Meeting Mozart

Sydney Opera House 2019 Teacher Resources Welcome

Sydney Opera House is one of the indisputable Did You Know…? masterpieces of human creativity and has long been a - The original cost estimate to build place for learning and sharing knowledge. The land on Sydney Opera House was $7 million. The final cost was $102 million and it was which Sydney Opera House stands was known to its largely paid for by a State Lottery. traditional custodians, the Gadigal people of the Eora - There are more than 1 million roof tiles Nation, as Tubowgule, meaning “where the knowledge covering approximately 1.62 hectares sitting over the structure. They were waters meet”. A stream carried fresh water down from made in Sweden. what is now Pitt Street to the cove near Tubowgule, a - The Sydney Opera House sails were rock promontory that at high tide became an island. built using three tower cranes made in The mixing of fresh and salt waters formed a perfect France for this job, costing $100,000 each. Sydney Opera House was one fishing ground. Middens of shells were a testament to of the first buildings constructed in Tubowgule’s long history as a place where the Gadigal using tower cranes. gathered, feasted, sung, danced and told stories. - The Playhouse was originally used as a cinema and in the late 1970s was a popular venue for surfing movies.

In this program

3 Introduction 11 Post-Performance Activities 4 Visiting the Sydney 13 At the Sydney Opera House Opera House 14 Classroom Context 5 The Creative Learning Journey and Curriculum Links 6 Sydney Opera House 15 Keep in touch Creativity Framework 7 Performance Description and Synopsis 8 Meet the Creatives 9 Pre-Performance Activities Introduction

These Creative Learning Resources have been prepared to help you get the most out of Meeting Mozart. These resources have been collated to help prepare your students unpack the performance and gain the most from their attendance at the production.

You should use and adapt these Resources to suit the student age and stage of your class and the curriculum foci and outcomes used in your school. These Resources are written as a creative document for you to bring to life. If you have questions about exercises or provocations please feel free to make contact to talk it through. We are always open to feedback, comments and working with you to assist and learn from you. Contact details are on the back page.

Some websites are suggested throughout this resource. It is recommended that you first visit the sites and assess the suitability of the content for your particular school environment before setting the activities based on these.

The Sydney Opera House has a bank of Creative Learning Resources for you to access and use. Please have a look around our website for other resources and activities that could support your classroom learning program.

3 Visiting the Sydney Opera House

On the day At the theatre

Arrive early We’d like to welcome you to the experience Please ensure that your group arrives of attending a live performance – while we at the venue 25 minutes prior to the know you get all the etiquette stuff, here’s performance start time. Latecomers may a reminder of some simple information you only be admitted to a performance during can pass on to your students. a suitable break, and in some cases, may be excluded. Please call Front of House - We ask you to get involved in the on 02 9250 7134 to notify us if you are performances by applauding and running late. laughing at appropriate moments. If you have a question – ask your School bags teacher at the interval/end of the Your safety and security is paramount show or one of the cast, if you to us during your visit to the Opera have a chance for a Question & House. Therefore, all items larger than Answer session. the dimensions of a standard A4 piece of paper must be checked in to the - Food and drink is not permitted cloakroom. As they have limited space, in the theatre we ask that teachers and students do not bring large bags/backpacks to - Live theatre is different to TV – the actors the performance. on stage can hear and see you and there are other members of the audience Food and beverage to think about. If you need to leave the You’ll find food and drinks outlets on the performance for any reason, please lower level of the concourse. Please note ensure this is done quickly and quietly food and drink are permitted inside the at an appropriate break in the action. foyers, but only bottled water in the venues. - Switching your phone to silent isn’t the only thing to do. Please ensure Getting here that you switch off your mobile phone We are a ten minute walk from Circular and leave it in your bag before the Quay, the closest station for public performance begins. The glow of an transport via train, bus and ferry. To view iPhone screen is obvious to others timetable information and ensure your and is very distracting! public transport needs can be met, please contact Transport NSW on 131500 or transportnsw.info.

Coach parking Buses and coaches can’t park onsite at Sydney Opera House. Large buses must disembark passengers on Macquarie Street. Please contact City of Sydney to confirm bus and coach set down areas. We recommend allowing an additional 10 minutes for walking from Macquarie Street.

