From Bach
to
Bernstein
to Beatbox
The Orchestra’s Journey Through History
Young People’s Concert
Study Guide 2014-15
Benjamin Rous, Resident Conductor
Johann Sebastian Bach
George Frederick Handel
Ludwig van Beethoven
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Igor Stravinsky
Leonard Bernstein
George Frederick Handel
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3,
1st Movement
Entrance of the Queen of Sheba
Symphony No. 7, Scherzo
Swan Lake, Movement 1
Infernal Dance
Overture to Westside Story
(arr. Maurice Peress)
Queen of Sheba revisted
CONTENTS
PAGE
3
Welcome and Introduction
4
Resident Conductor Ben Rous – “Sounding Off”
5
Who’s Who in the Virginia Symphony Orchestra?
6
Getting Ready for Your Concert Trip - What To Expect At A Concert
7
Pre-Concert Etiquette Activity - Etiquette
8
Pre-Concert Activity – Instrument Identification
10 Pre-Concert Activity – Music Journals
12 About The Composers
14 About The Music You Will Hear
15 Musical Periods and Styles
16 How the Orchestra has Changed Through History
20 Build Your Musical Vocabulary
21 Study Guide Activity
22 Student Review
23 Teacher Evaluation
24 Partners in Education
25 Special Resource
26 INDEX OF VIRGINIA MUSIC STANDARDS OF LEARNING AND INSTRUCTIONAL
STRATEGIES AND CORRELATIONS
31 Why Teach Music?
2
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
From Bach to Bernstein to Beatbox
To study and listen to music is to study and know how history is made. Studying history
helps us to understand how the world was in times past and what it may be like in the future. Music has a history all its own, however the music of a certain time in history also is
part of that time in history. Hearing music can cause us to think about the time in history
when the music was written. Composers often write music that tells about a certain time or
event in history.
Composers of music come from different countries around the world. Sometimes the music
they write can be about certain people, places or things about the country from which they
come. Studying the part of the world where the composer was born or where the music
was written helps us to understand that country better. Composers often write music that
tells about certain features of the geography of the country where they were born or where
the music was written.
This season’s Young People’s Concerts will take its listeners on a musical history and geography experience. As Ben Rous, Resident Conductor for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra,
and the musicians of the orchestra unfold the changes in the orchestra and the music of
the orchestra through the passage of time you will experience music composed and played
before many of you were born as well as music of the current time. Who knows what or how
the orchestra will look in the future? Perhaps many of the sounds you hear as you listen to
the pieces played in “From Bach to Bernstein to Beatbox” will be those you will use to compose music for times to come.
SEE WHERE MUSIC WILL TAKE YOU!
COME AS YOU ARE. LEAVE CHANGED.
Marsha D. Staples
Director of Education/Community Engagement
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Cynthia Jones
2014-15 Young People’s Guide Producer
Newport News Public Schools
Music Educator
3
VIRGINIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA RESIDENT CONDUCTOR
BEN ROUS – “Moving through Time,
the Music and Me
My first instrument was the violin. As a conductor, I’ve
always connected strongly with string instruments,
since they speak my dialect of the language of music.
It turns out that hundreds of years ago composers also
thought that, out of all the instruments in the orchestra,
string instruments were the most important instruments
for concert music. So, for hundreds of years, strings
formed the core of the orchestra.
When I was first learning violin, one of the first concertos
I learned was by Bach. Bach’s music for strings is
wonderful, and the concert we’ve planned for you starts
out with his Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, a piece for us
string players to play by ourselves. Then we gradually
start adding other instruments of the orchestra, first
from the woodwind section. A pair of oboes joins us for
a piece by Handel, a composer who lived at the same
time as Bach.
I remember the first time I played in a full orchestra with
woodwinds, brass, and percussion. I was 12 years
old, and the sound was so big and all around me that I felt like I was swimming in it. Composers liked
these big sounds because it meant they could use music to express bigger things. Brass instruments
used to be used for announcements and communication. For example, a trumpet might have been
used used to say “The King is here! Open the gates!” When Beethoven uses trumpets and timpani in
his 7th symphony, I think it sounds just like that.
