selection, which in the film is associated with the Imperial
cruiser attack.
Rhythm: Triplet figures or groups of three short notes can be heard
throughout this music. This provides a sense of rhythmic unity in a score full
of different elements.
Instruments: Williams’ score to Star Wars calls for a large orchestra, with brass
instruments given considerable prominence. Most of the music Williams
wrote for trumpets, trombones, and French horns is situated in the high part
of their range, which adds to the brilliance and naturally draws our focus.
SELECTION TO BE PERFORMED: Main Title from Star Wars (1977)
Why was this piece included?: John Williams has collaborated with a number
of Hollywood directors throughout his career, including George Lucas and
Stephen Spielberg, who has said that, “Without a doubt [he] has been the
single most significant contributor to my success as a film-maker.”
Links for further study:
http://www.johnwilliams.org/
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203893404577098730827733806
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Collaborations
Composer and Program Notes
COMPOSER: Igor Stravinsky
Born: June 17, 1882, Oranienbaum, Russian Empire (now Lomonosov, Russia)
Died: April 6, 1971, New York City
Education: Private composition lessons in Heidelberg with Nicolai
Rimsky-Korsakov
Country of residence: Russia, Germany, Switzerland, France, United States
Notable compositions: Ballet scores, including The Firebird, Petrushka,
The Rite of Spring; The Soldier’s Tale, an unusual chamber-music piece with
narrator; The Rake’s Progress, an opera in English; two symphonies, concertos;
Symphony of Psalms for orchestra and chorus.
Musical era: 20th century
Personal: The son of an opera singer, Stravinsky originally studied law and did
not turn to music seriously until he was 19.
Fun facts: Stravinsky and his second wife, Vera, lived in Los Angeles from 1940
to 1969, and the composer has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
SELECTION TO BE PERFORMED: The Firebird Suite: Infernal Dance and Finale
Why was this piece included?: As with the Tchaikovsky, these selections
illustrate the relationship between composer, choreographer, and dancer
in ballet.
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR: The story of the ballet is based on various Russian
legends about the Firebird, a good fairy, an ogre Kashchei, whose soul is
preserved as an egg in a casket, and a young prince, Ivan, who wanders into
Kashchei’s garden in pursuit of the Firebird. When he captures her, she pleads
for her release and gives him one of her feathers, whose magic will protect
him from harm. After many trials and tribulations, we finally get a happy
ending – a wedding, in fact! – which is reflected in Stravinsky’s grand and
glorious finale.
Melody: The melodic material in the Infernal Dance is concentrated around
a few pitches, giving the music a cramped and claustrophobic character.
In the Finale, the horn player is instructed to play the melody that opens
this selection sweetly (dolce) and like a song (cantabile). Listen to how the
excitement builds when the strings enter to play the same melody.
Harmony: Stravinsky used dissonant harmonies in the Infernal Dance
to create tense and sometimes very exotic sounds, whereas the Finale is
much more settled, perhaps to suggest that we’ve arrived at the end of our
magical tale.
Rhythm: Kashchei’s Infernal Dance is full of violent rhythmic patterns with lots
of accents and syncopation. Note the contrast between this selection and the
flowing opening melody and emphatic brass chords in the Finale.
Instruments: Stravinsky called the enormous orchestra he used in the original
ballet “wastefully large,” and he even reduced the number of players when he
revised the work for the concert hall. But isn’t it exciting to hear all of those
musicians playing!
Links for further study:
http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/music/firebird-suite-1919-version-igorstravinsky
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Igor-Stravinsky
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Collaborations
Composer and Program Notes
COMPOSER: Leonard Bernstein
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:
Born: August 25, 1918, Lawrence, Massachusetts
Melody: The Candide Overture contains themes heard at various times in the
show, including “The Best of All Possible Worlds,” “Oh, Happy We,” and “Glitter
and Be Gay,” and each of these has a distinct melodic character, ranging from
lyrical to lively.
Died: October 14, 1990, New York City
Education: Began playing the piano around the age of ten; after graduating
Boston Latin School he attended Harvard – where he first met Aaron Copland –
and the Curtis Institute, where he studied piano, conducting, and composition
Country of residence: United States
Harmony: The Overture is very tonal, though Bernstein occasionally employs
slight dissonances for comic effect. In contrast, the “Mambo” is full of
harmonies more often found in jazz than in classical music.
