DANCE and MOVEMENT:

Menuet by Debussy Waltz by Brahms
Swan by Saint Saens Romeo and Juliet by Tschaikovsky
*You may want to rent a ballet video to explain how dance and music go together. With younger grades, moving in time with the music and telling a story as you go along works very well to open up imaginations and individual creativity. With older grades, they should actually move with the mood of the music and try to tell a story with the movement.

ART

Spring by Vivaldi
Swan by Saint Saens
*Drawing pictures describing what students see as they listen to the music is not only fun, but helps to train the ear to listen to how music can effect our moods and emotions. As a further project, listening to other parts of the Four Seasons by Vivaldi and other animals portrayed in the Carnival of the Animals by Saint Saens would further enhance art projects and music appreciation.

STORY and THEATRE

Rondo Capriccioso by Mendelssohn
*Create your own "Fantasia" (Disney style), story from listening to all of the different parts of the Rondo Capriccioso. There is so much dynamic contrast (louds and softs), that this project would be very fun and creative. For older grades, they could actually make up story boards, just like they would be planning a movie or cartoon.

• ACCENT: emphasis on a certain note, chord or beat
• ALLEGRO: a high rate of speed. Many times describes a whole movement of a piece
• ARPEGGIOS: notes running up and down on chord tones
• ART SONG: solo song with accompaniment (any instrument)
• BAGATELLE: a short piece of music written in a light, airy style
• BALLET: a dance that tells a story in pantomime
• BOLERO: a type of Spanish dance in 3/4 time
• CANTATA: a piece for choir with some drama, almost a small oratorio
• CHAMBER MUSIC: pieces written for small orchestral groups
• CHORD: groups of notes played together
• CHROMATIC SCALE: going up or down by 1/2 steps, playing every note.
• CONCERTO: an elaborate composition with orchestra and one or more solo instruments
• DYNAMICS: softs and louds of a piece
• FANFARE: a trumpet call
• FORM: the melodic and rhythmic pattern of the piece
• FUGUE: where one or more melodies (themes) are repeated in many different ways, at different times
• GLISSANDO: where a finger slides up the keyboard from one note to another
• HARPSICHORD: ancestor of the piano in which the strings were plucked
• 1/2 STEP: the closest distance between two notes on a piano
• IMPROVISATION: making up music as you go along
• LEGATO: smooth
• MAJOR KEY: Includes a major third. A "happy key"
• MELODY: a succession of notes
• MENUET: usually a slow dance in 3/4 time (also spelled "Minuet")
• MINOR KEY: Includes a minor third. A "sad key"
• OPERA: a musical drama where the story is completely sung with acting and props
• ORATORIO: a musical composition with a sacred theme with no action or scenery
• POLKA: dance (oom-pah type)
• RONDO: a composition with a prominent theme, reappearing at least three times
• RHYTHM: the meter (beat) of music, usually in 3,4, 6 or 9 beats
• SONATA: a piano or other solo instrumental piece with several movements
• STACCATO: sharp and detached
• SUITE: an instrumental composition consisting of a succession of short pieces forming a longer composition
• SYMPHONY: piece written in several movements for large orchestra groups
• TIME SIGNATURE: Numbers at the beginning of a piece, 4/4, 3/4, etc...
• VIRTUOSO: a great musical artist, instrumentally or vocally
• WALTZ: a dance in 3/4 time (count 1-2-3, 1-2-3...)

BAROQUE: Approximately 1600-1750. Ornate, heavy and flowery. In fact, in architecture, sculptures and paintings were sometimes so overdone that they were distorted. This was a time where a perfected tonal system took hold. (major and minor key signatures) Also, regular time signatures and bar lines became the standard. Baroque music was dominated by Italian ideas and the cantata and opera were major new forms that were developed. The Baroque period ended with the death of J.S. Bach. J.S. Bach, Handel

CLASSICAL: Known as the age of "Enlightenment". Approximately 1770-1800. Simpler harmonic rhythm (change of chords), than the Baroque period. There are fast melodies over slow moving harmonies. When the harmony changes, many times there is a strong accent. Public concerts and music printing increased. The music is simple, light, airy and free flowing. CPE Bach, Mouret, young Beethoven

ROMANTIC: Includes much of the 19th century. (1800's) Development of more complicated harmonies. (Chromatic harmonies, changing keys, more complex chords, non-scale tones) There were new harmonies and added instruments to the orchestra. The older instruments were re-designed to be more flexible and by the end of Beethoven's life, the piano became similar to what it is today. Melodies were more important (singable), and the form of the pieces were freer. There were shorter pieces, many dance pieces. Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Tschaikovsky

IMPRESSIONISTIC: Approximately 1880 to the end of the century. A style of composition designed to create descriptive impressions through rich and varied harmonies and sounds. The melodies are short and the rhythms are concealed by syncopations. Mood is very important. Paintings from this time period show what music does, as well. Up close the paintings have dots of paint, but far away, you can see the full picture. It creates an impression, just as the music does from this time period. Debussy, Saint Saens

1. What composer went deaf? Beethoven
2. What composers went blind? Bach, Handel
3. Who was studying law? Handel
4. What piece was written as a musical joke? "The Swan" from Carnival of the Animals
5. Who wrote the Four Seasons and for what instruments? Vivaldi for String orchestra
6. Who was a virtuoso on the violin? Vivaldi
7. Who had 20 children? JS Bach
8. Who had to get up at 5 A.M. to study? Mendelssohn
9. Where did Mendelssohn first perform a theme from a Midsummer Nights Dream? his backyard
10. What oratorio is Handel's Hallelujah Chorus from? Messiah
11. What was CPE Bach's relationship to JS Bach? his son
12. Who was more famous in his lifetime, JS or CPE Bach? CPE Bach
13. What TV show has the Rondeau by Mouret been featured on? Masterpiece Theatre
14. What type of musical and dance piece is the Nutcracker Suite? ballet
15. What type (or form), of piece was Jesu Joy taken from? a cantata
16. Who liked to brew his own coffee? Brahms
17. Who was known better as a great organist, not just a composer? JS Bach
18. What country was Tschaikovsky from? Russia
19. The Water Music by Handel was played by how many musicians on the barge for the King? fifty
20. Who played at local taverns? Brahms
21. What time period ended with the death of JS Bach? Baroque
22. Mood and art are very important during what time period? (clue: blurry up close, but a beautiful picture far away) Impressionism
23. Instruments, especially the piano, became close to what they are today during what time period? Romantic
24. During what time period is the music simple, light and free-flowing? Classical