DOCSLIB.ORG

Overture to Candide Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Overture to Candide Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) Teachers Guide (Field Trip Concert for Students) sponsored by: 1 Overture to Candide Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) Overture to The Impresario Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Symphony No. 7, II. Allegretto Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas Maurice Ravel from Mother Goose Suite (1875-1937) Tunnels Mason Bates from Music from Underground Spaces (1977- ) Flight to Neverland John Williams from Hook (1932 - ) 2 The Garden of your Mind Music and Imagination “Did you ever grow anything in the Garden of your Mind? You can grow ideas in the garden of your mind. It's good to be curious about many things. You can think about things and make believe. All you have to do is think, and they'll grow.” ~Fred “Mr.”Rogers In the planning stages of this year’s Kidz Konzerts and Music in the Middle Elgin Symphony Orchestra performances, the ESO Education Committee held a brainstorming session. We perceived a curriculum highlighting the ideas of great composers in addition to drawing connections in music with science, technology engineering and math. Each student is unique in their approach to learning and music study can access areas of the brain that are difficult to unlock. There is evidence that music inspired great minds in other disciplines. Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Neil Armstrong, Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison were all accomplished musicians. Oliver Sacks, British neurologist and naturalist said, “What is beyond dispute is the effect of intensive musical training on the young, plastic brain. Although a teaspoon of Mozart may or may not make a child a better mathematician, there is little doubt that regular exposure to music and especially regular, active participation in music, may stimulate development of many areas of the brain.” Within this guide we have background on the composers, lessons on music structure and elements, and STEM activities. Music study can aid, enhance and even be an ally when pursuing all disciplines. May this concert be a planted seed. Imagination is everything. It is a preview of life’s coming attractions.” ~Albert Einstein 3 Overture to Candide By Leonard Bernstein b. August 25, 1918 d. October 14, 1990 “The gift of the imagination is by no means an exclusive property of an artist; it is a gift we all share; to some degree or other all of us, all of you, are endowed with the powers of fantasy. The dullest of dullards among us has the gift of dreams at night—visions and yearnings and hopes. Everyone can also think; it is the quality of thought that makes the difference—not just the quality of logical thinking, but of imaginative thinking.” ~Leonard Bernstein, Commencement Speech at Johns Hopkins University, May 30, 1980 Leonard Bernstein, whose parents were Jewish immigrants, was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He fell in love with music when his cousin gave him his beat-up piano. His parents were not supportive of his interest in music so he had to find a way to pay for his own piano lessons. After his later success as a student at Harvard and then at the Curtis Institute of Music, his parents finally appreciated his gift and supported his career. In 1958 he became the music director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he held until 1969. During his tenure he championed the Young People’s Concerts, televised programs which introduced an entire generation to classical music. Bernstein was a great performer, conductor, educator and composer. His contributions to American music are unsurpassed. Bernstein’s idea: write an operetta based on a novella by Voltaire from 1759. Start with an overture highlighting the musical themes that will serve as a preview to the music coming later in the operetta. Overture to Candide, an orchestral piece that opens the operetta Candide, was premiered by the New York Philharmonic in 1957 with Bernstein himself conducting. It was a great success, which would have been very gratifying to Bernstein after a disappointing Broadway run of the full operetta production in 1956. In fact, today this piece is considered his most popular orchestral work. The overture opens with a fanfare by the brass that sets the energetic mood of the piece. A driving melody in the strings and woodwinds gives one the feeling of a galloping race horse, or perhaps a skier charging down the slopes. A sweet and lyrical middle section is followed by an exciting close, 4 returning to the brass fanfare and opening themes. Bernstein uses lots of percussion throughout the piece, especially the cymbal. He also uses syncopation to give the piece a lively, energetic feel. In this example, syncopation is used. You can see that the strong beat is at the end of the bar in the Bass Clarinet and Bassoons. This gives the piece a “jazzy” feel and plays with our expectation of where the beat should occur. Vocabulary Operetta: a short opera, usually on a light or humorous theme and typically having spoken dialogue. Overture: an orchestral piece at the beginning of an opera, suite, play, oratorio, or other extended composition. Syncopation: musical rhythm in which stress is given to the weak beats instead of the strong beats. Activities 1. With this exercise, students will be able to recognize the feeling of syncopated rhythms. Divide students into two groups. Have one group clap a steady beat in 4/4 time, one clap on each beat. Based on the rhythm in the example above, ask the second group to stomp and clap simultaneously on the fourth beat. Start slow and increase the tempo gradually until you are feeling the rhythm at a very fast tempo. Have group one stop clapping on the second and fourth beat, clapping on the first and third beat only. Group two continues to stomp and clap on the fourth beat. Do you feel the syncopation? 