Study Guide
2014-2015 Elementary School Concerts
VSO’s Greatest Hits
& Once Upon an Orchestra
with Maestro Bramwell Tovey,
Associate Conductor Gordon Gerrard
and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Gr. 4-7: November 19, 20, 24, 2014
Gr. K-3: February 25, 26 & March 5, 2015
PRESENTING SPONSOR:
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1919, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is the third
largest symphony orchestra in Canada. The VSO performs to an
annual audience of more than 200,000 people and performs
over 150 concerts annually in the historic Orpheum Theatre, as
well as in venues throughout the Lower Mainland. As a cultural
staple of the Lower Mainland, VSO Education Programs are
experienced by over 50,000 students annually.
Maestro Bramwell Tovey has been the VSO’s Music Director since
2000. He is known for his extraordinary artistic leadership and
passionate advocacy for music education. In 2008, the VSO won
a GRAMMY award and JUNO award and completed a successful
tour to China and Korea, the first such tour by a Canadian
Orchestra in over 30 years. The VSO’s mission is to enhance the
quality of life in our city and region by presenting high-quality
performances of classical and popular music to a wide variety of
audiences, and offering educational and community programs.
MusicMaestro
Director
Bramwell Tovey
The Orpheum Theatre
Home of the Vancouver Symphony
Designed in 1927 by architect Benjamin Marcus
Priteca, the Orpheum Theatre is Canada’s last great
entertainment palace, and one of Vancouver’s most
spectacular heritage buildings. Since its opening, the
Orpheum has hosted vaudeville, cinema, musical
theatre, concerts, ballet, opera, and children’s shows.
The building is a masterpiece of theatre design, with
a magnificently painted dome soaring above ornate
plaster carvings, gold leaf, and crystal chandeliers.
Great care was taken with the acoustics of the building:
the sound is so clear that musicians can hear a whisper
in the very last row of the highest balcony, and the
audience can hear every note played on stage. In 1973,
Famous Players slated the Orpheum for demolition,
but thousands of Vancouverites wanted to save it. The
City of Vancouver responded, rescuing and renovating
the theatre.
In the fall of 2013, the VSO became the first organization
to be inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame.
Stars for both the VSO and Bramwell Tovey will soon
appear on Granville street’s star walk!
Maestro Bramwell Tovey is the Music Director of the Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra. A musician of striking versatility, Bramwell Tovey
is acknowledged around the world for his artistic depth and warm,
charismatic personality on the podium. Tovey’s career as a conductor is
uniquely enhanced by his work as a composer and pianist,
lending him a remarkable musical perspective.
Recently named Principal Guest Conductor for the Los Angeles
Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, he frequently works with the Toronto
Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Royal Philharmonic and the Bournemouth
Symphony Orchestras, among many others.
Tovey is also known as a champion of new music, both as conductor and
composer. As a composer, Tovey was honored with the Best Canadian
Classical Composition Juno Award in 2003 for his Requiem for a Charred
Skull. New works include a full-length opera for the Calgary Opera, The
Inventor, which was premiered in January of 2011.
Tovey has been awarded honorary degrees,
including a Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Music in London,
honorary Doctorates from the Universities of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and
Kwantlen University College, as well as a Royal Conservatory
of Music Fellowship in Toronto.
Recently, Tovey was made an Honourary Member of the Order of Canada,
and inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame.
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VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15
Study Guide
Members of the
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
first violins
Dale Barltrop, Concertmaster
Joan Blackman, Associate Concertmaster +
Nicholas Wright, Assistant Concertmaster
Jennie Press, Second Assistant Concertmaster
Mary Sokol Brown
Jenny Essers
Akira Nagai, Associate Concertmaster Emeritus
Xue Feng Wei
Rebecca Whitling
Yi Zhou
second violins
Jason Ho, Principal
Karen Gerbrecht, Associate Principal
Jeanette Bernal-Singh, Assistant Principal
Adrian Shu-On Chui
Daniel Norton
Ann Okagaito
Ashley Plaut
violas
Neil Miskey, Principal
Andrew Brown, Associate Principal
Stephen Wilkes, Assistant Principal
Lawrence Blackman
Matthew Davies
Emilie Grimes
Angela Schneider
Ian Wenham
cellos
Ari Barnes, Principal
Janet Steinberg, Associate Principal
Zoltan Rozsnyai, Assistant Principal
Olivia Blander
Natasha Boyko
Charles Inkman
Cristian Markos
basses
Dylan Palmer, Principal
Brandon McLean, Associate Principal
Vacant, Assistant Principal
David Brown
J. Warren Long
Frederick Schipizky
flutes
Christie Reside, Principal
Nadia Kyne, Assistant Principal
Rosanne Wieringa
piccolo
Nadia Kyne
oboes
Roger Cole, Principal
Beth Orson, Assistant Principal
Karin Walsh
English horn
Beth Orson
clarinets
Jeanette Jonquil, Principal
Cris Inguanti, Assistant Principal +
David Lemelin
e-flat clarinet
David Lemelin
bass clarinet
Cris Inguanti +
bassoons
Julia Lockhart, Principal
Sophie Dansereau, Assistant Principal
Gwen Seaton
contrabassoon
Sophie Dansereau
french horns
Oliver de Clercq, Principal
David Haskins, Associate Principal
Richard Mingus, Assistant Principal
Benjamin Kinsman
Andrew Mee
trumpets
Larry Knopp, Principal
Marcus Goddard, Associate Principal
Vincent Vohradsky
trombones
Matthew Crozier, Principal
Gregory A. Cox
bass trombone
Douglas Sparkes
tuba
Peder MacLellan, Principal
timpani
Aaron McDonald, Principal
percussion
Vern Griffiths, Principal
Tony Phillipps
harp
Elizabeth Volpé, Principal
piano, celeste
Linda Lee Thomas, Principal
◊ Extra musician
+ Leave of Absence for 14-15 season
Study Guide Bramwell Tovey
Music Director
Kazuyoshi Akiyama
Conductor Laureate
Gordon Gerrard
Associate Conductor
Jocelyn Morlock
Composer-in-Residence
Education Staff
Joanne Harada
Vice-President,
Artistic Operations & Education
Christin Reardon MacLellan
Education & Community
Programs Manager
Pearl Schachter
Artistic Operations & Education
Assistant
Kaylie Hanna
Intern
more available online at
www.vancouversymphony.ca
Table of Contents
About the Orchestra
page 4
Instrument Families
page 8
VSO’s Greatest Hits
Programme
page 10
Track Listing
page 12
Sing-A-Long
page 14
Lesson Plans
page 16
Once Upon an Orchestra
Programme
page 25
Track Lisiting
page 28
Lesson Plans
page 30
Ochestra Puzzle: Appendix A
page 35
VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 3
Orchestral conductors stand on a podium with a baton (which looks a bit like a wand) in front of the
orchestra, constantly communicating directions to the whole orchestra during a performance. The primary
responsibilities of the conductor are to set tempo, indicate beats (particularly first or “down” beats) and to listen
carefully and critically to the ensemble. Communicating changes that need to be made within the ensemble
(such as showing the violins you want them to play louder to balance the sound) requires highly trained
listening skills. There are no strict rules for conducting, and you will notice that different conductors have very
different styles. However, the very basics of beat indication do follow a set pattern.
Maestro Bramwell Tovey is the Conductor and Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony. He led the VSO
to break the world record for the largest orchestra performance in an outdoor venue when he conducted over
6,000 musicians in a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
A) 4/4 Time
Most common
Track: 12
B) 2/4 Time
Fast music
Track: 4
Happy Birthday
Don’t forget to
conduct in 3/4 the
next time you sing
happy birthday for a
classmate! It’s a bit
tricky so here’s the
first four bars to help
- make sure to count
1,2 before you start!
Traditional
Happy
Birthday!
Hap - py birth - day
1 2 3
to
1 2 3
you!
Hap - py birth - day
1 2 3
to
1 2 3
you!
1 2 3
Meet Associate Conductor:
Gordon Gerrard
Gordon Gerrard has established a unique place in
the new generation of Canadian musicians as one of
its fastest rising stars. Trained first as a pianist and
subsequently as a specialist in operatic repertoire,
Gordon brings a fresh perspective to the podium.
His passion and his dedication to producing thrilling
musical experiences have endeared him to his fellow
musicians and the public alike.