As time went on, composers kept adding instruments to the orchestra, making it bigger, fuller, and
more diverse. I remember the first time I played the Scene from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, in youth
orchestra. What a rush! In the 20th century, composers started really expanding what the percussion
section does. When I started as a conductor, the Infernal Dance from Stravinsky’s Firebird is one of the
first pieces I ever conducted with a professional orchestra. The percussion section makes this piece so
much fun, I never get tired of it.
In the Mambo section of West Side Story, Bernstein uses the percussion section to make the whole
orchestra sound like it’s dancing. When my youth orchestra went on a tour to Italy, we played
Berstein’s West Side Story, and the Italian audiences loved it. When you hear the Virginia Symphony
Orchestra play it, I hope you love it too!
4
WHO’S WHO IN THE VIRGINIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA?
JoAnn Falletta, Music Director
Benjamin Rous, Redident Conductor
Robert Shoup, Chorusmaster/Staff Conductor
Violin
* Vahn Armstrong, Concertmaster
- Dorothy Redwood Cooke Sutherland,
Concertmaster Chair
* Yun Zhang, Associate
Concertmaster
* Amanda Gates Armstrong,
Assistant Concertmaster
* Simon Lapointe, Principal Second
- Lee A. & Helen G. Gifford, Principal
Second Violin Chair
* Elizabeth Coulter Vonderheide,
Assistant Principal
* Christine Allison
* Jorge Aguirre
* Yeseul Ann
* Lesa McCoy Bishop
* Wesi Chong Boyer
* Mayu Cipriano (LOA)
* Lillian Curry
* Amy Taira Danielson
* Jeanne DeDominick
* Linda Dennis
* Bill Fearnside
* Kirsty B. Green
* Joan Griffing
* Allegra Tortolano Havens
* Linda Hurwitz
* Pavel Ilyashov
* Tara-Louise Montour
* Jonathan Richards
* Seiko Syvertsen
* Angelina Weber
* Heejin Weisbrod
Viola
* Beverly Kane Baker, Principal
- Marshall Family, Principal Viola
Chair
* Amy Davis
* Annelisa Guries
* Xuan Lin
* Anastasia Migliozzi
* Satoko Rickenbacker
* Jocelyn Smith
* Matthew Umlauf
Cello
* Michael Daniels, Principal
- Elise Nusbaum Hofheimer,
Principal Cello Chair
* Rebecca Gilmore Phillips,
Acting Assistant Principal
* Lui Berz
* Jacob Fowler
* Susan Hines
* Nancy Keevan
* J. Carter Melin
Bass
* Christopher White, Principal
* SCott Harris, Assistant
Principal
* Frederick Dole
* Jason Phillips
* Thomas P. Reel
Harp
* Barbara Chapman, Principal
- The Benton Family, Principal Harp
Chair
Harpsichord
Gift of the Chrysler Museum of Art from Newell H.