2. Here is a link to a website called “The Yellow Brick Road: Fun education resources for serious music literacy”. This page has some excellent syncopation games: http://www.yellowbrickroadblog.com/2015/05/teaching-syncopation-part-one.html 3. As your students listen to the Bernstein piece, ask them to raise their hands when they hear examples of syncopation in the music. “Let us cultivate our garden.” ~ Voltaire, Candide 5 Music and Math “May not music be described as the mathematics of the sense, mathematics as music of the reason? The musician feels mathematics, the mathematician thinks music: music the dream, mathematics the working life.” ~James Sylvester (1814-1897) Rhythm, patterns, symbols and time signatures: all of these and more are properties of music that are connected to mathematics. In ancient Greek times, music was seen as a mathematical art. Based upon mathematical relationships, music elements including octaves, chords, scales, and keys can all be understood logically using simple mathematics. Lesson Objective This activity will demonstrate a connection between music and simple fractions as they relate to a measure of music. Plan 1. Review musical notes and their values with the students. Have students listen to the value of each note as it is clapped for them. Students should be encouraged to remember that notes represent specific values. Have them think of a whole note as equaling one measure. 2. Choose a volunteer from the class to clap a whole note while another volunteer, or the teacher, claps half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and even thirty-second note values. 3. Distribute worksheet [Music and Math fraction worksheet] Music and Science “I often think in music, I live my daydreams in music.” ~Albert Einstein (1879-1955) Albert Einstein, in addition to being a scientist, was an accomplished violinist. He was fascinated by Mozart and felt a connection with him, feeling that their creative process was similar. When struggling with the extremely complicated mathematics that led to his great scientific discovery, the theory of relativity, he would pick up his violin and play for himself. He was inspired by the simple beauty of Mozart’s violin sonatas. "Whenever he felt that he had come to the end of the road or into a difficult situation in his work, he would take refuge in music," recalled his older son, Hans Albert. "That would usually resolve all his difficulties." What do music and science have in common? From sound waves and acoustics to psychology and emotions, the variety of scientific research involving music is vast. 6 The Scientific Method The scientific method is a way to ask and answer scientific questions by making observations and doing experiments. It consists of the following steps: Observe something and ask questions. Make your hypothesis (an explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation). Make predictions about logical consequences of the hypothesis. Test your predictions by an experiment or an observation. Create your conclusion on the basis of data or information gathered in your experiment. Lesson Objective Students will conduct an experiment using the scientific method. Based on the provided information about the music and the recordings of the music to be performed on the “Garden of your Mind” concert, students will predict which piece will be the most popular with the audience. Based on data gathered at the concert, students will reach a conclusion about which piece on the program was the most popular with the audience. Plan 1. Study information about the composers and listen to all of the pieces on the program prior to attending the concert. Ask students to take notes as they listen to the music. What do they like about each piece? 2. Poll the students before they attend the concert. Identify which piece was their favorite.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Boston Symphony Orchestra Concert Programs, Season 27,1907-1908, Trip
    CARNEGIE HALL - - NEW YORK Twenty-second Season in New York DR. KARL MUCK, Conductor fnigrammra of % FIRST CONCERT THURSDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 7 AT 8.15 PRECISELY AND THK FIRST MATINEE SATURDAY AFTERNOON, NOVEMBER 9 AT 2.30 PRECISELY WITH HISTORICAL AND DESCRIP- TIVE NOTES BY PHILIP HALE PUBLISHED BY C. A. ELLIS, MANAGER : Piano. Used and indorsed by Reisenauer, Neitzel, Burmeister, Gabrilowitsch, Nordica, Campanari, Bispham, and many other noted artists, will be used by TERESA CARRENO during her tour of the United States this season. The Everett piano has been played recently under the baton of the following famous conductors Theodore Thomas Franz Kneisel Dr. Karl Muck Fritz Scheel Walter Damrosch Frank Damrosch Frederick Stock F. Van Der Stucken Wassily Safonoff Emil Oberhoffer Wilhelm Gericke Emil Paur Felix Weingartner REPRESENTED BY THE JOHN CHURCH COMPANY . 37 West 32d Street, New York Boston Symphony Orchestra PERSONNEL TWENTY-SEVENTH SEASON, 1907-1908 Dr. KARL MUCK, Conductor First Violins. Wendling, Carl, Roth, O. Hoffmann, J. Krafft, W. Concert-master. Kuntz, D. Fiedler, E. Theodorowicz, J. Czerwonky, R. Mahn, F. Eichheim, H. Bak, A. Mullaly, J. Strube, G. Rissland, K. Ribarsch, A. Traupe, W. < Second Violins. • Barleben, K. Akeroyd, J. Fiedler, B. Berger, H. Fiumara, P. Currier, F. Rennert, B. Eichler, J. Tischer-Zeitz, H Kuntz, A. Swornsbourne, W. Goldstein, S. Kurth, R. Goldstein, H. Violas. Ferir, E. Heindl, H. Zahn, F. Kolster, A. Krauss, H. Scheurer, K. Hoyer, H. Kluge, M. Sauer, G. Gietzen, A. t Violoncellos. Warnke, H. Nagel, R. Barth, C. Loefner, E. Heberlein, H. Keller, J. Kautzenbach, A. Nast, L.
