who makes music? the orchestra

WHO MAKES MUSIC?

R E S O U R C E M A T E R I A L S F O R T E A C H E R S2 0 0 6 S c h o o l D a y C o n c e r t - M o n d a y, Fe b r u a r y, 2 7 , 2 0 0 6

THE ORCHESTRA

Lorin Maazel Music Director

SCHOOLDAY CONCERT Win2006 1/4/06 3:23 PM Page A

T he New York Philharmonic’s education programs open

doors to symphonic music for people of all ages and

backgrounds, serving over 48,000 young people, families,

teachers, and music professionals each year. The School Day

Concerts are central to our partnerships with schools in New York

City and beyond.

The New York Philharmonic is working with the New York City

Department of Education to restore music education in the City’s

schools. The pioneering School Partnership Program joins

Philharmonic teaching artists with classroom teachers and music

teachers in full-year residencies. Thousands of students are taking

the three-year curriculum, gaining skills in playing, singing,

listening, even composition. The Philharmonic also takes part in

extensive teacher training workshops.

For 80 years the Young People’s Concerts have introduced children

and families to the wonders of orchestral sound. On four Saturday

afternoons, the promenades of Avery Fisher Hall become a carnival

of hands-on activities, leading into a lively concert. The fun and

learning continue at home through the Philharmonic’s award-

winning website Kidzone, full of games and information designed

for young browsers.

To learn more about these and the Philharmonic’s many other

education programs, visit the website, nyphil.org, or go to the

Kidzone website at nyphilkids.org to start exploring the world

of orchestral music right now.

The School Day Concerts are made possible with support from the Mary P. OenslagerStudent Concert Endowment Fund.

This guide has been made possible through an endowment gift from Lillian Butler Davey.

MetLife Foundation is the Lead Corporate Underwriter for the New York Philharmonic’sEducation Programs.

C R E D I T S

Writers: Rachel Shapiro, New York Philharmonic Teaching ArtistChristine Bluestein, Teacher at PS 199

Editors: Theodore Wiprud, New York Philharmonic Director of EducationTanya Dusevic Witek, New York Philharmonic Senior Teaching Artist

Design: Ted Dawson Studio

EDUCATION AT THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC

SCHOOLDAY CONCERT Win2006 1/4/06 3:23 PM Page B

T his guide is designed to help you prepare your students

for the School Day Concert at the New York Philharmonic.

It features four short units, each focusing on a different

piece on the program, and a compact disc with the music you will

hear. Your students will enjoy the concert and learn a great deal

more in the process if you prepare them for as many of the pieces

as possible.

To help you implement the units in this guide, we also offer a teacherworkshop where our Teaching Artists will guide you through the lessons.

BENJAMIN BRITTEN “Storm” from Four Sea Interludes fromPeter Grimes

HENRY PURCELL Rondeau from Suite from Abdelazar

BENJAMIN BRITTEN Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”

School Day Concert Teacher Workshops

FOR TEACHERS IN THE SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

Wednesday, January 11, 4:00 to 6:00 PM

Avery Fisher Hall, Helen Hull Room – 4th Floor132 West 65th Street, Manhattan

FOR ALL OTHER TEACHERS

Thursday, January 12, 4:00 to 6:00 PM

Avery Fisher Hall, Board Room – 6th Floor132 West 65th Street, Manhattan

School Day Concert

Thursday, February 27

10:30 AM for School Partnership Program

12:00 Noon for all other schools

EDWIN OUTWATER, conductorTHEODORE WIPRUD, host

WELCOME TO THE SCHOOL DAY CONCERT!

SCHOOLDAY CONCERT Win2006 1/4/06 3:23 PM Page 1

PREPARING FOR THE CONCERTS2

P R E P A R I N G F O R T H E C O N C E R T S

H O W D O E S A N O R C H E S T R A M A K E M U S I C ?

E very teacher is an essential partner in the School Day

Concert. Your students rely on you to bring them well

prepared to the concert.

The single most important way you can prepare your students is to playthe enclosed recording as often as possible. Students will develop theirown close relationships with the music, which will make the concert atremendously meaningful experience for your class.