Porter in honor of his wife
Piano/Keyboard
The Fannie G. and Milton Friedman Piano Keyboard
Chair
Flute
* Debra Wendells Cross, Principal
- H. Lee Kanter, Principal Flute Chair
* Joanne Meyer White
* Rachel Ordaz
Horn
* Philip Browne, Principal
- Kriner Family, Principal Horn Chair
* Hazel Dean Davis
- Colonel Malcolm Conner Hamby
USAF, Horn Chair
* Erin Lano, Associate Principal Third
Horn
* Kimberly Gilman
* Dennis Herring
Trumpet
* David Vonderheide, Principal
- Marc & Connie Jacobson,
Principal Trumpet Chair
* Adam Gandolfo
* Jeremy Garnett
Trombone
* R. Scott McElroy, Principal
* Michael Miragliatta
Bass Trombone
* Rodney Martell
- Olga & Henry Bensel, Bass
Trombone Chair
Piccolo
Tuba
Oboe
Timpani
* Rachel Ordaz
* Sherie Lake Aguirre, Principal
- Virginia Symphony League Principal
Oboe Chair
* George Corbett
* Michael Dressler
English Horn
* George Corbett
Clarinet
* Michael Byerly, Principal
- Anna Lee Van Buren, Principal
Clarinet Chair
* Scott Boyer
E-flat Clarinet
* Peter DuBeau, Principal
* Michael Laubach, Principal
- D. Ralph & Barbara Stephens, Principal
Timpani Chair
Percussion
* Robert W. Cross, Principal
* Tim Bishop
* J. Scott Jackson
Librarians
* Hitomi Tsuchiya, Principal
* Paula Bonds, Assistant
Personnel Managers
* Scott Boyer
* James Nesbitt
* Jeremy Garnett, Assistant
Bass Clarinet
Stage Crew
* William Thomas
Bassoon
* Will Bishop, Technical Director
* Jack Wampler, Stage Manager
* Laura Leisring, Principal
* David Savige
Contrabassoon
5
GETTING READY FOR YOUR CONCERT VISIT
PROPER CONCERT ETIQUETTE-
DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT!
What is Etiquette?
It’s a set of rules for the way we act. For example, when you chew with your mouth closed at lunch, you
are displaying proper dining etiquette. Or when you walk down the hallway quietly in line as a class, you are
displaying proper hallway etiquette. But etiquette is more than just a set of rules or using good manners, it’s
about making the people around you feel comfortable. After all, chewing food with your mouth wide open
probably doesn’t look too nice to your fellow classmates and might be kind of gross. In the concert hall, just like
in the lunch room and in your school’s hallways, there is a set of rules for the way the audience should act. This
is called proper concert etiquette.
Here is a list of things to remember for your trip to the concert hall. If you put the words to a melody or use
them in a rap, you’ll never forget them!
Don’t forget your concert etiquette:
It’s about listening with the due respect.
Please don’t talk or whisper, tap or sing
Unless the maestro asks for that very thing.
Don’t eat or drink while musicians place.
Keep your gum and candy far away.
Turn off alarms on electronic things,
Like cell phones and watches, so they won’t ring.
Don’t bring toys to play with or jingly blings.
They might distract the woodwinds, or even the strings.
Sighing, crying, sleeping too…
The percussion section might stop to stare at you.
And should you clap when the music stops?
Yes. But only when the conductor’s hands drop.
When it’s time to clap, he’ll turn around,
Ready for all of the applause to sound.
And most of all, keep an open mind
To remember the sights and sounds you’ll find.
6
PRE-CONCERT ACTIVITY - Concert Etiquette
Teaching Objective
Students will demonstrate an understanding of appropriate audience behavior in a variety of settings.
Pre-Assessment
Ask students how they would behave at a symphony concert.
Teaching Sequence
1. Ask students to describe places where they were members of an audience. Answers could include attending
a movie, a theater, a sports arena, at home watching television, a concert hall, etc.
List the answers on chalkboard/smartboard.
2. Discuss the appropriate audience behavior for each of the settings listed above. For example, how would
audience behavior at a golf tournament be different from a football game? How would the audience behave at a
rock or rap concert compared with a classical concert or a recital by a single person?
3. Choose students to act as performers in at least three of the settings listed above. For example, they
may pretend to be playing a sport like golf or ice hockey; or they could pretend to be playing instruments in
an orchestra or a rock band. Allow the students to perform while the rest of the class pretends to be in the
audience.
4. Before and after each performance, review with the class where they are pretending to be and help the class
evaluate the appropriate audience behavior for each location. Point out that some behaviors that are fine in one
setting are considered inappropriate in another. Ask performers if they felt that the audience’s behavior was
appropriate for their performance and why.
Culminating Activity
Tell students that they will soon be going to a concert where they will see and hear a symphony orchestra.
Help students create a rubric for correct behavior at a symphony concert. See example on next page. Have
students use their rubric to evaluate their behavior after the concert.