    [Show full text]
  • Ctspubs Brochure Nov 2005
    THE MUSIC OF CLAUDE T. SMITH CONCERT BAND WORKS ENJOY A CD RECORDING CTS = Claude T. Smith Publications WJ = Wingert-Jones HL = Hal Leonard TITLE GRADE PUBLISHER TITLE GRADE PUBLISHER $1 OF THE MUSIC OF 7.95 each Acclamation..............................................................5 ..............Kalmus Intrada: Adoration and Praise ..................................4 ................CTS All 6 for Across the Wide Missouri (Concert Band) ................3..................WJ Introduction and Caccia............................................3 ................CTS $60 Affirmation and Credo ..............................................4 ................CTS Introduction and Fugato............................................3 ................CTS Claude T. Smith Allegheny Portrait ....................................................4 ................CTS Invocation and Jubiloso ............................................2 ..................HL Allegro and Intermezzo Overture ..............................3 ................CTS Island Fiesta ............................................................3 ................CTS America the Beautiful ..............................................2 ................CTS Joyance....................................................................5..................WJ CLAUDE T. SMITH: CLAUDE T. SMITH: American Folk Trilogy ..............................................3 ................CTS Jubilant Prelude ......................................................4 ..................HL A SYMPHONIC PORTRAIT
    [Show full text]
  • Classics 3: Program Notes Overture to Candide Leonard Bernstein Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, August 25, 1918
    Classics 3: Program Notes Overture to Candide Leonard Bernstein Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, August 25, 1918; died in New York, October 14, 1990 After collaborating on The Lark, a play with incidental music about Joan of Arc, Leonard Bernstein and Lillian Hellman turned their attention in 1954 to Voltaire’s novella Candide. They thought it the perfect vehicle to make an artistic statement against political intolerance in American society, just as Voltaire had done in eighteenth-century France. After bringing in poet Richard Wilbur to write the lyrics, they worked intermittently on Candide for two years. Enormous amounts of money were spent on the production, which opened in Boston on October 29, 1956. Though many critics called it brilliant, the production failed financially; after moving to New York in December, it was shut down after just seventy-three performances. Everyone had someone to blame, but many thought it failed because of audience confusion about its hybrid nature—was it an opera, operetta, or a musical? Leonard Bernstein: celebrating his The story revolves around the illegitimate Candide, who centennial loves and is loved in return by Cunegonde, daughter of nobility. They are plagued by myriad disasters, which lead them from Westphalia to Lisbon, Paris, Cadiz, Buenos Aires, Eldorado, Surinam, and finally Venice, where they are united at last. Bernstein’s often witty, sometimes tender music has been considered the work’s greatest asset, both in the initial failed production and in later successful versions. The Overture, possibly Bernstein’s most frequently performed piece, perfectly captures the mockery and satire as well as the occasional introspective moment of Voltaire’s masterful creation.
