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THE ORCHESTRA

AND MOTHER

NATURE VICTORIA SYMPHONY

EDUCATION CONCERT 2015

Victoria Symphony

Education Programs are

underwritten in part by

a generous gift from

Beverly Unger

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STRATEGIES FOR LISTENING TO MUSIC: PREPARATION FOR THE SYMPHONY

VERSION ‘A’

“THE ORCHESTRA AND MOTHER NATURE”

One of our functions as music teachers is to educate children to be intelligent and

discriminating listeners, thereby developing their potential as the concert-goers and "classical

music" listeners of the future as well as enhancing their listening skills and various other

intelligences.

Listening to music should stimulate some reaction or response. An emotional response, or

how the music makes one feel, can be expressed through various media: movement, graphics/art,

speech (discussion, poetry, rhythm patterns). An intellectual response is usually expressed by

identifying, understanding, and even reproducing elements of music within a piece, e.g.,

rhythms, melody, dynamics, meter, tempo, timbre, form, etc. [The appreciation of the style of

the music in its historical context is an intellectual response, but I feel that this is of less value at

the elementary level where the knowledge of the different periods of history is unfortunately

limited, and especially if the other, more personal, “hands-on” approaches to music have not

been experienced first.]

Any listening lesson should have a particular focus – the students should be either listening

FOR something, probably with pencil and paper in hand to answer questions, or responding TO

something – ready to move, or play, etc. Movement exploration should consider Rudolph

Laban's definitions of different qualities of movement:

Very basically - Light and fast (flick, dab) Light and slow (float, glide)

Strong and fast (jab, punch) Strong and slow (press, wring)

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PROGRAM

Overture, “The Wasps” Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 – 1958)

Spring from The Four Seasons Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

La Gazza Ladra Overture (cut) Gio Rossini

The Moldau Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)

Storm from Pastorale Symphony Ludwig van Beethoven

Morning Edvard Grieg

Dance of the Little Swans from Swan Lake Suite Peter Tchaikovsky

Jurassic Park Highlights John Williams

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Overture to “THE WASPS” Ralph (pronounced “Rafe”) Vaughan Willliams

This music was written as incidental music for the play “The Wasps” written by the ancient

Greek playwright Aristophanes. The play takes its title from the Chorus – a very important part

in ancient Greek drama. In this case it is a band of old men dressed up as wasps, whose caustic,

stinging language is meant to typify the sorts of Athenians of the time who were addicted to

suing to the letter of the law, and spent all their time in the law courts arguing, and living off the

profits of litigation.

This wonderful overture is an elaborate ABA form (with Introduction and Coda). It will be

considerably cut at the concert as in its original form it is almost 9 minutes long.

A SECTION. PROCESS:

Play the introduction (up to 0:44, or stop earlier).

o What creature (of nature) might be represented here? (Bees, Mosquitoes, WASPS)

o How are the instruments played to get the effect of these buzzing insects? (Trills, muted

brass….)

o Demonstrate a trill if possible, on a wind or string instrument, or piano.

o How many “buzzes” are there in the introduction? (15-16; Some children may count

more – this doesn’t matter.)

Teach the main themes:

Theme 1 appears at 0:47 with only the first part. It begins again with great conviction on full

orchestra at 0:55. (Very clever construction – each of the four phrases begins with the same

rhythm, three of them with the same pitches, the fourth reverses those pitches):

Notice the staccato notes – very jaunty, mischievous?

Then, Theme 2 at 1:08:

Theme 2 continues at 1:22:

Theme 2 is much more grand and stately – no staccato. Like a procession of important people in

sweeping robes? Two sides of the same character?

A very “buzzy” bridge follows at 1:41.

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Then Theme 1 again, (1:54 – nasty cut) followed by Theme 2 (2:07) which ends a little

differently and dissolves into the B section after a bridge (at 2:43) that is based on the first four

notes of Theme 3.

B SECTION. Theme 3 (at 3:06)

Teach and play the theme – up to 3:31:

What is the difference in mood (and dynamics) between the sections? [A – faster, lighter;

B – slower, more thoughtful. Also, B is in a different meter – three slow beats to the bar

instead of four fast ones.]

Play recording and have students identify the themes by holding up 1 or 2 or 3 fingers,

and arms in a shape for the bridges.