4
A passoniate and gifted educator, Gordon has
been engaged as a conductor and lecturer by
many institutions, including McGill University, the
University of Manitoba and Iowa State University.
In 2012, Gordon conducted a production of Don
Giovanni for Opera McGill. He has served as
conductor for Opera Nuova (Edmonton) for the past
ten years, and on the music staffs of the Opera as
Theatre Programme at the Banff Centre for the Arts,
the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute (Montreal), Halifax
Summer Opera Workshop and the Undergraduate
Opera Studio at the Manhattan School of Music.
Gordon is delighted to continue working with
Maestro Bramwell Tovey and the Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Conductor for a
third season, in the 2014-2015 calendar year.
VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15
Study Guide
Study Guide VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 5
Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver BC
Stage Plan
This is a typical layout for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in the Orpheum Theatre
and most likely the layout you will see at your school concert.
Instr uments of the Orche st ra
The S t r i n g F a m i l y
The string section is the largest family of instruments in the orchestra,
and is made up of four instruments: violin, viola, cello, and double bass.
They are made of hollow wood, with strings attached; the musicians
make sounds either by drawing a bow made of horsehair across the
strings, or by plucking the strings with their fingers.
violin
1. The
is the smallest stringed instrument and makes the highest sound. There are two
sections of violins in the orchestra – first violins, and second violins. The leader of the first violins is the
concertmaster. The concertmaster works closely with the conductor to coordinate all of the strings.
viola
2. The
is the next biggest instrument in the string family, and is
sometimes called an alto. It looks exactly like the violin, but is a bit bigger,
and thus makes a lower sound.
cello
4.
3. The
, sometimes called the violoncello, is not held under
the chin like the violin or viola, but between the player’s knees,
resting on a peg, with the neck extending over the left shoulder of
3.
double bass
4. The
is the largest member of the string
family – it stands seven feet tall! It also makes the lowest sound of the
string instruments. To play it, musicians either sit on a stool, or stand.
1.
2.
The W o o d w i n d F a m i l y
Like the string family, the woodwind family has four main
instruments: flute, clarinet, oboe, and bassoon. These
instruments are hollow tubes with holes in them. The
musician makes a sound by blowing air into one end, and
covering the holes to produce different pitches.
flute
1. The
, and its smaller sibling,
the piccolo, used to be made of wood, but
today, are made of either silver or gold. The
musician holds the instrument sideways, and
blows across the hole.
1.
oboe
2. The
is a double-reed instrument that is
used to tune the orchestra because of its pure and
steady sound. Reeds are made from thin pieces of
cane that vibrate when air is blown across them.
clarinet
3. The
is a single-reed
instrument, meaning it has only one reed,
while the oboe has two. The bottom end of
the clarinet flares out, and is called the bell.
4.
2.
bassoon
4. The
is also a
double-reed instrument, and is the
lowest of the woodwind family. The
reed connects to the basson by
means of a bocal.
6
3.
VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15
Study Guide
The Brass Fa mily
French horn
1. The
is a tightlycurled instrument; if you were to uncurl it, it
would be 17 feet long, ending with a widely
flared bell. In its usual playing position, the
bell points down and back, and is partially
closed by the musician’s right hand.
Brass instruments are shiny gold or silver-coloured
instruments, made from metal. The musician makes sounds
by buzzing his or her lips in a mouthpiece. High and low notes
are created by valves or slides, the size of the mouthpiece, and
how the musician uses his or her lips (the embouchure).
trumpet
2. The
is the highest of the
brass instruments, and has around 4 ½ feet of
tubing. It has three piston valves, which allow
the player to change the pitch. Of the brass
instruments, it plays the melody most often.
1.
trombone
3. The
is the only brass
instrument that doesn’t need valves. To
change the pitch, the player’s right hand
moves a slide up and down; finding the correct pitch depends on the musician’s ability
to stop the slide at the correct position.
tuba
4.
2.
4. The
is the lowest of the brass
instruments, but isn’t the longest. At 15 feet long,
it is two feet shorter than the French horn. It plays
lower than the French horn because its tubing has a
larger diameter. It has three to six piston valves or
rotary valves that allow the musician to change pitch.
Percussion instruments are the loud instruments in the back
of the orchestra that produce sound when they are struck with
another object, usually a drumstick or mallet. There are two
types of percussion instruments: definite-pitch instruments make
pitches just like the other instruments of the orchestra, while
indefinite-pitch instruments make neutral rhythmic sounds.
T h e Pe r c u s s i o n Family
The Percussion Family
timpani
1. The
(pictured) are the most
visible instruments in the percussion family,
because they are placed on a platform at the
back of the stage, in the centre. Timpani are
usually played in sets of four, with each drum
a different size and pitch. The player uses a
pedal to tighten or loosen the skin on the top of
the drum to change the pitch.
bass drum
2.
1.
3.
2. The
, snare drum, and
triangle are indefinite-pitch instruments that are
hit with a drumstick or a beater.
marimba
3.The
(pictured) and
xylophone are definite-pitch instruments that
are played with yarn-covered or rubber
mallets.
4.
3.
Study Guide cymbals
4.The tambourine and
(pictured) are also indefinite-pitch instruments,
but they do not require a beater to play. The
tambourine is struck with the player’s right
hand, while the cymbals are crashed together.
VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 7
What is a Symphony Orchestra?
When you come to see the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Bramwell Tovey or Associate Conductor
Gordon Gerrard will introduce you to the many diverse instruments found in a contemporary orchestra. Just
like the people that make up your community (the students, teachers, staff, volunteers and parents in your
school) the instruments of the orchestra are all part of their own families.
The word symphony means “sounding together”. An orchestra is made up of a group of musicians - usually
seventy to one hundred - playing instruments from four main families: string, woodwind, brass and percussion.
A symphony orchestra consists of these different instruments “sounding together”.
The louder instruments are at the back of the orchestra, and the quieter ones are in front so that the audience
hears a balanced sound. The size of the instrument does not always match the size of the sound it can
produce. When you are at a symphony concert, you will notice that large instruments can make soft or muted
sounds while small instruments, like the triangle or the piccolo, can ring out above the whole combination of
other instruments.
A composer produces the sounds he wants by choosing combinations of instruments from each family and
writing the sounds that they will play together. Because a symphony orchestra is made up of so many different
instruments, and because the musiciains are so well trained to produce a variety of sounds, the composer has
a palette of instrumental colour combinations and sound possibilities at their disposal.
Behind the Scenes atwith
the
VSO!
photos by Chris Loh
There are a lot of moving parts at work to keep the Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra on stage and performing over 140
concerts a year!
Did you know that the VSO was founded in 1919 and plays
in 16 venues annually across the Lower Mainland of British
Columbia?
The Vancouver Symphony has 107 full-time employees (73
musicians, 43 staff), more than 150 part-time employees and
over 300 volunteers.
From top left to bottom right:
Harpist Joy Yeh on stage for rehearsal;
Music Librarians Rheanna and Minella prepare music parts with the help of Operations Intern Kaylie;
a small VSO orchestra rehearses in the Orpheum Annex for a programme of New Music;
Maestro Bramwell Tovey poses for a candid shot with visiting Guest Artist, violinist James Ehness.
8
VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15
Study Guide
Gr. 4-7: VSO’s Greatest Hits
VSO’s Greatest Hits
Study Guide VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 9
Gr. 4-7: VSO’s Greatest Hits
VSO’s Greatest Hits
Concert Programme
Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
Benajmin Britten
Symphony No. 5: 1. Allegro
Ludwig van Beethoven
Eine Kleine Nactmusik: 1. Allegro
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Carmen: Habanera
Georges Bizet
Star Wars: Imperial March
John Williams
When you come to visit the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
in downtown Vancouver, take a few extra minutes to
pay homage to some of the greatest personalities in BC
entertainment. Along the Granville Street sidewalk, you’ll
find the stars in the cement, featuring locals such as VSO
pianist Linda Lee Thomas, Bard on the Beach’s Christopher
Gaze and many more! Once you’re inside the Orpheum, you
can visit the “BC Star Wall” on the 2nd floor where the VSO’s
first concertmaster, Allard de Ridder, is featured alongside
popstar heavyweights such as Sarah McLachlan and Michael
Buble.
If you’re approaching the Orpheum via Seymour Street,
visit the “Beethoven Wall” between the Orpheum and the
School of Music, just North of stage door. The panels here
showcase Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, in the composer’s own
handwriting.