You can take your students much further by carrying out the lessons inthis booklet. The School Day Concert Teacher Workshop will help youimplement them. They build on each other as they explore topicsclosely related to your writing curriculum. Each lesson is written for 3rd-5th grade classrooms, where they they can be completed in about45 minutes. Some activities are labeled In Depth. As an experiencedteacher, you are expected to adapt the lessons to your students, todifferent grade levels, and to your classroom style.

Enjoy the lessons, indulge in listening, and have fun at your School DayConcert!

I t is easy to learn the families of the orchestra, and the differentinstruments in each family. (The orchestra seating chart towardthe back of this book will help.) It is fun to learn to identify each

instrument by its appearance and its sound. (Go to Kidzone atwww.nyphilkids.org for lots of information on the instruments.)

But how do all those different sound colors add up to the sound of

the full orchestra? How does a composer use that palette? How did

the orchestra reach its present configuration, and why? How can

one explain all the working parts and the infinite variety of sound

that can come from an orchestra?

In this year’s School Day Concert, your class will explore thesequestions and more. Through performance of some thrilling music,students will hear how the parts of the orchestra work together, andsome of the orchestra’s history. The guide you are holding providesways for you to begin exploring these questions ahead of time inyour classroom.


WHAT IS THE SOUND OF AN ORCHESTRA? 3

“Storm” from Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes

by Benjamin Britten

“Storm” is one of four musical

interludes interspersed

throughout Benjamin Britten’s

opera Peter Grimes. “Storm”

comes at the end of Act 1,

when the main character, Peter,

is facing terrible troubles.

Gazing into the sea and the

approaching storm, he sings:

What harbor shelters peace,

Away from tidal waves, away

from storms?

What harbor can embrace

Terrors and tragedies?

f o c a l w o r k :

What is the sound of anorchestra?

L E S S O N 1

Britten grew up in the coastal town of Lowenstoft, England. “For most of

my life,” Britten wrote, “I have lived closely in touch with the sea…. My

life as a child was colored by the fierce storms that sometimes drove ships

on our coast and ate away whole stretches of neighboring cliffs.” Britten

used his impressions of the sea as his inspiration in this interlude from

Peter Grimes.


WHAT IS THE SOUND OF AN ORCHESTRA?4

A c t i v i t y 2

The elements of a thunderstorm

Imagine a painting of the sea during a storm. What colors do you see?

What images are highlighted? Now compare these ideas to the storm

scene pictured below. Have your students create original paintings or

drawings for comparison.

A c t i v i t y 1

A composer’s view of timbre

R eferring to his composition teacher, Frank Bridge, Britten wrote, “He

taught me to think and feel through the instruments I was writing for.”

With your class, discuss:

What does it mean to “think and feel” through an instrument?

How it is different to think and feel through a flute, as opposed to a

tambourine?

How would a violin and a trumpet be different?

Why would you need to think about instruments in order to be a

good composer?


A c t i v i t y 3

B rainstorm the elements of a thunderstorm at sea with your class.

What would be seen, heard, and felt? Organize these ideas into the

order of an actual storm. Which family of the orchestra would your

students choose to represent each part of the storm? Why?

A c t i v i t y 4

Hearing Benjamin Britten’s “Storm”

S torm scene has two main musical ideas. The first idea is heard in the

thunderous, angry percussion and the low brass. The second idea,

more lyrical and calm, is played primarily by the strings and woodwinds,

and comes about midway through the piece.

Play “Storm” for your class. As they listen, ask your students to considerhow Britten paints a musical picture of the storm. After listening, considerthese questions:

Listen a second time. This time use the CD timings below to point out thetwo themes. Students should take notes in their journal, comparing andcontrasting the two themes in terms of mood, tempo (speed), dynamics(loud and soft), and instrumental families.

Listen a third time, highlighting the section between 1:37 and 2:25. Whathappens during this segment?

