MC - Rep Listening Book 3

Johann Sebastian Bach - Toccata in D minor - introduction Bach's music sometimes has an improvisational quality. This means that it sounds like it is being made up on the spot. Notice how the music often seems to complete itself - stop - and them move on to the next part. This helps bring out the improvisational character of the music. When you perform IMPROVISATION IN G play it as if you were making it up on the spot. Make it sound improvisational.

Anonymous - Chant - LORD Open My Lips This excerpt gives us an example of music that is over 800 years old. Harmony - the blending of two voices - is just beginning to flower in Europe. The 12th Century is when music began to change from begin monophonic (one voice) to polyphonic (several voiced). Listen to the example and tell when the music changes from being monophonic to being polyphoic. FROM ANCIENT TIMES is an example of a monophonic melody.

Frede Grofe - The Painted Desert from The Grand Canyon Suite The earth is full of places of differing beauty. The desert has a beauty unlike any other. Frede Grofe wrote a piece about the mystery and beauty of the desert. The desert was one of the handful of images he set to music when writing a set of pieces inspired by a visit of his to the Grand Canyon. Of all the grand things about the Grand Canyon, the desert was one of the grandest. Try to bring the same sense of mysterious beauty in your performance of DESERT TRAIL.

Johann Sebastian Bach - Passacaglia in C minor When I was a grade school student I was fascinated with a picture in my history book. It was a picture of Manhattan Island. Settlers were trading with the Indians. Today this same land is covered with skyscrapers. The ground stays the same but what's above it is very different. This is what happens in a musical GROUND. The low part, the GROUND always stays the same but what's above the ground is always changing. Can you follow the unchanging GROUND when listening to Bach's Passacaglia? Notice the piece GROUND in your book. Do you see how the low part, the GROUND, never changes?

Emmanuel Chabrier - Espana Waltz (excerpt) The music of Spain has always attracted composers. The french composer, Emmanuel Chabrier, gives us an example of a spanish composition written by a non-spanish composer. Listen closely to the special flair given to this composition. Bring that flair into the spanish dance, the FANDANGO, found in the third book of your Middle C Repertoire series.

Wolfgang Mozart - Andante from Symphony #39 in E flat (excerpt) Music is full of beautiful melodies. Mozart was a superb composer of beautiful slow melodies. Musicians must learn to perform music that fast and difficult but also slow and expressive. A young musician studies to do both well. Learn to express a slow beautiful melody when performing MELODY IN F.

Frederic Chopin - The "Butterfly" Etude This etude is called "the Butterfly" because some people feel as if the music pictures a butterfly busily flitting from flower to flower. If you were to give a name to the ETUDE IN E MINOR what would it be? Put your answer of the top of the title page in your Middle C Repertoire book.

Johann Pachebel - Canon in D This famous piece is another example of a GROUND. The low bassline is the foundation for several varying musical setting above it. COFFEE GROUNDS is also based on a GROUND. Coffee is the foundation for several popular drinks your mom and dad may enjoy -- e.g. a latte - a frappuccino - a mocha - a cappucino.

Igor Stravinsky - The Firebird's Dance Even adults enjoy fairy tales. Especially if you are a master story teller like Igor Stravinsky. Stravinsky took a popular fairy tale of his youth and created a fantastic musical setting for the Paris Ballet in 1910. An imaginary Prince Ivan came upon an enchanted forest only to come into view of the most beautiful bird he had ever seen. It glowed so brightly as to be on fire. The music pictures Prince Ivan witnessing the dance of the firebird. Play FAIRY TALE as if it is a magical moment in your favority fairy tale.

Johann Sebastian Bach - Gigue from the French Suite in G major Bach was very fond of grouping together dances into compositions called Suites. Gigues, because of their lively character, were likely to be chosen to end a suite. Gigues, also called Jig, are typically in 6's. Can you spot groups of six notes in Bach's Gigue? Can you spot groups of six notes in CONCERT GIGUE? Try to bring the same lively character found in Bach's Gigue to your CONCERT GIGUE.

Felix Mendelssohn - The Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave) beginning A trip to Scotland was the inspiration for this composition by Felix Mendelssohn. Go HERE for pictures of Fingal's Cave. Scotland is also known for it's tradition of BAGPIPERS. To sample the sound of Scottish Bagpipes go HERE. Now that you know the sound of the bagpipes bring that sound and character into your performance of the BAGPIPER.

Wolfgang Mozart - "Haffner" Symphony Finale Everyone loves music that is fast and fun but sometimes this is done with such a catchy tune that you want to listen to it over and over. This is what this finale from Mozart's "Haffner" Symphony does for me. I don't tire of listening to this music. When I was a student there were some little compositions that I played over and over again. I never seemed to tire of them. Maybe FINGER FUN will be one of those pieces for you. Have fun as your teacher helps you make your fingers fly!

Frederic Chopin - Etude in F minor - Opus 25 #2 Robert Schumann compared this etude to the song of a sleeping child. Listen to this piece. Can you understand how Schumann could have arrived at his conclusion? Sometimes an image can help us make better sense of the notes we play. What image does ETUDE IN F MAJOR bring to your mind?

Anonymous - Greensleeves Music from long ago sounded different from what we are used to today. Most of us have heard the tune Greensleeves which is the same melody used for the popular carol - What Child Is This? This recording is how we might have heard this tune 400 years ago. If you listen closely you may be able to hear little snippets of the melody - Greensleeves. When you play FROM LONG AGO imagine how it might have sounded 400 years ago.

Robert Schumann - Playing Tag from Scenes from Childhood Schumann, like many other composers, got inspiration for their compositions by watching children play. Playing Tag and HOPSCOTCH are favorite childhood games. Bring the happiness of playing tag or playing hopscotch into your performance of HOPSCOTCH.

Peter Tchaikovsky - March Slav (coda) Sometimes composers need to end their compositions with a bang. A special ending, called a Coda, is written. Listen to how Tchaikovsky ends his March Slav. Tchaikovsky was a master at writing exciting codas. MY DOG CODA ends with a short coda. The final four measures make up the coda. Be creative in the way you play this coda to make MY DOG CODA's ending (coda) sound special.

Franz Joseph Haydn - Finale to "London" Symphony There are more people that can play fast than can play well. This finale to Haydn's "London" Symphony is certainly fast, very fast BUT listen to how many different little episodes Haydn gives us in this very short excerpt -- each episode contributes its unique character to the whole. When playing NEW ETUDE don't be satisfied with only playing it fast - made each of the two short episodes contrast with each other so they make a united whole.

Frederic Chopin - Etude in A minor - Opus 10 #2 This etude by Chopin is to help the pianist gain flexibility and speed in the top three fingers of the right hand. Your THUMB ETUDE is for you to gain flexibility in your thumb. Your teacher will help you.

Gustav Holst - excerpt from Jupiter from The Planets There's something very majestic about the largest planet of our solar system, Jupiter. Gustav Holst made sure to include a highly majestic melody in his setting of the planet Jupiter in his suite for orchestra called The Planets. Can you hear majesty in the MELODY IN A MAJOR? Try playing MELODY IN A MAJOR with majesty. What are some things that are majestic to you? Do you think this music about Jupiter would provide a good musical background to your example of majesty?

Sergei Prokofiev - Scherzo from Sonata #2 Some musical compositions bring us to very enjoyable places we've never imagined. Often this music will strike our ear as unusual; but we like it all the same, in fact we like it because it is unusual. This piece by Prokofiev strikes me this way. I tried to bring that same quality into ENIGMA. Always be on the lookout for new sounds, new tastes, new places, and most of all interesting people. Seek and you shall find.