n n n n n n n nn n n n n nn nn AtlantaSymphony Orchestra

Mei-Ann Chen,conductor

a world of music

AtlantaSymphony Orchestra

Falla: Dance of the Miller’s Wife from The Three-Cornered Hat

Moncayo: Huapango

Sheng: Postcards

Traditional New Orleans Jazz: When the Saints Go Marching In

Copland: Hoedown from Rodeo

Johnson: Drums, a Symphonic Poem

20 07-20 0 8 Young Peop l e ’s Conce r t s

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The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

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Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)

“Dance of the Miller’s Wife” from The Three-Cornered Hat

Where in the World is Spain?

Spain is part of Europe. The African country of Morocco is just ten miles away, across the Strait of Gibraltar. Ships sail through the Strait of Gibraltar to get from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

Who is Manuel de Falla?

Manuel de Falla (mahn-well day fiy´-yah) was born in Cádiz on the southern coast of Spain. He learned to play the piano as a little boy. He wrote music that sounds like the folk music of Spain. The people of Spain loved Manuel so much they even put a picture of him on their money. He wrote all kinds of music. One of his compositions was an opera for puppets.

What makes Spanish music Spanish?

Spain is known for its exciting Spanish dances. Manuel wrote “Dance of the Miller’s Wife” in the style of a fandango. The fandango is a very old Spanish dance. In Spanish music, you often hear the clicking of castanets and strum of guitars. The rhythm of Spanish music is very important. When we think of Spanish rhythms, we often are thinking about a fandango rhythm.

The Three-Cornered Hat

The Three-Cornered Hat is the name of a ballet. The ballet is based on a funny story about a silly town mayor (El Corregidor). He wears a huge three-cornered hat as part of his official uniform.

At the beginning of the ballet, we see a miller’s wife dancing the fandango.El Corregidor sees her and wants to dance with her.

de Falla

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de Falla

The miller’s wife pretends to flirt by offering him some grapes. When he reaches for the grapes, she snatches them away. He falls down, and the miller and his wife make fun of El Corregidor.

Activity 1: Castanets are held in each hand and snapped together in a rhythm while you dance the fandango. In this piece, Manuel de Falla imitates the sound of castanets on the xylophone.

You will hear a rhythm pattern that sounds like the strumming of a Spanish guitar. The pattern is repeated over and over in the “Dance of the Miller’s Wife.” This “fandango” rhythm makes the piece sound Spanish. The rhythm pattern looks like this:

Listen to this piece while you follow the Listening Guide on the next page. Do you hear the castanets and the guitar rhythm?

Activity 2: Rhythm is the most important part of Spanish dances. The dancers move their feet to the rhythm. They click a rhythm on the castanets. The guitarist strums a rhythm. The people watching might clap another rhythm at the same time.

After you listen to Falla’s fandango rhythms, pretend you are in the ballet. Make up some rhythms that you might clap as you stand and watch the miller’s wife. Take turns with your friends being the clapping “soloist.”

1 2 & 1 & 2 & 1 2

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Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) Dance of the Miller’s Wife from The Three-Cornered Hat

timpani

BIG ACCENT!

bassoonsolo

2 times 2 times

oboe and violin melody

BIG ACCENT!

strumming rhythm

bassoon and celloNEW flute and violin melody

7 TIMES

flute and violin melody

6 TIMES

xylophone imitates castanets

high flute trill

guitar strumming

BIG ACCENT!

flute and violin melody

4 TIMES

Part A

Part B

RememberingPart A

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Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) Dance of the Miller’s Wife from The Three-Cornered Hat

3 times

oboe and violin melody

xylophone imitates castanets

high flute trill

bassoon and cello

BIG ACCENT!oboesolo violins

repeatoboesolo

harp glissando

oboe solo2 times

timpani solo

10 BigBangs

OLÉ!!

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Where in the World is Mexico?Mexico is our neighbor. It is between the United States and Central America. Mexico and Central America form a bridge of land from the United States to South America.

Who is José Pablo Moncayo?José Pablo Moncayo played the piano and wrote music. He also conducted the Mexican National Symphony. José was born in 1912 in Guadalajara. Guadalajara is the capital city of the Mexican state Jalisco on the Pacific Ocean coast.

What makes Mexican music Mexican?Spain conquered Mexico in 1519. The Spanish ruled Mexico for over 300 years. They called Mexico “New Spain.”

Mexico has wonderful native folk music. It is similar to our American Indian music. The Spanish brought Spanish music to Mexico. Over time, native Mexican music mixed with Spanish music.

Mexican and Spanish music both have interesting rhythms. The Spanish guitar can be heard in both. They also share some of the same dance forms. Each dance has its own rhythm. Mexicans have some dances that are theirs alone. The huapango is one of them. Mariachi bands play the huapango. A mariachi band has violins, guitars and trumpets. Mariachi began in the state of Jalisco where José Pablo Moncayo was born.

HuapangoThe huapango (hwah-pahn’-goh) also comes from Jalisco. The word huapango means, “dancing on the platform.” The dancers use the platform like a drum. They stamp their feet like horses.

José Pablo Moncayo (1912-1958)

Huapango

Moncayo7

Activity #1:Count to 6 over and over. Clap on 1 and 4. This divides 6 beats into two equal parts.

