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2015 SCHOOLS NOTES BRAHMS 3

Image: ©Gary Heery Schools Notes: ©Kathleen Beazley

Australian Chamber Orchestra 2015 Schools’ Notes Brahms 3

Notes © Kathleen Beazley 2014

ACO Schools Notes 2015 Brahms 3

Program Title Brahms 3

Repertoire Brahms – Symphony No. 3 Mozart – Overture from The Magic Flute Not included in this pack: Mozart – Sinfonia Concertante in E¨ major

YouTube Recording links for repertoire Brahms – Symphony No. 3 Bernard Haitink conducting the Chamber Orchestra of Europe at Royal Albert Hall, London , in August 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK4NcLcUH9o Symphony Orchestra of the Liszt School of Music, Weinar, at the Neue Weinarhalle in May 2012 (This recording allows you to go straight to each movement with a click link) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PyAkTW5HDU Mozart – Overture from The Magic Flute Sir Colin Davis conducting the Royal Opera House Orchestra, London, in 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fas6zUDa5t8 Essential Mozart: recording of the overture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7cu6fw0MUM

Included in this pack Scores Lesson ideas for before and after the concert Worksheets

This resource is written in reference to the Draft Australian Curriculum: The Arts, for years 7-8 and 9-10. Lesson ideas are labelled to identify links to the following areas of the Draft Australian Curriculum: The Arts where applicable:

(i) General capabilities (ii) Cross-curriculum links and priorities (iii) Viewpoints

Use the Australian Curriculum Reference Page on the ACO website for a comprehensive outline of the areas above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK4NcLcUH9o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PyAkTW5HDU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fas6zUDa5t8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7cu6fw0MUM

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/the-arts/introduction

https://www.aco.com.au/education/resources/schools_notes



Programming Themes and Ideas

Mozart is a giant of Western Art composition. His sheer volume of output and the ease with which he moved

between styles and genres is practically unparalleled. The Concertante and Overture to The Magic Flute are fine

examples of Mozart’s proficiency in these styles.

Brahms was also heralded as a star of his era. Robert and Clara Schumann publically predicted his career greatness

from quite a young age. Unlike the ever-confident Mozart, Brahms was seemingly constantly dogged by self-doubt

which lead to an inconsistent level of output at times. His first symphony took more than 15 years to complete. The

Third Symphony is much praised as a finely crafted work that truly displays Brahms’ ability to stay true to the ‘pure’

structures of the Classical age, whilst still embracing new ways to explore rich harmonies and melodic ideas.

This program allows students to see a progression of orchestral greatness from one era (Classical – Mozart) to the

next (Romantic – Brahms) through the exploration of Sonata form in different works (the overture and the

symphony). It also allows students to see connections between earlier styles and later styles of orchestral works.

The Concertante referencing earlier conventions of Concerto Grosso while the overture very much is within the

Sonata Form. Finally, the Symphony embraces rich chromatic harmonies whilst still holding onto classical

traditions of sonata and ternary form structures.

See the activities Before/After you see the concert to further explore some of the ideas mentioned above and their connections to the Draft Australian Curriculum: The Arts.

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/the-arts/introduction



Teachers’ Analysis Guide

MOZART – OVERTURE to The Magic Flute This movement is in Sonata-Allegro form with the traditional sections of Exposition, Development and Recapitulation.

SECTION Musical features/ideas.

EXP

OSI

TIO

N

Opening Chords (Piano Reduction): Adagio (b1-16) This movement opens with three solemn chords played by the whole orchestra. These chords consist of I, VI, V and are referred at several point throughout the Overture and the opera. They represent the more solemn aspects of the synopsis – namely the Temple and Sarastro, the High Priest. Allegro (b16-) Here, the first theme is introduced. This theme is thoroughly explored in the Overture with melodic and rhythmic fragments used throughout. First theme is introduced by violin II: establishes the key and the motif that is extensively explored throughout.