Notable compositions: Three symphonies; four completed Broadway
musicals; three operas; song cycles; piano pieces; three ballets; the film
score to On the Waterfront; Chichester Psalms for boy soprano, mixed
chorus, and orchestra.
Rhythm: A mambo is an Afro-Cuban dance with a fast and highly syncopated
beat, and Bernstein raises the stakes in one of the most exciting pieces he ever
wrote. In the Candide Overture, Bernstein balances syncopation with lyricism
to create a piece with considerable rhythmic variety.
Musical era: 20th century
Instruments: In Bernstein’s “Mambo,” the bongos and cowbells keep the
hectic pulse under the shouts of the crowd and the jazzy sounds of the
woodwinds and brass. Listen for the solo trumpet playing in a very high
register at the very end of this selection. The Overture utilizes a large
orchestra, though most of time Bernstein focuses on small groups of
instruments to create a more delicate texture.
Personal: Bernstein’s career was launched in 1943, when he stepped in for
an ailing conductor at the last minute to lead the New York Philharmonic. He
maintained a long association with that orchestra, and in 1958 he became
their Music Director.
Fun facts: While working on West Side Story, Bernstein and his lyricist
Stephen Sondheim took three days off to solve a crossword puzzle published
in the BBC magazine, The Listener.
SELECTIONS TO BE PERFORMED: Overture to Candide (1956) and
“Mambo” from West Side Story (1957)
Why were these pieces included?: Both of these works were written for the
theater and were the product of many different talents. As an added bonus,
the audience gets a chance to collaborate in the “Mambo” by shouting the
title of the dance at certain moments.
Links for further study:
http://www.leonardbernstein.com/
http://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2015/06/05/412211924/incandide-bernstein-fuses-philosophy-and-comedy
http://www.npr.org/2011/07/18/111591389/best-of-broadway-bernsteinswest-side-story
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Appendix
Subhead
String
Family
How it works
When you look at a stringed instrument, the
first thing you’ll probably notice is that it’s
made of wood, so why is it called a stringed
instrument? The bodies of the stringed instruments, which are hollow inside to allow sound
to vibrate within them,
are made of different kinds of wood; but the part of
the instrument that makes the sound is the strings,
which are made of nylon, steel or sometimes gut.
The strings are played most often by drawing a
bow across them. The handle of the bow is made
of wood and the strings of the bow are actually
horsehair from horses’ tails! Sometimes
the musicians will use their fingers to
pluck the strings, and occasionally they
will turn the bow upside down and play
the strings with the wooden handle.
The instruments
The strings are the largest family of instruments in the orchestra, and
they come in four sizes: the violin, which is the smallest, viola, cello, and
the biggest, the double bass, sometimes called the contrabass. (Bass is
pronounced “base,” as in “baseball.”) The smaller instruments, the violin and
viola, make higher-pitched sounds, while the larger cello and double bass
produce low rich sounds. They are all similarly shaped, with curvy wooden
bodies and wooden necks. The strings stretch over the body and neck and
attach to small decorative heads, where they are tuned with small tuning pegs.
You play the violin and viola by resting it between your chin and left shoulder.
Your left hand holds the neck of the instrument and presses down on the
strings to change the pitch, while your right hand moves the bow or plucks
the strings. Since the cello is too large to put under your chin, you play it
sitting down with the body of the cello between your knees and the neck on
your left shoulder. The body of the cello rests on the ground and is supported
by a metal peg. The double bass is so big that you have to stand up or sit on
a very tall stool to play it. Like the cello, the body of the double bass stands
on the ground, supported by a metal peg and the neck rests on your left
shoulder. You play the cello and the double bass in a similar manner to the
violin and viola, using your left hand to press down on the strings and your
right hand to move the bow or pluck the strings.
Violin ViolaCello
Bass
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Appendix
Woodwind Family
How it works
The instruments in the woodwind family used to be made of wood,
which gives them their name. Today, they are made of wood, metal,
plastic or some combination. They are all basically narrow cylinders or
pipes with holes, an opening at the bottom and a mouthpiece at the top.
You play them by blowing air through the mouthpiece (that’s the “wind”
in “woodwind”) and opening or closing the holes with
your fingers to change the pitch. Metal caps called
keys cover the holes of most woodwind instruments.