4 The Creative Learning Journey

Before you arrive On the day Back in the classroom

- Begin your Creative - Explore the Opera House - Continue the creative exploration Learning Journey Book a Guided Tour, for before or after Bring the creatives to you and Have your students think about the your performance, and explore the participate in one of our digital themes of the performance with venues and spaces of the iconic Sydney workshops or digital author talks information and activities in these Opera House with one of our expert to further extend the learning Creative Learning Teachers Resources. tour guides. journey of your students. Free for - Preparing for your visit - Question the creatives all Australian schools and offered Prepare students for your visit Enjoy the event and be ready to get throughout the year. with a Digital Tour of the Sydney involved in the Q&A sessions after - Listen and watch Opera House prior to your theatre the performances with our education Use the digital content pieces excursion. Introduce the story of specialists, performers, directors on our social media channels this place so that your students and producers. to gain more insight into the world begin engaging before they arrive. - Delve deeper of Sydney Opera House and the Free for all Australian Schools and For some events, students are exciting things that happen here. offered throughout the year. able to participate in workshops with the artists and creatives at the Opera House. Check out each performance to see what is available – but space is limited! - Make a day of it Don’t forget we are located close to a range of cultural institutions. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Sydney, State Library of NSW, Art Gallery of NSW and Australian Museum offer exhibitions, workshops and more for schools, all within walking distance of Sydney Opera House.

5 Sydney Opera House Creativity Framework

These Creative Learning Resources have been written using the Sydney Opera House Creativity Framework as the pedagogy. The Framework aims to define the creative process in a way that educators can use to teach and be inspired by. At a glance this Creativity Framework is:

Prepare Question Reflect Tools and pathways Analysis, investigation Remembering, Preparing mind, body, space, and revelation Processing, exiting materials and time. Creating new understanding Creating understanding by analyzing what just and healthy memories Buy in happened when honing from the creative process Presence and enthusiasm the imagination. and product. Convincing students that they want to be there. Make Forging from content Imagine Putting shape to content The fertile unknown and moving towards a Exploring a subject through project; scripts, composition, arts practice. Using form choreography, project design. to uncover content. Show Allowing uncensored Commit, frame, judgement expression to reveal Performing and presenting new ways of seeing the work. a subject.

Whilst written as a sequence, the Sydney This Framework underpins the Sydney Opera House Creativity Framework is Opera House Creative Leadership in not a method or system but a way of Learning program that sees schools articulating the creative process. As partner with the House for three years the Framework is applied it becomes in a program of teacher professional apparent the sequence dissolves and learning, student projects and many of the specific sections live in one performances. For more information exercise. These resources have been please see the Sydney Opera House written with this in mind. website.

6 Performance Description and Synopsis

In this presentation of Meeting Mozart students will Topics for exploration meet renowned pianist Simon Tedeschi who assumes - Classical music the persona of the musical wunderkind himself, Years , on this journey into - Wolfgang Amadeus the music behind the man. Mozart - Historical figures K–2 Joined by his wife and muse, Constanze, young music lovers will be introduced to a range of Central themes Mozart’s music, from variations on ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, - Relationships Tue 15 Oct Little Star’ to his major compositions. You’ll meet 10.30am & 12.15pm all the instruments in the ensemble along the way, - Making, understanding and discover some of our best-known and loved and enjoying music Wed 16 Oct . - Comedy 10.30am & 12.15pm $16 per student 55 min (incl. 10 min Q&A) Venue: Playhouse