This theme is heard in a myriad of instruments and ways throughout the Overture: b16 – Violin II; b20 – Violin I; b27 – Bassoon, Viola, Cello; b39 – Flute. By this time Mozart has established the fugal style for this motif with the instruments coming in at different stages and not always on the same starting note as the original melody. He also plays around with this idea by not strictly adhering to the fugue rules – very Mozartian. (B34-56) There is a climax, with the full orchestra playing fragmented ideas from the theme before launching into the transition to the second theme. Transition (b58-63)

We are now moving from the home key (E¨ major) to the dominant key (B¨ major) as the second theme is

introduced. This is achieved with a light interplay between the strings and the flute with the strings playing a fragment of the first theme while the flute interjects with ascending scale ideas moving onto the dominant key by b63.




EXP

OSI

TIO

N

Second theme (b63-67) is introduced by the Oboe b63. It is in the dominant key of B¨ major. It is less

dramatic than the first theme with a simple quaver turn idea and an answering phrase interjected by the flutes in each alternate bar.

Although the second theme is featured here, the first theme is still referenced in the clarinet, bassoon and string parts (b74-78). The transition from the exposition to the development takes place at b97-102 with a return of three solemn chords. These are different to the opening chords in two ways – 1) all three chords are inversions of chord V (B¨ major) this time; 2) the rhythm is elongated with two minims for each chord this time.

Mozart then opens the development section of the overture.

DEV

ELO

PM

ENT

Having concluded the exposition with three clear dominant chords, Mozart then transitions to the tonic minor of the dominant (B¨ minor) with the first theme opening the development section in the violin I part:

The orchestra then moves through various keys (predominantly minor) as glimpses of the opening and second theme are heard throughout this section in various parts. The strings are mainly focused on the first theme while the winds are using the quaver scale idea interwoven through this development section: First theme ideas used in upper strings (b111-115)

First & Second theme scale ideas used in winds (b111-115)

Mozart uses some of the following techniques to develop his ideas through this section: Layered entries – violin I, cello b103&105; ascending strings b109-113; upper strings and winds b109-113 Syncopation – upper strings b108 Sequence – upper strings 117-125 Antiphonal playing (Call & Response) – strings and winds b128-143 This section of antiphonal playing allows Mozart to move back to the home key and delicately deposit us back to the first theme in b144 for the recapitulation.




REC

AP

ILTU

LATI

ON

First theme returns (b144-179) The return of the first theme in its original key marks the Recapitulation. It is deceptively subtle in its presentation and then followed by what seems to be more development, however it is really the original themes re-establishing themselves. The first theme is passed from the strings through the woodwinds and brass in a similar manner to the end of the exposition. There is a small transition at b179-183 where the second theme returns, but in the home key (as is the convention of Sonata Form). This second theme is intertwined somewhat with rhythmic fragments of the first theme (as has been the case throughout the piece) in b185-202. (b203-) The rest of this piece builds to the finish in typical dramatic Mozartian style with repeated phrases, chromatic melodic ideas, ascending pitch, tremolo in strings and rapid quavers/semiquavers leading to strong chordal finishes. Although there seems to be a vague reference to the solemn chords in b212 & 216, these chards do not actually reappear until the opera begins.

BRAHMS’ – SYMPHONY No.3 THIRD MOVEMENT – Poco Allegretto This movement is in a ternary structure much like other 3rd movements in symphonies (Scherzos) with two themes in both the A and B sections.

SECTION Musical features/ideas.

A s

ect

ion

Opening Theme introduced by the violoncello (cello) b1: This theme is in C minor

This theme is then restated by violin I (b12-23) followed by…

A …a second theme in C major (tonic major) which is really shared by the cello and violin 1 (b24):

B The first theme is taken over by the flutes and oboes in octaves. The rest of the orchestra accompanies with broken chord ideas in semiquavers and triplets, filling out the texture rhythmically and harmonically.




B s

ect

ion

C Letter B finishes with a held A¨ minor triad leading into the Trio section C which has two themes –

A chord based theme for the winds (b53-60):

A melodic theme for the strings (b70-78):

This melodic idea displays the chromaticism by which 19th century Romantic music is often characterized. The final six bars of this section has fragments of the original theme from the opening of the movement in the bassoon, clarinet and upper winds as we transition back to the A section at letter F :

A s

ect

ion

F The return of the first theme, but this time it is played by the horns and then the oboe.

G The second theme is now played by the clarinets and bassoons rather than the cello and violin as in the first section.

