What Makes Music Sound Scary ?The music in a theater performance, television show, or movie often tells you that something scary might happen. But how? To create frightening music, composers might use:

Additional support for the NSO Family Concerts is provided by the Women’s Committee for the National Symphony Orchestra.

Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided in part by Adobe Foundation, The Clark Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; U.S. Department of Education; and by generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas.

Education and related artistic programs are made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume

endorsement by the Federal Government.

© 2013 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

David M. RubensteinChairman

Michael M. KaiserPresident

Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education

Christoph EschenbachMusic Director,

National Symphony Orchestra

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.

The Macy’s Foundation and Washington Gas are the proud sponsors of the NSO Family Concerts.

ankush

kumar bahl

conductor

Welcome, boys and girls, to the haunted Concert hall of the kennedy Center! Today, we’ll

introduce you to lots of musical

treats about witches, magical spells,

fantastical creatures, and more— all performed by the national

symphony Orchestra (nsO).

fast tempos (speeds) that can give a sense of alarm, wildness, or a chase.

very slow tempos, often with low notes, that suggest someone or something might be sneaking up behind you.

high-pitched notes that can represent a wicked laugh or a whirling wind.

different combinations of tones to create unpleasant or uncomfortable sounds.

75 Musicians Led by One ConductorAt today’s concert, conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl will lead 75 members of the National Symphony Orchestra in playing the music.

The conductor is a person who leads the orchestra. Conductors generally use their right hand to tell the orchestra how fast to play and use their left hand to tell the musicians how loud or soft to play. Some use a slender white stick called a baton as they conduct. At the concert, watch how the conductor communicates with the musicians. And, be on the lookout for the musicians’ special Halloween costumes!

A Good Audience…

wait! there’s more!The Haunted HallBefore each concert, visit the Haunted Hall (the spookily transformed Kennedy Center Atrium on the Terrace Level), 11:30 a.m.–12 :45 p.m. and 1:30 – 2:45 p.m. for trick-or-treating, face painting, costumed characters, and Halloween merriment galore. Plus, enjoy hands-on fun with the instruments that the musicians will play on stage at the musical instrument “petting zoo” (a project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO).

Kids’ ChatAfter the 3 p.m. performance, stick around to ask questions of conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl and some of the NSO musicians on stage.

Upcoming Family ConcertsPlease plan to join us at the next National Symphony Orchestra Family Concerts, performed by the full NSO:

Sunday, February 23, 2014 — Peter and the Wolf Sunday, June 1, 2014 —Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage

The NSO also presents full orchestra Young People’s Concerts for school groups in the Concert Hall each season during the school day for grades 3 through 6.

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

Watches and listens carefully.

Claps at the end when the conductor

turns around.Stays seated. Stays quiet.

happy

haunting!

A playful child acts up. His angry mother

threatens to call the “Noon Witch” to

punish him. To everyone’s surprise, the

witch comes just as the clock strikes 12.

Listen for the:

• child’s playfulness —

the happy, light melodies.

• mother’s anger — bold notes

played by the stringed instruments.

• witch’s arrival — a sudden,

forceful low tone.

• witch’s chase — swirling sounds.

How do you get rid of a ghost? In the Spanish story behind this music, gypsies dance to chase away a ghost

who is haunting a young woman.

Listen for the:• rumbling and whirling sounds

created by the clarinets and violins.

• increase in tempo (speed) toward the end.

A devil named Mephistopheles (mef-uh-STOF-uh-leez) is happy. He believes he has won a deal with a man named Faust. But in the end, he’s wrong.Listen for the:

• devil’s swirling around — rising and falling sounds.• alarm-like sound created by the triangle.• struggle between good and evil — the quiet moments broken by harsh and forceful tones.

Imagine a drawing of a witch’s hut — that’s what inspired this music, which describes the witch who lives there (think scary). Can you picture her flying up and down, swirling around, running, and even tiptoeing?Listen for the:

• strong, driving tones at the beginning.• quieter moment (bassoon) — think of the witch’s trying to trick children to come inside.• chimes of the xylophone before the music becomes loud again.

After the evil Delilah has tricked Samson,

she and others celebrate in a wild dance.

This music comes from the opera inspired

by the biblical story of the same name. Listen for the:• many percussion instruments, from the deep sounds of the timpani, to the crashes

of the cymbals, to the clicking of the castanets

(small wooden disks held in the palms of the hand).

• slower, more flowing music

played by the string instruments.• even wilder dancing at the end as

the tempo and loudness increase.

Sometimes there’s nothing scarier than

fights between families — which

happens in the story of Romeo and

Juliet. This part of the music tells

of Romeo’s family sneaking into

a ball at Juliet’s home.

Listen for the:

• long, heavy bass and brass tones

that bring to mind enemies marching.

• soft, sweet music for Juliet’s dance

(flute, tambourine, oboe).

• return of heavy tones, hinting that

the family conflict is worsening.

Psst!See all those “pipes” in the back of the

stage? There are 5,000 of them! And they are the orchestra’s largest musical instrument—the Kennedy

Center’s brand new pipe organ. A musician playing keyboards controls the sound, which is produced when

air flows through the pipes. Hear the organ all by itself at the beginning of the concert.

Boo!You’ll hear 12 musical selections at today’s

concert — read about six of them here and learn

more online at http://goo.gl/

UCxOml

happy

haunting!

