2016 Curriculum Guide

THE PLANETS Madison Symphony Orchestra’s

Fall Youth Concerts

William J. and Joyce F.

Wartmann Fund Irving and Dorothy Levy

Family Foundation, Inc.

The Planets Page 2

Madison Symphony Orchestra

2016—2017 Education Season

Thank you to our concert sponsors!

Fall Youth Concerto Competition Spring Young People’s Concert September 17, 2016 March 30, 2017 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m 10:00 a.m.

Fall Youth Concerts Symphony Soup November 15, 2016 May 16, 2017 9:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., & 1:00 p.m. 10:15 a.m. & 12:15 p.m.

Bolz Young Artist Competition Link Up January 7 & 9, 2017 May 18, 2017 10:15 a.m. & 12:15 p.m.

Final Forte March 29, 2017 Visit http://madisonsymphony.org/education! 6:45 p.m.

Major funding for these concerts provided by:

Additional funding for these concerts provided by:

Wisconsin Arts Board support comes with additional funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Madison Symphony Orchestra

2016 Fall Youth Concerts John DeMain, Conductor

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

9:15 AM 11:15 AM 1:00 PM

Overture Hall

THE PLANETS

CONTENTS

Mozart Symphony No. 41 _____page 4

Gustav Holst The Planets _____page 5

“Mars, the Bringer of War” page 6

“Mercury, the Winged Messenger” page 7

“Uranus, the Magician” _____page 8

“Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity” _____page 9

Resources & Activities page 10

Pre Concert Quiz Questions Sample page 11

Meet the Madison Symphony Orchestra page 12

Musician Features _____page 13

Instruments of the Orchestra page 14

What does the conductor do? _____page 14

Wisconsin State Standards page 15

The Planets Page 3

The Planets Page 6

Born in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the most amazing geniuses in musical history. At age four he began playing the piano and harpsichord. He was already composing music at age five, and at age nine had written his first complete symphony. Mozart wrote over 700 compositions noted for their lovely melodies, lively rhythms and flawless technique. During his lifetime he was considered a fine performer, but not recognized as a truly gifted composer. As a result, he was plagued by financial worries and his family lived in poverty. He died at the age at 35 and was buried in an unmarked grave.

The nickname ‘Jupiter’ was not given to this symphony by W. A. Mozart. It is believed to have been added later by Johann Peter Salomon (a fellow composer), who thought that Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, was Mozart’s largest and most complex, comparing it to the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter.

The Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

Symphony No. 41 in C Major, ‘Jupiter’, Mvt. 4 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Listen for:

Main melody beginning with the violins

Rapid and repeated notes

Contrasting melodies between strings & wind instruments

The Planet Jupiter is so big that all the other planets in the solar system could fit inside it!

Symphony No. 41 was the last symphony written by W. A. Mozart, composed in Vienna during the summer of 1788. Sadly, it is almost certain that Mozart never heard the “Jupiter” symphony performed in his lifetime. In this work he combined compositional elements from opera, symphony and counterpoint, creating a work that was revolutionary for its time, sounding very different from all of his other symphonies.

The Solar System

The Planets Page 7

The Planets Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

Holst was intrigued by the orbits, or paths, of the heavenly bodies and their astrological meanings. He began composing The Planets when he was almost 40 years old, and it him took two years to complete the seven movement work. The piece was first performed for a private concert in 1918 by the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra in London, after only a one hour rehearsal. Holst called The Planets a series of “mood pictures” or interrelated tone poems. His desire was that the listener would hear the personalities of each planet through the music. The Planets was a more massive and radical work than any of the other pieces he composed up to that time, and later became his most famous composition. Movements for Earth and Pluto were not included in the work because Pluto had not yet been discovered, and Earth does not play a role in astrological symbolism.

Gustav Holst was born in Cheltenham, England to parents that were both pianists. Holst first learned how to play piano from his father. It is said that he was an oversensitive and unhappy child, struggling with undiagnosed asthma and in need of spectacles. His first job was as organist and choirmaster of a local church. Holst began composing in his early teens, without much success. At age 19 he began to study the trombone so that he could play in an orchestra and generate some income. He felt that this would be a useful experience as a composer. Inter-estingly, once he became famous he re-fused to give autographs.

When writing music, Holst often looked to other composers for inspiration including Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky. He enjoyed drawing ideas from literature, philosophy, and other

cultures, such as the writings of Walt Whitman and William Morris.

Holst was a gifted educator as well as composer. He held the positions as Head of Music at St. Paul’s Girls School in Hammersmith London, singing instructor at James Allen School in Dulwich and Director of Music at Morley College. During these years he struggled as a composer, often being rejected by publishers. It was through the influence of English composer Ralph Vaughn-Williams that Holst acquired his first teaching position.