H The strings again take over the original theme in octaves (violin I, II & cello). This final statement of the first theme has an extended ending that climaxes with the dotted quaver motif in b157-8 and then dies away to a piano ending sustained chord in the winds and soft pizz. in the strings.



Before you see the concert…

The activities below relate to Worksheet 1 – Mozart + Brahms overviewing suggestions for before and after the

concert experience. The activities below are outlined in the Worksheet 1 – Mozart + Brahms and also include other

worksheets that scaffold suggested activities.

WORKSHEET: 1 – Mozart + Brahms

INTR

OD

UC

TIO

N GC – LIT, NUM, ICT, CCT, PSC, ICU CCL – 1, 3, 7 VP – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Worksheet 1 – Mozart + Brahms initially gives background to the composers and some information about

aspects of both works – the outline of an Overture and Ternary Form. It gives students the themes / motifs of

the works explored in the resource pack. It also gives an overview of all of the other activities.

WORKSHEETS: 1 – Mozart + Brahms; 2 – Magic Flute Story; 3 – Score Reading/ 4 - SCORE-Magic Flute

MO

ZAR

T

GC – LIT, NUM, ICT, CCT, PSC, EU, ICU CCL – 1, 3, 7, 9 VP – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12

1 – Students can complete Worksheet 2 – Magic Flute Story to give them an initial introduction to the Overture.

This can be done as a whole class activity for younger students and as a homework activity for older students,

with the group feedback part completed in the next lesson. Students will need Worksheet 4 - SCORE-Magic

Flute to complete this task.

MOVEMENT ACTIVITY – Given that the Overture often outlines an overview of the whole story, this activity

could be a fun, practical task for students to explore concepts of structure, story and motif. Students listen to

the Overture (perhaps in sections) and devise a movement of a piece that ties in with the storyline and the

Overture. You may wish to have three groups (one for each section of the musical form) and then link them all

together to form on class piece (time permitting).

2 – After hearing the Overture a number of times, students will be quite familiar with the piece. This activity

should be a good next step in tying together the practical task and a theory/ score reading task. Students will

use Worksheet 3 – Score Reading and Worksheet 4 - SCORE-Magic to complete an analysis of the themes

Mozart uses in the exposition of the overture.

EXT – When the exposition has been analysed, students can then go on to look at the development section. This

is a good task for older students to complete in preparation for a composition or musicology task.

3 - This is an opportunity for students to play the themes from the Overture. As students learn these themes,

they can make any connections that there may be between the two themes and discuss the differences.



Before you see the concert…

WORKSHEETS: 1 – Mozart + Brahms; 5 - Dyn+Exp Techs/ 6 - SCORE-Brahms3rdMvt; 7 – Poco Allegro Ternary

BR

AH

MS

GC – LIT, NUM, ICT, CCT, PSC, EU, ICU CCL – 1, 3, 7, 9 VP – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12

1 – It is always good to have a focused activity on ONE concept of music. The Romantic period is renowned for

more prescribed dynamics and expressive techniques in the score, so this is a good concept to explore for this

work. Students will be able to identify and build their knowledge of dynamics/expression and articulation by

completing the 5 - Dyn+Exp Techs worksheet. They will also need the 6 - SCORE-Brahms3rdMvt document to

complete the activity.

2 – Ternary Form is a very useful musical structure for students to work with. Having already examined the

Sonata Form structure in the Mozart Overture, it would be best to look at the third movement of the Brahms as

the other three movements are in Sonata Form. Worksheet 7 – Poco Allegro Ternary guides students through

the Ternary structure of this piece in detail. This activity can be divided up and completed in three different

sessions so that students can really focus on each section. The third session could be used as a revision session

given that the return of the A section in this movement is very similar to the opening.

3 - Brahms has written the opening and much of the cello part for this movement in tenor clef. This is an

excellent opportunity to introduce students to different clefs (treble, bass, tenor, and alto) and the uses /history

of each. By writing out the A1 motif/cello part into the bass clef, students will be able to gain an understanding of

the usefulness of these ‘other’ clefs.

The A2 and B1 motifs are interesting in that they are shared by more than one instrument:

Students can learn the A2 motif in pairs – they might like to play around with different instruments to explore

different tone colours.

Older students may also learn the B1 motif (perhaps use the full score to see all the layers) to examine the

uniqueness of a chord based motif.