0:01 - Theme 1 - percussion, low brass

0:14 - Theme 1 - strings

0:29 - Theme 1 - violins and trumpets

0:46 - Theme 1 - low strings, low brass

1:16 - Theme 1 - strings

2:26 - Theme 2 - violins, harp

2:41 - Theme 2 - strings, harp

3:21 - Theme 2 - strings, harp

3:43 - Theme 1 - starts slower in woodwinds and extends to the end

WHAT IS THE SOUND OF AN ORCHESTRA? 5

Did you hear two contrasting themes?

Which family of instruments is featured in each theme?

What might each theme represent? For instance, the first theme mightrepresent the storm clouds, while the second might represent the sun;or the first might represent turmoil and the second, tranquility.


W H A T I S T H E S O U N D O F A N O R C H E S T R A ?6

Playing the Themes from “Storm”

Below are the two main themes heard in “Storm.” Practice these

melodies on a recorder or any other available instrument.

i n d e p t h :

How do the themes sound different? How does it feel to play each

theme? In theme two, experiment with playing a low C to a low D

(instead of the high D.) How does it feel different going to the high D?

Why do you think Britten used the high D instead of the low D?


T H E E V O L U T I O N O F T H E O R C H E S T R A 7

The Evolution of the Orchestra

L E S S O N 2 1

Rondeau from Abdelazar by Henry Purcell

f o c a l w o r k :

Henry Purcell, the greatest

English composer of the

Baroque period in music, was born

in 1659 and died 1695. He lived

about two hundred years before

another great English composer,

Benjamin Britten. The Rondeau

from Purcell’s incidental music to

the play Abdelazar – originally

composed for string orchestra and

harpsichord – is the melody Britten

borrowed for “The Young Person’s

Guide to the Orchestra.”

The Baroque orchestra was muchsmaller than the orchestra of today. It consisted mainly of strings;woodwind, brass, and percussioninstruments were used infrequently.But at that time the harpsichord wasvery important, always doubling thebass part and filling in harmonies.The harpsichord has a verydistinctive timbre of strings beingplucked, which we still associate withthe music of the Baroque.

In today’s orchestra, each instrumentgenerally has a distinct line; however,during the Baroque period, oneinstrument often played the samepart as another, so fewer lines ofmusic were heard simultaneously.The emphasis was on form andorganization of musical ideas, morethan on instrumental color. harpsichord


A c t i v i t y 1

How do inventions evolve?

Have a discussion with your students about the kinds of toys they like

to play with today. What do they know about toys and games from

the past? Connect this discussion to your curriculum (e.g. Native

American or Colonial times). If available, show a picture (e.g. a child

playing with a hoop and stick). Why are these toys and games different

from those of today? What are the similarities and differences?

In a similar way, the orchestras of Purcell’s time (almost 400 years ago)were smaller and simpler. Consider the following questions:

A c t i v i t y 2

Researching Purcell’s and Britten’s sound worlds

Divide your class into small research groups. Assign one of the

following words or names to each group and have them research that

word. Share the information found by each group. As a class, use it to

compare and contrast the orchestras of Purcell’s time and of Britten’s

time. Try charting your findings in a Venn diagram or other kind of chart.

A c t i v i t y 3

How will it sound?

A t the concert, the students will hear the Rondeau from Abdelazar by

Purcell, and then Britten’s re-orchestration of the same theme in

“The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.” What may be some of the

differences between them? Make a class list of predictions. Save the list

and discuss class responses following the concert.

T H E E V O L U T I O N O F T H E O R C H E S T R A8

baroque music

modern music

Henry Purcell

Benjamin Britten

harpsichord

continuo

orchestration

Why would an orchestra’s size and make-up develop over the years?

In what ways do the students think the orchestra may have changed?

Can they predict how Purcell’s orchestra might sound different fromthe New York Philharmonic?


T H E E V O L U T I O N O F T H E O R C H E S T R A 9

Further researchSend your students on a quest for information, pictures and music by

assigning them specific research questions. Encourage them to use

the library, internet and classroom resources. Some internet sites are

suggested below.

Research the life of Henry Purcell. What kinds of music did hecompose?

www.baroquemusic.org/bqxpurcell.html

Research the life of Benjamin Britten. What were some of his musicalinspirations?

www.nyphilkids.org/gallery/main.phtml?