Evaluation
Did student responses indicate an understanding of appropriate audience behavior in a variety of settings?
ACTION
Talking
Body
IDEAL
BEHAVIOR
Needs Improvement...Outstanding
1...10
Talks softly before and after concert,
but does not talk once concert begins.
Keeps body still, with little movement
during the performance.
Listening
Actively listens during the performance.
Clapping
Claps when the concertmaster and
conductor enter and at the end of each piece
of music. Claps as part of audience participation.
7
PRE-CONCERT ACTIVITY - Instrument
Identification
Teaching Objective
Students will demonstrate an understanding that orchestral instruments are grouped into families based on their
similarities and differences.
Resources
Pictures of orchestral instruments
Small pieces of paper or cards with instrument names and/or pictures on them.
Pre-Assessment
Show students a picture or a seating chart of an orchestra. Be sure that the chart shows pictures of the instruments of
the orchestra. Ask students to look at the chart and tell you what they know about the orchestra. Answer the following
questions:
-Which instruments do you recognize?
-Who leads the orchestra?
-How are the instruments of the orchestra grouped?
-Why are they arranged in this manner?
Teaching Sequence
1. Tell or remind students that orchestral instruments are divided into four groups or families based on how their
sounds are generated. Brass instruments are played by “buzzing”, or vibrating one’s lips into a mouthpiece; woodwind
instruments are played by blowing into a mouthpiece with a reed, between two reeds, or across an opening in the
instrument; percussion instruments are played by shaking, scraping or striking the instrument; and string instruments are
played by plucking or pulling a bow across a string.
2. Tell students that even though each instrument has distinct characteristics, it also resembles the other instruments in
its family - much like you resemble the other members of your family. Have students take turns describing similarities and
differences between themselves and the other members of their families.
3. Show students pictures of the families of the orchestra. As pictures of each family are displayed, have students take
turns describing similarities and differences they see in the instruments in that family.
4. Give each student or team of students, a picture of an orchestral instrument. Ask the students or teams to identify their
instrument and determine the family to which their instrument belongs.
Culminating Activity
Play a short excerpt of symphonic music as the students move into instrumental family groups. If appropriate for your
students, designate a place in the room for each family to stand, otherwise allow students to work that out on their own.
This game can be played several times until students become proficient with all instruments.
Evaluation
Did students demonstrate an understanding that orchestral instruments are grouped into families based on their
similarities and differences?
Extension Activities
1. Instrument “Who Am I” game - Tell students that they are to pretend that they are the instrument pictured on the piece
of paper. Have students take turns giving clues to the other students or teams in the class. Remind students that they are
pretending to be that instrument. Some examples of clues could be, “My family has very long necks. Although my family
gets played two different ways, they are mostly very similar in appearance. I am the smallest member of my family. I have
the highest voice in my whole family, etc.”
Answer: violin. Allow students to play until everyone has shared their clues.
2. Have students bring pictures of their own family and discuss in class how they are similar in appearance to other family
members as well as the characteristics that make them individuals.
8
9
PRE-CONCERT ACTIVITY - Musical
Journals
Teaching Objective
Students will record how their response to music changes after repeated listenings.
Resources
Music Journal worksheet for each student or notebook paper
Pencils
Recordings of the music that will be played at the Youth Concert
Pre-Assessment
Ask students if they have ever tasted a new food. With repeated tastings, did their opinion of the food change?
Ask students if they have ever been introduced to a new student at their school. After they got to know the
other student, did their opinion of that student change? This happens with music...the more you listen, the more
you hear. Sometimes a musical piece that you first hear becomes a favorite after hearing it repeated a number
of times.
Teaching Sequence
1. Pass out the Music Journal worksheets and pencils. Play one of the pieces that will be heard at the concert.
Ask students to list the name of the piece and the composer.
2. After the initial hearing, ask students to record their reactions, any emotions they may have felt, and anything
else that they hear in the music.
3. Over a period of time, listen to the music repeatedly. After each hearing ask the students to record their
reactions in their Music Journals.