Finally, the B2 motif has been written with many accidentals. Younger students may complete the re-write as a

class, learning about the key signature as they re-write the motif. Older students can look at the motif in the full

score and analysis why Brahms wrote it out with accidental rather than simply staying with the written key

signature.



After the concert…

The activities below build on the tasks completed before the concert with suggested activities.

Further Exploration

MOZART:

Students can explore Mozart’s crafting of opera overtures further by analysing the overture to The Marriage of

Figaro.

Bar-graph score recording - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EJrubGc86c

Essential Mozart recording - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io1TLkvQEHQ

BRAHMS:

Students can explore further aspects of Symphony No.3 :

YouTube recording and analysis of 1st mvt - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgf1-R2fzTo

Senior students may enjoy this article by Jan Swafford about Brahms and his compositional style -

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/music_box/2012/10/brahms_third_symphony_what_you_can_learn_about_the

_man_from_the_music.html

WORKSHEETS: 2 – Magic Flute Story ; 7 – Poco Allegro Ternary

CO

MP

OSI

TIO

N

GC – LIT, NUM, ICT, CCT, PSC, EU, ICU CCL – 1, 3, 7, 9 VP – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13

Ternary Form Composition. This is the students’ opportunity to create a Ternary Form composition of their

own. You may wish to do this as an individual task or a paired/group activity. This activity can also be used as a

composition assessment task for Yr9-10 students. Students use the completed task from the Brahms Worksheet

7 – Poco Allegro Ternary as a model/guide to create their own Ternary form composition.

Nursery Rhyme Opera. This can be a fun whole-class exercise for students to complete as an end of unit activity.

Students choose a nursery rhyme that they all know and like. List the characters and the main plot points of the

story (like in the Magic Flute Story worksheet). Divide the class into groups to compose short motifs/themes to

match characters or significant events. Students may improvise musical ideas but it would be best to notate

them in some way for future performance. As the composition process continues, choose students to play each

character, musicians and chorus members as needed. Bring the whole production together and perhaps present

a performance.

WORKSHEETS: 8 – Concert Review

REV

IEW

GC – LIT, ICT, CCT, ICU CCL – 1, 3, 4, 11 VP – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13

This worksheet will give students the opportunity to reflect on the experience of hearing these two works live as

well as Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E¨ major

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EJrubGc86c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io1TLkvQEHQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgf1-R2fzTo

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/music_box/2012/10/brahms_third_symphony_what_you_can_learn_about_the_man_from_the_music.html

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/music_box/2012/10/brahms_third_symphony_what_you_can_learn_about_the_man_from_the_music.html

Worksheet 1 Mozart + Brahms



OVERTURE ACTIVITIES

1. Complete the Magic Flute Story worksheet exploring how the music in the overture is related to the storyline of the opera.

2. Complete the Score Reading worksheet to gain a more in-depth understanding of how the musical ideas are used in the overture.

3. Learn the two themes from the overture. In what ways do these themes differ/are they similar?

4. Look closely at the opening chords of the overture. Explore how Mozart create his solemn mood through the orchestration of these three chords.

Overture to the Magic Flute

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart thought to be one of the most significant composers of all time in Western Art Music, not just a star of the Classical Period1. His unparalleled skills enabled Mozart to compose for any and ALL styles of music (including Concertos, Operas, Symphonies, Chamber Music and Masses), instead of specialising in one particular style, as was the case for other composers. One of Mozart’s greatest talents was his inventiveness

and ability to develop musical ideas, not only in standard ways, but also in new and exciting ways. This made Mozart’s works very popular with audiences and composers alike.

What is an Overture?

An overture is the piece of music played at the beginning of a theatrical performance (usually an opera, ballet or musical) that gives the audience a preview of what they will hear, and indeed see, during the production. It will usually have snippets of the significant pieces throughout the performance woven together like a medley. This can help audiences to become familiar with musical themes that they are to hear that represent places, people or events throughout the storyline.

Think about some of your favourite adventure or animated films. There are lots of musical ideas/clues that are used in these films to help you identify the good guys and the baddies as well as setting the scene for a romantic or dramatic encounter.

