The Nightingale and the Fox Listening Guide

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The Nightingale and The Fox Listening Guide

Stravinsky’s richly orchestrated Nightingale conjures up a magical, fairytale vision of Ancient China. The opera’s exotically colourful orchestral palette combines with the other-worldly sound of the high soprano voice for the Nightingale to evoke sounds of nature in the deep forest. In contrast, the sound world of The Fox is created by a much smaller ensemble and relies on folk tunes to tell a fable.

The tracks listed below correspond to the complimentary CD provided to school group bookings only.

Not coming to the opera but looking to explore the music in your classroom? The Nightingale excerpts below can be found in the recording on the Naxos label, with Robert Craft conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra with a cast that includes Olga Trifonova, Robert Tear and Sally Burgess. The track numbers in parantheses correspond to this recording.

Track # Musical Connection Musical elements Strategies for excerpt to the story and significance Listening

THE NIGHTINGALE

14 “Catching fish, The Fisherman The “Song of the Fisherman” is written How would you describe heavenly spirit” sings of the in a fairly conventional manner typical of “Russian sounding” Nightingale and the Russian impressionistic style of the music? How would you how her song time, represented best in the fairy tale characterize music from makes him forget all operas of Stravinsky’s teacher, the great other cultures (French, of his worries. composer Rimsky-Korsakov. The melody Chinese, and African)? has a nostalgic quality which seems to And why? function as Stravinsky’s farewell to a style of musical composition which, in his hands, will be radically changed.

15 “From the sky a The Nightingale The Nightingale’s music continues in the Impressionist music star in diamond makes her entrance, Russian impressionistic style. The sounds focused on suggesting dew fell singing of dew she produces are ethereal and magical. an atmosphere instead scattered…” which falls from The role is sung by a coloratura soprano of trying to evoke stars onto the (a female voice type that is light, pure, strong emotions. What palace gardens flute-like and capable of great agility when atmosphere is Stravinsky below. way up high) which seems totally fitting trying to evoke? How does for a creature which can fly, and whose he achieve it? song can mesmerize a powerful Emperor.

Canadian Opera Company ~ Education and Outreach ~ Nightingale Study Guide 2009/2010 ~ coc.ca ~ 416-306-2392 Track # Musical Connection Musical elements Strategies for excerpt to the story and significance Listening

22 “Bring light, At the palace, We immediately enter into a different Close your eyes and bring light, oh, courtiers prepare sound world with the beginning of Act II. visualize the world of the quickly bring for the arrival of the With a loud bang of the drum, the entire Emperor’s palace based us light!” Nightingale who Imperial Palace is preparing to receive on the music you hear will sing for the the bird in a delirium of decorations in this excerpt. What is Emperor. and bells as choruses cry out on every going on in the palace? side. The lush, romantic harmonies of How are people moving Act I give way to a more rhythmical and about? What do their mechanistic soundscape which suits the clothes look like? How artificial atmosphere of the Emperor’s do they interact with one palace. another?

30 “Where is The Japanese In this scene, Stravinsky creates a kind The pentatonic scale he?...He flew envoys bring the of faux Chinese atmosphere by using is often associated away, great gift of a mechanical oriental pentatonic scales (that is, five with music from Asian Emperor nightingale to the note scales as opposed to the seven countries. What are some almighty” Emperor causing note scales of the Western musical of the characteristics the real Nightingale tradition). The music of this scene is commonly found in the to fly away. As a unrestrained and jarring and filled with music of your cultural result, the Emperor odd noises appropriate to a mechanical heritage? banishes her from bird! the kingdom.

36 “But sing, but The Emperor lies The music of the final act is once again in How does the sing once dying, attended by contrast to what came before. From the Nightingale’s voice differ more!” the figure of Death. clattering noise of Act II, we’ve entered from the voice of Death? The Nightingale a more sombre world of scraping noises, returns and upon dull colours and menacing choruses. It hearing her sing, is the bright sound of the Nightingale Death agrees which pulls us away from the darkness, to give back the seducing Death and ultimately reviving Emperor’s life. the dying Emperor.

THE FOX

The Russian fairytale Stravinsky’s choice of which musical Try to distinguish which follows the Fox who instruments are used (known as singers/voices represent tries to trick and “orchestration”) is quite unique for this which characters just by catch the Cock. The opera. The number of musicians is much listening to the music – Cat and the Ram less than what would be considered text, voice types, use of rescue the Cock typical for an opera orchestra. Most instruments, and singing after each time it often, orchestras have entire sections style. What type of hints is deceived by the of each string instrument (violins, does Stravinsky offer the Fox. At the end violas, cellos and basses), however listener? of the opera, the Stravinsky uses only two violins, one Cock, the Cat and viola, one cello and one bass. He If you had to direct the the Ram trick and also uses fewer instruments from the opera and set it in modern strangle the Fox. woodwind and brass families. The times, where might the In celebration of result of this reduction in musicians is action take place? outwitting the Fox, a more transparent sound where each the three friends instrument is much more noticeable and sing and dance. exposed.

Another unique aspect of the instrumentation of The Fox is the use of a very uncommon instrument known as a cimbalom, which consists of strings stretched out over a soundboard, producing sound when the strings are plucked or struck with hammers. The sound has a very distinct quality. The cimbalom, in addition to the reduced scale of the remainder of the instrumental ensemble, creates an orchestral texture very suggestive of a peasant orchestra, the sound of which is perfectly suited to the folk-like nature of the opera’s story.

In The Fox Stravinsky draws on typical Russian folk music including the repetition of short melodic phrases, syncopation (accenting normally weak beats) and irregular meters (changing the number of beats in a bar).

Listening Guide: The Nightingale by Gianmarco Segato, creative and retail assistant in the COC’s marketing department Listening Guide: The Fox by Andrew Harper, music library and resource centre assistant

Canadian Opera Company ~ Education and Outreach ~ Nightingale Study Guide 2009/2010 ~ coc.ca ~ 416-306-2392