MSO MORNINGS BRUCH’S CONCERTO

Teaching and Learning Guide (Levels 7–12)

mso.com.au/education EXTEND MSO MORNINGS: BRUCH’S CONTENTS

1. REPERTOIRE 3 2. ARTIST INFORMATION 4 3. A WORD FROM OUR MUSICIANS 5 4. BEFORE THE CONCERT 6 5. SAMPLE LESSON PLANS LESSON PLAN 1: MSO MUSICIANS AND THEIR INSTRUMENTS 8 LESSON PLAN 2: INTRODUCING THE COMPOSERS! 9 LESSON PLAN 3: DURING THE CONCERT 10 LESSON PLAN 4: ANALYSING BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO 11

6. APPENDIX 12 7. LEARN MORE 13

Front page: Lu Siqing, violin

BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO MSO 2019 TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE – 2 SECTION 1 REPERTOIRE

The repertoire featured in this concert is:

BERLIOZ King Lear Overture BRUCH Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor BORODIN Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances

Find the repertoire on: • Spotify, by visiting our event page • YouTube, by visiting these links: o BERLIOZ King Lear Overture o BRUCH Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor o BORODIN Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances

BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO MSO 2019 TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE – 3 SECTION 2 ARTIST INFORMATION

MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Established in 1906, the Melbourne Symphony Sir Andrew Davis gave his inaugural concerts as Orchestra (MSO) is an arts leader and Australia’s the MSO’s Chief Conductor in 2013, having made oldest professional orchestra. Chief Conductor his debut with the Orchestra in 2009. The MSO Sir Andrew Davis has been at the helm of the also works with Associate Conductor Benjamin MSO since 2013. Engaging more than 4 million Northey and Assistant Conductor Tianyi Lu, as well people each year, the MSO reaches diverse as with such eminent recent guest conductors as audiences through live performances, recordings, Tan Dun, John Adams, Jakub Hrůša and Jukka- TV and radio broadcasts and live streaming. Its Pekka Saraste. It has also collaborated with non- international audiences include China, where MSO classical musicians including Elton John, Nick Cave, has performed in 2012, 2016 and most recently in and Flight Facilities. May 2018, Europe (2014) and Indonesia, where in The MSO reaches a wider audience through 2017 it performed at the UNESCO World Heritage regular radio broadcasts, recordings and CD Site, Prambanan Temple. releases, including the February 2018 release The MSO performs a variety of concerts ranging of a collaboration with Chinese violin virtuoso from symphonic performances at its home, Lu Siqing. Hamer Hall at Arts Centre Melbourne, to its annual free concerts at Melbourne’s largest outdoor venue, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. The MSO also delivers innovative and engaging programs and digital tools to audiences of all ages through its Education and Outreach initiatives.

BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO MSO 2019 TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE – 4 SECTION 2 ARTIST INFORMATION

SIR ANDREW DAVIS LU SIQING (CONCERTO ONLY) CONDUCTOR SOLOIST

Chief Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony In great demand as concert violinist in his native Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis is also Music Director land China and abroad, Lu Siqing (pronounced Lyu and Principal Conductor of the Lyric Opera of See-Ching) bursted onto the international music Chicago. He is Conductor Laureate of both stage when he became the first Asian violinist to the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto capture the first prize at the prestigious Paganini Symphony, where he has also been named interim International Violin Competition in Italy in 1987. Artistic Director until 2020. Long recognised as one of the most outstanding Chinese violinists, Siqing has performed to acclaim In a career spanning more than 40 years he has in some of the world’s most prestigious concert conducted virtually all the world’s major orchestras halls in more than forty countries and territories and opera companies, and at the major festivals. worldwide, including the Musikverein in Vienna, Recent highlights have included Die Walküre in a Avery Fisher Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York new production at Chicago Lyric. City, Hollywood Bowl in , Royal Opera Sir Andrew’s many CDs include Messiah nominated House and Wigmore Hall in London, Theatre for a 2018 Grammy, Bliss’ The Beatitudes, and Des Champs Elysees and Louis XIV Opera House a recording with the Bergen Philharmonic of at Palace of Versailles in Paris, the Great Hall in Vaughan Williams’ Job/Symphony No.9 nominated Moscow, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Esplanade in for a 2018 BBC Music Magazine Award. With the Singapore, Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi and the MSO he has just released a third recording in the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. ongoing Richard Strauss series, featuring the Alpine Lu Siqing appears regularly at many of the top Symphony and Till Eulenspiegel. music festivals and prestigious music events around the world. He is the Artistic Director of the National Centre for the Performing Arts May Festival in Beijing, and is on the Jury of several prestigious international competitions. Lu Siqing has released more than 20 CDs and video recordings for Philips, Naxos, Marco Polo, and BIS. His five recordings of the “Butterfly Lovers” violin concerto, the most famous work among the Chinese violin repertoire, has sold millions of copies worldwide. His interpretation of this piece is widely considered the best and he has thrilled audiences in more than twenty countries worldwide performing this violin concerto.

BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO MSO 2019 TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE – 5 SECTION 3 A WORD FROM OUR MUSICIANS

SYLVIA HOSKING ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL DOUBLE BASS, MSO

Q: Tell us about what Bruch’s Violin Concerto means to you. A: My earliest and strongest memory of Bruch’s Violin Concerto is from my days in Melbourne Youth Orchestra where the concertmaster (who was around 15 years of age) was the soloist. I was so struck by the opening glorious ‘open G’ string which is so dark and powerful. It really set the tone for the piece. I had never heard a sound like it! A soloist can do many things with one note but because it’s an open string (played with no fingers), its pure, raw beauty stops the listener in their tracks. Add to that the fabulous bass part, especially in the more dramatic and exciting passages and I became a huge fan. Not to mention the fact that the young concertmaster has been one of my closest friends since then!

BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO MSO 2019 TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE – 6 SECTION 4 BEFORE THE CONCERT

WATCH A performance of Berlioz’s King Lear Overture: • Matthew Bishop (conductor), Florida State University Orchestra Two performances of Bruch’s Violin Concerto (YouTube): • Michael Schønvandt (conductor), Janine Jansen (soloist), Radio Kamer Filharmonie (orchestra) • Jiří Bělohlávek (conductor), Nicola Benedetti (soloist), BBC Symphony Orchestra READ A performance of Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances from Price Igor: Biographical entries: • Gustavo Dudamel (conductor), Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra • 10 Reasons Why We Love Hector Berlioz by Classic FM • The Story of ’s First Violin Concerto by Classic FM • Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances by Classic FM

BEFORE THE CONCERT Bruch’s Violin Concerto

LISTEN Podcasts: • Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1 • BBC Radio 3 – Bruch’s Violin Concerto o Kurt Masur (conductor), Maxim Vengerov • BBC – King Lear Overture (soloist), Gewandhausorchester Leipzig o (conductor), Janine Jansen Recordings available on Spotify: (soloist), Gewandhausorchester Leipzig • Berlioz’s King Lear Overture o Jesús López Cobos (conductor), Itzhak o Mily Balakirev (conductor), USSR State Perlman (soloist), New Philharmonia Symphony Orchestra Orchestra o Richard Capp (conductor), Philharmonia • Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor Hungarica o Leonard Bernstein (conductor), New York Philharmonic

BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO MSO 2019 TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE – 7 SECTION 5 LINKS TO CURRICULUM: SAMPLE LESSON PLANS VICTORIAN CURRICULUM 7–10: • Critical and Creative Thinking (capability) • Personal and Social (capability) LESSON PLAN 1: MSO MUSICIANS AND • Music (learning area) THEIR INSTRUMENTS o Respond and Interpret

SUGGESTED FOR: KEY KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS Pre-concert engagement (VCE MUSIC SUBJECTS) • Music Performance (Units 1/2 and 3/4) LEARNING INTENTION: o Musicianship skills To get to know the musicians and instruments of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra o Strategies used to optimise performance outcomes MATERIALS: o Effective instrumental practice ❑ Interactive whiteboard (with visuals and sound) routines ❑ Student workbooks and access to pens, pencils etc., or o Improving personal performance ❑ Laptop/desktop computers ability • Music Style and Composition (Units 1/2 and 3/4) CONTENT o Use of appropriate music terminology 1. Remind students they’ll soon be attending an MSO Mornings concert and language featuring the stated repertoire o Using musical examples to support 2. Introduce the learning intention discussion 3. Choose one of our general video resources to watch with students o Forming and presenting a critical – you may also like to split students into groups according to their response instrument families, and have them watch the correlating video: • Music Investigation (Units 3/4) a. Tianyi’s Guide to the Orchestra o Music terminology and language b. Interview with Prudence Davis, Flute o Technical and expressive mastery c. Interview with Shane Hooton, Trumpet o Performance practices and d. Interview with Brent Miller, Percussion conventions e. Interview with Freya Franzen, Violin IB SYLLABUS COMPONENTS: f. * How do musicians prepare for a concert? • Music perception *It is suggested that option ‘f’ will be a useful resource for older students • Solo performing 4. Ask students to write a personal reflection on the video using prompts such as: a. What were your main observations? b. What in this video did you already know? c. What did you learn? EXTENSION IDEAS • Check out this lesson’s curriculum links d. If you met [MUSICIAN’S NAME] in person, what questions would in more depth: why not ask students you ask them? to undertake an analysis task using our e. What did I observe that I could apply to my own personal practice/ suite of on-demand MSO concerts, warm-up routine? listed by repertoire – simply head to this page and check out what’s 5. While students prepare their reflections, you may like to play some available under the ‘extend’ heading music from the concert – use any of the options in Section 4 of this guide, or use our Spotify playlist on the event page 6. Have a class discussion regarding students’ reflections focusing on linking students’ experiences with the experiences of MSO musicians as elicited in the video resources

BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO MSO 2019 TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE – 8 SECTION 5 LINKS TO CURRICULUM: SAMPLE LESSON PLANS VICTORIAN CURRICULUM 7–10: • Critical and Creative Thinking (capability) • Personal and Social (capability) LESSON PLAN 2: INTRODUCING THE • Music (learning area) COMPOSERS! o Respond and Interpret

SUGGESTED FOR: o Music Practices Pre-concert engagement (could be split across 2–3 lessons if you KEY KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS wish to increase the time students have to work on their posters) (VCE MUSIC SUBJECTS) LEARNING INTENTION: • Music Performance (Units 1/2 and 3/4) Understanding and learning about composers’ biographies o Approaches to critical listening and analysis of live and recorded MATERIALS: performances ❑ Interactive whiteboard (with visuals and sound) o The structure of the works and how ❑ A3 coloured paper, textas, markers etc. (poster creation tools) the composer/arranger/performer has used elements of music and ❑ Student workbooks and access to pens, pencils etc., or compositional devices ❑ Laptop/desktop computers o Musicianship skills • Music Style and Composition (Units 1/2 and 3/4) CONTENT 1. Select a recording of the concerto (see Section 4 of this resource) o Use of appropriate music terminology – you’ll use this as the focus resource for this lesson and language 2. Remind students they’ll soon be attending an MSO Mornings concert o Using musical examples to support featuring the stated repertoire discussion 3. Introduce the learning intention o Forming and presenting a critical response 4. Create a KWL (Know, Want to Know, Learned) poster on the whiteboard; ask students: • Music Investigation (Units 3/4) a. Who was [COMPOSER]? o Music terminology and language b. What do we already know about [COMPOSER]? o Technical and expressive mastery c. What do we want to know about [COMPOSER]? o Performance practices and conventions 5. Split students into small groups, and assign to each group a topic students have listed under the “Want to Know’ section of the class IB SYLLABUS COMPONENTS: KWL poster; each small group will research this topic, and create a • Music perception poster to show their learnings; you may like to suggest that for their research students use the resources listen in Section 4 of this resource • Solo performing Note: • You may like to split the class into three groups and assign one composer (Berlioz, Bruch or Borodin) to each in order to research – for this option, each group would construct their own KWL poster specific to the composer • For older students, you may like to ask them to prepare a PowerPoint, PowerPoint, Google Slides or Prezi presentation instead of a poster 6. While students prepare their reflections, you may like to play the concerto in the background – use any of the options in Section 4 of this guide, or use our Spotify playlist on the event page 7. Hold a show-and-tell reflection session at the end of the lesson/unit, and add group learnings to the “Learned” section of your class KWL poster as you go

VARIATION • A possible variation on this lesson is to plan and deliver a unit of lessons with each focused on one of either the conductor, soloist, and composer for this program • Alternatively, one lesson could be delivered in which each small group focusses on either the conductor, soloist or composer for their research

BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO MSO 2019 TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE – 9 SECTION 5 LINKS TO CURRICULUM: SAMPLE LESSON PLANS VICTORIAN CURRICULUM 7–10: • Critical and Creative Thinking (capability) • Music (learning area) LESSON PLAN 3: DURING THE CONCERT o Respond and Interpret

SUGGESTED FOR: o Music Practices Engagement during the rehearsal KEY KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS (VCE MUSIC SUBJECTS) LEARNING INTENTION: • Music Performance (Units 1/2 and 3/4) To do some active listening during the concert o Approaches to critical listening MATERIALS: and analysis of live and recorded ❑ Handout (see Appendix) per student performances ❑ Pen/pencil per student o The structure of the works and how the composer/arranger/performer has used elements of music and compositional devices CONTENT o Musicianship skills PREPARATION • Music Style and Composition (Units 1/2 1. Print out one handout for each student (see Appendix) and make and 3/4) sure each student brings with them a pen/pencil o Use of appropriate music terminology 2. Engage in any of the above lesson plans to introduce students to the and language repertoire and musicians of the orchestra o Using musical examples to support 3. During a lesson, in the lead-up to the concert, discuss the handout/ discussion activities with students and explain any reflection activities that will be taking place following the rehearsal experience o Forming and presenting a critical response ON THE DAY (BEFORE THE CONCERT) • Music Investigation (Units 3/4) 4. Give each student a handout and ensure they each have a pen/pencil o Music terminology and language ON THE DAY (DURING THE CONCERT) o Technical and expressive mastery 5. Students complete the handout activity o Performance practices and conventions POST-REHEARSAL REFLECTION 6. Engage in a general post-rehearsal reflection, or any one of our IB SYLLABUS COMPONENTS: post-rehearsal lesson plan suggestions below • Music perception • Solo performing 7. REMEMBER: You’ll notice that the last question on the handout asks students to consider any follow-up questions they might like to ask the artists featured in the rehearsal – send these through to [email protected] and we’ll get you some answers!

BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO MSO 2019 TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE – 10 SECTION 5 LINKS TO CURRICULUM: SAMPLE LESSON PLANS VICTORIAN CURRICULUM 7–10: • Critical and Creative Thinking (capability) • Music (learning area) LESSON PLAN 4: ANALYSING BRUCH’S o Respond and Interpret VIOLIN CONCERTO o Music Practices

SUGGESTED FOR: KEY KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS Pre- or post-concert engagement (VCE MUSIC SUBJECTS) • Music Performance (Units 1/2 and 3/4) LEARNING INTENTION: o Approaches to critical listening To understand the factors that contribute to an artistic interpretation. and analysis of live and recorded performances MATERIALS: ❑ Interactive whiteboard (with visuals and sound) o The structure of the works and how the composer/arranger/performer ❑ Student workbooks and access to pens, pencils etc., or has used elements of music and ❑ Laptop/desktop computers compositional devices o Musicianship skills • Music Style and Composition (Units 1/2 CONTENT and 3/4) 1. Remind students they’ll soon be attending an MSO Mornings concert featuring the stated repertoire o Use of appropriate music terminology and language 2. Introduce the learning intention o Using musical examples to support 3. Have a class discussion: discussion a. What challenges do you think a soloist/conductor/orchestra faces o Forming and presenting a critical when re-interpreting a well-known piece of repertoire? response b. For the above groups, what challenges are the same? Which • Music Investigation (Units 3/4) challenges are different? o Music terminology and language c. Who gets to decide what a ‘good’ interpretation is? o Technical and expressive mastery d. What other factors might affect an interpretation, especially when we are listening to a recording? (e.g. recording quality, microphone o Performance practices and placement, size and building materials of the room etc.) conventions 4. Select two different, contrasting recordings of the concerto from IB SYLLABUS COMPONENTS: of this guide, and cue up the first movement of each (the Section 4 • Music perception first movement is approx. 8 min duration – you may also like to choose an excerpt from the first movement e.g. the first X no. mins); • Solo performing have students listen to the two recordings, answering the following • Creating questions as they go: a. What differences do you notice about the two recordings? Encourage students to use words describing tone colour, the elements of music etc. b. What similarities do you notice about the two recordings? c. Which recording do you like more? Why? d. Without judgement, what else do you notice that’s interesting about these recordings? Note: If undertaking this lesson as a post-open rehearsal reflection exercise, you may like to add in here an additional question asking students to focus on the differences between the recording and the performance, or perhaps substitute one of the recordings for the open rehearsal experience itself asking students to take note of what they hear during their visit 5. Hold a show-and-tell reflection session at the end of the lesson, and engage in some rich discussion while revisiting the class discussion questions from the opening of the lesson

BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO MSO 2019 TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE – 11 SECTION 6 APPENDIX LESSON PLAN 3: HANDOUT (DURING THE CONCERT)

MSO MORNINGS: BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO

Conductor’s name: Concertmaster’s name: Repertoire: 1. Soloist’s name: 2. 3.

QUESTION THOUGHTS Before we start… You’re sitting in Hamer Hall. It seats just over 2,000 people! What do you notice about the hall? Describe its features.

The opening of the concert… Listen to the opening of today’s concert. We begin with the overture from King Lear by Berlioz. What is the purpose of an overture? How does this overture make you feel? What kind of tone does it set for the remainder of the program?

The three movements of the concerto… Movement I (Vorspiele – Allegro moderato): List an image/emotion/person/place that each movement reminders you of. How do the tempo markings contribute? How does each movement contrast with the next? Movement II (Adagio):

Movement III (Finale – Allegro energico):

Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances… How does this work compare/contrast with the concerto in style? Make reference to the elements of music (tempo, rhythm, dynamics, timbre etc.)

If something goes wrong… Did something go wrong during rehearsal? What happened? How was it managed?

Questions… Do you have any follow-up questions for the artists involved? Ask your teacher to email them through to [email protected] for answers.

BRUCH’S VIOLIN CONCERTO MSO 2019 TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE – 12 SECTION 7 LEARN MORE

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