Harrisburg Symphony OrchestraYoung Person’s Concerts

November 7, 2014The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Stuart Malina

The Educational Programs of the HSO are funded in part by a generous grant from the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation

SPONSORED BY:Penn National Insurance

The Children’s Home Foundation, Inc.The Charles A. & Elizabeth Guy Holmes Foundation

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Have you ever heard the names “Romeo” and “Juliet”? These are the names of a young man (Romeo Montague) and an even younger woman (Juliet Capulet), characters in a famous play called Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare and first performed around 1595. Yes, this is 2014 and so we are talking about a play first seen and heard 419 years ago. William Shakespeare is considered by many people to be the greatest writer of plays - ever. While you may or may not agree with that as you grow and begin to read his plays or see them performed, know that although William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a 419 year old play, people have been loving it, appreciating it, and studying it still to this day. The play is considered great, partially because it describes events and relationships in our world today – 2014 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as it did in northern Italy in 1595.

Romeo and Juliet: A Tragic Love StoryThis story takes place in Verona, Italy - where two families are fighting. The families are named the Montagues and Capulets and they have hated one another for a long time. At the beginning of the play the Prince of Verona warns both families that anyone caught fighting in the streets of Verona will be sentenced to death.

One of the main characters is named Romeo Montague. Romeo is usually peaceful and interested more in love than in fighting. At the beginning of the play Romeo tells his cousin Benvolio and his friend Mercutio that he is sick with love for a girl who won’t love him back. Benvolio and Mercutio encourage him to forget about her and go with them to a costume party at the house of Capulet. They know it will be dangerous because they are Montagues, but they think it will be fun.

Old Capulet has one daughter named Juliet. He is hoping Juliet will agree to marry Count Paris and is excited for them to spend time together at the party. Capulet wants his party to be a happy place for love to blossom. When his nephew, Tybalt, tells him that there are Montagues at the party, Capulet demands that Tybalt leave them alone to enjoy the party.

Star-Cross’d Lovers

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While Romeo is at the party he meets Juliet. He falls instantly in love with her and is sad to hear that she is the daughter of his family’s enemy. Romeo decides to risk his life and sneaks to Juliet’s bedroom window to speak with her. While he watches and listens to Juliet, Romeo learns that she is in love with him too. They speak at the window and make plans to secretly get married even though their families are enemies. The next day Romeo and Juliet go to Friar Lawrence who agrees to marry them. Friar Lawrence hopes their marriage will help to bring peace to the families.

On the way home from the wedding Tybalt, who is still angry that the Montagues came to the Capulet party, challenges Romeo to a duel in the street. Romeo refuses to fight him. Mercutio agrees to fight Tybalt instead. Romeo tries to stop the fight and accidentally gets in the way. Tybalt stabs Mercutio and Mercutio dies. Romeo is so angry and sad the Mercutio is dead that he agrees to fight Tybalt and then kills him. Benvolio begs Romeo to run away from Verona so that the Prince of Verona can’t sentence him to death.

Juliet is sad to hear of her cousin’s death, but she is even more sad to hear that her husband Romeo must leave Verona. She has another problem, too. Her father is forcing her to marry Count Paris. She goes to Friar Lawrence for advice. Friar Lawrence gives Juliet a special type of poison. The poison will make her fall into a very deep sleep, but everyone will think she is dead. Friar Lawrence plans to send a message to Romeo so that he can come back to Verona and meet Juliet when she wakes up in her family’s tomb. Then they can leave Verona and be together.

Juliet follows her part of the plan, but something goes very wrong. Friar Lawrence’s message never makes it

to Romeo. Instead, Romeo hears that Juliet is dead. Romeo returns to Verona with a very strong poison. He goes to Juliet in the tomb, drinks the poison, and dies. When Juliet wakes up she finds Romeo laying next to her. She is so sad that she takes his dagger and kills herself.

This story is a tragedy because the ending is so sad. There is one good thing that comes of Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. When the Montagues and the Capulets learn what happened with their children they agree to end the years of fighting. The Prince of Verona hopes the story of Romeo and Juliet will help to keep Verona a peaceful place.