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Things to listen and watch for:

Pounding rhythms

Organ

Large brass fanfares

Harsh dissonances

Lots of timpani

Imitation of military drumming

Unusual meters

Trumpet calls

Col legno: using the stick of the bow on the strings

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and takes 2 years to complete its orbit. It is named after the Roman god of war, and has 2 moons: Diemos and Phobos. Like Earth, Mars has dust storms, sand dunes, mountains and many canyons. Mars contains both the largest mountain, Olympus Mons and largest canyon, Valles Marineris, in the entire solar system. If Valles Marineris was on Earth it would stretch from Los Angeles to New York. Mars is called the ‘Red Planet’ because it has a seven foot covering of red dust. The temperature there ranges from 68ºF in the ‘summer’ months to –220ºF in the ‘winter’ months. That’s cold!

Mount Everest

Olympus Mons

Unusual Meters: 5/2 & 5/4

Astrological symbol for Mars

The above meters are considered unusual because the majority of music that we are exposed to is written with an even number on the top; i.e. a 2, 4 or a 6. The top number of the fraction tells how many beats are in each measure.

A comparison of Mt. Everest and Olympus Mons.

Col Legno

Planets” III. Mercury the Winged Messenger -Rapid and repeated notes

-Contrasting melodies between strings and wind “The Planets” III. Mercury the Winged Messenger

instruments

The Planets “Mars the Bringer of War” Does this movement sound familiar to you? It may remind you of Darth Vader’s theme, ‘The Imperial March’ from Star Wars; this is due to the rhythmic and chordal similarities of the two pieces. Mars was written more than 50 years before Star Wars!

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Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and completes its orbit every 88 days. Being so close to the Sun, there is almost no air on the planet, and temperatures can range from 800°F to –300°F in one day. Mercury is covered with craters (i.e. a cup shaped depression or cavity), with the largest one named Beethoven. It was named after the Roman ‘messenger’ god.

Listen for:

Rapid Notes/ Plucked Strings

Shifting Beat / Mixed meters

Whirling and Fluttering sounds

Lyrical Folk Tune in the middle

Timpani

Celesta

Astrological symbol for Mercury

Holst used numerous unusual instruments to produce various instrumental “colors”, called timbre (TAM’ ber). They include the Bass Oboe, Contrabassoon, Bass Flute, six timpani drums, celesta (like a small piano, that strikes metal plates instead of strings) and a large percussion section.

Bass

Oboe

The Planets “Mercury, the Winged Messenger” Holst composed this movement with the idea of The Winged Messenger: a messenger between our world and other worlds. Written in a scherzo style, the movement contains a great deal of energy, a light quality and a comical nature. Do the fast notes make you think of someone running quickly? The melody in the middle of the movement was inspired by Algerian folk music, which Holst was exposed to during his trip to Africa.

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Planets” III. Mercury the Winged Messenger -Rapid and repeated notes

-Contrasting melodies between strings and wind “The Planets” III. Mercury the Winged Messenger

instruments

The Planets “Uranus, the Magician” This movement is to sound like, “A magician throws out a handful of notes, and continues to toss them around the orchestra, all inventing new themes, combining materials, switching meters and no firm sense of key.”

- Gustav Holst

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and the third-largest planet in our solar system. It can be seen without the use of a telescope. Uranus is the coldest planet, with a minimum temperature of –224º Fahrenheit. Known as the ‘Blue Gas’ and ‘Ice’ planet, Uranus is made up of helium, hydrogen and “ice” particles such as water and methane. One orbit around the Sun takes 84 years, and much like the Earth, Uranus has 4 seasons. However, each season lasts 20 years! Uranus has 16 satellites/moons, some of which are named after characters in the writings of Shakespeare. The preferred pronunciation of the name “Uranus” among astronomers is (ūrŭnŭs), placing the stress on the first syllable. Uranus, meaning ‘diety of the sky’ is the only planet with a name derived from a figure from Greek mythology rather than Roman mythology.

Listen For:

Driving rhythms

Contrasting melodies

Short staccato notes

Quiet, mysterious ending

Lots of brass

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was composed by Paul Dukas in 1897, twenty years before The Planets was written. The main themes of the two pieces are similar: using short staccato notes, bouncy rhythms, and ominous melodies traded between instrument families. Does this movement remind you of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” or a magician doing magic tricks? If you have seen the movie Fantasia you may recognize the similarities. Interestingly, Holst claims to have never heard The Sorcerer’s Apprentice before completing the movement Uranus.

Coincidence? You decide.