Discover that the Coda (based on theme 1) begins at 3:31.

Questions could be asked about the instrumentation of the themes

o Also listen for the triangle – raise hands when it is heard. [Particularly

at 2:02, 2:07, 3:34, 3:40.]

o Tambourine and Cymbal are often used. Raise hands when each is

heard, or hold up a picture of the instrument.

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“SPRING” from The Four Seasons Antonio Vivaldi

(First section only)

Vivaldi was one of the greatest composers of the Baroque period. He lived and composed in Italy

and taught at a girls’ school. Much of his music was written for those students as part of an

orchestra, or as soloists.

His famous work The Four Seasons comprises four concerti for violin. (A concerto is a piece

for a solo instrument and orchestra in which the solo instrument and its performer gets to show

off style and technique.) Each concerto is named after a season and has three movements.

The main theme of the first movement of the “Spring” concerto can be played on recorder. (See

below.) The key below is transposed from E to G major for ease of playing.

Vivaldi is supposed to have written poetry for each of the concerti in the Four Seasons, and each

poem is broken up into three parts, which correspond to the three movements of each concerto.

In addition, Vivaldi provided instructions such as "The barking dog" (in the second movement of

"Spring"), "Languor caused by the heat" (in the first movement of "Summer"), and "the

drunkards have fallen asleep" (in the second movement of "Autumn"). In “Spring”, we will hear

clearly the sound of various birds, a thunderstorm, soft breezes.

La Primavera Spring Giunt’ è la Primavera e festosetti Springtime is upon us.

La Salutan gl’ Augei con lieto canto The birds celebrate her return with festive song,

E i fonti allo Spirar de’ Zeffiretti And murmuring streams are softly caressed by

Con dolce mormorio Scorrono intanto: the breezes.

Vengon’ coprendo l’aer di nero amanto Thunderstorms, those heralds of Spring, roar,

E Lampi, e tuoni ad annuntiarla eletti Casting their dark mantle over heaven,

Indi tacendo questi, gl’Augelletti Then they die away to silence, and the birds

Tornan’ di nuovo al lor canoro incanto take up their charming songs once more.

Teach the main melody on voice or recorder.

(Transposed)

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Define, or discover the form as AABB.

o B begins at the up beat to measure 13 (at 0:13 – 0:28 on the recording). The

second A has two fewer notes at the end.

o This theme is rather like a fanfare – evocative of the entrance of Spring.

After the opening “fanfare” there are various bird calls. Ask students if they can suggest

which birds make these calls or sounds.

Give the title. Put up the words of the poem and make a skeleton “picture” of them: i.e.

list/draw the important events and sounds (bird calls, breezes, storm) they are describing.

Distribute pieces of paper and crayons, pencils, or felt markers.

o Play the recording and ask students to draw any of these different events/sounds

when they think they are being portrayed in the music.

o Using several long sheets of paper on the floor (newsprint paper works well), with

six students per sheet, put each student in charge of one of the items. Use the

same graphic symbol each time, e.g., a trumpet, or a flower…. for the fanfare

melody above (or any part of it). Each student draws his/her item in the sequence on the long paper

whenever it appears in the music.

Play the recording again, and follow the “scores” through. Move students around to

another “score” to see if they can follow another group’s interpretation.

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Overture to “LA GAZZA LADRA” (The Thieving Magpie) Gioacchino Rossini

Very briefly, the story of the opera is about a magpie that steals some silver and the theft is

blamed on a servant girl who is sent to prison. Friends discover that it’s the magpie that is the

thief, and they recover the silver from its nest, thus saving the girl’s life.

The music is from the Overture (Opening) to the Opera. It is very long, and the performance on

the CD and at the concert is cut.

There are basically four sections, preceded by an introduction, connected by bridges and

followed by an ending called a “Coda” (Italian for “tail”). Perhaps do one section per lesson,

reviewing each taught section before proceeding to the next.