Research the harpsichord. How does it make a sound? What does itsound like?

www.classicsforkids.com/terms/terms.asp?id=144

Research the string family. When were the instruments developed?Who were some famous string instrument makers and when did theylive?

www.nyphilkids.org/lockerroom/main.phtml?

i n d e p t h :


S T R U C T U R E O F T H E T H E M E10

Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell “The Young

Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” by Benjamin Britten

A c t i v i t y 1

What is a guide?

Have a conversation with your students about guides. What do guides

do? Where would you need or use them? Who writes them? In small

groups, assign your students an area of the room that needs a guide – the

library, the supplies, the sink area, etc. Have them share back to the class.

Next ask them how they might present this information to visitors. What

would be a good way to organize the information?

Before listening to the first track of “The Young Person’s Guide to theOrchestra,” reveal the title of the piece to your class. Tell them that the piecewas composed in 1946 as an educational tool for kids about the orchestra.Why would a composer write a guide to an orchestra? What do they imaginewill be included in this piece? Would a guide written in 1946 still be usefultoday? Generate a list of predictions for what be might included in the guidesfor each family of the orchestra.

Extension:

Create a guide to your Percussion Box. What are the possible categories yourstudents can come up with for these instruments? What would you nameeach group?

f o c a l w o r k :

T he Young Person’s Guide to the

Orchestra” was composed by

Benjamin Britten in 1946 to accompany

an educational film for kids about the

orchestra. First he introduces each

family of the orchestra, and then each

individual instrument. The piece

culminates in a section of music called

a fugue. Using a rich, eight-measure

melody from Purcell’s Rondeau from

Abdelazar, Britten creates eighteen

variations and a Fugue.

Structure of the Theme

L E S S O N 3

“


S T R U C T U R E O F T H E T H E M E 11

i n d e p t h :

A c t i v i t y 2

Rhythmic structure of the theme

A c t i v i t y 3

Melodic shape of the theme

P lay the same track again, and while students listen, have them trace

the shape of the theme in the air. Can they repeat that motion

without the music? As a class, create a movement based on the contour,

which shows both the shape and rhythm of the theme. Listen again while

performing their choreography.

P lay the opening of “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” (track

2 on the provided CD). As you play it a second time, have your

students tap along with each note for the entire track. Try listening once

again, and instead of tapping, have your students make a mark for each

note in their journals. Ask them to show the difference between the long

and short notes.

Ask your students to listen for these three main patterns in the theme.As they listen, have them show 1, 2, or 3 fingers, to indicate whichrhythm they are hearing. Do they notice any repeated patterns?Where? (You will note that the second phrase of the piece relatesmost closely to the second rhythm.)

Tracking the structure of a theme

The theme is created using these three main rhythmic patterns. Have

your students clap each one separately, repeating until they are

comfortable.


E X P L O R I N G V A R I A T I O N12

A c t i v i t y 1

Variations in stories

Think of a fairy tale with which your students are familiar. Listed beloware a few examples of authors who have re-told the story of Cinderella.

Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Sounci

The Rough Face Girl by Raph Martin

Mufarro’s Beautiful Daughter - An African Tale by John Steptoe.

Using these books, or any others you might have, lead a discussion focusedon the differences in setting, characters, and language between the originalversion and the re-told version. In addition to noticing all the differences, askyour students to identify what has remained the same in all of these stories,i.e., the theme.

A c t i v i t y 2

Variations in language

A sk a student what his or her favorite instrument is and write their

reply on the board in a complete sentence – for instance, “Jesse’s

favorite instrument is the oboe.” Have your class read it aloud all together

to hear how it sounds. Experiment with creating variations of this line.

Have students think of ways to slightly change this sentence, while

maintaining the basic idea. For instance, change the order of the words,

repeat a certain word, speak louder and softer, or faster or slower. See

how many original types of variations your students can invent! Make

sure that the whole class recites the versions together.

Theme and variation is a very old musical form. A melody is presented

in different ways to show different musical moods and characters.