Astrological

symbol for Uranus

Things to listen for:

Cheerful Theme

Dance-like Style

Rondo Form: Theme ‘A’ returns after each new theme

Pl

The Planets “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity”

Jupiter is the 5th planet from the Sun and takes almost 12 years to complete one orbit. It is the largest planet in the solar system; so large that 1,300 Earths could fit inside! Jupiter is a giant ball of gas and liquid with little, if any, solid surface. Instead, the planet's surface is composed of dense red, brown, yellow, and white clouds. It has four larger moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, and has 63 other small moons/satellites. Jupiter rotates faster than any other planet. It only takes 9 hours 56 minutes to spin around once on its axis, compared with 24 hours for Earth. The “Red Spot” is actually a hurricane like storm that is so large that almost three Earths could fit across it, and believed to be four centuries old!

In 1921, Holst used the main melody from “Jupiter” and set a poem by Cecil Spring-Rice into a patriotic anthem:

I Vow to Thee, My Country

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,

Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;

The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test, That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;

The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,

The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago,

Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;

We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;

Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;

And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase, And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

Astrological

symbol for Jupiter

The Planets Page 11

Want to learn more about Holst’s The Planets? Check out these videos from the London Philharmonic, featuring Paul Rissmann!

“Mars, the Bringer of War”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdwwzn3X6hE

“Mercury, the Winged Messenger”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ykZKsrs8LM

“Uranus, the Magician”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTSQm3aJbP8

“Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C1nC0NHnbo

Eager to lean more about Holst’s The Planets from the perspective of distinguished composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein? Check out this video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuMSopdrWSQ

See the complexity of the fourth movement of Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 explained by Musicologist, Richard Atkinson!

http://www.classicfm.com/composers/mozart/music/jupiter-symphony-counterpoint- video/#08uTuqV1FJFD8dj8.97

A) Gustav Holst intended to portray personalities through his movements of The Planets. Enable

students to distinguish between movements to be performed by comparing the characteristics of each movement. How does each begin? What instruments are featured throughout? What are the high points and low points in the music? How does each piece end? Finally, how do these elements give us the impression of the characters Holst chose (Bringer of War, Messenger, Magician…)?

B) Write to one of the featured musicians in this guide, including Music Director, John DeMain. This is

an effective way to review the concert, including students’ favorite aspects, details they noticed, or questions they have. Mail letters to Kathryn Schwarzmann at the Madison Symphony Orchestra: 222 W Washington Ave., Suite 460, Madison, WI 53703.

C) Mozart and Holst both wrote a piece of music given the name “Jupiter.” Compare and contrast the

two composers: their lives and the circumstances they faced when writing their “Jupiter” works. Biographical information for the two composers is included on pages 5-6.

D) Check out the sample of preconcert questions on the following page. Preconcert questions (and

other engaging slides) will be playing before the concert. Prepare your students for the preconcert with these sample questions on the next page.

The Planets Page 12

Additional Resources

Activity Suggestions

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Question 1: Gustav Holst wrote Uranus to sound like a ______________.

A. Warrior

B. Magician

C. Messenger

Correct Answer: B. Magician

Question 2: The oboe is in the ______________ family.

A. Percussion

B. Brass

C. Woodwind

Correct Answer: Woodwind

Question 3: Tempo in music means ________.

A. Loudness

B. Speed

C. High or low

Correct Answer: Speed

Question 4: Gustav Holst was born in _______________.

A. England

B. Russia

C. Germany

Correct Answer: England

Question 5: The highest sounding member of the Brass Family is the ____________.

A. French Horn

B. Trombone

C. Trumpet

Correct Answer: Trumpet

True or False? Mozart named his Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter”

Correct Answer: False! Another composer, Johann Peter Salomon, added the name.

True or False? Jupiter is so big, all the other planets in our solar system could fit inside it.

Correct Answer: True!

True or False? W.A. Mozart lived before Gustav Holst.

Correct Answer: True! Mozart was born in 1756 and Holst in 1874.

Pre Concert Quiz Questions (Sample)

What is a symphony?

The word “symphony” can have two different meanings. You can say that you’re going to hear the Madison Symphony Orchestra play The Planets by Gustav Holst. OR you can say “I just love the Jupiter Symphony by W. A. Mozart”.

Symphony: a full orchestra, or music ensemble, that has string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments.

Symphony: a piece of music written for full orchestra, that typically has three or four sections called movements.

The Madison Symphony Orchestra is a full orchestra with nearly 90 members. Our season includes a series of nine concerts; the Fall Youth Concerts for upper elementary and middle school students; the Spring Young People’s Concert for middle and high school students; Symphony Soup, a concert for Kindergarten through 3rd grade students; and Link Up, a concert for 3rd—5th graders designed to include student performers! Each concert of the regular series has four or five three-hour rehearsals, but youth concerts have only one two-and-a-half hour rehearsal.

Attending a live performance allows you to experience the music by both hearing the music, and seeing the performers and conductor. A live performance is also an opportunity to observe how each voice or instrument plays an important part in making the music come to life.