STRUCTURE:

Introduction: 0:00 – 1:24

0:00 – 0:14 Drum rolls

0:14 - 0:54 Marching tune

0:54 - 1:05 Drum rolls

1:05 – 1:24 Fanfare

Sect. I 1:24 – 1:43

1:43 – 1:50 Bridge 1:50 – 2:17 Repeat of Sect I tune

Sect. II 2:17 – 2:59

2:59 – 3:14 Bridge

Sect. III 3:14 – 3:30

3:30 – 3:39 Bridge 3:39 – 4:02 Repeat of Sect III tune

Sect IV 4:02 – 4:49

4:49 – 4:57 Bridge

Sect II rep 4:57 – 5:11

5:11 – End Coda

PROCESS:

Begin with Section II. (2:17 – 2:59)

Teach the following movement pattern. Perform it four times in a row.

BEATS: 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6

MVMT: Stamp foot and Flick hands up

raise arms and lower arms

OPTIONAL: Discuss other ways of showing ascending and descending. [Perhaps with the whole

body rising up and lowering; or a single body part; etc…..]

Play from 2:17 – 2:34. Ask students if the music matches the music. (Or tell them it does!)

Perform the movement with the music.

Play from 2:17 to 3:00, explaining that Rossini is playing around with all sorts of variations of

up and down. Can they describe them? Can they move to them? – perhaps work in pairs, one

up, one down.

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Draw the ups and downs of the sounds on individual pieces of paper, or on the board, or on a

long piece of paper on the floor.

Section I (1:24 – 2:17)

Demonstrate the following quite fast beat arrangement, with two puppets, or just two hands:

Person A: 123456 123456 123456 123456 123456 1234

Person B: 123456 123456 56 1234!!

Ask which puppet/hand seems to have the most to say. Discover that after two calls and

responses, person A continues doing its 6 beats three times, tries even to do a fourth time but is

interrupted by person B after 4 beats.

Divide the class into two and have them perform the pattern, following the teacher’s lead.

Switch.

Put students into pairs, with lummi or rhythm sticks, to perform the arrangement as a

conversation. Allow person to show indignation at being excluded so long and so comes in on

the fifth beat of the eighth set of six.

Play from 1:24 – 1:43 (Section I). Discover the pattern already experienced above. Perform with

the music. Switch parts.

Play from 1:24 – 2:19. Discover that although it seems to start all over again after a little bridge

at 1:43, person A continues and continues, without giving person B a chance to respond.

The students should recognize the beginning of section II at 2:17. Dramatically, this could be

Person B becoming very indignant and Section II could be devoted entirely to movements

performed by person B.

Section III (3:14 – 4:02)

Explain that the piece we are listening to is from an opera called “The Thieving Magpie”. Talk

about the fascination bright, shiny things have for Magpies.

Teach the following speech pattern. Divide and conquer – Teacher asks questions, students

answer in rhythm; Switch parts. (Be aware how many “verys” there are.)

Adapt to movement – One student lures a “magpie” by waving something shiny; magpie tip-toes,

or hops, to see. The “magpie” needs to be far enough away from the lure so that the distance may

be covered in the time it takes for musical phrase to be performed.

The musical picture painting here is lovely: little bird-like steps, and the two bridges bird-like in

sound, especially because of the flute.

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Play from 3:14 – 4:01.

How many times do we hear this speech/movement pattern? [Four]

Is it continuous? [No, there is a little bridge between the first two times and the last two – at

3:30, and another leading to the next section, at3:54]

Perform the Magpie movement with the music, deciding what to do with the bridges. There

should probably be 4 “lurers” to one magpie.

Section IV (4:02 – 4:49)

Teach the following speech pattern: (It may be too difficult for very young children.)

Divide the class into two, or have students in pairs, and say it as a question and answer at least

twice – with some kind of movement or gesture and facial expression to indicate the meaning of

the words. Switch.

Distribute scarves or ribbons preferably of only two colours, one colour for the Q and the other

for the A, for students to manipulate while questioning and answering.

Play the recording from 3:54 to 4:57. Ask students to raise hands when they hear the above

rhythm that they have spoken and moved to. [At 4:02]

Play again and ask them to raise hands when the rhythm is replaced by something else. [At 4:49]

Ask if they noticed anything about the music with the repeated rhythm. [It gets louder –

Crescendo – and more instruments are added, and note the snare drum roll, the triangle, and

the piccolo.]

Play once again and ask how many times they hear the whole speech pattern. [Six]

Have a list of words on the board and ask students to decide which words describe this music.

