The Scientific Symphony A Journey from Earth into Space!

October 16 & 17, 2013

10a.m. at the Alabama Theater

Concert Program Roderick Cox, conductor

The Hebrides (Fingal’s Cave), Op. 26 Felix Mendelssohn

Symphony No. 4 (“Romantic”), Mvt 3 Anton Bruckner

Finlandia, op. 26 Jean Sibelius

Vltava (The Moldau), from Ma vlast Bedrich Smetana

Overture to The Flying Dutchman Richard Wagner

Fanfare for the Common Man Aaron Copland

Mars, The Bringer of War Gustav Holst

(McAlister)

Superman March John Williams

Come into the hall quietly and be seated before the concert begins.

When you arrive, you will see musicians warming up on stage. You will know when it is time for the

concert to begin when the first violinist, who is called the concertmaster, stands to tune the orches-

tra before the conductor enters.

he conductor will enter and have the orchestra stand up. Now you can applaud the conductor

and the orchestra as a sign of welcome.

Applause is also the audience’s way of thanking the conductor and the musicians for their perfor-

mance when a piece is over. You will know it is time to applaud a piece when the conductor turns

around to face the audience.

Out of courtesy to your neighbors and the orchestra, you should not talk during the performance.

After the concert is over, remain in your seat quietly until your school is dismissed.

How to be a perfect audience member...

The Alabama Symphony

Orchestra Presents:

Curriculum Connection: Earth & Space Science

Concert Guide

Felix Mendelssohn was lucky enough to

be born into a rich family, with loving

parents who encouraged him to be a

musician. And he certainly had the right

name. Felix is Latin for “happy.”

Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg, Ger-

many, and grew up in Berlin. His grandfa-

ther was the great Jewish philosopher

Moses Mendelssohn, but Felix Mendels-

sohn lived at a time when it was very

difficult to be Jewish in Germany —

there were all kinds of laws and taxes

that applied only to Jews. Felix Men-

delssohn’s father Abraham was a banker

who didn’t want to deal with anti-

Semitism — people

discriminating against

him just because he

was Jewish. So he con-

verted to Christianity,

and changed the family

name to Mendelssohn-

Bartholdy.

The Mendelssohn fami-

ly held regular Sunday afternoon con-

certs at their house, so Felix grew up

with music all around him. He was al-

ready a terrific pianist as a child, and

started composing when he was

ten. As a teenager, Mendels-

sohn had already written some

of his greatest music. He was

also a wonderful visual artist.

Mendelssohn loved to travel.

His trips to other countries

inspired some of his best music,

like his Scottish and Italian

Symphonies.

-Classics for Kids

Activity 1:

Identify Landforms!

Match the following landforms to their

definition:

Peninsula

Volcano

Archipelago

Gulf

Cape

Delta

Plateau

The Hebrides is widespread

archipelago off the west coast

of Scotland. Mendelssohn com-

posed this piece after visiting

the islands, which had a great

affect on him. Although the

work is called an “overture,” it is

a stand alone work with the in-

tent to create a mood.

Curriculum Connection: Geography & Landforms

The Hebrides

“The Hebrides,” op. 26 Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

An archipelago is a group or chain of islands

clustered together in the sea or ocean

The Scientific Symphony Page 2

A low, watery land formed at the mouth of a river, often shaped like a triangle

A large, flat area of land that is higher than the surrounding land

A part of the ocean that is partly surrounded by land

A body of land that is surrounded by water on 3 sides

A group or chain of islands clustered together in the ocean

A mountainous vent in the Earth’s crust that can spew out lava, ash and gases

A pointed piece of land that sticks out into a sea, ocean, lake or river

In the blank space below, create your own continent that includes at least one of each of

the landforms in the green box. Be sure to color and label all landforms used!

Activity 2:

Create a Continent!

Concert Guide Page 3

Archipelago

Delta

River

Mountain Range

Volcano

Plateau

Gulf

Peninsula

Jean Sibelius was born in Finland. He

started music lessons early and studied

extensively in his native land, in Berlin

and in Vienna. He wanted to be a profes-

sional violinist, but this was not to be. In

1893, he became interested in the Kale-

vala legends of Finland and wrote the

Kullervo Symphony, which is based on

these tales. It made him famous. The

country’s government voted to pay him a

state grant for the rest of his life. He

devoted himself to composing and con-

ducting, writing seven symphonies and

several other important works.

Sibelius was known as

one of the foremost

composers of national-

ist music — that is,

pieces that celebrate

and describe a particu-

lar country. Finlandia is

probably his most well

known work. Its theme

has become a hymn and

is included in many Protestant hymnals.