This form is ideal for highlighting the contrasting sounds of each family

and instrument in the orchestra.

Exploring Variation

L E S S O N 4

“The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra“

by Benjamin Britten

f o c a l w o r k :


E X P L O R I N G V A R I A T I O N 13

A c t i v i t y 3

Variations in movement

Review the choreography that was created for the theme in the

previous unit. Can the students remember it without the music

playing? Experiment with creating a variation of the movement with no

accompanying music. Have your students teach their variation to a

partner to compare the different possibilities. Document the ways in

which the original movement is varied.

A c t i v i t y 4

Variations in music

L isten to the beginning of “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”

(track 2 on the provided CD). As they will already be familiar with the

theme from the previous activities, have them focus on the similarities and

differences they hear as different families of the orchestra take up the theme.

Can they hear the main theme throughout? What changes do they hear?

Listen again, this time having them perform their original choreography

during the theme. Have them improvise movements variations that reflect

changes in the music.

For further comparison, play tracks 3, 4, and 5. Can your students recognizeany bits of the original theme in these instruments? Hint: Listen for three longnotes that go up by leap.

i n d e p t h :

From theme to fugue

A c t i v i t y 1

Have your students practice playing these two themes on the recorder.

After they are comfortable, ask them to compare and contrast the two

themes. How does the fugue theme relate to the main theme excerpt?

(The leap from A to low D from the main theme is used as the basis for

the fugue.)


E X P L O R I N G V A R I A T I O N14

A c t i v i t y 2

Hearing a fugue

A fugue is a form of music that begins by using a single musical

idea stated by a single voice. This same music is then repeated

by a second voice which begins only after the first voice has

finished, creating staggered entrances. This pattern is continued

voice by voice until all have entered and are playing together.

Play track 6 (the fugue) for your students. Each instrument of theorchestra enters individually playing the same musical material. As the entrances compound, it is more and more challenging tohear each entrance. On a second listening, have students raise theirhands each time they hear a new voice enter. Can they identifywhich instrument is joining? Use the timing guide below to helpyour students identify the instruments as they enter. Draw theirattention to the section that begins at 01:47. At this point, theoriginal theme is juxtaposed with the fugue theme.

Fugue Entrances Listening Guide

00:01 - piccolo

00:05 - flutes

00:13 - oboes

00:18 - clarinets

00:28 - bassoons

00:38 - violins

00:46 - viola

00:51 - celli

00:56 - basses

01:07 - harp

01:19 - horns

01:24 - trumpets

01:32 - trombones

01:37 - percussion

01:47 to end - main theme and fugue theme together


M E E T T H E A R T I S T S 15

Edwin Outwater is Resident Conductor of the SanFrancisco Symphony. There he leads subscription

concerts and Summer in the City concerts, as well asFamily Concerts, Adventures in Music (heard by morethan 25,000 students from San Francisco schools eachyear), and Concerts for Kids, for students fromthroughout Northern California. In 2004 his programswere given the Leonard Bernstein Award forEducation, and his Chinese New Year Program wasgiven the MetLife Award for Excellence in CommunityEngagement.

From 2001-2005 Mr. Outwater was Music Director of the San FranciscoSymphony Youth Orchestra. During his tenure, he led the orchestra in all oftheir concerts as well as on tour to Europe in the summer of 2004. Beforejoining the San Francisco Symphony, Mr. Outwater served as ResidentConductor and Associate Guest Conductor of the Florida Philharmonic. He hasappeared as guest conductor with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at theHollywood Bowl, Houston Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, AdelaideSymphony, and the National Youth Orchestra of New Zealand – among manyothers.

A native of Santa Monica, California, Edwin Outwater attended HarvardUniversity, graduating cum laude in 1993 with a degree in English literature.