Rhapsody in Blue
George Gershwin
Nutcracker: Trepak
Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky
William Tell Overture
Gioachino Rossini
Ride of the Valkyries
Richard Wagner
Sing-Along
Symphony No. 9: Ode to Joy
Ludwig van Beethoven
Richard Wagner
1813 -1883
COMPOSER ALL-STARS
L
W.A. Mozart
1756-1791
udwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany. His early musical training
came from his father, a singer, and a very hard and strict teacher.
Beethoven is considered one of the two or three most notable composers of
all time, and he learned from some very prominent composers. In 1787, at the age
of 17, Beethoven studied briefly in Vienna, Austria with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
– easily another of the most renowned composers of all time. Study with Mozart
was cut short when Beethoven’s mother passed away, but he returned to Vienna
to study, first with Franz Joseph Haydn, then Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, and
finally with Antonio Salieri.
In his late twenties, Beethoven began to suffer hearing loss, and eventually over
time went completely deaf. While his deafness put an end to his playing career
(he was a virtuoso pianist), his skill at composition did not suffer. He wrote a large
number of works, perhaps some of his best, after losing his hearing.
While many composers do not become famous until after their death, Beethoven
was recognized in his lifetime for his musical genius – even more so than Mozart
was during his lifetime.
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VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15
Ludwig van Beethoven
1770-1827
Study Guide
Gr. 4-7: VSO’s Greatest Hits
W
hat Beethoven did for the symphony, Richard Wagner did to the opera. His operas were longer than
any composers before him – sometimes 4 hours long – and demanding on the singers, the orchestra,
and the audience. He even went so far as to have a new opera stage – the Bayreuth Festival Theatre
– built specifically for the purpose of staging his operas.
Between 1851 and 1874, Wagner wrote a collection of four operas called The Ring of the Niebelungens,
more commonly called the ‘Ring Cycle’. Together, these operas contain an astounding 23 hours of music.
Wagner also wrote the libretti for all four operas (which helped inspire J.R.R. Tolkien to write The Lord of
the Rings trilogy). The second of these operas – The Valkyrie – is the most famous, as it contains the wellknown Ride of the Valkyries, which depicts the entrance of the valkyries – half-horse-half-woman warriors
of Norse mythology – into Valhalla, the Norse equivalent of Heaven.
Pyotr Il’yich
W
olfgang Amadeus Mozart is probably the most
famous music prodigy in music history. He
achieved great fame at a very early age. By the age
of three he played the clavier, at four the violin and
at five he started composing and performing before
European royalty. For most of his early life, Mozart
toured, performed in courts with his violinist father
and keyboardist sister. While on tour he met other
top musicians and composers of the time such as
famous composer Joseph Haydn.
Mozart usually completed every piece of music
in his mind before he wrote it on paper. He was
married to Constance Weber and the couple moved
to Vienna and had two sons. Life in Vienna was
difficult for Mozart. During one of the toughest times,
he accepted a job to write a requiem mass (funeral
piece) for an anonymous patron. As he worked
on this he became very depressed and convinced
himself that it was for his own funeral. His health
got worse and he had to hire a student to help him
write the work. No one knows if he finished the work
before he died or if his student completed the work.
Mozart, one of the greatest composers in the world,
was buried in a paupers grave (poor man’s grave)
just before his 36th birthday.
In his short life he wrote over 600 works, including
over 50 symphonies, 21 stage and opera works, 15
masses, 25 piano concertos, 12 violin concertos, 27
concert arias, 17 piano sonatas, 26 string quartets
and many other pieces.
Study Guide Tchaikovsky
1840-1893
R
ussian composer Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
was born on May 7, 1840, and began piano
lessons at the age of five. When his father was
appointed director of the St. Petersburg Technical
Institute in 1850, Tchaikovsky was able to receive
a great general education through the school, as
well as further his musical education through study
with the director of the school’s music library. His
father supported his musical studies, later paying
for lessons with a well-known piano teacher from
Nuremberg, and then supporting Tchaikovsky while
he attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
In his years immediately following graduation,
Tchaikovsky acted as professor of harmony,
composition, and music history for ten years.
Finding teaching quite tiring, Tchaikovsky left his
position and began conducting. In order to conduct,
he had to overcome a strong case of stage-fright.
He eventually increased his confidence so much
that he began to regularly conduct his own works.
Tchaikovsky’s works include some of the most
renowned music of the romantic period. His music
is recognized for its distinct Russian flavour, as well
as its lush harmonies and exciting melodies.
VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 11
download the mp3 files for free at www.vancouversymphony.ca/esc
VSO’s Greatest Hits: musical tracks
1. Symphony No. 5 Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony could very well be the most famous piece of music ever written. It is certainly
among the most often performed symphonic works, and it was the first piece that the Vancouver Symphony
ever performed! It is so famous that most people will recognize it after hearing only the first four notes. But
it is not fame that makes this piece so special, it is the way that it touches people universally and conveys
deep and powerful emotions. There are moments of fury, of tragic despair, and of extreme beauty within this
single movement. Music is the one language we all understand, and Beethoven was the first composer to
write with such passionate and epic style.
2. Symphony No. 9: Ode to Joy Ludwig van Beethoven
After writing eight incredible symphonies, Beethoven must have sought to create something truly
spectacular for his Ninth and final symphony! His resulting Choral Symphony was the first orchestral
work to include a choir, and also asked for the largest number of performers out of any of his previous
symphonies. The words sung by the choir come from the German poem “Ode to Joy”, which describe
the beautiful way that joy and happiness bring people together. Today you can join in and be part of this
magnificent music too, as we sing our own words to this music together.
3. William Tell Overture Gioachino Rossini
The William Tell Overture was composed by Rossini for the beginning of an opera. It recounts the story of
William Tell, a famed Swiss hero that is said to have sparked rebellion after being forced to shoot an apple
off the top of his sons head with a bow and arrow. This overture sets the scene for William Tell’s adventures
by evoking imagery of the Swiss Alps where they take place. You are about to hear the thrilling conclusion
to this overture. Also known as the “March of the Swiss Soldiers”, the finale has become extremely wellknown since its composition. You may recognize the theme from The Lone Ranger or Bugs Bunny cartoons,
and it has been used in many movies and T.V. shows to portray galloping horses or heroic victories.
4. Rhapsody in Blue George Gershwin
So far we’ve heard music from symphonies, from an opera, and from a film score… but there is still so much
more that an orchestra can do. Rhapsody in Blue is a jazzy piece that George Gershwin composed in 1924
for solo piano and jazz band, but it is often performed as a concert work for symphony orchestra. Funnily
enough, Gershwin never intended to compose Rhapsody in Blue, but he had to come up with something
quickly after seeing a newspaper article for an upcoming concert that declared “George Gershwin is at work
on a jazz concerto”. It was lucky that he did, the piece was an instant success!
5. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
You may not think this very famous piece by Mozart has much in common with the jazz score you just heard
… but like Rhapsody in Blue, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik was not originally meant to be played by an entire
symphony orchestra. It was published for a string quartet, and not until 40 years after it was composed and
long after Mozart had died was it written for full string orchestra. Now it is often performed by orchestras
and could possibly be the most popular piece that Mozart ever composed.
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VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15
Study Guide
6. Ride of the Valkyries Richard Wagner
When Richard Wagner wrote Ride of the Valkyries, he only intended it to be performed as part of his
complete opera Die Walküre. He was very offended when he kept getting requests to have Ride of the
Valkyries performed on its own! Eventually though, he gave in and even conducted Ride of the Valkyries
himself. Since then, it has appeared in many concerts, films and television shows.
7. Carmen: Habanera Aria Georges Bizet
Carmen is the name of the Spanish gypsy that stars in the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. This French
composer used the Habanera, originally a popular Cuban dance which uses African rhythms, to portray a
Spanish gypsy! It is astonishing how musical ideas from all over the world and from hundreds of years ago
have all come together so that we can enjoy this music here and now. Enjoy the distinctive rhythm of this
Habanera as it tells the story of the mischievous gypsy Carmen!
8. Nutcracker: Trepak Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky
Though we have heard the most famous music for symphonies, operas, movies, jazz bands, and string
quartets, there is still one more type of music we have for you! This is an excerpt from Tchaikovsky’s ballet,
The Nutcracker. The Russian Dance, Trepak features a pattern that is repeated and gets faster and faster, and
you can easily picture the whirling spins and jumps from the dancers who would be onstage.