Finlandia became the theme of the Finn-

ish Resistance during World War II.

As time went on, Sibelius’ music was

less and less appreciated. He finally

stopped composing and, living quietly in

the country, wrote nothing for the

last 31 years of his life.

-Classics for Kids

Activity 3: Defining “Censorship”

Finland is a Nordic country located in Northern Europe. From the

early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, Finland

was under Russian control. Finlandia, Op. 26, is a symphonic poem

by Sibelius that was composed for the Press Celebrations of 1899,

which was a secret protest against censorship from the Russian

Empire. Because Finlandia was written to protest against censor-

ship, it had to be performed under several different names so the

Russian Empire wouldn’t know. One of the names this piece was

performed under was “Happy Feelings at the Awakening of Finnish

Spring.”

Curriculum Connection: Geography & Social Studies

Finlandia

Finlandia, op. 26 Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

The Scientific Symphony Page 4

In your own words, write what you think “censorship” means. Why do you think the Russian government would do this to

a country it controls?

The Earth is made up of several layers. The innermost layer

is the Solid Inner Core which is mostly made up of iron and

nickel. Following the inner core, is the Outer Liquid Core,

made up of iron and nickel, but in a liquid, lava form. Next is

the Earth’s mantle. The Mantle is a thick, rocky, solid sub-

stance that makes up about 85% of the Earth’s weight and

mass. Lastly, there is the crust: the oceanic crust and conti-

nental crust. The continental crust is a layer of igneous,

sedimentary and metamorphic rocks which forms the conti-

nents. The oceanic crust is thinner than the continental

crust and is largely made up of rocks that are rich in iron

and magnesium.

The Layers of the Earth

Concert Guide Page 5

Activity 4:

Matching the Layers

Put the different layers of the Earth in order from outermost to innermost on the lines below using these layers: Solid

core, the crust, liquid core, and mantle. Then, draw a line from the layer to the appropriate description on the right.

This layer is the largest and is made up of a thick, rocky,

solid substance.

This layer is made up of lava.

This layer consists of two different parts and is very

thin.

This layer is made up of iron and nickel.

Anton Bruckner received his first music

lessons when he was four years old. By

the time he was ten, he was good enough

to substitute for his father as church

organist. He continued to study music

for many, many years, until he was well

into his forties. Despite his skill and

talent, Bruckner suffered from self-

doubt and insecurity and was never quite

satisfied with the music he composed.

He constantly rewrote his works. In his

later years, Bruckner taught at the Vi-

enna Conservatory and was imperial

court organist in Vienna.

Bruckner’s most famous

works are his nine sym-

phonies. These were not

successful during his

lifetime, and well-

meaning friends con-

vinced him to make sev-

eral changes in them,

which were not always

good. Fortunately,

Bruckner saved the original versions of

many of the compositions, and after his

death these were published. These are

the versions that are performed to-

day.

-Classics for Kids

Activity 5:

Noise vs. Music

Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony depicts life

in the Alps. The horns at the beginning

of the third movement depict a hunt in

the forest. To create the excitement of

a hunt, Bruckner uses strong contrasting

dynamics. Dynamics refers to how loud

or soft the music is. Forte is a loud dy-

namic; Piano is soft.

Curriculum Connection: Geography & Physical Science

Symphony No. 4, Movement 3

Symphony No. 4, Movement 3 Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)

The Alps is a large mountain range that spans across central Europe

touching 8 countries: Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Lichtenstein,

Germany, France, Italy & Monaco

The Scientific Symphony Page 6

With a partner, discuss the similarities and differences between “noise” and “music.” Fill in the Venn Diagram below.

MUSIC NOISE

Sound is a form of energy that travels in waves. Sound is made by vibrations. When an object (such as the string of a

violin) vibrates, it causes air molecules to move and bump into each other. The vibration pushes into the molecules and

creates a wave of sound. The sound wave starts at whatever is making the sound and travels all the way to your ears,

where you hear it.

For older students...

How is Sound Produced?

Concert Guide Page 7

Parts of a Sound Wave Amplitude

represented by the height of the wave;

the higher the amplitude, the louder the

sound

Activity 6:

Drawing Dynamics: Loud vs. Soft

Draw a loud sound wave and a soft sound wave over the lines below. Remember: the taller the wave, the louder the sound.

LOUD SOFT

Bedrich Smetana was a

Czech composer whose

music mimicked his

country’s revolutionary

spirit. He was born in

1824 in a city near

Prague and gave his

first public perfor-

mance at age 6. He

completed his musical

education under the supervision of his

cousin and started playing many private

events and soirees in Pilsen. In 1848 he

opened his own music school which

became popular among Prague’s mu-

sic scene, and was attended by

Franz Liszt and Holy Roman Emperor

Ferdinand I. He continued to com-

pose, especially operas, which were

highly nationalistic. He died in 1884

in poor health.