(Provided by www.kidsloveshakespeare.com)

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The Young Person’s Concert on Friday, November 7, 2014You’re coming to an orchestra concert at the Forum performed by the Harrisburg Symphony. So how come we’re telling you a story… a sad story with a lot of people who die? Well, it just so happens that BOTH of the pieces of music we’re going to hear on the Young Person’s Concert were inspired directly by William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare’s play has inspired many and various other works: movies, opera, ballet. On this program you will hear both the Orchestra Suite from Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev and also, Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, a musical based on the Romeo and Juliet theme, written by Leonard Bernstein in 1957.

Sergei Prokofiev, a Russian composer, often wrote music for the ballet and the Romeo and Juliet story inspired Prokofiev to compose a full-length ballet. Since the ballet music was so great, it was lifted out of the ballet and assembled into two suites to be performed by an orchestra. Prokofiev’s ballet music was actually performed as a work just for orchestra many years before it was performed in its ballet form. Now that you know the basic Romeo and Juliet story (see above), you will have some preparation for listening to the music

to be performed by the Harrisburg Symphony. Because we have only 45 minutes for our Young Person’s Concert program, we have excerpted (that is, we have chosen three parts of the Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet Suite) for you to hear on the program.

They are: Montagues and Capulets, an introduction to the two fighting families. You may listen to a version of that part here.

www.fis.unipr.it/seminari_scuole/2003/biofisica/5_udito/Dance%20of%20the%20Knights.mp3Montagues and Capulets – Dance of the Knights (from Suite No. 2)

As you listen to the themes of these two families, do you get any pictures in your mind of what the Montagues and the Capulets might have looked like as they walked into the large stately room? These two families are angry with one another and you can hear it in the music. The long, deliberate steps they take as they stride into the great hall with strings playing their theme.

In the middle of the Montagues and Capulets Juliet’s dance with Paris, her parents’ choice of husband, may be heard through the harp, triangle, tambourine, snare drums and flutes.

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The second part of the suite we will hear on the Young Person’s Concert program is Death of Tybalt. Here is a picture of a scene from Death of Tybalt from the ballet, Romeo and Juliet.

We have included a story map for you to use when listening to Death of Tybalt (last page of your YPC Packet).

https://soundcloud.com/fdsjuly23/prokofiev-romeo-and-juliet-13Death of Tybalt (from Suite No. 1)

Listen to Death of Tybalt and try to imagine the action that is taking place as you read the sections aloud. Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, have just been secretly married. Romeo is on his way home with his friends, Mercutio and Benvolio, when they meet Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin.

Romeo and Juliet Death of Tybalt Story Map

1. Introductory Theme: Mercutio and Tybalt draw swords as the crowd looks on.2. Strings play a short motif: The crowd watches as Tybalt and Mercutio are poised to fight.3. Fight Theme: Sword fight begins between Mercutio and Tybalt.4. Introductory Theme is heard again.5. Following crescendo: Tybalt delivers the fatal blow, as the crowd looks on in horror.6. Musical pause: Romeo picks up a sword to avenge his friend’s death.7. Fight theme: Tybalt’s and Romeo’s sword fight begins.8. Following crescendo: Romeo delivers fatal blow to Tybalt.9. Strings tremolo: The crowd gasps!10. Fifteen strong beats: Tybalt breathes his last.11. Beginning of heavy ostinato: Lady Capulet enters the scene and discovers her slain nephew.12. Brass chorus builds to the end: Lady Capulet despairs over the death of Tybalt.

The third part of the Romeo and Juliet Suite that we will hear is Romeo at Juliet’s Tomb. The love theme points up Romeo’s grief with great intensity. At the very end, you hear an instrument sound that is low and haunting, like it came from the depths of the tomb. This sound is made by a contrabassoon. But then it is quieted by the sounds of other instruments in the orchestra. It is a very sad and very powerful music.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUzoJ3hYPfURomeo at Juliet’s Tomb (from Suite No. 2)

Sergei Prokofiev, the Russian composer who lived from 1891-1953, was obviously deeply affected by the power and emotion of the Romeo and Juliet theme.