Orchestras have existed from very early in history. The modern orchestra has been around for about 250 years. Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederick Handel were some of the earliest composers to write for the symphony orchestra in the early 18th century. Franz Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart later enlarged and further developed the ensemble.

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Meet the Madison Symphony Orchestra

The Planets Page 16

When did you start playing your instrument? What inspired you to start?

“I started playing piano when I was 5 years old; I started playing cornet in 4th grade; I switched to euphonium in 7th grade, and finally to horn in 8th grade.

My mom played piano, and her dad was a violin-ist, so there was music in my family.”

What were some of your favorite activities/subjects in elementary school/middle school?

“I mostly loved art and music.”

What is your favorite movement of The Planets (out of the four to be performed), and why?

“My favorite is Jupiter; its so joyful, and has great horn parts!”

Fun fact(s) about you?

“In addition to playing in orchestras, I also teach horn at UW-Whitewater, where I run a Fall Horn Festival - a special day just for horn players. Last year over 125 horn players of all ages attended the festival! I also love to ride my bicycle, and usually ride over 1000 miles every summer. I'm married to a trumpeter, who is also in the orchestra. We have 2 sons, who are involved in music too.”

Meet Linda Kimball, Horn

Meet Stephanie Jutt, Flute

When did you start playing your instrument? What inspired you to start?

“I started playing flute in the fifth grade with my public elementary school band.”

What were some of your favorite activities/subjects in elementary school/middle school?

“Latin, Spanish, English, and math.”

What is your favorite movement of The Planets (out of the four to be performed), and why?

“Jupiter– because it’s so pretty and light.”

Fun fact(s) about you?

“I love riding my bicycle and voting in every elec-tion.”

The Planets Page 17

Instruments of the Orchestra

What does the conductor do? First the conductor must choose the music that the orchestra will perform. The conductor then studies the scores (book of all musical parts for the piece) for each musical selection and prepares to rehearse with the orchestra. The conductor does much more than wave a baton to keep the beat. The conductor must know when to “cue” specific instruments for important entrances and “signal” to the orchestra when to vary their dynamics (loudness) and other details in the music.

For this concert Music Director John DeMain must also rehearse with the youth soloist(s). Preparation with the orchestra on the concert pieces must be completed in only one rehearsal. He must depend on the orchestra musicians to be prepared, learn quickly and follow directions carefully. The musicians in the orchestra receive their parts only one to two weeks prior to the rehearsal.

At the concert, Music Director DeMain will walk out on stage, and then bow to acknowledge the audience and their applause. He may also ask the orchestra to stand. When he picks up the baton the musicians must be attentive to the start of the pece. The “up-beat” will show them the tempo (speed) they are expected to play. Maestro DeMain will use the score to guide him through the work. At the end of each piece (not between movements), the conductor will give the “cut-off” and lower his baton. This is the right time to show how much you enjoyed the music by clapping or even saying “bravo!”

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Be sure to review the excellent resources listed on page 12!

This Guide uses as a main source the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s 2008 Fall Youth Concert Guide, “The Planets,” which used as sources the following: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Program Notes; Chicago Symphony Orchestra Program Notes; Madison Symphony Orchestra Program Notes, Michael Allsen; Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Program Notes; NASA Online; Oxford Music Dictionary; Grove Music Dictionary; Wikipedia.com.

Additions to this Curriculum Guide used the following sources:

Photo of Mozart’s transparent Jupiter:

http://www.cool2bkids.com/jupiter-facts-for-kids/

Photos of special instruments used in Holst’s Mercury:

http://www.fluteworld.com/products/newflutes/523S_Bass-800.jpg-Bass Flute

http://www.rmusical.com/img_prod/5_oktaven.jpg-Celesta

Special thanks to Jenna Julian and Emily Taylor, 2016 MSO Education & Community Engagement Interns for their contributions to this Curriculum Guide.

F.4.1 Identify phrases and sections of music that are the same, similar, and/or different

F.4.3 Demonstrate perceptual skills by listening to, answering questions about, and describing music of various styles representing diverse cultures

F.4.4 Use appropriate terminology in explaining music, music notation, music instruments and voices, and music performances

G.4.2 Explain, using appropriate music terminology, personal preferences for specific musical works and styles

H.4.2 Identify ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of music.

H.4.4 Recognize the relationship of music to principles in other disciplines

I.4.1 Demonstrate audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed

I.8.2 Classify by genre and style (and if applicable, by historical periods, composer, and title) a varied body of high quality and characteristic musical works and explain the characteristics that cause each work to be considered exemplary

Wisconsin Model Academic Standards:

Sources Used

© Madison Symphony Orchestra, Inc. 2016