Important musical ideas from the Overture:

Opening Chords –

Theme 1 – first introduced by Violin II in bar 16

Theme 2 – first introduced by Oboe & Flute in bar 63

1 Wikipedia Link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_period_(music)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_period_(music)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_period_(music)

Worksheet 1 Mozart + Brahms



BRAHMS ACTIVITIES

1. Complete the Dynamics and Expressive Techniques worksheet to explore Brahms’ use of this concept in the third movement of the symphony.

2. Complete the Poco Allegro worksheet to gain a better understanding of this movement of the symphony.

3. Motifs: - Re-write cello parts for motifs A1 and A2 into bass

clef. Can you understand why the tenor clef is important here?

- Learn motifs A1 and A2. How are they similar/different to each other?

- Re-write motif B2 without the accidentals and play this motif. What do you notice about the notes?

Symphony No. 3

Johannes Brahms was a very popular and influential composer of the Romantic period2. Brahms was in many ways a traditionalist in that he sought very much to uphold the pure tradition of composition as founded by the Baroque and Classical greats. He was, however, also seen as an innovator with his masterly approach to exploring tonality and rhythm. An intellectual composer, with tendencies to doubt his abilities, it took Brahms at least 14 years to write his

first symphony. Symphony No. 3 was premiered seven years later. Three of the four movements are in Sonata form while the third movement is in ternary form similar to the conventional scherzo but with a more moderate tempo and very lyrical in character3.

Ternary Form

Ternary Form is a musical structure used in many orchestral works (and other works). It has three distinct sections A – B – A1 where the first section returns after a contrasting B section is heard. A popular use of ternary form is often in the Minuet and Trio / Scherzo movement of a four movement chamber or symphonic work. Brahms’ treatment of this form is unique in that he has 2 motifs in the A section and 2 in the B section as outlined below.

Motifs used in the third movement – Poco Allegretto:

Motif A1 – introduced first by the violoncello (in Tenor clef)

Motif A2 – shared by the cello and violin I (b24)

Motif B1 – The wind instruments motif (b53-60)

Motif B2 – The strings melodic motif (b70-78)

2 Wikipedia Link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_music

3 Kamien, R. (2006). Johannes Brahms. In Music: An appreciation (9th ed., p. 352). McGraw-Hill Humanities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_music

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_music

Worksheet 2 – Magic Flute Story



The Magic Flute – Mozart 1791 The story of The Magic Flute spans both the real and mythical world. Here is the synopsis as outlined by The Metropolitan Operai in New York for its 2014-15 production: NB - References to songs/arias in the opera are underlined and in brackets throughout the synopsis

A mythical land between the sun and the moon. Three ladies in the service of the Queen of the Night save Prince Tamino from a serpent. When they leave to tell the queen, the bird catcher Papageno appears (“I’m Papageno”). He boasts to Tamino that it was he who killed the creature. The ladies return to give Tamino a portrait of the queen’s daughter, Pamina, who they say has been enslaved by the evil Sarastro. Tamino immediately falls in love with the girl’s picture (“This portrait’s beauty”). The queen, appearing in a burst of thunder, tells Tamino about the loss of her daughter and commands him to rescue her (“My fate is grief”). The ladies give a magic flute to Tamino and silver bells to Papageno to ensure their safety on the journey and appoint three spirits to guide them (Quintet: “Hm! hm! hm! hm!”). Sarastro’s slave Monostatos pursues Pamina but is frightened away by Papageno. The bird catcher tells Pamina that Tamino loves her and is on his way to save her. Led by the three spirits to the temple of Sarastro, Tamino learns from a high priest that it is the Queen, not Sarastro, who is evil. Hearing that Pamina is safe, Tamino charms the wild animals with his flute, then rushes off to follow the sound of Papageno’s pipes. Monostatos and his men chase Papageno and Pamina but are left helpless when Papageno plays his magic bells. Sarastro enters in great ceremony. He punishes Monostatos and promises Pamina that he will eventually set her free. Pamina catches a glimpse of Tamino, who is led into the temple with Papageno. Sarastro tells the priests that Tamino will undergo initiation rites (“O Isis and Osiris”). Monostatos tries to kiss the sleeping Pamina (“Men were born to be great lovers”) but is surprised by the appearance of the Queen of the Night. The Queen gives her daughter a dagger and orders her to murder Sarastro (“Here in my heart, Hell’s bitterness”). Sarastro finds the desperate Pamina and consoles her, explaining that he is not interested in vengeance (“Within our sacred temple”). Tamino and Papageno are told by a priest that they must remain silent and are not allowed to eat, a vow that Papageno immediately breaks when he takes a glass of water from a flirtatious old lady. When he asks her name, the old lady vanishes. The three spirits appear to guide Tamino through the rest of his journey and to tell Papageno to be quiet. Tamino remains silent even when Pamina appears. Misunderstanding his vow for coldness, she is heartbroken (“Now my heart is filled with sadness”). The priests inform Tamino that he has only two more trials to complete his initiation. Papageno, who has given up on entering the brotherhood, longs for a wife instead (“A cuddly wife or sweetheart”). He eventually settles for the old lady. When he promises to be faithful she turns into a beautiful young Papagena but immediately disappears. Pamina and Tamino are reunited and face the ordeals of water and fire together, protected by the magic flute. Papageno tries to hang himself on a tree but is saved by the three spirits, who remind him that if he uses his magic bells he will find true happiness. When he plays the bells, Papagena appears and the two start making family plans (Duet: “Pa-pa-pa-pageno!”). The Queen of the Night, her three ladies, and Monostatos attack the temple but are defeated and banished. Sarastro blesses Pamina and Tamino as all join in hailing the triumph of courage, virtue, and wisdom.