Another composer, who lived in the 20th century, Leonard Bernstein, was also so moved by the tragic love story that he wrote a musical in 1957 based on the same theme. Bernstein took Romeo and Juliet’s story from 16th century Italy, moved it to New York City of the 1950s and wrote a musical called West Side Story. Up until that time, musicals were plays with music – both singing and instrumental – generally with happy stories. West Side Story took on the more difficult subject matter of the (remember the R & J story) tragedy of young people from families that did not get along, in this case, immigrant families in the urban setting of New York City. One “family” (gang actually) was of Puerto Rican heritage – they were called The Sharks; the other family/gang was called The Jets and they were American born, second and third generation of European heritage.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=srb2EyvTSGw

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West Side Story is a musical that has singers, orchestra, music written by Leonard Bernstein, songs written by Stephen Sondheim, dance choreographed by Jerome Robbins, and a story written by Arthur Laurents. The piece of music we will be hearing at the Young Person’s Concert was a special composition Bernstein assembled in 1961 as an orchestral piece he called Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. In it you will hear themes from the musical including ones representing the Sharks and the Jets (Montagues and Capulets); Tony and Maria (Romeo and Juliet) and the people they come in contact with during the play. Symphonic Dances from West Side Story is about 23 minutes long. A listing of the pieces Bernstein included in his Symphonic Dances follows:

1. Prologue (Allegro Moderato)2. “Somewhere” (Adagio)3. Scherzo (Vivace e Leggiero)4. Mambo (Meno Presto)5. Cha-Cha (Andantino Con Grazia)6. Meeting Scene (Meno Mosso)7. “Cool”, Fugue (Allegretto)8. Rumble (Molto Allegro)9. Finale (Adagio)

Do you notice any unusual instruments as you listen to the Symphonic Dances?

Bernstein brings some very human elements into the composition. The first unusual “instrument” you may notice is snapping fingers from several members of the orchestra.

How many other unusual instruments can you observe?

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Your Visit to the Forum

Concert Etiquette or How to be a good audience member

Etiquette is a big word that means “manners.”

Just about everyone at a concert has a certain set of “manners” to follow. The musicians on stage have a certain set of rules they follow, even down to their clothing so that they all look as if they are part of one large instrument—the orchestra! They take direction from their leader, the concertmaster, so they know when to sit and stand, and when to tune their instruments.

The conductor follows certain rules so that when he/she takes the stage, all are ready for his first downbeat. All of the orchestra members on stage are expected to follow directions of the conductor. Most of the time during the concert, the conductor is giving the directions by using his/her baton.

Following the final notes of a piece of music, the director will usually signal the concertmaster to stand. The rest of the orchestra follows the concertmaster’s lead.

Sometimes the conductor will ask a member of the orchestra to stand alone. This is usually to give the audience the chance to thank that player for a particularly well-done solo or very exposed part. Audience thanks usually comes in the form of applause.

It is important that audience members remain quiet during the performance. Since music is mostly a listening activity, any extra sounds that are not part of the music can get in the way of the music.

Attending a Young People’s Concert

Before You Take Your Seat:1. Take care of all rest room needs.2. Leave all food, drink, and gum outside the concert hall.3. Leave all cameras and recording devices outside the hall as well. There are strict copyright guidelines about recording concerts, and even the symphony pays an annual licensing fee to be able to perform the copyrighted music.4. Turn off all cell phones, pages, watch sounds, alarms, or anything that might make a noise. The only sounds that should be heard are the ones that appear in the musical score (and the audience reaction after the music).

Once You Take Your Seat:

1. Think about things you learned at school before the concert.2. Show appreciation by applauding when the concertmaster enters to tune the orchestra, and applaud again when the conductor enters the stage.3. Watch the conductor carefully to see the cues he gives the orchestra to get them to play the music they have rehearsed.4. Remain seated and quiet while the musicians are playing. Be sure to sit without fidgeting so you don’t distract your neighbors or the performers on stage. Sometimes the conductor may ask you to participate by clapping along or singing along. Take your cue on this from the conductor, just as the orchestra members do.5. Show appreciation by applauding at the end of compositions. If you really like a particular musical selection, it is also acceptable to stand as you clap. This shows the orchestra that you thought their performance was very well done.

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A Letter for the Orchestra: Did you enjoy the November 7th Young Person’s Concert? What did you like best? Draw a picture about your day at the Forum and send it to us. Or, if you’re more of a writer than a drawer, tell us what you liked best about the concert experience.

Email your letters to ASchwab@harrisburgsymphony.org or Send your letters and drawings to Alice Anne Schwab, Director of Education, Harrisburg Symphony, 800 Corporate Circle, Suite 101, Harrisburg, PA 17110