Culminating Activity
Compare students’ initial reactions to their latest reactions.
Evaluation
Did students’ recorded reactions change over time after hearing the music a number of times?
Extension Activity
1. Have students write a paragraph essay before attending the symphony concert, titled “I Imagine an
Orchestra Concert…” in which the students describe what they expect at the concert.
2. Immediately after attending the concert, have the students write a paragraph essay titled “My Orchestra
Experience,” in which students write about their reaction to the concert and how their expectations were or
were not met.
10
Musical Journals Worksheet
Listen to one of the musical selections that will be performed at the upcoming “Sounds and Stories” concert.
After you listen to the piece, record your reactions and any emotions you feel as you listen to it.
11
Johann Sebastian Bach
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
1685-1750
Baroque Composer
Nationality: German
Famous Works: Brandenburg Concertos
1770 -1827
Classical Composer
Nationality: German
Famous Works: Symphonies 1 through 9, Fur Elise
J.S. Bach was born in
Germany into a family of
musicians. Although he started
with the violin at an early
age, sang and played the
harpsichord, he was most well
known for playing the organ.
Bach was a deeply religious
man and his faith inspired
many of his greatest works.
He is regarded as the best
composer of the Baroque era.
Before he died, Bach started losing his eyesight and
eventually went completely blind.
GEORGE FREDERIC HANDEL
1685 - 1759
Baroque Composer
Nationality: German
Famous Work: Messiah
George Frederick Handel was born in Germany, but
spent most of his professional life in England.
Even though Handel was very interested in music as
a child, his father did not want him to pursue music
as a career. However, one day Handel sat down at
the keyboard and
dazzled a duke with
his impressive skills.
The duke convinced
Handel’s father to let his
son study music.
Handel really loved
opera and wrote close
to 50 of them! He also
helped develop the
oratorio and is well
known for his famous
song, The Hallelujah Chorus, from The Messiah.
12
Beethoven grew up in a very unhappy home in Germany.
By the time he was twelve, he was earning a living for his
family by playing organ and composing. He was eventually
known as the greatest pianist of his time.
Beethoven never married even though he proposed
to plenty of women who rejected him (he wasn’t very
attractive and he had a rather nasty temper). Yet in spite
of his unpleasant personality,
Beethoven is best defined by his
music.
Although Beethoven gradually
lost his hearing, he continued
composing. He composed many
of the most famous musical
works of all time, such as his
Ninth Symphony, after he had
become totally deaf.
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
1840-1893
Romantic Composer
Nationality: Russian
Famous Works: The Nutcracker and Swan Lake
Piotr (or Peter in English) Tchaikovsky was born in
Russia and is widely regarded as Russia’s most popular
composer of all times. He
wrote almost 170 pieces
including symphonies,
operas, ballets, concertos,
cantatas and songs.
Tchaikovsky traveled all
across Europe to hear his
music performed and guest
conduct. His ballets are still
so popular, it is not unusual
for The Nutcracker to be
performed every December
in communities all over the
world.
IGOR STRAVINSKY
1882-1971
Modern Composer
Nationality: Russian
Famous Works: Rite of Spring, Firebird
During his long life, Stravinsky saw tremendous changes
--and, in his music, he
created great change.
Stravinsky’s father, an
opera singer, wanted him
to become a lawyer, so
when he went to college he
studied law and music at
the same time. The music
for the ballet The Firebird
made him so famous as a
composer, that he gave up
law.
When his piece The Rite of Spring was first played in
public, it caused a riot -- the audience made so much
noise arguing about the music that the orchestra was
drowned out! In 1925 Stravinsky first visited the United
States. He finally moved here in 1939 and later became
an American citizen. He continued to write music,
including a polka for the Ringling Brothers Circus elephants
to dance to and an arrangement of The Star Spangled
Banner -- which no one liked, because he created music
that was different from anything that had been heard
Leonard Bernstein
1918 - 1990
Modern Composer
Nationality: American
Famous Works: West
Side Story
The son of Russian
immigrants, Leonard
Bernstein was one of
the first American-born
conductors to acquire
worldwide fame. At 10 ten
years of age, Bernstein
started playing the piano
and he later studied music theory and conducting.