The mouthpieces for some woodwinds, including the
clarinet, oboe and bassoon, use a thin piece of wood
called a reed, which vibrates when you blow across
it. The clarinet uses a single reed made of one piece
of wood, while the oboe and bassoon use a double
reed made of two pieces joined together. To play the
clarinet and the oboe, you hold the instrument upright, blow through
the reed in your mouth and use both hands to press down on the keys
to open and close the holes and change the pitch. The flute is played by
holding it horizontally with both hands and blowing across a hole in the
mouthpiece, much like blowing across the top of a bottle. Your fingers
open and close the keys to change the pitch. You play the bassoon by
holding it upright and blowing through the double reed just like an oboe.
The air travels down the tube and then makes a u-turn and goes up and out
the top. Just like the oboe, clarinet
and the flute, you use both hands to
press on the keys to open and close
the holes and change the pitch.
The instruments
Just like the stringed instruments, the smaller woodwinds play higher pitches
while the longer and larger instruments play the lower pitches. The woodwind
family of instruments includes, from the highest sounding instruments to
the lowest, the piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, E-flat clarinet, bass
clarinet, bassoon and contrabassoon.
Flute
Oboe
Clarinet
Bassoon
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Appendix
Brass Family
How it works
If you think the brass family got its name
because the instruments are made of brass,
you’re right! This family of instruments can
play louder than any other in the orchestra and can also be heard from far away.
Although their early ancestors are known
to have been made of wood, tusks, animal
horns or shells, today’s modern instruments are made entirely of brass. Brass
instruments are essentially very long pipes
that widen at their ends into a bell-like shape. The pipes have been curved
and twisted into different shapes to make them easier to hold and play.
Like the woodwind family, brass players use their
breath to produce sound, but instead of blowing
into a reed, they vibrate their own lips by buzzing
them against a metal cup-shaped mouthpiece. The
mouthpiece helps to amplify the buzzing of the lips,
which creates the sound. Most brass instruments
have valves attached to their long pipes; the valves
look like buttons. When you press down on the
valves, they open and close different parts of the
pipe. You change the pitch and sound by pressing
different valves and buzzing your lips harder or softer.
The instruments
The brass family members that are most commonly used in the orchestra
are the trumpet, French horn, trombone and the tuba. To play all four of
the different brass instruments, the first step is to buzz your lips into the
mouthpiece. Each brass instrument has a different shaped mouthpiece, helping
to create the different sounds. The trumpet is the smallest member of its family
and plays the highest pitches. You play the trumpet by holding it horizontally,
buzzing your lips into the mouthpiece and pressing down the three valves
in various combinations to change pitch. To play the French horn, you hold it
with the bell curving downward and buzz into the mouthpiece. Your left hand
plays the three valves and you can change the type of sound you make by the
way you place your right hand in the bell. You play the trombone by holding it
horizontally, buzzing into the mouthpiece and using your right hand to change
pitch by pushing or pulling the slide to one of seven different positions. You
play the tuba sitting down with the instrument on your lap and the bell facing
up. You blow and buzz into a very large mouthpiece and use your hand to press
down on the valves which changes the sound. It takes a lot of breath to make
sound with the tuba!
French horn
Trumpet
Tuba
Trombone
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Appendix
Percussion Family
How it works
The percussion family is the largest in the
orchestra. Percussion instruments include any
instrument that makes a sound when it is struck,
shaken or scraped. Some percussion instruments
are tuned and can sound different notes, like
the xylophone, timpani or piano, and some are
untuned with no definite pitch, like the bass drum,
cymbals or castanets. Percussion instruments
keep the rhythm, make special sounds and add
excitement and color. Unlike most of the other
players in the orchestra, a percussionist will
usually play many different instruments in one
piece of music. Percussionists also use different
kinds of mallets to change the sound when striking
or scraping an instrument. Brushes, mallets and
sticks come in various shapes and sizes.
The instruments
The instruments of the percussion family have international ancestors from the
Middle East, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe representing musical styles
from many different cultures. The most common percussion instruments in
the orchestra include the timpani, xylophone, cymbals, triangle, snare drum,
bass drum, tambourine, gongs, chimes, celesta and piano.