OR, have students supply a list of appropriate words. e.g.,

SAD LIVELY JOYOUS EXCITING DULL

DANCE-LIKE etc…..

Play this section and have students move according to the words that were decided upon as

describing the music. With or without scarves/ribbons.

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CONCLUSION

EITHER play the whole piece and discover the Introduction, the Bridges, and the Coda, OR,

explain that there is an Introduction, Bridges to link the sections, and a “tail piece”, or Coda to

end and then play the CD.

Notice in the Introduction that there are Snare Drum Rolls and a Marching Tune. Some of the

actors in the opera are soldiers, so there is a military feel to this part of the music.

Ask about the number of drum rolls and the echoes, especially between 0:28 – 0:33 and

0:49 – 0:53 and discover the echoes between 3:30 – 3:37 and 3:54 – 4:01.

Notice in the Coda that the triangle is prominent, and that the music gets faster, which is

called an accelerando.

FOLLOW UP

Because of its crisp and relentless beat, this whole piece would make a wonderful choreography

with balls and balloons. They could be passed; tossed, either to self, or partner, or around a

circle; bounced – self, partner, circle; At 3:14 the music is lighter and is perfect to experience

the preparation of the arm reaching back before the throw forward.

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“THE MOLDAU” from Ma Vlast (My Country) Bedrich Smetana

This piece of music is a tone poem describing Czechoslovakia’s most famous river. It begins as

two tiny streams, which bubble along, then merge, becoming the river which is home to water

nymphs, flows past peasant dancers, castles, and nobles on a hunt, over rapids, and finally passes

under the St. Charles Bridge in the glorious city of Prague.

HOWEVER, don’t start with the title.

Teach the main tune (transposed to easier key):

This tune could be said to be the “Spirit of the River”.

(It has a beautiful shape. The rhythm is slightly altered in different appearances; and although

first stated in the minor key, the melody appears sometimes in the major.)

Play the recording from the beginning up to 1:32 and have students raise hands when the

melody appears. [1:06]

Explain that the music is a description of a European river, the Moldau, and the countryside

it flows through and some of the people who live along it. If possible, show some pictures of

Czechoslovakia especially of the grand medieval buildings, and the Moldau itself.

Play the same section again up to about 1:10, and ask students to circle words from the

following list (add other words) to describe the music that comes before the melody.

SWIRLING SLOW FAST

LIKE A MARCH SINUOUS FLOWING

LIGHT HEAVY SMOOTH

HESITANT SPIKEY Etc…..

o OR, Have students draw shapes or patterns to describe the music up to 1:10. If

colours are available, ask which colours do they think would match the music.

[One would hope pastel shades, but there are no wrong answers, although the

teacher might want to ask a child why s/he chose a bright, loud colour like red or

orange, without suggesting that it is wrong.]

Explain that the Moldau River begins with two small streams or tributaries, and this music,

up to 1:10 represents them. Can they hear when the second joins the first? [Possibly at 0:14,

definitely at 0:26]

o What instruments are depicting the streams? [Flutes]

o Notice the harp “pings” at the beginning and the way other instruments enter (e.g.

violin pizzicatos) to accompany the flutes as the streams become larger, splashing

over pebbles, flowing onwards to become the big river.

At this point, if desired, distribute ribbons or scarves in colours of blue, white, silver and

allow students to move to the music, stopping when the melody enters.

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Play the recording up to 2:52. Discover, or explain that the river tune above is only the

beginning of the big melody of this piece.

Play through the entire piece if the students are able to concentrate that long. If they are not,

adapt the suggestions that follow.

o Ask students to raise hands whenever they hear the above melody. How many

times does it appear? [4, counting the repeat at the beginning.]

Ask if they remember anything about the music that came in between the repeats of this

melody. [Other tunes; fanfare…..]

List, (in no particular order – but not the following order), the different scenes of the piece:

Royalty (2:53), Peasant Dancers (3:48), Water Nymphs (5:07), Rapids (8:20), City - the

Bridge (9:33).

Listen for the brilliant use of the triangle at various moments throughout the piece.

Play the recording again, stopping during or after each new section and either ask which

programmatic features students think Smetana is describing, or point them out. List the order

on the board. Note the trumpet fanfare in the Royal section (which is really a hunting scene),

– and the crashing cymbals in the Rapids scene

On a long piece of paper have students create a pictorial view of the music. Or, have

students pick which scene they wish to draw on individual pieces of paper, and paste these

pictures on a river that has been drawn on a long piece of paper.