Bernstein was very intrigued by all different styles of music
and that greatly influenced his compositions. He borrowed
from classical, jazz and other styles to create his most
famous work West Side Story.
Teacher Notes
13
ABOUT THE MUSIC YOU WILL HEAR
Brandenburg Concerto #3, movement 1 by Bach- This is one of six concertos,
(a musical piece for one or more soloists and orchestra with three contrasting movements)
Bach wrote for an important military leader in Brandenburg. The first movement is traditionally
performed in a quick tempo and is written for three violins, three violas, three cellos, bass and
harpsichord.
The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by Handel - This piece is part of an oratorio, which
is a large-scale musical work for orchestra and voices, typically based on a religious theme. The
Solomon oratorio was performed during church services in the Baroque period, but today is often
performed for weddings or dances. Notice the lively tempo and upbeat mood of the piece. Listen
to the melody of the oboe and how the other instruments complement, but not overshadow.
Symphony No. 7, Scherzo by Beethoven - As with many scherzos, this piece is part of
a much larger work or symphony. Scherzo means “to joke” or “to play a musical piece in a
humorous or lighthearted manner.” In this selection notice how the instruments imitate or seem to
chase each other. This classical selection is also full of dynamic changes.
Swan Lake Suite, movement 1 by Tchaikovsky – Considered one of the most famous
ballets of all time, Tchaikovsky composed the music and helped develop the story of Odette, a
beautiful princess turned into a swan by an evil curse, and the prince who recognized her beauty
and was willing to sacrifice everything for love. Tchaikovsky’s music is famous for his emotionfilled melodies and sensitive harmonies.
Infernal Dance by Stravinsky - Based on a Russian folktale, this ballet is quite different! The
hero, Prince Ivan, has an encounter with “a fabulous bird with plumage of fire.” The bird gives
Ivan a magic feather that he may use in the face of danger. Afraid of being turned to stone by an
evil King, Ivan uses the magic feather and the Firebird appears to help him. In the Infernal Dance,
the Firebird leads the monsters in a wild dance. As with other Modern composers, notice how
the orchestra uses some unusual sounds to paint a picture.
Overture to West Side Story by Bernstein – An overture is the orchestral introduction to a
large musical work. Included in this overture are snippets of all the melodies the audience would
hear sung in West Side Story. The storyline for this musical is not new... it is actually a modern
day version of Romeo and Juliet. The two main characters fall in love, but are kept apart because
their families have been fighting for years and belong in rival groups.
14
Musical Periods & Musical Styles
Musical Period: Dividing music into broad categories based on the time written and general characteristics
in style. Although there are earlier periods, we will concentrate on these:
- Baroque Period
- Classical Period
- Romantic Period
- Modern Period
Musical Style: Ways to describe how music is expressed, played or classified. Here are just a few
examples:
- Opera
- Jazz
- Orchestra vs. Marching Band
- Instrumental
- Hip hop
Musical Periods
Baroque Period: 1600-1750
Baroque (ba-roke) is a word used to describe a style that followed the changes in
European music between the years 1600 and 1750. The word baroque means
“strange” or “excessive.” The music had more than one melody that could either harmonize or clash with the other.
Composers used loud, soft, fast and slow tones to make the listener understand a story or feel certain emotions. At
this time secular (non-church) music was becoming popular and the orchestra and opera were invented.
Classical Period: 1750-1820
The classical period in music history lasted for only 70 years; however there were
many changes during this time. Strict rules were applied to music composition and
the sounds were more balanced and restrained. New instruments such as the clarinet, flute and other instruments
were added to the orchestra and new types of songs, or musical compositions, were created to adapt to the new
sounds. Two major composers of the classical period you may have heard of were Beethoven and Mozart.