    [Show full text]
  • Teacher's Guide
    Aram Demirjian, Music Director Very Young People’s Concerts Maryville: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 Knoxville: Thursday, February 27, 2020 Teacher’s Guide This page is left blank intentionally (inside cover). CONTENTS New in 2019-2020: Online Audio ................... 2 Meet the Conductor/ Audience Job Description .......................... 3 About the Program Meredith Wilson ......................................... 4 W.C. Handy ................................................ 5 Juventino Rosas ........................................... 6 Steve Reich .................................................. 7 James Price Johnson .................................... 8 Mason Bates ................................................ 9 Sam Hyken ................................................ 10 Teacher’s Guide Ludwig van Beethoven .............................. 11 Anatomy of a Symphony Orchestra ........ 12-13 Please refer to a related Activity to prepare your students for the Meet the KSO Percussion Section ......... 14-15 concert. Meet the Guest Artists .................................. 16 Please listen to a suggested piece Lesson: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 ......... 17 or excerpt to help your students hear specific sounds or ideas. Teaching Activities & Lessons ...................... 18 Concert Program ..................................... 19-20 Curriculum Reinforcement/Activities/ Additional Resources ............................... 21 PROGRAM REPERTOIRE WILSON/arr. Anderson Seventy Six Trombones HANDY St. Louis Blues March ROSAS Sombre las
    [Show full text]
  • THE INCIDENTAL MUSIC of BEETHOVEN THESIS Presented To
    Z 2 THE INCIDENTAL MUSIC OF BEETHOVEN THESIS Presented to the Graduate Council of the North Texas State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF MUSIC By Theodore J. Albrecht, B. M. E. Denton, Texas May, 1969 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. .................. iv Chapter I. INTRODUCTION............... ............. II. EGMONT.................... ......... 0 0 05 Historical Background Egmont: Synopsis Egmont: the Music III. KONIG STEPHAN, DIE RUINEN VON ATHEN, DIE WEIHE DES HAUSES................. .......... 39 Historical Background K*niq Stephan: Synopsis K'nig Stephan: the Music Die Ruinen von Athen: Synopsis Die Ruinen von Athen: the Music Die Weihe des Hauses: the Play and the Music IV. THE LATER PLAYS......................-.-...121 Tarpe.ja: Historical Background Tarpeja: the Music Die gute Nachricht: Historical Background Die gute Nachricht: the Music Leonore Prohaska: Historical Background Leonore Prohaska: the Music Die Ehrenpforten: Historical Background Die Ehrenpforten: the Music Wilhelm Tell: Historical Background Wilhelm Tell: the Music V. CONCLUSION,...................... .......... 143 BIBLIOGRAPHY.....................................-..145 iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Egmont, Overture, bars 28-32 . , . 17 2. Egmont, Overture, bars 82-85 . , . 17 3. Overture, bars 295-298 , . , . 18 4. Number 1, bars 1-6 . 19 5. Elgmpnt, Number 1, bars 16-18 . 19 Eqm 20 6. EEqgmont, gmont, Number 1, bars 30-37 . Egmont, 7. Number 1, bars 87-91 . 20 Egmont,Eqm 8. Number 2, bars 1-4 . 21 Egmon t, 9. Number 2, bars 9-12. 22 Egmont,, 10. Number 2, bars 27-29 . 22 23 11. Eqmont, Number 2, bar 32 . Egmont, 12. Number 2, bars 71-75 . 23 Egmont,, 13.
    [Show full text]
  • PROGRAM NOTES Ludwig Van Beethoven Overture to Fidelio
    PROGRAM NOTES by Phillip Huscher Ludwig van Beethoven Born December 16, 1770, Bonn, Germany. Died March 26, 1827, Vienna, Austria. Overture to Fidelio Beethoven began to compose Fidelio in 1804, and he completed the score the following year. The first performance was given on November 20, 1805, at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. Beethoven revised the score in preparation for a revival that opened there on March 29, 1806. For a new production in 1814, he made substantial revisions and wrote the overture performed at these concerts. The overture wasn’t ready in time for the premiere on May 23, 1814, in Vienna’s Kärntnertor Theater, but it was played at the second performance. The overture calls for an orchestra consisting of two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two trombones, timpani, and strings. Performance time is approximately six minutes. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s first subscription concert performances of Beethoven’s Overture to Fidelio were given at the Auditorium Theatre on December 14 and 15, 1894, with Theodore Thomas conducting. Our most recent subscription concert performances of the overture (and the complete opera) were given at Orchestra Hall on May 26, 28, and 31, 1998, with Daniel Barenboim conducting. The Orchestra first performed this overture at the Ravinia Festival on July 16, 1938, with Willem van Hoogstraten conducting, and most recently on July 30, 2008, with Sir Andrew Davis conducting. Nothing else in Beethoven’s career caused as much effort and heartbreak as the composition of his only opera, which took ten years, inspired four different overtures, and underwent two major revisions and a name change before convincing Beethoven that he was not a man of the theater.