Have students dance/act out each scene. A final choreography could be arrived at.

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“STORM” from Symphony No. 6, “The Pastoral” L. van Beethoven

Play the recording up to about 2:12 and ask the students what phenomenon of Nature they think

it might represent. There may be various answers but presumably one would be “a storm”.

Define it as representing a storm, and ask, how does a storm usually begin? Does the weather go

from a bright sunny day straight to thunder, lightning, pouring rain?

Usually it starts with a gathering of clouds and a spattering of raindrops. Ask how this is depicted

in the music. [Fast tremolos on the cellos and basses for the clouds, and short “dripping” notes

from the higher strings.]

OPTIONAL: A body percussion “Storm” may be created – starting with snapping fingers,

moving to light clapping, harder clapping, thigh slapping, stamping, and then fading in reverse.

Play up to 0:44 and ask students to raise hands when the storm really begins. [At 0:26].

What is the difference? [Cymbal crashes; Timpani rolls; blaring trumpets, screaming winds….]

There is a rhythmic figure that occurs several times that could be represented by the word

y!

/

STORM The two syllables are one right after the other, “Storm” being accented and

lower in pitch, and “y” being higher and lighter.

Play from the beginning to 3:17. Ask students how many times this figure is heard. [Ten,

between 0:43 – 1:15; seven more between 2:06 – 2:22. There are also similar rhythms that are

slower between the syllables, and 2 that consist of only one note (“storm”). It doesn’t really

matter about the number – it is just important that the student is listening.]

At 1:28 there are two cries from the Oboe. Isolate this moment and ask what the students

imagine might be making that sound. [A lost animal? Bird?]

At 2:03 – 2:06 what do they imagine the high-pitched sound from the piccolo represents?

[Wind?]

Teach the following tune (top line – the other parts are for recorders if students are playing them.

The second version is at orchestra pitch and is more difficult to play for most recorders. The top

line could be played by soprano, but it is very high.)

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Play the whole recording, and ask students to raise hands when they hear this melody. [At 3:19]

It could be pointed out that it is a slow version of the rain drops heard at the very beginning of

the storm.

Ask students what often happens at the end of a rainstorm. [A rainbow appears.] This melody

could represent a rainbow, or, in a religious or spiritual frame of mind, it could be like a hymn of

thanks. Words could be put to the melody: “We’re glad the storm is o-ver……..”

Place several strips of paper (10 -12 feet) on the floor. Station 7- 10 students at intervals along

the paper, from left to right. The first student at the left end of each paper begins to draw what

the music represents at that moment. At a signal from the teacher, (when the music develops) the

second student takes over. The first student may continue improving his/her own section, or may

stop to listen. The teacher signals for successive students to take over at appropriate spots

(certainly the second or third student at 0:26 and the last one at 3:19) in the music.

When the murals are completed, follow through again, as a score. Then have students switch to

another score and see if they can follow the sequence of images.

This music is brilliantly depicted in Walt Disney’s “Fantasia I”. If you show it, please be sure to

teach the music first, so that the students have their own images in place before Disney’s.

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“MORNING” from Peer Gynt Suite Edvard Grieg

Lesson 1

Blow a series of bubbles and ask the students to describe what they see – we are looking

for words like light, round, gentle, quiet, smooth, and of course other words will be

suggested, including “pop”, which is quite valid and will be written down, but is not one

of the words we want to work with.

Write all the suggested words on the board. Then circle the words with the character of the

italics above.

Ask students if they can move (one arm, head, whole body…..) in the way of those words.

Maybe use a scarf.

Play the recording of “Morning” up to about 0:55 and ask students if the words used to

describe the bubbles fits this music. (The word legato, (smooth), could be introduced

here.)

Teach the melody of morning, either by singing or by repeated listening up to the end of

the first phrase (0:12).

o The melody is extremely simple and very cleverly constructed:

soh-mi-re-do-re-mi/soh mi re do re mi/soh mi soh lah mi lah/ soh mi re doh…

soh-mi-re-do-re-mi/soh mi re do re mi/soh mi soh lah mi lah/ lah so mi re…

At the end of the second line, the oboe takes the tune higher and it begins

again on the flute in a higher key.