A playful child acts up. His angry mother

threatens to call the “Noon Witch” to

punish him. To everyone’s surprise, the

witch comes just as the clock strikes 12.

Listen for the:

• child’s playfulness —

the happy, light melodies.

• mother’s anger — bold notes

played by the stringed instruments.

• witch’s arrival — a sudden,

forceful low tone.

• witch’s chase — swirling sounds.

How do you get rid of a ghost? In the Spanish story behind this music, gypsies dance to chase away a ghost

who is haunting a young woman.

Listen for the:• rumbling and whirling sounds

created by the clarinets and violins.

• increase in tempo (speed) toward the end.

A devil named Mephistopheles (mef-uh-STOF-uh-leez) is happy. He believes he has won a deal with a man named Faust. But in the end, he’s wrong.Listen for the:

• devil’s swirling around — rising and falling sounds.• alarm-like sound created by the triangle.• struggle between good and evil — the quiet moments broken by harsh and forceful tones.

Imagine a drawing of a witch’s hut — that’s what inspired this music, which describes the witch who lives there (think scary). Can you picture her flying up and down, swirling around, running, and even tiptoeing?Listen for the:

• strong, driving tones at the beginning.• quieter moment (bassoon) — think of the witch’s trying to trick children to come inside.• chimes of the xylophone before the music becomes loud again.

After the evil Delilah has tricked Samson,

she and others celebrate in a wild dance.

This music comes from the opera inspired

by the biblical story of the same name. Listen for the:• many percussion instruments, from the deep sounds of the timpani, to the crashes

of the cymbals, to the clicking of the castanets

(small wooden disks held in the palms of the hand).

• slower, more flowing music

played by the string instruments.• even wilder dancing at the end as

the tempo and loudness increase.

Sometimes there’s nothing scarier than

fights between families — which

happens in the story of Romeo and

Juliet. This part of the music tells

of Romeo’s family sneaking into

a ball at Juliet’s home.

Listen for the:

• long, heavy bass and brass tones

that bring to mind enemies marching.

• soft, sweet music for Juliet’s dance

(flute, tambourine, oboe).

• return of heavy tones, hinting that

the family conflict is worsening.

Psst!See all those “pipes” in the back of the

stage? There are 5,000 of them! And they are the orchestra’s largest musical instrument—the Kennedy

Center’s brand new pipe organ. A musician playing keyboards controls the sound, which is produced when

air flows through the pipes. Hear the organ all by itself at the beginning of the concert.

Boo!You’ll hear 12 musical selections at today’s

concert — read about six of them here and learn

more online at http://goo.gl/

UCxOml

What Makes Music Sound Scary ?The music in a theater performance, television show, or movie often tells you that something scary might happen. But how? To create frightening music, composers might use:

Additional support for the NSO Family Concerts is provided by the Women’s Committee for the National Symphony Orchestra.

Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided in part by Adobe Foundation, The Clark Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; U.S. Department of Education; and by generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas.

Education and related artistic programs are made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume

endorsement by the Federal Government.

© 2013 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

David M. RubensteinChairman

Michael M. KaiserPresident

Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education

Christoph EschenbachMusic Director,

National Symphony Orchestra

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.

The Macy’s Foundation and Washington Gas are the proud sponsors of the NSO Family Concerts.

ankush

kumar bahl

conductor

Welcome, boys and girls, to the haunted Concert hall of the kennedy Center! Today, we’ll

introduce you to lots of musical

treats about witches, magical spells,

fantastical creatures, and more— all performed by the national

symphony Orchestra (nsO).

fast tempos (speeds) that can give a sense of alarm, wildness, or a chase.

very slow tempos, often with low notes, that suggest someone or something might be sneaking up behind you.

high-pitched notes that can represent a wicked laugh or a whirling wind.

different combinations of tones to create unpleasant or uncomfortable sounds.

75 Musicians Led by One ConductorAt today’s concert, conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl will lead 75 members of the National Symphony Orchestra in playing the music.

The conductor is a person who leads the orchestra. Conductors generally use their right hand to tell the orchestra how fast to play and use their left hand to tell the musicians how loud or soft to play. Some use a slender white stick called a baton as they conduct. At the concert, watch how the conductor communicates with the musicians. And, be on the lookout for the musicians’ special Halloween costumes!

A Good Audience…

wait! there’s more!The Haunted HallBefore each concert, visit the Haunted Hall (the spookily transformed Kennedy Center Atrium on the Terrace Level), 11:30 a.m.–12 :45 p.m. and 1:30 – 2:45 p.m. for trick-or-treating, face painting, costumed characters, and Halloween merriment galore. Plus, enjoy hands-on fun with the instruments that the musicians will play on stage at the musical instrument “petting zoo” (a project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO).

Kids’ ChatAfter the 3 p.m. performance, stick around to ask questions of conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl and some of the NSO musicians on stage.

Upcoming Family ConcertsPlease plan to join us at the next National Symphony Orchestra Family Concerts, performed by the full NSO:

Sunday, February 23, 2014 — Peter and the Wolf Sunday, June 1, 2014 —Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage

The NSO also presents full orchestra Young People’s Concerts for school groups in the Concert Hall each season during the school day for grades 3 through 6.

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

Watches and listens carefully.

Claps at the end when the conductor

turns around.Stays seated. Stays quiet.