Worksheet 2 – Magic Flute Story



There are important themes and details throughout the storyline that are reflected in the Overture. One of the most important is the repeated reference to the number THREE: 3 ladies in service to the Queen of the Night 3 spirits appointed to guide Tamino and Papageno 3 trials in the initiation set by Sarastro for Tamino and Papageno 3 triumphs of courage, virtue and wisdom are achieved by Tamino and Pamina CHALLENGE – NB - You will need a copy of the score for this activity. On Your Own: Using the YouTube recording of the Overture to The Magic Fluteii to help you, try to find as many DIFFERENT examples as you can of how Mozart has used the idea of THREE throughout the score. Highlight them on the score and annotate (write a note) next to it explaining how you think the number three is used in the highlighted idea. Some hints as to how the number three could be incorporated into the music may include:

A set of 3 chords Use of triads as a musical idea/phrase Triplets Rhythmic ideas that are 3 beats long Instruments grouped in 3’s

Three distinct entries for one musical idea Structure of three sections 3 textural layers Musical sequences of 3 phrases 3 repetitions of an idea/phrase

In a Group: Share what you have identified in the score amongst the group. Discuss any differences and come to an agreement about where all the references to THREE are throughout the score. Sharing what you found and seeing other’s work allows everyone in the group to be able to help each other analyse all the important music features in this piece. i http://www.metopera.org/metopera/season/synopsis/magic-flute ii YouTube recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7cu6fw0MUM


http://www.metopera.org/metopera/season/synopsis/magic-flute


Worksheet 3 – Score Reading



Score Reading – The Magic Flute

The overture to The Magic Flute is in Sonata-Allegro form. This musical form has three main sections: 1. The EXPOSITION – The main themes of the work are presented and the home key is established for the

piece. 2. The DEVELOPMENT – This is the section where the composer really gets to explore the themes and show off

their skills of creativity. There is often quite a bit of modulation (changing key) and manipulation of different elements of the themes that were presented in the exposition.

3. The RECAPITULATION – This is the final section of the Sonata-Allegro form. The first theme generally marks the beginning of this section. All of the themes are restated and the piece is completed in the home key.

There are two musical themes presented by Mozart in the Overture to The Magic Flute:

Theme 1 –

Theme 2 –

CHALLENGE 1 – NB - You will need the exposition score excerpt for this activity Worksheet 4 – SCORE The Magic Flute. Describe each of the musical themes: It is important to have a detailed understanding about each of the musical themes before we can discuss how they are used and/or developed in this piece. Complete the table below by identifying all of the musical elements in each of the themes WHEN THEY ARE FIRST HEARD in this Overture. Remember to refer to the concepts of music to help you with all the details.

Pitch – tonality (accidentals, key signature/changes; movement of melodies (repeated notes, steps, leaps).

Duration – note values used (predominance of a particular value); rhythmic ideas/motifs.