Play the melody up to about 0:55 while gently blowing bubbles, or having various students

blow them. (Obviously students are not to attempt to burst the bubbles).

Discuss the instrumentation and construction of the tune: over a subdued accompaniment,

the tune is played by flute and oboe.

o Play up to 0:24 and ask students if they recognize the two instruments playing the

tune, then its repeat. [Flute, then Oboe.]

o Play again and ask how many (slow) beats each instrument gets to play. [8 each]

o Play from the beginning again, up to 0:50 and discover that the tune is repeated by

each instrument, a little higher, and the two instruments get to play for 8 beats

each again.

o Play from the beginning up to 1:03 and discover that although the instruments

keep on alternating, they play for a shorter number of beats: 2 beats each, then 1

beat each and 1 beat each again so the tune is only in fragments for the next 8

beats.

The construction is:

Flute 8, Oboe 8, Flute 8, Oboe 8, Flute 2, Oboe 2, Flute 1, Oboe 1, Flute 1, Oboe 1.

o Have students “walk” their fingers (or elbows, or feet…) for these numbers of

beats, changing direction, or finger/hand at each change of number.

Have students pick two partners but do not stand together. From a far place in the room

have student A walk gently to student B, either carrying an imaginary bubble very

carefully, or blowing bubbles gracefully. They should attempt to arrive at student B at the

end of the 0:12 where they hand over the bubble(s). During the second phrase, student B

walks in a delicate manner to student C and the bubble is exchanged at the end of the

second phrase (0:24). During the next phrase, C walks to A (or to a fourth student, D) and

hands over the bubble at 0:38. Continue exchanging the bubble(s) with the change of

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phrases. Where the phrase becomes fragmented (0:51 - 1:03) decide what to do with

these eight beats.

Lesson 2?

Review the first section of the piece 1:03 with some kind of movement. Use of a ball

between pairs of students would be interesting – they could choreograph the structure of

the melody. Or use the bubble sequence as before.

Play from the beginning up to about 1:25. Ask students what has happened to the music.

[It is higher, louder, different instruments – strings are playing the melody…..]

Give the title of the piece: “Morning”. Ask students if they have ever seen a sunrise. If

possible, show some pieces of artwork depicting sunrise. Stress that it is a gradual

process, (the sun doesn’t just suddenly pop up!) often accompanied by bird song (the

“dawn chorus”).

o Do they think this is a calm morning sunrise, or a stormy, windy one?

Listen to the whole piece. Have students draw pictures of a sunrise as they are listening if

they need something to do. However, the purpose here is to discover when they think the

sun actually rises. If they select the first “big” moment in the music, at 1:31, that would

be perfectly understandable, and valid, but there is more than half the piece still to come!

So maybe this could be just the first sunbeam – a shaft of light shooting into the sky

through the clouds?

o The next two “big” moments, or accents are at 1:42 and 1:45. Maybe more shafts

of light?

o There is another sense of climax at 1:55 which could well be the sunrise, but we

are still only half way through.

o At 2:06 and 2:09 are more accents – more shafts of light? Or perhaps the top of

the sun’s head peeking over the horizon? A golden glow in the sky?

o Similarly at 2:18 there is a sense of climax, as at 1:55, but we still have a long

way to go. Following this there are little flute calls which could be bird calls

heralding the sun (the dawn chorus).

o At 3:20 there is the definite sound of a bird trill on the clarinet and then several

times on the flute followed by the clarinet again, and again the flute several times.

o Something significant seems to be happening at 3:49……

o Personally, I think the sun gently rises at 4:21 to the end.

It is a beautiful piece to choreograph with a hoop representing the sun (with orange/yellow

dressing on it) and ribbons for shafts of light, and dark cloth for the night sky……

Using long pieces of paper, and markers, have groups of students draw several murals

depicting the progress of the sunrise according to the music – each student can be

responsible for a part of the music. The teacher calls when the next student should begin

his/her section. Students who have already done a section can continue to enhance their

section, but they shouldn’t add anything that belongs to the next section.