9. Sing-a-Long for Ode to Joy Ludwig van Beethoven
Star Wars: Imperial March (not on CD) John Williams
John Williams has composed fantastic music for many film scores, including Indiana Jones, Jaws, Jurassic
Park, Harry Potter, and of course Star Wars. John Williams is the only composer on our program today
who is still alive, and he is still writing music now that he is in his eighties! Music changes the way we
experience movies; I’m sure you can’t imagine what Star Wars would be like without the iconic music that
John Williams created.
Benjamin Kinsman, VSO French
Horn player, introduces students to
his instrument at a VSO Connects
session. Here, Ben is also holding a
funnel attached to a garden hose;
essentially a functional French Horn!
Listen to the Naxos
Music Library Playlist
Log-on to the VSO’s Naxos account for free!
1. go to www.naxosmusiclibrary.com
2. Login with
Username: vsoaa
Password: vsoaa
3. Go to the url http://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com/playlists/playlisttrack.
asp?tbg=usr&pid=309400
to the “VSO’s Greatest Hits” Playlist
Consider that this is a shared resource!
Please do not delete or edit these playlists in any way.
Study Guide VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 13
Gr. 4-7: VSO’s Greatest Hits
Maestros Tovey & Gerrard and the Vancouver Symphony would like YOU to be a part of the Fall
Concert Programme! We would like you to learn Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, with special lyrics by
former VSO Assistant Conductor Evan Mitchell. The music and words are below.
To help you learn the song we’ve included a recording on our website.
Visit our Elementary School Concert pages at: www.vancouversymphony.ca/esc
Sing-Along Lyrics
Singing, singing, all together,
You, my friends, my family
Brings us closer through the music,
Shows our love for all to see,
Though we may be different people,
All of our voices sound as one.
Join our symphony of singing,
Here together, having fun.
Though we may be different people,
All of our voices sound as one.
Music makes us brothers, sisters,
So I sing with everyone.
Ode to Joy is the choral finale of Beethoven’s
famous 9th Symphony. The original words to
Ode to Joy, which are in German, are written for
four vocal soloists and a chorus, and emanate
a strong belief in mankind. The original text
was taken from a poem written by Friedrich
Schiller in 1785, revised in 1803, with additions
made by Beethoven. Beethoven was completely
deaf when he composed this masterpiece,
and he never heard a single note of it - except
inside his head! At the end of the symphony’s
first performance the German composer,
who had been directing the piece and was
consequently facing the orchestra, had to be
turned around by the contralto, Caroline Unger,
so that he could see the audience’s ecstatic
reaction. Beethoven had been unaware of the
tumultuous roars of applause behind him.
Symphony No. 9: Ode to Joy
Lyrics by Evan Mitchell
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VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven
Study Guide
Gr. 4-7: VSO’s Greatest Hits
student activity:
The masterworks on this programme represent the backbone of orchestral repertoire, and are some of the
most instantly recognizable works composed for the symphony. With your class, consider what makes a good
“Top 10 List” in a variety of contexts! What reasons do you have when choosing who or what makes the cut;
is the tone serious or satirical; does the list represent a variety of options or views?
Have your students brainstorm topics for Top 10 Lists and write their own to be shared with the class. Topics can vary from music (“10 Reasons my Grandma listens to Frank Sinatra” or “Top 10 Instruments in our
Classroom”) to geography (“10 Places to Visit in BC”), math (“10 Things to Love About Triangles”), or editorial
(“10 Ways to Be a Good Classmate”). Make sure you discuss the importance of having reasons to back up
each point. Students can even present their lists to their classmates, presenting in the manner of a radio or
television presenter.
If any of your students lists are artistically themed, send them to [email protected] with
the Subject line “Top 10”. You may find theme featured in the pre-show video roll, when you come to visit
the VSO at the Orpheum on concert day!
We’re All Composers!
10 Ways to Write a Hit Song:
10. Canons. Make a statement with found sounds from your
environment - it worked for Tchaikovsky in the 1812 Overture!
9. Be prolific, Mozart and Madonna wrote a LOT of music.
8. Team up! The Beatles and Brahms both got by with a little
help from their friends.
7. Be relevant to your time. The Dixie Chicks and Prokofiev
alike are known for their politically charged works.
6. Push the boundaries. Stravinsky, like Lady Gaga, was never
content to maintain status quo.
5. Cultivate a fanbase. Liszt knew the importance of having
enthusiastic fans, centuries before One Direction.
4. Write a catchy hook. Think Beyonce & Beethoven.
3. Bold expressions of love; he never put it as succinctly as
Bruno Mars, but Schumann declared his love for his pianistcomposer wife Clara through song.
2. Get Them Dancing! Take a page out of Strauss` books.
1. Include a violin!
Study Guide Dale Barltrop is the VSO’s
concertmaster. Dale is
from Brisbane, Australia.
In addition to playing
the violin, Dale loves to
travel and enjoys
swimming, running,
hiking and skiing.
VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 15
Lesson 1 by Beth Tuinstra
The Science of Music with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5
VSO’s Greatest Hits
Junior & Intermediate Lesson Plans
Goals:
As a result of this lesson, students will:
-identify sources of sound
-explain properties of sound (ex. travels in waves, travels in all directions)
-apply elements of rhythm, melody and elements of expression in composition
-demonstrate appropriate use of classroom instruments
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/pdfs/sciences/2005scik7_4.pdf
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/pdfs/arts_education/2010musick7.pdf
Materials:
-Recording/YouTube video ofBeethoven’s Symphony No. 5
- YouTube Video of “Assignment Discovery: Science of Sound” and a means of playing them
-Beethoven’s Biography
-Stringed instrument(s)
-Straight disposable drinking straws
-Recycled materials with which to make instruments or use as instruments
-Scissors, glue, tape, paper, etc. for the students to use to make their instruments
Procedure:
Activity A:
I. Introduce students to Ludwig van Beethoven by sharing a book about Beethoven, or using the biography
included on page 17. Play a clip of the first movement to introduce Symphony No. 5. Emphasize the fact
that Beethoven was almost completely deaf when he wrote this work for orchestra. http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=_4IRMYuE1hI
II. Discuss with students how they think Beethoven could have still composed music when he was almost deaf
or completely deaf - Beethoven had composed a large amount of music before he went deaf so he could hear
the music in his head without actually hearing the music through his ears, but Beethoven could also feel the
vibrations of the music. He even cut the legs off his piano so that he could feel the vibrations of the instrument,
while laying on the floor. Have students lie on the floor with one ear on the floor and their other ear covered
with their hand. Play the fourth movement of Symphony No. 5 with the speaker pointed to the ground. Ask
students if they could hear the music with their ears, feel the music through the ground, or both.
III. Explain how every sound is formed from waves that we can hear (with older grades, you can ask the
students to explain what sound is). Show the “Assignment Discovery: Science of Sound” video to explain what
is actually happening when we hear something.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/27960-assignment-discovery-science-of-sound-video.htm
IV. Use a stringed instrument to show how different sizes of strings vibrate at different speeds (if there are
instruments available for the students to use, this is a good time for students to play and see for themselves – if
not, have students gather close so that they can see the strings vibrating as the teacher plays). Pluck the various
strings to watch and hear the strings vibrate. Explain that the larger the string is the slower the string vibrates,
and the lower the pitch is; and the smaller the string is the faster the string vibrates, and the higher the pitch is.
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VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15
Study Guide
Extend this into other instruments as well – larger instruments have lower pitches and smaller instruments
have higher pitches.
V. Give each of the students a straight disposable drinking straw to use as a slide whistle. Demonstrate to the
students that if they place the straw on their lower lip with the end facing down to the ground and blow they
will be able to produce a whistle sound through the straw. Once the students are able to produce a sound,
show them how to change the pitch by using their fingers to pinch up and down the straw. Ask the students to
play the first theme of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, movement 1 together on their straws.
VI. Ask the students to bring in recyclable things of different sizes from home from which they can create
instruments for the next activity (boxes, bottles, cans, tubes, tabs, elastics, etc.)
Activity B:
(Note: Activity B is an extension of Activity A. If only Activity B is being done with the class, please include
Activity A, parts I, V, and VI before beginning Activity B.)