    [Show full text]
  • ¥T1 Id -'F- L~R~J Was That Performance of " Tannhauser" in 1863 Which, According ~.'Tkon"-"'1
    rro te above literally the lyric initial theme of the symphony arming for III. Scherzo: Sehr schnell (very fast), A minor, 3/ 4 thus with­ battle" : Trio: Etwas langsamer (a little slower), F major, 3/ 4 , two per­ IV_ Finale : B ~wegt, do ch nicht schnell (with motion but not fast), nat is here eJC..tof. E major, alla breve any emen­ "'t;" DOC" ,~::;; OG~LL ~ ~ ,----. t only the IVa; $; 4'3 3.7 IrS· k11 J pelr Sh'/Jd I p VIOl.1NS x: .. The symphony is scored for two each of flutes, oboes, clarinets, Late advan­ and bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, two Ir'* fJrtD Iqr\J t"VI!t ~6IhJq;;j &J J I # tenor-tubas and two bass-tubas ("Wagner-Tuben"), contrabass­ not of the ) " \.....:...-. ,. > J Poco '" POc.O C.R.E5C.. tuba, timpani, and strings. climax. A only direct The launching of this melodic arrow by the bows of the violins lsic moves is sharpened by Bruckner's indication to play "with the point." Overture in G minor cribe or to The second subj ect is the simplest of simpl e ideas, transformed Few, if any, of the great composers were so late in maturing ;kn er here by the co mposer's mastery of orchestration into a chorale of utter as Bruckn er. The overture in G minor remains, if compared to ~me ntation genius. It may be nothing more than "an exercise in modulating any of the nine symphonies, a transitional if not a student produc­ i, pi::.::icato. cadences," technicall y speaking, but one that no student could tion.
    [Show full text]
  • Program Notes
    Program Notes Program Notes by April L. Racana Wed. October 19 The 105th Tokyo Opera City Subscription Concert 10 19 Macbeth was Verdi’s tenth opera, years in developing Italian opera. The Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) composed originally in 1847, and revised effectiveness of these sonorities to Opera“Luisa Miller” Overture (Ca. 6min) significantly in 1865. Based on the convey the heights and depths of each Shakespeare play, the composer worked of the character’s emotions as well as Ballet Music from Opera“Macbeth” (ca. 12 min) closely with Francesco Maria Piave (and set the stage for his operas and draw the later Andrea Maffei) to create the libretto. audience into each scene is a testament Verdi has been quoted as saying that the to the talents of Verdi’s writing. In Giuseppe Verdi is known as one of becomes a victim of her male love- bard was “one of my very special poets, addition, they have withstood the test of the primary figures contributing to the interest, who she knows as Carlo, but and I have had him in my hands from time with audiences, even though the development of Italian opera during the who is really Rodolfo, the son of a local earliest youth, and I read and re-read him operas themselves have, at times, had time when Italian nationalism was on the count. Rodolfo, in turn loves her, but continually.” So much so that he would limited performances. rise. By the time La Traviata was staged is tricked into poisoning both her and go on to compose two more operas based in 1853, Verdi had already composed himself.
    [Show full text]
  • The 20 Crucial Compositions of Anton Bruckner Alonso Delarte Published by Alonso Delarte at Smashwords Copyright 2010 Alonso Delarte
    The 20 Crucial Compositions of Anton Bruckner Alonso Delarte Published by Alonso Delarte at Smashwords Copyright 2010 Alonso Delarte Smashwords Edition, License Notes This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. 11. Symphony No. 6 in A major (1879) Repertoire formation is a funny business. Musical merit is one factor, certainly, but often not the only factor or even the most important one. With any composer, there are pieces which are rarely heard, yet when they are heard, people wonder why they have never heard it before, since they are such good pieces of music. And so, with Bruckner, it is somewhat of a puzzlement that the Sixth Symphony is so rarely heard despite being so well-done and so fascinating, whereas the Fourth Symphony, with its various flaws and problems, is one of Bruckner's most popular. Various reasons are given for this, such as that Bruckner was trying too hard to pare down his conception to a smaller scale, or the predominance of the Bruckner rhythm (2 + 3 or 3 + 2 in the time-space of 2 + 2) in the first movement in overlapping triplets of different note values.