Structure – length of motif/phrase; repetition of phrases within the motif.

Expressive Techniques – articulation (accents, staccato, legato, etc); ties and slurs; dynamics.

Tone Colour – instruments playing the motif.

Texture – Combinations of instruments used to present the motif (if applicable).

Worksheet 3 – Score Reading



THEME 1 - THEME 2 -

CHALLENGE 2 – NB - You will need the exposition score excerpt for this activity Worksheet 4 – SCORE The Magic Flute. How does Mozart then utilise these two themes throughout the rest of the EXPOSITION? On Your Own: Using the score excerpt of the exposition to help you, highlight where elements of each theme are used. Add an annotation (small note) near the highlighted part to detail what element from the theme you have found in the score. A different colour highlighter for each theme and its elements would help to visually differentiate each in the score. Use the elements you identified in the table for CHALLENGE 1 to help you complete this activity. In a Group: Share what you have identified in the score amongst the group. Discuss any differences and come to an agreement about where all the references to the themes are throughout the exposition. Sharing what you found and seeing other’s work allows everyone in the group to be able to help each other analyse all the important music features in this piece.

CHALLENGE 3 – EXTENSION NB - You will need the WHOLE score for this activity. Worksheet 4 – SCORE The Magic Flute. On Your Own: Now that you have a good understanding of how Mozart introduced and began utilising the themes in the exposition, explore how he developed these themes in the next section of the Overture – the DEVELOPMENT section. Just as you did for the last challenge, highlight aspects of development in this section (one colour for each theme) and annotate the details for each. In a Group: Again, share your findings with the group and discuss the details to ensure everyone clearly understands the development section of this piece.

WORKSHEET 4 - Magic Flute

Australian Chamber Orchestra 2015 Schools' NotesBrahms 3

Notes (c) Kathleen Beazley 2014

Worksheet 5 – Dyn&Exp Techniques



Dynamics & Expressive Techniques – Brahms The Romantic Period in Western Music was a time when dynamics and expressive techniques became very prescriptive. Composers would write on scores exactly how they wanted everything to sound from each dynamic level to all the detailed playing techniques for each instrument. We are going to look at how Brahms used dynamics and expressive techniques in the score of his third movement of Symphony No. 3

There are many different dynamic, expression and articulation markings in this movement. Some have been listed in the tables below. The list is not complete though….

Bar DYNAMIC MEANING

1 pp – pianissimo

Very quiet

1 Crescendo – gradually get louder

2 Decrescendo – gradually get softer

1 p - piano Quiet

31 Dim – diminuendo

Gradually get softer

40 mp – mezzo piano

Medium quiet volume

Bar EXP/ARTICULATION MEANING

1 m. v. – Mezzo Voce

In half voice

1 leggiero Light & delicate

1 espress. To play expressively

1 pizz. – Pizzicato

Pluck the strings

1 Slur Connect notes smoothly/play in one bow

24 Dolce Play sweetly

CHALLENGE 1 – NB - You will need the third movement score excerpt for this activity Worksheet 6 - SCOREBrahms3rdMvt. Identify and define each of the dynamic and expression markings: Go through the score of this movement. Find all of the dynamic/expression/articulation markings. Add them to the tables below and give a definition/description for each. This will help to build your vocabulary in this concept. If you would like to highlight and annotate them on the score, that may be helpful too. Here are a couple of Wikipedia links to help you: List of Musical Symbols - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_musical_symbols Glossary of musical terminology - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_musical_terminology#M

Bar DYNAMIC MEANING Bar EXPRESSION/ ARTICULATION

MEANING

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_musical_symbols

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_musical_terminology#M

WORKSHEET 6 - Brahms 3rd Mvt

Australian Chamber Orchestra 2015 Schools' NotesBrahms 3

Notes (c) Kathleen Beazley 2014

Worksheet 7 – Poco Allegro Ternary

Australian Chamber Orchestra 2015 schools’ Notes Brahms 3


Poco Allegro – Ternary Form

The third movement in Brahms Third Symphony is in Ternary form. This musical form has three main sections: 1. A – The main motif/s of the movement are presented here. Brahms has used two in this section. They have

been outlined in the overview sheet. 2. B – This is a contrasting section where the composer brings in motifs that are different to those used in the A

section. Brahms has again used two in this section that have been outlined in the overview sheet. Unusually, Brahms has used a chord based motif for one of the ideas rather than two melody-based motifs.