I. Allow students the opportunity to create their own instruments. Encourage them to make wind instruments,
percussion instruments, and stringed instruments that can play high, medium, or low pitches. While students
are creating their instruments, the teacher should have Symphony No. 5 playing.
II. Divide students together into groups of four or five to prepare their group performance of Beethoven’s
Fifth Symphony. In their groups, students should prepare their version of Symphony No. 5 to play for the
class. Ask students to use the opening theme but also more themes from the symphony as well. Excerpts are
included for a reference for students.
III. Have each student group play their version of Symphony No. 5 that they created. Give encouragement
and feedback to students about their performance.
Assessment:
1. Evaluate student performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.
2. Observe the creativity of each student for creating their own musical instrument.
Beethoven’s Biography:
Ludwig van Beethoven
b. December 16, 1770 in Bonn, Germany
d. March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany. His early musical training came from his father, a singer,
who was a very hard and strict teacher. (Contined on following page...)
Study Guide VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 17
Beethoven is considered one of the two or three most famous classical composers of all time, and he learned
from some very prominent composers. In 1787, at the age of 17, Beethoven studied briefly in Vienna, Austria
with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – easily another of the most renowned composers of all time. His studies with
Mozart were cut short when Beethoven’s mother passed away, but he returned to Vienna to study, first with
Franz Joseph Haydn, then Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, and finally with Antonio Salieri.
In his late twenties, Beethoven began to suffer hearing loss, and eventually over time went completely deaf.
While his deafness put an end to his playing career (he was a virtuoso pianist), his skill at composition did not
suffer. He wrote a large number of works, perhaps some of his best, after losing his hearing.
While many composers do not become famous until after their death, Beethoven was recognized in his lifetime
for his musical genius – even more so than Mozart was during his lifetime.
Symphony No. 5 in C minor
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 begins with one of the most well-known themes in music. The famous four note
statement that starts off the symphony (see example below) is heard in numerous settings outside the concert
hall, from television commercials to disco and rock ‘n roll remixes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4IRMYuE1hI
Beethoven wrote his Symphony No. 5 while in his mid-thirties, and while experiencing increasing deafness.
The symphony took him four years to complete, as he was writing many other works during this time. Its first
performance was part of a Beethoven-only cocert – the performance lasted four hours!
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 is often played at inaugural concerts of symphony orchestras or concert halls.
The Vancouver Symphony played it in a concert on October 5, 1930 – the first concert they ever performed.
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, Mvt 1: Sections with corresponding time markers for the recording.
Section 1: 0:01-0:16
Section 2: 0:41-1:02
Section 3: 1:02-1:19
Section 4: 4:17-4:32
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VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15
Study Guide
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Study Guide Section 4
VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 19
Lesson 2 by Tzu-Han Ann, Chen
Body Speaks: Using Body Movements to Express Music
Music – Drama – Dance – Visual Art
Goals:
As a result of this lesson, students will:
• use movement and their bodies to convey intended ideas or feelings
• move expressively to a variety of sounds and music
• create sequences of movement based on patterns, stories, and themes
• represent personal thoughts, images, and feelings experienced in classroom repertoire
• perform rhythmic patterns and sequences from classroom repertoire
• identify aspects of a music presentation that evoke a response
• participate in music activities from a variety of historical, cultural, and social contexts
Materials:
• Recording of William Tell Overture on YouTube (link provided)
• Projector, screen, speakers
• Pictures in Teacher Tool Kit
Procedure:
Activity A – The Themes of William Tell Overture
In this activity, students will get to know the story of William Tell and the four themes of Overture.
1. Set up the first class by telling the story of William Tell; explain the four themes that occur in the Overture.
2. Ask students to silently raise their hands when each new theme occurs in the music. Then teacher plays the
YouTube video of William Tell Overture for students to watch or listen. (1st theme begins at 0:19, 2nd theme
at 2:55, 3rd theme at 5:55, 4th theme at 8:32).
3. After identifying the themes, show photos of Swiss Alps and images relating to the music theme; ask
students to arrange the photos chronologically according to the music. (Photos provided in Teacher Tool Kit).
Activity B – Music Paints a Picture
1. Listen to excerpts of different themes and ask students to use one word vocabulary to describe what mood,
emotion, feeling, image, or expression each theme portrays and sounds like; for example, “the storm theme
sounds scary”, “March of the Swiss Soldiers sounds like a horse!”, etc.
2. List out all the words that students have distributed along with teacher’s input on the board.
Activity C – Speak with Your Body Movement
1. After knowing the background and recognizing the expression of each theme, break students into four
groups – theme group 1 (Dawn), 2 (Storm), 3 (Ranz des Vaches), and 4 (March of the Swiss Soldiers)
2. Each group can pick (or be assigned) a few words that best described the theme. Encourage students to
express each word, make connection between words, and create several body movements that can tell the
story of the theme. For example, the “storm” team decides to use words “lightning,” “loud,” “scary,” and
“windy,” a few students can begin with looking into the sky, realizing the storm is coming so they open the
umbrellas while trying to find a hideout. Then, some students can imitate the storm with lightning and wind
by stomping, voicing thunder, showing big gestures/body movements, blowing like wind while others show
reaction by acting scared, shivering and being blown away by wind. Eventually, the “storm” group can tie
their body movements to the next “Ranz des Vaches” group towards the end of the theme in order to make a
smooth transition.
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VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15
Study Guide
3. Encourage students to express themselves fully through dance, acting, creating movement, and showing
facial expression while the Overture is being played.
4. The final product of this activity should be a performance without spoken cues; each theme group should
deomonstate awareness of when it’s their turn to come in. The theme groups that are resting should be observing
the performing group.
Assessment:
The assessment can be made according to each student’s performance on sharing ideas, contribution to words,
collaborative skill in group activity, being expressive in body movements, creativity in body movements,
imagination developed from the themes and music, and participation throughout the activities.
Links:
William Tell Overture (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOofwWT3Edc
Teacher Tool Kit
The Story of William Tell
The William Tell Overture was written to open an opera by Gioachino Rossini. The opera is based on a legend
about the Swiss hero William Tell. According to the legend, William Tell was an expert with a bow and arrow
who shot an apple off his son’s head. You can hear the political turmoil in William Tell’s Switzerland in
Rossini’s music.
Overture
A piece of instrumental music composed as an introduction to an opera, oratorio, ballet, or other dramatic work;
sometimes intended for independent concert performance.
Structure of William Tell
The overture (approximately 12 minutes in length) paints a musical picture of life in the Swiss Alps, the setting
of the opera. It was described by Berl as “a symphony in four parts”, but unlike a symphony with its clearly
defined movements, the overture’s parts transition from one to the next without any break.
Prelude, Dawn
The Prelude is a slow passage in E major, scored for five solo cellos accompanied by double basses. It begins
in E minor with a solo cello which is in turn ‘answered’ by the remaining cellos and the double basses. An
impending storm is hinted by two very quiet timpani rolls resembling distant thunder. The section ends with a
very high sustained note played by the first cello.
Storm
This dynamic section in E minor is played by the full orchestra. It begins with the violins and violas. Their
phrases are punctuated by short wind instrument interventions of three notes each, first by the piccolo, flute and
oboes, then by the clarinets and bassoons. The storm breaks out in full with the entrance of the French horns,
trumpets, trombones, and bass drum. The volume and number of instruments gradually decreases as the storm
subsides. The section ends with the flute playing alone.
Study Guide VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 21
Teacher Tool Kit
Ranz des Vaches
A Ranz des Vaches or “Kuhreihen” is a simple melody traditionally played on the horn by the Swiss Alpine
herdsmen, to drive their cattle to or from the pasture. The “Kuhreihen” was linked to the idea of Swiss
nostalgia and homesickness.
This pastorale section in G major signifying the calm after the storm begins with a Ranz des Vaches or “Call to
the Cows,” featuring the cor anglais (English horn). The horn then plays in alternating phrases with the flute,
culminating in a duet, with the triangle accompanying them in the background. The melody appears several
times in the opera, including the final act, and takes on the character of a leitmotif. A leitmotif is a recurrent
theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea, or situation.