7 Meet the CreativesMeet Simon Tedeschi Michelle Doake – Performer – Performer Simon Tedeschi is one of Australia’s most Since graduating from NIDA Michelle has renowned and sought-after pianists, worked extensively as an actor, singer awarded several prestigious prizes and voice over artist. including first prize in the Keyboard She is well known on stage division of the Royal Overseas League with theatre credits including Arcadia, Competition (UK), Symphony Australia’s Dead White Males, The Wharf Review, Young Performer of the Year Award, and The Wonderful World of Dissocia and After the Legacy Award from the Creativity Dinner for ; A Foundation (USA). Also recipient of a Little Night Music for Melbourne Theatre Centenary of Federation Medal, Tedeschi Company and Img; The Winter’s Tale (1997 has performed in major concert halls & 2014), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, throughout Europe, North America Measure for Measure, The Merchant of and Asia, and for world leaders such as Venice, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet for George W. Bush, , Nelson the Bell Shakespeare Company; Japes, Mandela, and the Dalai Lama. Birthrights, Warning: Explicit Material, As soloist, Tedeschi regularly performs Camp, Cruise Control and Absent Friends with orchestras around Australia and for ; Nine productions worldwide, with conductors including for including Mrs , Alan Gilbert, Michael Warren’s Profession, Separation, Talking Halász, Jun Märkl and Sir William Heads And Crimes Of The Heart; Stories Southgate. Based in the USA for several From Suburban Road and The Corporal’s years, since returning to Sydney in 2010, Wife for Perth Theatre Company; Mack Tedeschi has performed for the Sydney And Mabel at the and and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, Falling From Grace for Playbox. Other Sydney Opera House, Musica Viva, productions include The Venetian Twins, Queensland Music Festival and numerous Elegies, The Villain Of Flowers, Follies concert series around the country. In Concert, Lounge Room Culture, The His wide-ranging discography includes King Of Laughter and After Dinner for the highly acclaimed recordings of concerti Edinburgh Festival, The One Day Of The by Grieg, Tchaikovsky and Mozart, and Year, The Cat Lady Of Bexley and Sydney the highly popular solo albums, Gershwin Opera House Babies Proms: Meeting and Me and Gershwin: Take Two (ABC Mozart for CDP and UAE and China tour, Classics/UMA), both reaching no.1 on the the Australian musical The Hatpin for Limelight Classical Charts. He also played White Box/Neil Gooding Productions and the hands of acclaimed pianist David The Hansard Monologues for the Seymour Helfgott for the Oscar-winning film Shine, Centre. directed by Scott Hicks. Simon is an Ambassador for the Australian Children’s Music Foundation, Fine Music FM, Sydney and Ryde Eisteddfods.

8 Pre Performance Activities

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

- Revise with the students the tune and note - sing it as 3 syllables - using a well-known French nursery rhyme – words of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ the original note, the one above it ‘Ah vous dirai-je, Maman’, when he was and back to the original note – e.g. around 25 years old (in 1781 or 1782) into - Ask the students if they recognise the sta-a- ar (F, G, F). a set of twelve variations. Listen to the tune as belonging to another nursery solo piano variations on YouTube using rhyme (“Baa Baa Black Sheep’). - Change the direction of the pitch - the following clip and compare them to when you would normally sing the the classes variations: www.. - Ask the students how they could vary line in an ascending pitch, sing it in com/watch?v=im_tJLeo2qU or change the way the class could sing a descending pitch and vice versa. ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’. Choose 2-3 - Discuss with the children how clever students to come and conduct the class - Change the words so that it is no Mozart was and how he made each singing the nursery rhyme changing how longer ‘twinkle twinkle little star, variation different and appealing. it is performed. Experiment with making how I wonder what you are’ e.g. Explain that in the Primary Proms it louder, softer, slower, faster. ‘twinkle twinkle little bat, how I concert ‘Meeting Mozart’ they will wonder what you’re at.’ hear these variations played by Simon - Discuss with the students how you could Tedeschi who will be playing the vary how it is performed by making the - Divide the class into groups and character of the composer Mozart. following changes e.g.: encourage them to develop their own way of varying this well-known nursery Simon Tedeschi has a website where - Repeat the word twinkle four times rhyme. Let each group perform for the more information can be found out in the time it would normally take to class and discuss what they changed about Simon and what he plays outside sing it twice, every time it occurs. to make their ’variation’. the music of Mozart simontedeschi.com

- On the last word of every line - - Explain that the composer Wolfgang instead of singing it as one long Amadeus Mozart arranged the tune of

Attributed to Helix84

9 Getting to know The Mozart Orchestra

In the performance of ‘Meeting Mozart’ The MSO Learn App for iPad and iPhone with making their own string instruments you will meet the string family of the is a great way to explore different out of a box and some elastic bands: orchestra. In the performance you will instruments of the orchestra: youtube.com/watch?v=b-Oocwv_HUU hear them playing on their own and as itunes.apple.com/au/app/mso-learn/ part of a accompanying id441422027?mt=8 or a tube-tar: the piano. youtube.com/watch?v=IJJulwU3TJ4 - There are four different kinds of string String instruments are made with a instruments in an orchestra – In the Meeting Mozart performance you resonating box made of wood, which (the highest sounding instrument in the will hear 5 string instruments – 2 Violins, has strings stretched over a bridge that family and the smallest), (the next a , a and a . This is keeps the strings away from the wood. biggest), (the third biggest) called a String Quintet. These strings can be bowed with a bow and Double Basses (the very biggest). made from horsehair, or plucked by the fingers. - Discuss with the students how as the instrument gets bigger the sounds get  lower and how you have to bow or pluck the strings on the instruments to make a sound.