T heodore Wiprud has been Director of Educationat the New York Philharmonic since October

2004. Mr. Wiprud is a composer, educator, and artsadministrator. He was most recently at the BrooklynPhilharmonic and the American ComposersOrchestra, as well as the Orchestra of St. Luke’s,working to develop their different educationprograms. Mr. Wiprud has worked as a teaching artistand resident composer in a number of New York Cityschools. From 1990 to 1997, Mr. Wiprud directed

national grantmaking programs at Meet The Composer, Inc., supporting thecreative work of hundreds of composers. His own music for orchestra,chamber ensembles, and voice is published by Allemar Music. Mr. Wiprudearned his Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry at Harvard, and his Master’sdegree in Theory and Composition at Boston University. He studied atCambridge University as a Visiting Scholar. His principal compositionteachers have been David Del Tredici and Robin Holloway.

E d w i n O u t w a t e r , c o n d u c t o r

T h e o d o r e W i p r u d , H o s t

M E E T T H E A R T I S T S


M E E T T H E A R T I S T S16

The New York Philharmonic is by far the oldest symphony orchestra in

the United States, and one of the oldest in the world. It was founded

in 1842 by a group of local musicians, and currently plays around 180

concerts every year. In December 2004, the Philharmonic gave its 14,000th

concert — a record that no other orchestra in the world has ever reached.

The Orchestra currently has 106 members. It performs mostly at Avery

Fisher Hall, at Lincoln Center, but also tours around the world. The

Orchestra’s first concerts specifically for a younger audience were organized

by Theodore Thomas for the 1885–86 season, with a series of 24 “Young

People’s Matinees.” The programs were developed further by conductor

Josef Stransky, who led the first Young People’s Concert in January of 1914.

The Young People’s Concerts were brought to national attention in 1924 by

“Uncle Ernest” Schelling, and were made famous by Leonard Bernstein in

the 1960s with live television broadcasts.

T h e N e w Y o r k P h i l h a r m o n i c


M E E T T H E C O M P O S E R S 17

Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976) was for many peoplethe greatest English composer since the death of

Henry Purcell. He began composing early and by theage of 12 was studying with a major composer, FrankBridge. Britten was a pacifist, and when World War IIbegan in England, he left for the United States. Livingin New York, he composed a good deal of music, butby 1942 he felt he needed to help during the terriblewar years in England. (On the voyage back, he

composed the popular A Ceremony of Carols.) While giving concerts aspart of the war effort, Britten began composing the opera Peter Grimes,based on a poem by George Crabbe. It premiered to celebrate thereopening of Sadler’s Wells Theatre after the war, in 1945, and created asensation – the first in Britten’s long succession of masterful and inventiveoperas. Britten also composed a number of works for children to perform,and others to be played for children – such as “The Young Person’s Guideto the Orchestra” (which is perhaps the only such piece to have become apart of the regular adult repertory). The summer music festival hefounded in the small coastal town where he lived, the Aldeburgh Festival,continues today. In the year of his death, Britten became a Life Peer, thefirst musician ever to be so honored by the English crown.

Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695) was a court composerand organist to a whole succession of English

monarchs – Charles II, James II, William III, and QueenMary – during the 17th century. He began composingyoung: his first published composition dates from hiseighth year. By the time he became organist atWestminster Abbey, Purcell was widely recognized asone of the greatest English composers, a reputationthat endures today. He wrote a great deal of choral

music for royal services, and a number of “welcome songs,” in severalmovements, for royal coronations, birthdays, and funerals. He alsocomposed incidental music to accompany plays, which were stillenormously popular in London a generation after Shakespeare. When hedied at only 36 years of age, Purcell was buried at Westminster Abbey, thegreatest honor the English nation could bestow.

B e n j a m i n b r i t t e n

M E E T T H E C O M P O S E R S

h e n r y p u r c e l l


18 B I B L I O G R A P H Y A N D S E A T I N G C H A R T

B I B L I O G R A P H Y

O R C H E S T R A S E A T I N G C H A R T

Books about the orchestra for children:

Daniel, Alan and Rubin, Mark The Orchestra. Canada: Douglas andMcIntyre Ltd. 1992

Ganeri, Anita The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. Great Britain:Pavillion Books, 1996

Hayes, Ann Meet the Orchestra. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace andCompany, 1991

Kushin, Karla The Philharmonic Gets Dressed. New York: HarperCollinsChildren’s Books 1982

Levine, Robert The Story of the Orchestra. New York: Black Dog andLeventhal Publishers Inc. 2001

Moss, Lloyd Zin! Zin! Zin! A violin. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995

Books about the orchestra for adults:

Del Mar, Norman Anatomy of the Orchestra. University of California Press, 1984

Grout, Donald Jay A History of Western Music (Third Edition). New York:W.W. Norton and Co., 1980

Shanet, Howard Philharmonic: A History of New York’s Orchestra.