Finale, March of the Swiss Soldiers
The Finale, often called the “March of the Swiss Soldiers,” is in E major like the Prelude, but is a dynamic
galop heralded by trumpets and played by the full orchestra. It alludes to the final act, which recounts the
Swiss soldiers’ victorious battle to liberate their homeland from Austrian repression. Although there are no
horses or cavalry charges in the opera, this segment is often used in popular media to denote galloping horses,
a race, or a hero riding to the rescue. It’s most famous use in that respect is as the theme music for The Lone
Ranger, so famous that the term “intellectual” has been defined as “a man who can listen to the William Tell
Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger.
Prelude, Dawn
Storm
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VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15
Study Guide
Ranz des Vaches
Finale, March of the Swiss Soldiers
Tzu-Han (Ann), Chen: Bio
Born in Taichung, Taiwan, Ann Chen obtained her Bachelor of Music in Piano, Secondary Education Stream
from the University of British Columbia in 2013; she is completing her Bachelor of Education in Music at
UBC in 2014. Ann is a pianist, a vocalist, and a conductor. She was selected to perform in MENC (National
Association for Music Education) All-Eastern Honours Chorus, NYSSMA (New York State School Music
Association) All-State Honours Chorus, and All-County Chorus from 2007 to 2009 in the United States.
During her studies at UBC, she has sung in UBC University Singers for four years. She is currently singing
in Vancouver Cantata Singers. Meanwhile, Ann is also the artistic director of Essonance Chamber Choir. She
completed her practicum at Killarney Secondary and VSO Education Department.
Study Guide VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 23
Gr. K-3: Once Upon an Orchestra
Once Upon an Orchestra
24
VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15
Study Guide
Gr. K-3: Once Upon an Orchestra
Once Upon an
Orchestra
Music and stories, or narrative, have co-existed
and influenced one another for centuries. In this
programme, you’ll find music that paints vivid
imagery through sound, colour and rhythms.
Concert Programme
Composers are notorious for writing pieces of music
inspired by artwork, literature, and local stories.
Often, they would collaborate with Librettists (or
writers of sung text) to tell stories through Operas,
or on-stage, musical dramas.
Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
Benajmin Britten
Carnival of the Animals:
The Elephant, The Swan, Aquarium
Camille Saint-Saens
Even more often, composers would have to be
inventive - to evoke scenes, characters and moods
through music only, without any text or dialogue.
Sleeping Beauty Waltz
Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky
Hansel und Gretel: Prelude
Engelbert Humperdinck
Night on Bald Mountain
Modest Mussorgsky
Programme music means...
William Tell: Overture
Gioachino Rossini
Mother Goose: Beauty and the Beast
Maurice Ravel
Firebird: Infernal Dance
Igor Stravinsky
Peer Gynt: Suite No.1, Morning
Edvard Grieg
Costume design for
the Ballets Russes
production of The
Firebird, by Stravinsky.
music that depicts a story, evokes a scene, or
conveys a specific non-musical idea. An example
wold be Richard Strauss’ Alpine Symphony, which
depicts the ascent and descent of a mountain,
in 22 musical excerpts, with titles such as “By
the Waterfall,” “Summit” and “In Thicket and
Underbrush on the Wrong Path”. The opposite
of programme music is called “absolute music,”
or music which doesn’t try to represent any nonmusical ideas.
Igor Stravinsky
b. June 17, 1992, Lomonosov, Russia
d. April 6, 1971, New York, USA
Famous Russian composer, Stravinsky, was a frequent collaborator with
the famous Ballets Russes. The Ballets Russes was full of larger than
life personalities; directed by the Impressario Sergei Diaghilev, featuring
art desgin by the likes of Pablo Picasso and starring dancers such as
Vaslav Nijinsky, Ballets Russes were often on the edge of contemporary
innovation. In 1913, Stravinsky’s legendary ballet The Rite of Spring
premiered in Paris, provoking riots with its shockingly unusual rhythms!
“Pointe” of Interest: Many classic ballets of the Romantic Era tell a story. Without words, what are some of the other
ways that dance can convey all the conflict and resolution, heroism and villainy, contained within a narrative?
To explore a more about dance, explore the National Arts Centre website:
http://www.artsalive.ca/en/dan/make/toolbox/elements.asp
Study Guide VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 25
Gr. K-3: Once Upon an Orchestra
student activity:
Carnival of the Animals with poems by Kaylie Hanna
Elephant
You must watch out for an elephants huge feet,
They could squish you if ever you meet!
Though an elephant is kind and very wise,
They are very tall; you won’t believe their size.
But they romp around; they even paint and play,
An elephant stomps and smiles the day away.
Swan
The swan is the noblest of birds,
He always listens for what needs to be heard.
Pure white and slim, graceful and elegant,
He’s basically the opposite of an elephant.
Slowly he swims, and stretches his wings
Floating by, he’s the most wondrous thing.
Aquarium
Many fish swim in the ocean blue,
Lakes, ponds, and rapids too.
But the closest you might get to a fish,
Is in an aquarium… or on a dish!
Dim blue light flickers through the glass,
To illuminate slippery fish swimming past.
They leap, dart, splash and twirl,
Flying by in an incredible whirl.
One catches your eye with its shimmering
features,
Fish are truly enchanting creatures.
Aviary
As these birds flutter from tree to tree,
Music is their philosophy.
Some fly high, while others fly low,
But song is with them wherever they go.
Squeaking, cawing, squawking or chirpy,
One bird is graceful, the next is derpy.
Yellow Red, Gold Purple and Blue
These colorful birds make quite the hullabaloo.
Choral reading of poems is where different words are assigned to different
sections of the class. Play around with the poems above changing group size,
and adding emphasis to certain words. For example, have a larger number of
students chime in on squish or elephant!
Create your own Carnival of the Animals in your classroom! Be
sure to discuss what different animals would sound like, if they
were decribed by a symphony of orchestral sounds. Send us your
favourites, along with any artwork and we will display them on the
video screens when you come to the VSO!
Send them by mail, or to:
[email protected]
Saint-Saëns
rhyme
repetition of similar sounds in two or more words
ex. flute, suit, hoot, astute, lute, newt
refrain
repetition of an entire line or lines
alliteration
the repetition of the initial sounds in words
ex. two tuba and a trombone talking on the train
26
Carnival of the Animals has been adapted many
times as a children’s book. See if your local, or
school, library has a copy!
VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15
Study Guide
Gr. K-3: Once Upon an Orchestra
Camille Saint-Saëns
b. October 9, 1835, Paris, France
d. December 16, 1921, Algiers, Algeria
Saint Sanes was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist
known especially for The Carnival of the Animals, Danse Macabre,
Samson and Delilah and his Symphony No. 3 (Organ Symphony). His
first piece was composed for piano in 1839 when he was only
four years old! He also learned to read and write by the age of three.
Saint Saëns’ first public concert took place when he five years old. He
accompanied a Beethoven Violin Sonata. Later, he studied composition
at the Conservatoire de Paris. While in school, he won many
competitions and gained a reputation that resulted in his introduction to
other composer such as Franz Liszt and Hector Berlioz. For income, he
played the organ at various churches in Paris. He briefly held a teaching
position until he was able to compose fulltime to his death. Saint-Saëns
was a musical pioneer in France, influencing and promoting many other
French composers.
Britten, Benjamin
b. November 22, 1913, Lowestoft, England
d. December 4, Aldeburgh, England
Britten
Grieg
Benjamin Britten was born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, where he was the youngest of 4 children. His father was
a dental surgeon and his mother was an amateur singer. Britten was a child prodigy. His mother began
teaching him piano when he was just a toddler and by the time he was 5 he had begun to compose. At
the age of 14, he had already written 13 piano compositions, several string quartets, an oratorio and
dozens of songs. In fact, the themes for “A Simple Symphony” came from his childhood compositions. In
addition to studying piano, Britten took lessons on the viola.
Britten loved his country and his compositions reflect his fascination for the sea, his enthusiasm for English
tradition, and his concern for young people. His major works include “The Ceremony of Carols”, “Peter
Grimes” (a full length opera that was an immediate success), “War Requiem”, “Let’s Make an Opera”, “Billy
Budd”, “Hymn to St. Cecelia” (which he felt he owed to himself since he was born on St. Cecelia’s Day)
and “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”.