- Encourage the students to experiment

Piano Concerto No. 21 – The Elvira Madigan Movement

Play the students the slow movement of -The third section is when the main theme their instrument/s are not playing, they Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 from this returns in both the piano and orchestra must stand still. If they move, they have YouTube clip: http://www.youtube.com/ again in a different key, both sharing the to sit out and become a judge for who is watch?v=df-eLzao63I melody and the accompaniment role. moving at the right time.

This beautiful slow piece of music -The theme is a series of lovely long -Explain that the slow movement, or 2nd is divided into three distinct parts: phrases. Divide the class into three movement, of this concerto was used groups –one to depict the piano part, in a 1967 Swedish film called ‘Elvira -Discuss with the students how in one the string instruments and one the Madigan’ and has since then has been this recording the first time you hear woodwind instruments. Play a game with known as the ‘Elvira Madigan’ Concerto. the main theme it is played by the the students: instruments of the orchestra and the piano together. Hand out multi coloured scarves and encourage the students to find a space -The second time the theme is played in the room and move their scarves in mainly on the piano with the orchestra long arcs as each new phrase is heard playing an accompanying role. The piano in either the piano or the orchestral introduces new material and the piece instruments. Allocate each group either changes key. the piano, woodwind or string part. When

10 Post Performance Activities

Dancing a

- In the performance of the Meeting - If not able to do the more complicated - Discuss how the clothing of the day Mozart you heard the first piece the Minuet, try dancing a simple version dictated the dance steps. It could not clever young four-year-old Mozart with this youtube recording be too complicated as the women had wrote. This piece is the dance music of youtube.com/watch?v=FejHZUyj_Lw dresses with lots of petticoats that made Mozart’s time. It is called a Minuet. In them difficult to move quickly in. the performance, you all got to dance - Divide the students into pairs, place a version of this dance with Constanze them in lines facing each other holding (Mozart’s wife). hands, encourage them to devise their own ‘Minuet’ style movements - Watch this YouTube clip of dancing - stepping together and away in a a minuet with the class, simple side step along with the music, youtube.com/watch?v=doJ9bphxxKU bowing or curtseying to each other, promenading in pairs around in a circle - Discuss the main features of the Minuet: or changing partners with the pair next it is slow and stately, the partners to them. sometimes hold hands, step towards each other and then away, bow and - Have each group perform their dance curtsy to each other and sometimes with Mozart’s minuet. they change partners.

Eine kliene nachtmusik

This piece by Mozart, Eine Kleine develops the themes presented in the to be the conductor and have them Nachtmusik, Allegro, 1st movement, is first section in interesting ways. Listen conduct the class playing the tune/piece written for the string quintet and is one of for the dynamic changes as it goes from loudly and then suddenly softly. Try this his most famous pieces. loud to soft. with a few conductors.

- Listen to the first movement using the - On a second playing encourage the After enjoying going to Sydney Opera following youtube clip https://www. students to draw a small shape when house to see Meeting Mozart it is a good youtube.com/watch?v=Qb_jQBgzU-I they hear a soft passage, and a big idea to spend some time with your class Explain that Allegro (which is the title of shape for the loud. Compare pictures reflecting on the experience and what it the movement) means fast in Italian. with their neighbour to see if they got meant to them. the same amount of large and small - Encourage the students to listen to the shapes. first section before it repeats (0.00- 1.57). On the repeat encourage them - Discuss the effect this sudden change in to conduct any of the four instruments dynamics creates (e.g. makes you listen – the , the viola, the cello or the harder!). double bass part (1.58-3.27). - Experiment with a tune, or a piece - Encourage the students to listen from the students are already familiar with the beginning of the next section playing on the instruments you have (3.28) through to the end. This section available in class. Choose one student

11 Reflecting On The Experience

- Ask students to recount the -K1 Minuet and Trio in G performance and identify and describe youtube.com/watch?v=FejHZUyj_Lw which part of the performance they enjoyed the most. -Piano Concerto No 19 in F major youtube.com/watch?v=tVJL2sAO9i8 - Discuss with the students what they learned about Mozart, his life and his -Encourage the students to investigate music. List on the board the pieces of more about Mozart’s life and music by music heard in the performance and setting them a homework assignment what the class remembers about each to investigate an aspect of Mozart’s one: life using the following website: artsalive.ca/en/mus/greatcomposers/ -Elvira Madigan (Piano Concerto mozart/mozart.html No. 21 ), 2nd movement youtube.com/watch?v=df-eLzao63I

-Twinkle Twinkle Little star’ youtube.com/watch?v=im_tJLeo2qU

-Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, youtube.com/watch?v=Qb_jQBgzU-I

12 At the Sydney Opera House

Beneath the sails, six venues host a staggering variety of performances. More than 2000 events are held 363 days a year; that’s more than 40 shows a week.