Timpani
Gongs
Marimba
Bass Drum
Snare Drum
Triangle
Piano
Cymbals
Xylophone
Celesta
Chimes
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Appendix
Oregon Symphony Roster
Music Director
CARLOS KALMAR
VIOLIN
Sarah Kwak, Concertmaster
Peter Frajola, Assoc. Concertmaster
Erin Furbee, Asst. Concertmaster**
Shin-young Kwon,
Asst. Concertmaster*
Chien Tan, Principal Second Violin
Inés Voglar Belgique, Asst. Principal
Second Violin
Fumino Ando
Keiko Araki
Clarisse Atcherson
Ron Blessinger
Ruby Chen
Emily Cole
Julie Coleman
Dolores D’Aigle**
Eileen Deiss
Lisbeth Dreier*
Jonathan Dubay
Gregory Ewer
Daniel Ge Feng
Lynne Finch
Laura Ha
Ryan Lee
Samuel Park
Vali Phillips
Deborah Singer
VIOLA
Joël Belgique, Principal
Charles Noble, Asst. Principal
Jennifer Arnold**
Kenji Bunch*
Silu Fei
Leah Ilem
Ningning Jin
Kim Mai Nguen*
Brian Quincey
Viorel Russo
Martha Warrington**
FLUTE
Martha Long, Principal
Alicia DiDonato Paulsen,
Asst. Principal
Zachariah Galatis
CELLO
Nancy Ives, Principal
Marilyn de Oliveira, Asst. Principal
Kenneth Finch
Trevor Fitzpatrick
Antoinette Gan
Kevin Kunkel
Gayle Budd O’Grady
ENGLISH HORN
Kyle Mustain
BASS
Jon McCullough-Benner, Principal
Edward Botsford, Asst. Principal**
Nina DeCesare
Donald Hermanns
Jeffrey Johnson
Christopher Kim*
Jason Schooler
PICCOLO
Zachariah Galatis
OBOE
Martin Hebert, Principal
Karen Wagner, Asst. Principal
Kyle Mustain
CLARINET
James Shields, Principal
Todd Kuhns, Asst. Principal
Marc Dubac
E FLAT/BASS CLARINET
Todd Kuhns
BASSOON
Carin Miller Packwood, Principal
Evan Kuhlmann, Asst. Principal
Adam Trussell
CONTRABASSOON
Evan Kuhlmann
HORN
John Cox, Principal
Joseph Berger, Assoc. Principal
Graham Kingsbury, Asst. Principal
Mary Grant
Alicia Waite
TRUMPET
Jeffrey Work, Principal
David Bamonte, Asst. Principal
Doug Reneau
TROMBONE
David Cloutier, Principal*
Robert Taylor, Asst. Principal
Charles Reneau
BASS TROMBONE
Charles Reneau
TUBA
JáTtik Clark, Principal
TIMPANI
Jonathan Greeney, Principal
Sergio Carreno, Asst. Principal
PERCUSSION
Niel DePonte, Principal
Michael Roberts, Asst. Principal
Sergio Carreno
HARP
Jennifer Craig, Principal
*Acting
**Leave of absense
INTERACTIVE MAP OF THE ORCHESTRA
Take advantage of this online resource that provides detailed descriptions and
pictures of the instruments that make up the Oregon Symphony.
http://www.orsymphony.org/edu/instruments/index.html
2016/17 Young People’s Concert: Collaborations
25
2016/17 Young People’s Concert: Collaborations
26
To learn more about your Oregon Symphony Orchestra check us out online at
www.OrSymphony.org/orchestra/roster.aspx
2016/17 Young People’s Concert: Collaborations
27
To learn more about your Oregon Symphony Orchestra check us out online at
www.OrSymphony.org/orchestra/roster.aspx
2016/17 Young People’s Concert: Collaborations
28
To learn more about your Oregon Symphony Orchestra check us out online at
www.OrSymphony.org/orchestra/roster.aspx
2016/17 Young People’s Concert: Collaborations
29
To learn more about your Oregon Symphony Orchestra check us out online at
www.OrSymphony.org/orchestra/roster.aspx
2016/17 Young People’s Concert: Collaborations
30
To learn more about your Oregon Symphony Orchestra check us out online at
www.OrSymphony.org/orchestra/roster.aspx
Thank you to supporters of
Music Education and Community
Engagement Programs
Anne A. Berni Foundation
Autzen Foundation
Clark Foundation
ESCO Foundation
H.W. & D.C. Irwin Foundation
Jackson Foundation
JFR Foundation
Juan Young Trust
Kinder Morgan Foundation
Macy’s
Reser Family Foundation
Herbert A. Templeton Foundation
Patty Vemer Education Fund
Wheeler Foundation
Wintz Family Foundation
Xerox Foundation
Credits:
Monica Hayes, M.S. Ed.
Education & Community Engagement
Program Director
Robert Kingston, M.A.
Historic Musicology,
University of Washington
Curriculum Development Collaboration
OrSymphony.org | 503-416-6312