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DANCE OF THE LITTLE SWANS from Swan Lake P. Tchaikowsky

(This recording is obviously one made at a performance of the ballet as one can hear the sound of

the toe shoes at the beginning.)

Play the first 30 seconds of the recording. Ask if students have heard the music before – it is the

dance of four little swans

The following ti-ti figure is constant throughout the piece, mostly on the bassoon, played in a

short, detached fashion, called staccato.

Over the top of the ti-ti figure is a persistent rhythm that occurs many times:

Which is elongated into a longer phrase and developed throughout.

Teach the first rhythms (swans and cygnets) then play the recording again. Ask students to count,

or guess, how many times the “[x] Four little swans” rhythm occurs. (The teacher can point

them out, or mouth them as a guide.) [Sixteen – eight plus eight later]

Then play again and ask how many times the cygnets rhythm occurs [Eight – this is a lovely

balance.]

Where does the cygnets rhythm happen? [In between the two swans.]

The form can thus be described as: Intro Swans Cygnets Swans Coda.

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How many notes [8 – there are actually 9 ti’s, but the 9th

one is the beginning of the main

theme.] or beats [4] in the introduction?

Talk about the instruments – mostly reeds for the swans, strings for the cygnets, back to reeds for

the swans and a mixture for the coda.

Notice that the staccato sound of the Bassoons in the introduction is reflected in several of the

syllables of “Four lit-tle swans…..” whereas the Coda is very smooth, or, legato as the swans

glide away. Perhaps they have learnt to swim like swans?

My words are just suggestions. Feel free to change them. Extra words could be invented for the

rhythms without words.

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Higlights from JURASSIC PARK John Williams

Very much a part of Mother Nature eons ago, dinosaurs is the theme here. Students may not have

seen Jurassic Park (in fact, it is quite horrifying in parts), but most will know the term “Jurassic”

and will relate to the music as being very descriptive of dinosaurs, at least the large ones.

Give the title of the piece and explain that it is about dinosaurs. (Various Dinosaur discussions

or projects could be integrated with the listening to this piece.)

Have students close their eyes and listen to the recording from 0:40 – 1:13. Ask them what

dinosaur the music makes them think of. There will be various answers – none will be wrong –

the child is entitled to imagine whatever the music wakens in him/her. However, I feel there is a

grandeur and grace that would apply to the long-necked herbivores like Brontosaurus.

Then, without discussion, play from 3:03 – 3:33 and ask if this is the same dinosaur. If not, what

kind of dinosaur does this music suggest?

Play both again to allow further reflection and discuss the students’ choices. They could try

drawing their choices as each theme plays.

Unfortunately, this piece does not include any fast music that would typify the raptors, but

discussion could be had as to what kind of music would be good to represent the smaller, faster

dinosaurs. Some classrooms may be able to invent some music, either from instruments, or

“found” sounds.

Teach the following four notes vocally, then on the body. (The first four notes of the recording):

Play from the beginning of the recording to 0:30.

How many times is the melody played? [Three]

What instrument is playing it? [Horn. Maybe it’s a call to something…..?]

What happens to it the third time? [At the end more instruments join in……]

Perform the body percussion with the recording

Teach the following tune.

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Point out that there is something that it is almost totally built on:

- short short long, with the accent on the last note/syllable.

What word from the subject we are discussing would fit this rhythm? [Di-no-saur]

Play from the beginning up to 1:13.

How many times do we hear the tune? [Twice]

How is the second time different? [It is higher]

The number of times the rhythm of “di-no-saur” is played could be counted.

Play from the beginning up to about 1:30.

Ask students to raise hands when they hear something different at 1:15 – this may be difficult

for many children to identify as the rhythm (“di-no-saur”) is part of it. Show the difference by

playing and or teaching the following theme II.

What is another difference between this theme and theme I? [It is faster.]

The number of times this faster rhythm of “di-no-saur” is played could be counted.

To experience the difference between the speed of the two themes, they could be put together as

follows, or with sol-fa syllables, or with body percussion.

The recording (which is cut) plays two different sections – as reflected in the two different

dinosaurs imagined at the beginning. Draw two different dinosaurs one as “A” the other as “B”.

“A” contains theme I and theme II in the following order: I, II, I, II. “B” (at 2:46) is basically

one theme in which the brass and percussion figure prominently.

So the form is Intro A B