From our largest, the Concert Hall, right plays host to some of the country’s most through to our most intimate, the Utzon prestigious performing arts companies, Room, our venues host a vast range of including Bell Shakespeare and Sydney shows, from harpsichord music to hard Festival. rock, lectures to electronica, circus to The theatre is served by the Western opera and everything in between. Foyer, which is accessed via the Western Our stages have been graced by every Boardwalk. The Western Foyer is shared kind of royalty - actual, intellectual, by the Drama Theatre, The Studio and showbiz, even punk-rock. Opera stars, Playhouse and offers unmatched views world movers and shakers, dancers and across the harbour to the Sydney Harbour performers of extraordinary talent play to Bridge. The southern end of the shared rapturous audiences in every space. foyer space is dedicated to the Playhouse. These are rooms for standing ovations, shared moments and treasured inspirations. To see a show at the Sydney Opera House is to enter a space filled with the crackling energy of great artists and entertainers. Meeting Mozart is staged in the Playhouse The Playhouse is an intimate 398-seat end-stage theatre on the western side of the building, below the Concert Hall. Previously a music room and a cinema, it was originally intended for chamber orchestra recitals. Today it is used for main stage drama, musical theatre, children’s productions, lectures and music concerts. The Playhouse regularly

13 Classroom Context and Curriculum Links This performance provides the classroom teacher with many opportunities for learning activities that link to the New South Wales curriculum. See below for the suggested links to the relevant syllabus, however creative teachers will find many more.

Subject Stage Content Objective Outcome Creative Early Musical Concepts: Performing MUES1.1 Participates in simple speech, singing, playing and Arts: Music Stage 1 duration, pitch, moving activities, demonstrating an awareness of musical dynamics, tone concepts colour, structure Organising Sound MUES1.2 Creates own rhymes, games, songs and simple compositions Listening MUES1.4 Listens to and responds to music Stage 1 Musical Concepts: Performing MUS1.1 Sings, plays and moves to a range of music, demonstrating duration, pitch, an awareness of musical concepts dynamics, tone colour, structure Organising Sound MUS1.2 Explores, creates, selects and organises sound in simple structures Repertoire: Instrumental Music MUS1.3 Uses symbol systems to represent sounds Listening MUS1.4 Responds to a range of music, expressing likes and dislikes and the reasons for these choices

Creative Early Elements: action, Performing DAES1.1 Participates in dance activities and demonstrates an Arts: Dance Stage 1 dynamics, time, awareness of body parts, control over movement and expressive space, relationships qualities and structure Composing DAES1.2 Explores movement in response to a stimulus to express Contexts ideas, feelings or moods Appreciating DAES1.3 Responds to and communicates about the dances they view and/or experience Stage 1 Elements: action, Performing DAS1.1 Performs dances demonstrating expressive qualities and dynamics, time, control over a range of locomotor and non-locomotor movement. space, relationships and structure Composing DAS1.2 Explores and selects movement using the elements of dance to make dance express ideas, feelings or moods Contexts Appreciating DAS1.3 Gives personal opinions about the dances and their purpose that they view and/or experience Creative Early Subject Matter: Making VAES1.2 Experiments with a range of media in selected forms Stage 1 Arts: People, Objects, Visual Arts Places and Spaces, Events Stage 1 Subject Matter: Making VAS1.2 Uses the forms to make artworks according to varying requirements People, Objects, Places and Spaces, Events

Learning Across The Curriculum

Australian curriculum Other important learning general capabilities Critical and creative thinking Civics and citizenship Intercultural understanding Difference and diversity Literacy Work and enterprise Numeracy Personal and social capability

14 Keep in touch

Sydney Opera House Creative Learning Bennelong Point Sydney NSW 2000 Australia sydneyoperahouse.com Call us 02 9250 7770 or email [email protected]

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