-Classics for Kids

Activity 7:

Listen & Discuss

The Moldau is part of a symphonic poem

called Ma Vlast meaning “My country/

homeland”. The Moldau was composed to

represent the river Vltava and its jour-

ney through cities, meadows and woods.

Smetana uses a tool called word painting

to depict a river.

Curriculum Connection: Geography & Earth Science

The Moldau

The Moldau, from Ma vlast Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)

Word Painting: a musical technique of writing music that reflects the

literal meaning of a song

The Scientific Symphony Page 8

Listen to a recording of The Moldau. With a partner, discuss what makes this music sound like a river or running water

and list your ideas below.

Sound is caused by vibrations that need to travel through a medium. There are three types of mediums: solids, liquids,

and gases. Solid mediums are made up of densely packed molecules, making it the easiest (and loudest) medium for sound

to travel through.

How is Sound Produced?

Concert Guide Page 9

Activity 8:

Name that Medium!

Look at each item listed below. Decide what kind of medium each one is by writing

either solid, liquid, or gas.

Drums________________________

Air__________________________

Ocean________________________

Table_________________________

Did you know? There is no sound in space!

Since there is no air (a gas)

in space, there is no medium

for sound to travel through.

German born compos-

er Richard Wagner is

best known for his

operas. Before com-

posing his own works,

he was a theatrical

and operatic produc-

er. He was also a con-

ductor and wrote

articles and essays on

drama and music, something he contin-

ued to do throughout his lifetime.

Wagner was largely self-trained as a

musician, but had tremendous talent. In

1837 he composed Rienzi, his first suc-

cessful operatic work. This was followed

by The Flying Dutchman, Tannhauser and

Lohengrin. His masterpiece, however, is

the Ring of the Nibelung, a cycle of four

operas that tells the story of mythologi-

cal German gods and beings. Composition

of this series took over twenty-five

years. The use of leitmotifs helps to

unite these four operas. A leitmotif is a

musical phrase that is related to some

aspect of the drama—perhaps a charac-

ter, place, thought or thing. Another

important aspect of his music is infinite

melody; in his Ring operas, the music

never stops until the final curtain has

dropped. And, the orchestra is equally

as important as the singers and drama.

Wagner wanted a theatre that would

meet the considerable needs of these

operas and eventually built Bayreuth, a

theater in which his works are still per-

formed today.

Wagner’s music was loved by some and

hated by others, but it had, and contin-

ues to have, a tremendous effect on all

audiences and musicians.

-Classics for Kids

Activity 9:

Listen & Discuss

The Flying Dutchman is an opera that

Wagner was inspired to compose after

he took a stormy sea crossing. In the

overture, you will hear the leitmotivs

for the storm, which sounds like wind

ripping through the sails of the ship also

named, The Flying Dutchman.

The Flying Dutchman

The Flying Dutchman, Overture Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Leitmotiv: a musical phrase that is related to some aspect of the

drama-perhaps a character, place, thought or thing

The Scientific Symphony Page 10

Listen to a recording of The Flying Dutchman Overture. With a partner, discuss what makes this music sound like a

storm and wind then list your ideas below. If you didn’t know this music was about a ship, what images come to mind as

you listen?

Just like the Earth, the Earth’s atmosphere is made up of several layers: the tropo-

sphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. The atmosphere is made up of

gases and protects life on earth by absorbing radiation from the sun, helping to keep

temperatures more stable, and protecting us from being constantly hit by meteorites.

The Earth’s Atmosphere

Concert Guide Page 11

Activity 10: The Different Layers

Draw lines from the images to the appropriate layer of the atmosphere on

the left.

Thermosphere

The air is very thin and very hot here,

heated by the Sun’s energy. The space

shuttle and international space station

orbit in this layer. This is also where the

Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) occurs.

Mesosphere

This is the coldest layer, with tempera-

tures as low as –130 F. Although the air

is thin, it is still thick enough to burn up

meteorites.

Stratosphere

Most of the ozone in our atmosphere is

found here. Some weather balloons can

reach the lowest part of this layer.

Troposphere

This is the layer closest to Earth, where all

living things are found. It is also the layer

where weather occurs and jets fly.

Aaron Copland is one

of the most famous

American composers

of all time. Copland

was born in Brook-

lyn, New York, and

went to France as a

teenager to study

music with Nadia

Boulanger, who

helped Copland create his own style.