3. A – This is the final section of the Ternary form. It is generally a repeat of the first A section with perhaps a different or extended ending. Brahms has made some changes to his motifs in this final section that we will look at.

CHALLENGE – NB - You will need the third movement score excerpt for this activity Worksheet 6 - SCOREBrahms3rdMvt. Mapping the Movement: Using the score excerpt and the YouTube recording to help you, complete these questions to map out the details of how Brahms uses his motifs to shape the third movement of his symphony.

SECTION A 1. Which instrument introduces us to the first motif in this movement? Describe the first motif (tonality, length, contour, range, rhythm). Describe how the motif is being played (playing techniques, dynamics, expression, number of players).

2. What happens to the motif at b12?

3. Describe the accompaniment that is playing around the first motif in b1-23 (instrumentation, dynamics/expression, rhythmic ideas, chords/countermelodies, phrasing).

4. Letter A introduces the second motif. What instrument/s play this motif? How does it differ to the first one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tB2SLLnPZg




5. The first motif returns at Letter B. Which instruments are playing it this time? How is it being played (instruments, range, dynamics)? Is the accompaniment different at all?

OK – LET’S MAP OUT SECTION A:

Bar Ref. B1-12 B12-23 B24-40 B40-52

Section Label: A or B

Motif played: 1 or 2

MOTIF ___ MOTIF ___ MOTIF ___ MOTIF ___

Details: Instruments/

dynamics/ tonality

What do you notice about the internal structure of the A section?

SECTION B 1. Which instrument/s introduce us to the first motif in this section? Describe the motif (tonality, length, contour, range, rhythm). Describe how the motif is being played (playing techniques, dynamics, expression, number of players).

2. What instrument/s are accompanying the motif? How are they playing?

3. The second motif for this section comes in one beat before b70. How does this motif differ from the previous one (instrumentation, dynamics/expression, rhythmic ideas, phrasing)?




4. What happens at Letter E?

5. The ending of this section is quite interesting. How does Brahms tie up this ending before launching back into the returning A section (instruments, melodic ideas, range, dynamics, motif fragments)?

OK – LET’S MAP OUT SETION B:

Bar Ref. B53-61 B62-69 B70-78 B78-98





dynamics/ tonality

What do you notice about the internal structure of the B section?

SECTION A1

1. Which instrument introduces us to the first motif in this final section? How does this differ from the first A section? Describe how the motif is being played (playing techniques, dynamics, expression, number of players).

2. What instrument takes over the motif at b111?

3. Describe any changes that may have been made to the accompaniment in this section (instrumentation, dynamics/expression, rhythmic ideas, chords/countermelodies, phrasing).




4. Letter G introduces the second motif. What instrument/s play this motif? How does it differ to the first time we heard it?

5. The first motif returns for the final time at Letter H. Which instruments are playing it this time? How is it being played (instruments, range, dynamics)?

6. Letter I is the conclusion of the movement. Describe the musical techniques Brahms uses to finish off this movement (instruments, melodic ideas, range, dynamics, motif fragments, texture).

OK – LET’S MAP OUT SECTION A1:

Bar Ref. B98-110 B110-122 B122-138 B139-150 & 150-163





dynamics/ tonality

What do you notice about the internal structure of the A1 section?

Worksheet 8 – Concert Review



Concert Review Details of the concert

Date Venue

Artists/Performers

Featured Repertoire

What were your impressions about the venue and set-up of the musicians for this concert?

Name an instrument/performing media that particularly interested you in this performance.

What was it that drew your attention to this instrument during the concert?

What was the role/s of this instrument throughout the concert?

Which piece of music most interested you in this concert program?

In as much musical detail as you can, describe what made this piece so interesting for you.

Which piece of music least interested you in this concert program?

In as much musical detail as you can, describe what made this piece uninteresting for you.

Having heard some of the repertoire on recordings before attending the concert, describe the experience of

hearing the music played live.

If you had to write a tweet or Facebook post about your overall impressions of the concert WHAT WOULD IT BE? You can even send your post to the ACO (email [email protected]) for us to include on our Twitter and Facebook pages!

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