Romantic Period: 1820-1910
During the Romantic period, composers experimented with their music and showed much more creativity and
emotion. Melody became the dominant feature of the music and was used to express nationalism (loyalty to a
country or group of people). The opera and orchestra continued to be well-liked and new sounds were added. It is
said that Franz Liszt, who was a famous Hungarian composer of this period, played the piano with so much emotion
that women in the audience would faint while listening to him play.
Modern Period: 1910-Present
The music of the 20th and 21st century is much less traditional in sound than the music of earlier periods. In the early
to mid 20th century many new musical styles such as jazz, rock and roll, and country music were introduced and
became enormously popular. Technology has played a very important part in the evolution of modern music as new
styles were created around instruments such as the electric guitar and electronic keyboard. The use of computers has
also had a huge influence on musical styles by allowing composers and musicians to manipulate sounds.
15
How the Orchestra Has
Changed Through History
THE ORCHESTRA
IN THE
BAROQUE PERIOD
In Europe the orchestra
began to increase in size
because composers began
to write music that required
more instruments and
instruments that could
make different sounds. The
leader of the orchestra was
usually a violinist. By the end
of the Baroque period (1750), the orchestra had become a large unified group.
THE ORCHESTRA
IN THE CLASSICAL
PERIOD
By the time of the Classical
period, the orchestra was made
up of basically string and wind
instruments, occasionally, brass
and percussion instruments were
used. The violin section of the
orchestra was divided intotwo
sections. The musician who
played “first violin” directed the
orchestra.
16
THE ORCHESTRA IN THE ROMANTIC PERIOD
Orchestra groups increased around the world and orchestral organizations
were formed. Orchestra performances reached a more public audience.
No longer did orchestras play just for the rich. They began to reach a wider
audience. The conductor became the leader of the orchestra and the size of
orchestras increased. Much of the music played during the Romantic period
by symphony orchestras was the music of the Classical period.
17
THE ORCHESTRA IN THE MODERN PERIOD
The modern orchestra continued to play the music from previous musical
periods. The sound of the modern orchestra developed even more. The
percussion section grew in number and type of instruments. The piano was
reintroduced into the orchestra as a percussion instrument. Although many
new electronic musical instruments had been invented, they were not included
in the regular orchestra set-up, but are occasionally added to the orchestra
for certain pieces of music. In the latter half of the 20th century, women were
included as symphony orchestra musicians. At first women were only allowed
to play in all-female orchestras, with the exception of the harp player, who
had been allowed to play with male musicians. However, during World War
II, women replaced those male musicians who were away at war. Gradually,
between 1950 and 1960, orchestras began accepting women musicians.
Today, women not only play in symphony orchestras, they also conduct them,
as does our Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director, JoAnn Falletta.
18
What Will Happen to Music
in the Future?
You can now see that changes in music are based on the music from past generations.
Sometimes a composer creates a new sound or style by building on the popular style of the
day. Other times, a composer rebels against the popular style and creates something totally
new and different. Many styles were developed as an expression of a particular culture. For
example, hip-hop and rap music came out of inner city cultures. Country and bluegrass music
developed from people that live and work outside of big cities.
As long as humans exist, we will continue to express ourselves through music, and music will
continue to change with use. Every new generation will create new sounds and styles that
reflect their world. Just as your music is different from that of your parents and grandparents,
your children’s music will be different from yours.
19
BUILD YOUR MUSICAL VOCABULARY
ballet – music written for a theatrical production, incorporating dancing and scenery to tell
a story
orchestra - usually a large group of musicians led by a conductor who play classical
music on musical instruments that belong to the string, woodwind, brass and percussion
families
opera - a story set to music
music virtuoso - a highly skilled performer
harpsichord - a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound
by plucking a string when each key is pressed. It was used during the Baroque and part of
the Classical music periods. It looks very much like a piano.
musical staff - a musical staff represents the time line of music. It is generally made up
of five lines and four spaces. Notes are placed on these lines and spaces to show which
pitch should sound.