New York: Doubleday and Co., Inc., 1975

PERCUSSION

TIMPANIHORNS

TROMBONESTRUMPETS TUBA

CLARINETS BASSOONS

FLUTES OBOES

VIOLAS

CONDUCTOR

DOUBLE

BASSES

CELLOS

1ST VIOLINS

2ND VIOLINS

HARP

For more information about the instruments, check out www.nyphilkids.org/lockerroom


H O W T O H A V E A G R E A T D A Y A T T H E N Y P H I L 19

H O W T O H A V E A G R E A T D A YA T T H E P H I L H A R M O N I C

b e f o r e y o u c o m e . . .

• Leave food, drink, candy, and gum behind – avoid the rush at the trash cans!

• Leave your backpack at school too – why be crowded in your seat?• Go to the bathroom at school – so you won’t have to miss a moment

of the concert!

w h e n y o u a r r i v e . . .

• Ushers will show your group where to sit. Your teachers and chaperones will sit with you.

• Settle right in and get comfortable! Take off your coat put it right under your seat.

• If you get separated from your group, ask an usher to help you.

o n s t a g e . . .

• The orchestra will gather on stage before your eyes.• The concertmaster enters last - the violinist who sits at the

conductor’s left hand side. Quiet down right away, because this is when the players tune their instruments. It’s a magical sound signaling the start of an orchestra concert.

• Then the conductor will walk on. You can clap, then get quiet and listen for the music to begin.

• Each piece has loud parts and quiet parts. How do you know when it ends? Your best bet is to watch the conductor. When he turns around toward the audience, then that piece is over and you can show your appreciation by clapping.

l i s t e n i n g c l o s e l y . . .

• Watch the conductor and see whether you can figure out whichinstruments will play by where he is pointng or looking.

• See if you can name which instruments are playing by how theysound.

• Listen for the melodies and try to remember one you’ll be able to hum later. Then try to remember a second one. Go for a third?

• If the music were the soundtrack of a movie, what would the setting be like? Would there be a story?

• Pick out a favorite moment in the music to tell your family about later. But keep your thoughts to yourself at the concert – let your friends listen in their own ways.


C D T R A C K L I S T I N G20

SCHOOL DAY CONCERT COMPILATION CDTRACK LISTING

1. “Storm” from Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes (4’16”)

Benjamin Britten

New York Philharmonic Leonard Bernstein, conductor

Originally released 1962/77 Original Producer: John McClureReissue Producer: Andrew KazdinReissue Engineer: Tim Tiedemann© 1992 Sony Classical New York Philharmonic and Leonard Bernstein appear courtesy of Sony BMG MasterworksAvailable on SMK 47541

2-6 Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” (17’23”)

Benjamin Britten

New York PhilharmonicLeonard Bernstein, conductor

2. Theme (3’00)3. Variations A-D (3’12)4. Variations E-H (3’29)5. Variations I-M (5’03)6. Fugue (2’39)

Originally released 1962/77

Original Producer: Howard H. Scott

Reissue Producer: Andrew Kazdin

Reissue Engineer: Tim Tiedemann

© 1992 Sony Classical

New York Philharmonic and Leonard Bernstein appear courtesy of Sony BMG Masterworks

Available on SMK 47541


SCHOOLDAY CONCERT Win2006 1/4/06 3:24 PM Page C

L E A R N A B O U T T H E O R C H E S T R A !

n e w y o r k p h i l h a r m o n i c . o r g

n y p h i l k i d s . o r g

Lorin Maazel Music Director

SCHOOLDAY CONCERT Win2006 1/4/06 3:24 PM Page D

who makes music? the orchestra

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