Edvard Grieg
b. June 15, 1843, Bergen, Norway
d. September 4,190, Bergen, Norway
Edvard Grieg was the first major Norwegian composer. He started studying piano at age six with his mother,
and grew to become quite an accomplished piano player. As a result, most of his music is for the piano,
including a concerto and numerous suites based on Norwegian folk songs. He also found the time to write
several pieces for orchestra, including a set of dances and a symphony. The people of Norway loved him so
much that 40,000 people attended his funeral, and his birthday is a national holiday!
In 1876, Grieg wrote a set of short songs as a soundtrack to a play by a friend of his. The Peer Gynt Suite,
as the music is now known, is Grieg’s most well-known work. If you’ve ever seen a Disney movie or watched
Saturday morning cartoons, you’ve probably heard one of these songs. The fourth song, In the Hall of the
Mountain King, is actually a chase scene. Peer accidentally wanders into the territory of an evil king, who
sends his servants to chase after Peer. They start slowly and quietly, gradually moving faster and faster, until
a frantic Peer finally runs out of the kingdom.
Study Guide VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 27
download the mp3 files for free at www.vancouversymphony.ca/esc
Once Upon an Orchestra: musical tracks
1. Sleeping Beauty: Waltz Pytor Illyich Tchaikovsky
The Sleeping Beauty Waltz is from the ballet Sleeping Beauty, which was composed by Tchaikovsky.
Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer who wrote many symphonic masterpieces, and the music he
composed for the famous ballets The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty is so beautiful and
expressive that we often enjoy listening to it on its own. But as you listen, you can picture the dreamy waltz
that fills the halls of a palace at the Princess Aurora’s birthday celebration. A waltz is a graceful dance that
uses groups of three steps which you can clearly hear in the rhythm of the music. .
2. Hansel and Gretel: Prelude Engelbert Humperdinck
The opera Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck tell the story of the folk tale written by the brothers
Grimm. In the Prelude we can hear the story unfolding through the music. Unable to feed their children
Hansel and Gretel, a poor man and wife decide they must abandon them in the woods. Inside, the brother
and sister find a house made entirely of candy! They are thrilled and begin to eat it, because it means they
will not starve in the forest. However, the house is a trap set by an evil witch to lure in children so that
she may eat them. She catches them, and wants to cook the children up! But Hansel and Gretel manage
to escape by pushing her into her big oven when she lights it to cook them for dinner. Victorious over the
evil witch, they find that her house is full of riches which they take home to their parents and they all live
happily ever after.
3. Carnival of the Animals Camille Saint-Saens
Carnival of the Animals, written by Camille Saint-Saens, uses the instruments of the orchestra to create
sounds of animals. First you will hear the Elephant, played by the double basses. Listen to how slow and
low they sound! Next, you’ll hear The Swan, played by the piano and cello. Listen to how gracefully the
beautiful Swan floats through the water. Next, you’ll hear The Aquarium. Listen to how the music sounds
like bubbles and fish swimming along under the water. Finally, listen to the Aviary- the flute sounds just like
a bird!
4. Night on Bald Mountain Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Mussorgsky is the composer of this spooky tone poem, Night on Bald Mountain. It is meant to paint
a musical picture of a gathering of witches on an especially dark and mystical Midsummer’s night. You can
imagine the witches and demons whirling across the midnight sky to meet on the top of a deserted barren
mountaintop. The music takes us to Bare Mountain with them to see their bursts of their magic spells, their
frenzied dances, the haunting atmosphere, and their mysterious intentions. But as morning comes, the rays of
sunlight and church bells clear away all the darkness of the night and we know that all is well.
5. Firebird: Infernal Dance Igor Stravinsky
The infamous Infernal Dance of King Kastchei is next. This piece comes from a ballet composed by
Stravinsky called Firebird about a mythical and magical bird that helps to protect Prince Ivan from the evil
sorcerer Kastchei. When the sorcerer tries to curse Ivan, the Firebird enchants Kastchei and his minions to
dance wildly so that they cannot harm the prince. The strong rhythmic pulse of the music and the orchestral
hits give this an especially ferocious feeling, just like the evil magician must feel when his plans have been
thwarted.
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6. Mother Goose: Beauty and the Beast
Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel composed a whole suite of music inspired by Mother Goose fairy tales for two young friends
of his, the children of a couple he knew in Paris. The music from this suite is wonderfully beautiful, simply
expressive, and lovingly crafts each familiar story. This movement shows us a musical conversation between
the Beauty and the Beast by giving two special instruments a duet. The clarinet plays the Beauty’s kind and
gentle melody, then the contrabassoon replies in the low rumbling voice of the Beast. The harp will signal
the Beast’s transformation into a prince with a sparkling glissando, and then his voice becomes the violin.
7. Peer Gynt: Morning Edvard Grieg
Morning Mood by Edvard Grieg, like Beauty and the Beast, is also part of a larger suite of music called the
Peer Gynt Suite. The music comes from a scene in a play, in which the sun rises slowly over the Moroccan
desert. The flute and oboe trade the peaceful melody back and forth, which slowly raises the orchestra to a
majestic climax. You can picture the sun breaking through the clouds, and the beautiful colours of a sunrise.
Listen to the Naxos Music
Library Playlist
Log-on to the VSO’s Naxos account for free!
1. go to www.naxosmusiclibrary.com
2. Login with
Username: vsoaa
Password: vsoaa
3. Go to the url http://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com/
playlists/playlisttrack.asp?tbg=usr&pid=309400
to the “Once Upon an Orchestra” Playlist
Consider that this is a shared resource!
Please do not delete or edit these playlists in any way.
Did you know?
The piano is also included as
part of the percussion family,
because sound is produced
when the strings are hit by
hammers.
Principal Flute Christie Reside
does double duty as soloist
on the Nielsen Flute Concerto
in the 2013-2014 VSO season,
seen here practicing with
Timpanist Aaron McDonald.
Photo by Chris Loh
Study Guide VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 29
Lesson 1 by Beth Tuinstra
Creating Music from Stories
Once Upon an Orchestra
Primary & Junior Lesson Plans
Goals:
As a result of this lesson, students will:
- use stories, pictures, movement, etc. to communicate personal thoughts, images, and feelings
- create sounds to accompany stories, nursery rhymes, or songs
- demonstrate tempo, dynamics, articulation, and timbre through song, movement and non-pitched instruments
- identify aspects of a music presentation that evoke a response
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/pdfs/arts_education/2010musick7.pdf
Materials:
- mp3s or YouTube videos of Sleeping Beauty and a means of playing them
- paper and colouring utensils
- picture book of Sleeping Beauty
- instruments for the students to create sounds
Procedure
Activity A:
I. Introduce the students to the concept that music tells a story and can paint a mental picture. Have a short
discussion with the students about the ways music can create an image through different sounds (ex. Loud, soft,
fast, slow).
II. Have the students get out paper and something with which to draw (crayons, coloured pencils, markers, etc.).
Explain to the students that they are going to listen to a piece of music, and that they should draw what they
think is happening in the music. Play Waltz from Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky for the students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sb8WCPjPDs
III. Let the students present what they drew in their pictures. Prompt them to explain what story they thought
the song was or could have been.
IV. Explain that music not only creates a mental picture but can ‘move’ us. Music can change our emotions, and
it can also make us want to dance.
V. Play short clips of other repertoire on Once Upon an Orchestra. After each clip, ask the students how that
music made them feel.
VI. Introduce the concept of a waltz pattern to the students. You can use the word ‘pineapple’ to introduce the
waltz pattern in ¾ time signature of strong-weak-weak beats. Have the students clap while saying ‘pineapple’
all together with a slight emphasis on the first beat (when ‘pine’ is said). When the students are able to do that
together, play the beginning of Waltz No.2 by Dmitri Shostakovich so that the students can clap with the beat of
the waltz. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmCnQDUSO4I
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VII. Have students to create a dance that expresses the emotion of the Sleeping Beauty Waltz and uses the
1-2-3 (strong-weak-weak) pattern of the waltz. Play the Waltz from Sleeping Beauty once again for the class
and encourage them to expressively dance to the music. Remind them that they are creating a picture with their
bodies like the one that they drew while listening to the music previously.
(Note: If you are not doing Activity B with you class, please read the story of Sleeping Beauty to the students at
the end of Activity A.)