musical score - a written form of a musical composition; parts for different instruments
appear on separate staves on large pages of paper
conductor - a man or woman who directs rehearsals and performances by an orchestra,
band, chorus, opera company, or other musical group
composer – a person who writes music
concerto – a musical piece for one or more soloists and orchestra with three contrasting
parts or sections
oratorio – a large-scale musical work for orchestra and voices that is typically based on a
religious text
baton - a stick that is used by conductors to show the steady beat of a piece through
horizontal or vertical movements
conducting pattern - the horizontal or vertical movements the conductor’s baton makes
in the air as the conductor helps the orchestra keep the steady beat for the music being
played
tempo - the speed of music. It’s a steady constant pulse, like a clock ticking. Tempo can
be slow or fast or in-between, and it can change during a song. Tempo influences how
music sounds and feels. The same piece of music will sound different if it is played slower
or faster.
dynamics - the loudness or softness of a sound or note
legato - smooth and connected
staccato - disconnected and separated
maestro - indicates that the conductor is a man. It means “master” or “teacher” in Italian.
maestra - indicates that the conductor is a woman. It has the same meaning as
“maestro.”
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MAKE A TIME LINE
What is a Timeline?
A timeline is an actual picture of events that happened in history. Timelines can be
LINEAR or COMPARATIVE:
A linear timeline shows a picture of events as they occurred in a certain period
of time. Use a linear timeline for one subject and time frame. A linear timeline can be
written horizontally or vertically, for example:
A comparative timeline shows two or more subject areas which occurred at the
same time; it shows readers the "big picture." A comparative timeline might compare
historical events in two or more countries or compare two or more subjects like music
and theater. A comparative timeline could look like this:
Do some research and find out in what year and musical period each of the pieces of
music was written that you have heard in “How The Orchestra Grew.” Make a linear
timeline based on the information that you find.
Make a comparative timeline using the year that the music was written in and compare
what was happening in America at that time. Do the same to show what was happening
in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the year that the music was written.
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Please have your teacher send your review to:
Young People’s Concerts, Virginia Symphony
150 Boush Street, STE 201
Norfolk, VA 23510
or FAX to: 757.466.3050 or EMAIL: [email protected]
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Young People’s Concerts, Virginia Symphony
150 Boush Street, STE 201
Norfolk, VA 23510
or FAX to: 757.466.3050 or EMAIL: [email protected]
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Partners in Education
Bank of America
Frances Levy Birshtein & The Birshtein Family Fund
Business Consortium for Arts Support
The Camp Foundation
The Capital Group Companies/Home of American Funds
Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission
Charles and Minette Cooper Concert Endowment
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Norfolk Alumnae Chapter
Dominion Power
Franklin Southampton Charities
Hampton Roads Community Foundation
Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg
The Morning Star Foundation
Music & Arts
Newport News Arts Commission
Norfolk Commission on the Arts & Humanities
Patricia and Douglas Perry Foundation
Portsmouth Museum & Fine Arts Commission
The Pruden Foundation
Southeast Virginia Community Foundation
Suffolk Fine Arts Commission
The Suffolk Foundation
SunTrust Foundation
The USAA Foundation
Tidewater Children’s Foundation
The J. Edwin Treakle Foundation
Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission
Virginia Beach Public Schools
Virginia Commission for the Arts
Wells Fargo Foundation
Williamsburg Area Arts Commission
York County Arts Commission
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SPECIAL RESOURCE
A SMART notebook presentation and modified PowerPoint presentation were
developed by Cindy Jones, a music educator in the Newport News Public Schools,
as a supplement to the Instructional Guide. They are designed to either further
prepare students before coming to the concert or to reinforce what they experienced
after the concert.
It may be accessed through the VSO website: www.virginiasymphony.org under the
Education/Community Engagement menu at “Young People’s Concerts”.
Special thanks to Cindy for all her great work on this resource which enhances the
concert experience for students, teachers and parents alike
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2013 STANDARDS OF LEARNING
GUIDELINES/3rd-6th GRADE CORRELATIONS
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