    [Show full text]
  • September 2016
    Program Notes for kids Opening Night with Jon Kimura Parker Saturday, September 10, 2016 8:00 p.m. Hill Auditorium Shostakovich Festive Overture Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Suite Intermission Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 Festive Overture by Dmitri Shostakovich About the Music What kind of piece is this? Listen for... This piece is a concert overture: a short and lively intro- Look for the crash cymbals. They mark duction to an instrumental concert. An overture signals exciting and important parts of the to the audience that the performance is beginning. piece at the beginning and the end. When was it written? The woodwinds play very fast passages that are passed around to different parts Festive Overture was first performed in 1954 in Moscow. of the orchestra. What does the music Shostakovich composed it in record time, finishing it in sound like to you? Does it sound like a just three days. celebration? What is it about? Shostakovich wrote Festive Overture for a government event to celebrate the 37th anniversary of the October Revolution of 1917, when the Soviets took control of Russia. The government wanted peo- ple to think that the Revolution was a good thing for Russia, so they asked Shostakovich to compose a lively, happy, and exciting piece. After its premiere it gained widespread popularity and became a piece all orchestras play, which Shostakovich found funny given the time it took him to compose it. About the Composer Dmitri Shostakovich | Born 1906 in St. Petersburg, Russia | Died August 9, 1975 in Moscow, Russia Family & Career Dmitri Shostakovich was a child prodigy pianist and composer.
    [Show full text]
  • Le Corsaire Overture, Op. 21
    Any time Joshua Bell makes an appearance, it’s guaranteed to be impressive! I can’t wait to hear him perform the monumental Brahms Violin Concerto alongside some fireworks for the orchestra. It’s a don’t-miss evening! EMILY GLOVER, NCS VIOLIN Le Corsaire Overture, Op. 21 HECTOR BERLIOZ BORN December 11, 1803, in Côte-Saint-André, France; died March 8, 1869, in Paris PREMIERE Composed 1844, revised before 1852; first performance January 19, 1845, in Paris, conducted by the composer OVERVIEW The Random House Dictionary defines “corsair” both as “a pirate” and as “a ship used for piracy.” Berlioz encountered one of the former on a wild, stormy sea voyage in 1831 from Marseilles to Livorno, on his way to install himself in Rome as winner of the Prix de Rome. The grizzled old buccaneer claimed to be a Venetian seaman who had piloted the ship of Lord Byron during the poet’s adventures in the Adriatic and the Greek archipelago, and his fantastic tales helped the young composer keep his mind off the danger aboard the tossing vessel. They landed safely, but the experience of that storm and the image of Lord Byron painted by the corsair stayed with him. When Berlioz arrived in Rome, he immersed himself in Byron’s poem The Corsair, reading much of it in, of all places, St. Peter’s Basilica. “During the fierce summer heat I spent whole days there ... drinking in that burning poetry,” he wrote in his Memoirs. It was also at that time that word reached him that his fiancée in Paris, Camile Moke, had thrown him over in favor of another suitor.
    [Show full text]
  • Overture to the Marriage of Figaro
    Integrated subject areas: Music English Language Arts Overture to The Marriage Social Emotional Learning of Figaro: Compare and Grade(s): 4-6 Lesson length: 40 minutes Contrast Instructional objectives: Students will: Learn about Mozart’s life DESCRIPTION Identify basic musical elements: tempo, dynamics, instrumentation and melody Compare and contrast two different musical styles using Students will listen to two pieces of music with similar melodies, but in the same basic melody completely different styles. One piece is the overture to The Marriage of Compose a review as a music Figaro, an opera in four acts written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1786. critic The other is a modern interpretation of the same piece of music by the East Village Opera Company. Materials: Musical recordings of the Students will explore instrumentation, tempo, dynamics, and style used featured repertoire listed within these two pieces. above Sound system for musical Assessment Strategies excerpts of concert repertoire (e.g. laptop and speakers, In this lesson, students should be able to successfully do the following: iPhone® dock, Spotify®, etc) discuss basic musical elements such as tempo, dynamics, instrumentation Paper and writing utensil and melody; differentiate between two musical works with the same melody but very different styles, through class discussion and a writing Featured Repertoire*: assignment. Learn more about assessment strategies on page 5. Mozart – Overture to The Marriage of Figaro Learning Standards East Village Opera Company – Overture Redux (Le Nozze Di This lesson uses Common Core and National Core Arts Anchor Figaro) Standards. You can find more information about the standards featured in this lesson on page 4.
    [Show full text]