Copland wrote music with a very

“American” sound. Some of his most

famous pieces are his ballets — Billy the

Kid, Rodeo, and Appalachian Spring. Billy

the Kid and Rodeo are about the Wild

West. Copland also wrote music for mov-

ies — Of Mice and Men and Our Town,

among others.

One of Copland’s best known composi-

tions is Fanfare for the Common Man.

Copland wrote it after the Cincinnati

Symphony Orchestra asked several com-

posers to write fanfares during World

War II. Copland’s music has become a

great part of American history.

-Classics for Kids

Activity 11:

Discuss “Frontiers”

Nationalism is a belief, creed or political

ideology that involves an individual iden-

tifying with his or her nation. This be-

came a trend in music, where composers

wrote music to create their country’s

sound. Since the United States is such a new country, American com-

posers had trouble creating an American identity in music.

Copland was among the first to develop a national sound for the US. He

was inspired by the American West, the frontier, and its expansive-

ness. To reflect the expansive quality of the west in music, he uses

large, open intervals, which you will hear in Fanfare for the Common

Man.

Fanfare for the Common Man

Fanfare for the Common Man Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

Musical Nationalism: refers to the use of musical ideas or motifs that

are identified with a specific country, region, or ethnicity, such as folk

tunes and melodies, rhythms, and harmonies inspired by them.

The Scientific Symphony Page 12

A frontier can be defined as the land or territory that forms the furthest extent of a country's settled or in-

habited regions. When the United States was expanding west, it was often referred to as “the frontier.” Based

on this definition, do you think space can be considered a frontier? Why or why not?

The Moon is the Earth’s only natural satellite and is the fifth largest moon in the solar system. As the moon orbits the

Earth, it appears to change shape but what we are actually seeing is the Moon lit up by light from the Sun in different

ways on different days.

The Earth’s Moon

Concert Guide Page 13

Activity 12:

Space Exploration Matching!

Comet

an icy body that, when passing close to the

Sun, displays a visible atmosphere or coma

and sometimes also a tail.

Lunar Eclipse

Occurs when the Moon passes directly

behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow).

Satellite

an artificial object put into orbit. Many

are used for communication, navigation,

research, and some are even space sta-

tions.

Asteroid Belt

the region of the Solar System located

roughly between the orbits of the planets

Mars and Jupiter, occupied by numerous

irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids.

Astronaut Ice Cream

is ice cream that has had most of the

water removed from it by a freeze-drying

process, sealed in a pouch, and requires no

refrigeration.

Draw a line from each object,

matching it to its appropriate defi-

nition.

Known primarily for

The Planets, Gustav

Holst also composed

other music, played

the trombone and

taught at a girl’s

school in London. His

father taught him

piano at an early age,

but a nerve disease

cut his career as a pianist short. He

went on to attend the Royal College of

Music where he studied composition and

met fellow student Ralph Vaughn Wil-

liams, who became a lifelong friend.

Holst was very interested in Hindu liter-

ature and philosophy and even learned

Sanskrit so that he could translate pas-

sages written in this language

himself. This religion influ-

ences many of his works.

Because of his jobs as a

trombonist and a teacher,

Holst did most of his com-

posing in his spare time. The

success of The Planets

thrust him suddenly into the

spotlight, where he was not very com-

fortable. However, it also insured his

financial well-being. Because of illness,

Holst gave up teaching in 1925 and was

able to spend the next several years

writing music. His works in-

cludes operas, choral music,

orchestral pieces and songs.

-Classics for Kids

Activity 13: Discuss: Space Exploration

The Planets is a musical suite by Holst which

depicts the astrological characters of the

different planets. The astrological charac-

ters and names come from the Roman gods

or deities from ancient mythology:

Mars: The Bringer of War

Venus: The Bringer of Peace

Mercury: The Winged Messenger

Jupiter: The Bringer of Jollity

Saturn: The Bringer of Old Age

Uranus: The Magician

Neptune: The Mystic

Mars

Curriculum Connection: History and Mythology

Mars, from “The Planets” Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

Mars: The ancient Romans studied the stars and planets

and named them after the gods based on their appearance.

Mars was named after the God of War because of its

fiery red appearance.

The Scientific Symphony Page 14

In 1964, NASA began launching missions to Mars to explore and to learn more about our solar system. Do you think

that space exploration is important? Why or why not? With a partner, make a list of pros and cons for space explora-

tion.

Concert Guide Page 15

Activity 14: Compare and Contrast

EARTH MARS

Study the image above and use it to fill in the Venn Diagram below.

Symphonic Storytelling!

Literature, Myths & Legends in

Music

April 9 & 10, 2014 @ 10am

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