The Romantic Period. Episode 3. Passion in music OVERVIEW. Vocabulary Passion Emotion Romantic Seating chart Leitmotif*

Transcription

1 OVERVIEW Episode 3 1 Passion in music The Romantic period ( ) was all about expressing passion, drama, and emotion through music. The orchestra was bigger and louder than ever. Things get very emotional in the shop, causing Quaver to present the passionate music of the Romantic period. Quaver introduces us to subtle Chopin, super-charged Tchaikovsky, and voluminous Wagner, all dynamic composers of the period. The Romantic orchestra was so big a seating chart was introduced to control it! Enjoy this emotional journey, but be sure to bring some tissues. LESSON OBJECTIVES Students will learn: The Romantic period sound, which was more contrasting and expressive than the Classical period. The lifestyle and fashions of the Romantic period. The differences between the Romantic orchestra and the Classical orchestra. The most notable composers of the Romantic period: Tchaikovsky, Schumann, Wagner, and Brahms. Vocabulary Passion Emotion Romantic Seating chart Leitmotif* * concepts included in the Teacher Guide, but not in the DVD Quaver s Marvelous World of Music 1-1

2 MUSIC STANDARDS IN LESSON 1: Singing alone and with others* 4: Composing and arranging music 6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music 8: Understanding the relationship between music and the other arts 9: Understanding music in relation to history, style, and culture Complete details at QuaverMusic.com Key Scenes 1 An emotional day in Quaver s shop What they teach The introduction compares the Baroque and Classical periods to the raw emotion and passion of the Romantic period. Music Standard 2 Great Romantic Composers The music and lives of Tchaikovsky, Schumann, Brahms, and Wagner are presented. 8, 9 3 Drawing on the emotions of Chopin, Mussorgsky, and Tchaikovsky By listening to pieces by these composers, we feel the emotion of the period. 4 Orchestral seating mayhem Carl Maria von Weber developed a seating plan for the orchestra. After the orchestra uses it, they play Tchaikovsky s Piano Concerto in Bb. 5 Song: Romantic Period with excerpts by Brahms and Schumann This song draws on melodies from the Romantic period and emphasizes that this music was all about emotion. 2LESSON INTRO Introducing the episode Ask students to write down a one-word response to this question: how are you feeling today? Write their responses for all to see. Ask them which responses describe emotions (happy, sad, excited, etc.) Circle those responses, have them brainstorm other adjectives that describe emotions, and talk about each. Instruct them to come up with two notes to sing or play on an instrument to represent that emotion. You may have to take the lead in coaching the kind of emotion you want in the notes. Here are some examples: Angry Da da (sung loudly and aggressively on the same note) Cheerful La La (an octave between la and la, sung slowly) Surprised Dun, DER (a very quiet first note and a very loud second note) Sad Mmmm, Mmmm (two notes descending slowly) Create a sentence using angry, cheerful, surprised, and sad to which students can add their musical illustrations. 1-2 QuaverMusic.com * concepts included in the Teacher Guide, but not in the DVD

3 Discussion Points 3PLAY EPISODE Name three composers of the Romantic period. Tchaikovsky, Schumann, Brahms, Chopin, and Wagner What were the dates of that period in music? Use a word that describes the Romantic period. emotional, dramatic, passionate What changes were made to the orchestra during this period? more instruments were added, the trumpets added valves, the orchestra seating plan was established What is a Music Period? Historians classify music (and other forms of art) by bracketing years of stylistic similarity. Although opinions differ, these are the most commonly recognized designations: Renaissance ( ) Baroque ( ) Classical ( ) Romantic ( ) Impressionist ( ) The Romantic period was not music solely about love, but really refers to the passionate nature of the music. 4 Experience Emotions Purpose: Interpreting emotion in music Play these tracks from Robert Schumann s Album for the Young individually, and pause to allow students to give a name to the emotion heard in each piece. If desired, have students perform movements that represent each emotion. Track 1 Soldier s March Track 2 Knight Rupert Track 3 The Happy Farmer Track 4 The Poor Orphan Track 5 Hunting Song CLASS ACTIVITIES Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 Dynamic Dances Purpose: Relating music and movement Find a copy of Gustav Holst s The Planets on the Internet and play the segment called Mars for students. Tell them that this song uses a wide assortment of dynamics from pianissimo to fortissimo. Ask them to imagine they are Martian dancers. Have them interpret the changes in dynamics of the piece with body movements. Add to the fun of this activity with props. How can students vary their movements (line, shape, speed, direction, etc.)? Sound Stories Purpose: How music can bring stories alive Discuss how dynamics and emotions in music help tell a story. Watch the animated version of Dukas s The Sorcerer s Apprentice from Walt Disney s Fantasia. Ask students to listen carefully for instruments that play particular characters or portray specific types of action. Disconnect the video cable of the DVD or cover the television monitor and play the song again. Periodically, ask students how much they can tell of the story just by listening to the music. Note: You may wish to bring in soundtracks to other films recognizable to students. For example, you might play a flying sequence from a Harry Potter film or the animal stampede from The Lion King. 1-3