Activity B:
I. Introduce the story of Sleeping Beauty to the students. Read Sleeping Beauty to the class. Before reading, you
should encourage the students to imagine music that could go with the story, events in the story, or people in the
story. Use a picture book to read to the students if your school has the picture book available.
http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/sleeping-beauty/story.htm
II. Allow the students to choose instruments that they could use to make the story come to life musically.
III. Create melodies or sounds that can go with the events that happen in the story. Allow the students to input
their ideas for what the people or events could sound like and use the ideas that the students create. Melodies
or sounds can be created for the King, the Queen, the frog, the feast, the fairies, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), the
rusty key, when everyone fell asleep, the Prince, the kiss, when everyone woke up - this list is a suggestion and
not all of these need to be used and others could be used. (As an extension of this, you could have some of the
students dance with the music as well to artistically create the meaning of the story).
IV. Practice reading through the story with the music and sounds that the students created for the final
“performance” of Sleeping Beauty. The teacher can ask a student to read the story or the teacher can read the
story themselves.
V. Perform the final, complete version of Sleeping Beauty that the class created.
Assessment:
1. Observe whether students create visual art, dances, and music that accurately reflect the style and mood of the
music.
2. Assess each student’s ability to express themselves through artistic mediums.
Study Guide VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 31
Primary/ Junior Lesson Plans
Once Upon a Symphony
Lesson 2 by Tzu-Han Ann, Chen
Story of My Own: Create Your Own Fairytale Picture Book
Music – Drama – English – Visual Art
Goals:
As a result of this lesson, students will:
• use a variety of image sources to create images, including feelings, imagination, memory, observation, and
sensory experience
• use imagination, exploration, and reflection to create drama
• demonstrate collaboration skills in drama explorations
• represent personal thoughts, images, and feelings experienced in classroom repertoire
• identify aspects of a music presentation that evoke a response
Materials:
• Recording of Overture to Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck with YouTube
• Hansel and Gretel Story Book (online link provided)
• White board or large flip chart paper
• Colour pens, crayons, or pencils
• Blank construction papers
Procedure:
Activity A – Map the Story
1. Teacher introduces and reads through the story of Hansel and Gretel. Before reading the story, teacher asks
the students to pay attention to who are the characters, what are the locations/ settings, and significant events
that occur in the story.
2. While reading the story, teacher is suggested to project the picture book onto a screen in order to show it to
the class visually.
3. After reading the story, teacher discusses with the students on “what are the characters in the story? And how
are they relating to each other?” Teacher and students then create a map of characters. The template of the story
map can be found in Teacher Tool Kit. Teacher is encouraged to fill out the map with the students.
4. Teacher discusses with students on “How many locations/ settings in the story? What are they?” Then,
teacher asked the students what happened in the story? What are the significant events?
5. After finishing up mapping of the story, teacher tells students there is an opera called Hansel and Gretel
written for this fairytale and we are going to listen to its Overture which usually concludes the overall story and
musical themes. Before playing the video, students are asked to use their imagination to relate the story book
to the music. Students are encouraged to associate different musical elements/ sections with the plots (such
as certain theme symbolizes which story plot? What happens at ____? Where does the event take place? See
Teacher Tool Kit for detail)
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Activity B – Create Your Own Picture Book
After developing the map of the story with music, the teacher helps student to create a picture book by:
1. Crafting an 8-page book. Instruction and example are provided in the Teacher Tool Kit.
2. The students are encouraged to decide what to draw on each page as long as it is in consecutive order and
it follows the storyline. Teacher can play the recording of Overture to Hansel and Gretel while students are
drawing. Students are encouraged to be creative and imaginative as to what they imagine the characters would
look like, what kind of candies/ sweets does the witch has on her house, or how would the forest look like?
3. After making the picture book, teacher can ask for few volunteer students to share their picture books to the
class. They can tell the story with their own picture books along with the music.
Activity C (Optional) – Act Out Your Fairytale
If time allows, teacher can also do this activity with the students:
1. Teacher breaks the class into 2-3 groups and assign character/ role to each student within the group (student
can volunteer also).
2. Each group is encouraged to rehearse and form a small play of Hansel and Gretel and perform it with the
Overture in front of the class.
Assessment:
The assessment can be made according to each student’s performance on participation of listening to music and
storybook, distributing great ideas, answers to map the story, creativity and completion in making the picture
book, imagination in portraying the storyline, and participation throughout the activities.
Links:
Story Map http://pjnicholson.com/compappmyp_part2/FairyTale/elements_fairytale.html#commonelements
Hansel and Gretel Overture Recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqeI6zvP2C4
Hansel and Gretel Complete Opera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2mX9UBC6sY
Hansel and Gretel Online Story Book
http://www.communication4all.co.uk/Traditional%20Tales/Hansel%20and%20Gretel%20Story%20Book.pps
Teacher Tool Kit
Fairytale
Fairytale in common parlance, a tale about elves, dragons, hobgoblins, sprites, and other fantastic magical
beings set vaguely in the distant past (“once upon a time”). Other conventions include magic, charms,
disguises, talking animals, and a hero or heroine who overcomes obstacles to “live happily ever after.” Fairy
tales grew out of the oral tradition of folktales, and later were transcribed as prose narratives.
Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel is a folk tale that the Grimm Brothers collected for their collaborative publication Grimm’s
Fairy Tales. The story, following along with traditional characteristic of the German Romantic era, is set
mainly in the forest. The characters are simple people who also happen to be poor, and the supernatural
occurrences happen in the dark and ominous forest.
Study Guide VSO Elementary School Concerts 14/15 33
Teacher Tool Kit
Overture
A piece of instrumental music composed as an introduction to an opera, oratorio, ballet, or other dramatic work,
or intended for independent concert performance.
Hansel and Gretel Overture
(Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqeI6zvP2C4)
Humperdinck himself considered the overture to be a prelude and is said privately to have called it ‘Children’s
Life’. As with many overtures, it makes reference to songs and dances in the opera including the Witch’s spell
hocus pocus and the final scene The witch is dead. It opens with a gentle hymn, ‘Evening Prayer’ (0:00-2:35),
which is one of the most beautiful chorales for the French horn section ever written. Humperdinck later returns
to this theme for the ‘prayer and dream’ scene in the opera. A trumpet fanfare introduces a faster section (2:35),
which starts serenely and gradually introduces tension. Towards the end of the overture, the composer weaves
together all the various themes in an elegant counterpoint worthy of Wagner’s Meistersinger prelude. This leads
to a stirring climax, after which the opening horn chorale once again establishes the dreamy mood with which
the opera begins.
Timeline
0:00 Evening Prayer theme: the theme occurs throughout the overture and opera that suggests the children will
be protected by divine providence.
2:35 Hocus Pocus theme: the witch appears and casts spell onto Hansel and Gretel that they cannot leave or
escape from the gingerbread house. The witch threaten to eat them alive.
3:21 Protecting Angels theme: The theme to which the children sing of “der wind” (“the breeze”) follows,
interspersed with melodic references to the dream of protecting angels.
5:33 “The witch is dead!” theme: the triumphant chorus of the dis-enchanted gingerbread children leads to a
triumphant reinstatement of the “Prayer”, with which the overture closes.
Want to learn more?
Here are some additional resources!
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
www.vancouversymphony.ca
Canadian Composers
www.musiccentre.ca
Deborah Ziolkoski Just for kids: children’s guide
A simple, fun approach to classical music
http://funwithcomposers.com/
More Classical Music for Kids
www.classicsforkids.com
And an animated short film on the theatre experience,
set to Rossini’s William Tell Overture:
http://vimeo.com/48547146
Books for Teaching & Reading:
The Arts as Meaning Makers
Claudia Cornett and Katharine L. Smithrim
Pearson Education Canada Inc, Toronto, 2001.
This too is music
Rena Upitis
Heinemann, Toronto, 1990
Making Musical Instruments with Kids:
67 Easy Projects for Adults Working with Children
Bart Hopkin,
See Sharp Press, USA, 2009.
The Composer is Dead (with CD)
Snicket, Lemony
HarperCollins, USA, 2009.
The Philharmonic Gets Dressed
Kuskin, Karla
HarperCollins, USA, 1986.
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Appendix A - Page 33
VSO Study Guide: Orchestra Puzzle
Appendix A - Page 34
VSO Study Guide: Orchestra Puzzle
Appendix A - Page 35
VSO Study Guide: Orchestra Puzzle
Send your comments, questions and concert reviews to Christin & Pearl:
Education Department
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
500 - 843 Seymour Street
Vancouver, BC
V6B 0G4
Or by email: [email protected]
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