4 My Romantic Period Story Purpose: Associating music and emotion Tracks 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 Listen to the following music pieces characteristic of the Romantic period. First, have students decide what emotions they convey. (Remember, there are no right or wrong answers). Then piece the clips together into some kind of story. Track 6 Mendelsohn s a Midsummer Night s Dream, Wedding March Track 7 Chopin s Nocturne Op. 9 No. 1 Track 8 Berlioz s Symphony Fantastic, 4th movement Track 9 Schubert s Unfinished Symphony Track 10 Liszt s Faust Symphony, 3rd Movement (Mephistopheles) Divide students into five groups, assigning each one track. Each group creates a scene inspired by the music. After they ve practiced, bring them together to perform their scenes sequentially. IWB 1 VIDEO REPLAY Tracks 3, 11, 12 & 13 Purpose: Listening to three piano miniatures by Brahms and Schumann Listen again to Quaver singing (Track 11), asking students to pay special attention to the excerpts of Romantic music. Now play the full versions of these piano miniatures: Schumann s The Happy Farmer (Track 3), Brahms s Hungarian Dance No.7 (Track 12), and Schumann s Dreaming (Track 13). Note: Piano miniatures are small, self-contained works that present one or two sentiments. Schubert described some of his compositions as musical moments. 5WEB ACTIVITIES Shop / Composer Portraits In the shop, students can click on portraits of Romantic period composers, Schumann and Brahms. When clicked, students try to complete a picture puzzle of the composer whose music is playing. IWB Play activities on your INTERACTIVE White Board Metro / Style Venues Students can travel via the Metro to the Classical Music Hall to learn more about Baroque, Classical, and Romantic period music. Read the venue book and listen to passionate Romanitc works by Hector Berlioz and Camille Saint-Saens. 1-4 QuaverMusic.com

5 PRINT WORKSHEET 6 HOMEWORK Seating Sanity Worksheet # 1 Purpose: Learning the orchestra seating plan Romantic composers kept adding more and more players to the orchestra. To make life easier for the conductor, instruments were clustered with other members of the same instrument family. Using the worksheet and the word bank of instruments, have students label each section with the appropriate instrument family. Great Composers of the Romantic Period Purpose: Discovering important facts about Romantic period composers Worksheet # 2 Students can learn more about Romantic composers from the take-home page provided. Consider assigning them to learn the content for a quiz at the start of the next lesson. This document can be added to their other composer pages. Additional session activities PRINT WORKSHEET Romantic Assessment 7 ASSESSMENT Tracks 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18 Worksheet # 3 Play five selections and have students identify on their worksheet which three are characteristic of Romantic music. Track 14 Tchaikovsky s Piano Concerto No. 1, 1st Movement - Romantic Track 15 Watercolor Skies - pop rock Track 16 Bizet s Carmen, Overture - Romantic Track 17 Bach s Brandenburg Concerto No.4,1st Movement- Baroque Track 18 Wagner s The Flying Dutchman, Overture - Romantic Then instruct students to answer the supplementary questions provided. 1-5

6 8CROSS-CURRICULUM ACTIVITIES Dramatic Arts Have students write down the name of several emotions they have identified in Romantic period music. Play a game of charades with them acting out the emotions and having their friends guess what they are portraying. PRINT WORKSHEET Art Track 19 Worksheet # 4 Give students this worksheet on a full-size piece of heavyweight paper. Have them decorate the fish with bright colors and patterns, then cut it out and glue to a popsicle stick. Listen to the Saint-Saëns s Carnival of the Animals, Aquarium (Track 19). Have students walk around the room and move their fish to the direction (up or down) of the melody. For extra fun, blow bubbles during the contrasting section! Language Arts The Romantic period was a time of great children s literature such as Treasure Island and Huckleberry Finn. Have students read a short exerpt from one of these stories (an exciting or scary scene) and create a Romantic-period composition, using different timbres and dynamics to represent the action and emotion of the scene. Alternatively, have students listen to The Moldau from Ma Vlast (My Homeland) by Bedrich Smetana. The Moldau is a river that flows through the Czech Republic. Have students write a story about a trip down the Moldau and the things they picture as the music rolls along. Materials Needed - Heavyweight paper - Colored pencils or crayons - Glue - Popsicle sticks 1-6 QuaverMusic.com

7 9 DIGGING DEEPER Writer s Workshop Purpose: Connecting between music and storytelling Ask students to write a short story that includes a plot with several characters and some emotional encounters, instructing them to double-space their writing. Once completed, have them come up with musical elements they would need to tell the story. What dynamics would be used at the beginning, middle, or end? What instruments would represent each character? Would the music sound happy, sad, angry, hopeful, or a combination of these? In the lines between their writing, have them add dynamics and musical ideas using a pencil of a different color. Listen for Leitmotifs Purpose: Explaining leitmotif Tracks 20 & 21 Many modern composers have borrowed musical ideas from the Romantic period. One such idea is Wagner s use of the leitmotif, a repeated theme or melody representing a character, place, or idea. Listen to a piano version of Siegfried s Theme (Track 20). After students are familiar with this leitmotif, listen to Siegfried s Funeral (Track 21) where the theme can be heard in its orchestral version. Note: Watch your digital counter. The theme appears in the French Horn at 38 seconds and Trumpets at 1:12. Two modern examples of leitmotifs include John Williams s score for Star Wars and Howard Shore s score for The Lord of the Rings. Show students several scenes from one of these movies, or listen to the sound track. Ask students to take note of which characters, places, or ideas have their own musical idea. Then ask how those ideas are used together to help tell the story. Note: Students may be able to hum you the answers without watching the movie! Featured Instruments TEACHER NOTES Cymbals Piano Cannon 1-7