1 2 3 4 5 6, 1 2 3 4 5 6 (6 divided by 3 = 2)(1 2 , 1 2 )

If you accent (clap) on 1, 3 and 5, it sounds like 3 sets of beats:

1 2 3 4 5 6, 1 2 3 4 5 6 (6 divided by 2 = 3)(1 2 3 , 1 2 3 )

In Huapango, the accents change constantly from 2’s to 3’s. Clap the first pattern twice, then clap the second pattern twice. Then go back to the first pattern. The beat should stay steady all the time. This is what Moncayo does in his composition.

Activity #2:As you listen, follow the Listening Guide to keep track of all the things happening in Huapango. Read from left to right. Listen for each new instrument in turn. Which instruments start the music? Which instruments usually play the melody?

José Pablo Moncayo (1912-1958)

Huapango

Moncayo8

Bright Sheng (b. 1955)

“From the Mountains” and “From the River Valley,” from Postcards

Where in the World is China?

China is in eastern Asia. Asia is the largest continent. China is the fourth largest country in the world. It is about the same size as the United States. China is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east.

China has beautiful mountains, rivers and plains. It also has a big desert – the Gobi Desert. More people live in China than in any other country. Over one billion people live in China.

China has one of the oldest civilizations. It has the oldest written language still used today. The four great inventions of ancient China are paper, the compass, gunpowder and printing.

Who is Bright Sheng?

Bright Sheng was born in 1955 in Shanghai, China. His mother taught him to play the piano when he was four years old. His Chinese name is Sheng Zong Liang. He chose the English name Bright because “Liang” means “bright lights” in Chinese. Bright Sheng came to the United States to study music in 1982. Bright Sheng now teaches music at the University of Michigan. He has won many prizes and honors for his beautiful music.

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Shanghai

Bright Sheng (b. 1955)

“From the Mountains” and “From the River Valley,” from Postcards

Shanghai ShengWhen Bright was a child, China was an unhappy place because of the “Cultural Revolution.” During that time, schools were closed. Most educated people were made to go far away from their homes to work on farms. When Bright was 10 years old, soldiers came to his family’s home and took away the piano. When he was 15, he was sent far away from his home to play music for the government in a farm village. He could not study music until he was nearly a grown man. Bright Sheng learned many Chinese folk songs while he worked with the peasants. You can hear the sound of that Chinese folk music in Bright Sheng’s music for orchestra. He helps the orchestra imitate the sounds of Chinese folk instruments.

What makes Chinese music Chinese?

Melody and harmony are more important than rhythm in Chinese music. Most melodies are based on a 5-note scale called the pentatonic scale. That scale sounds very different from the scales of Western music. Chinese music uses flutes and string instruments such as the pipa. You will also hear chimes and bells in Chinese music. You can go to www.philmultic.com/pipa/ on the web to see and hear the pipa played.

Postcards

Bright Sheng wrote music called Postcards to help us hear and “see” his homeland and its beautiful folk music.

Activity: As you listen to “From the Mountains” or “From the River Valley,” imagine the scene that Bright Sheng has in mind. Make a picture of one of those scenes and share it with your class. Are these two pieces of music alike or different? Make a list of the ways they are alike or different. How does each one make you feel? Draw a face to show how you feel when you listen to each piece.

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Where in the World is New Orleans?

New Orleans is on the southern coast of the United States. It is in the state of Louisiana. New

Orleans is a port city. It is located where the Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Spanish were the first explorers of the area. The Spanish and French people fought over Louisiana for a long time. The French finally sold it to the United States in 1803. Louisiana became a state

in 1812.

What is Traditional New Orleans Jazz?

Jazz was born in New Orleans. Many types of music came together in New Orleans. Spirituals, blues and ragtime were part of the mix. The first music called “jazz” was played by bands. Some people call that early jazz “Dixieland jazz.” Dixieland was a name for the southern United States.

Sometimes people called Dixieland jazz “hot” jazz. That’s because it is usually fast and has very interesting rhythms. The trumpet usually plays the melody. The clarinet and trombone decorate the melody. The banjo and piano keep the rhythm. Most of the time, the instruments all play together. It sounds like everyone is playing a solo at the same time!

Louis Armstrong was a trumpet player who grew up in New Orleans. He was one of the most famous Dixieland jazz players. The name of his band was the “Hot Five.”

New Orleans

Traditional New Orleans JazzTraditional New Orleans Jazz, “When the Saints Go Marching In”

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“When the Saints Go Marching In”

“When the Saints Go Marching In” is the best-known Traditional New Orleans jazz piece. It’s about people marching into heaven. Sometimes it is played in funeral parades in New Orleans. On the way to the cemetery, the band plays slowly. On the way back home, the band plays fast.

People all over the world love to sing this song. Here are the words to the refrain:“Oh, when the saints go marching in,Oh, when the saints go marching in.Oh, Lord, I want to be in that number,When the saints go marching in.”

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“When the Saints Go Marching In” is such a popular song in New Orleans, their football team is called the New Orleans Saints!

Louis Armstrong and his “Hot Five”.

Traditional New Orleans JazzTraditional New Orleans Jazz, “When the Saints Go Marching In”

CoplandWhere in the World is the “Old West?”

The United States were formed from the 13 original

English colonies on the east coast of North America. The country expanded westward

until it reached the Pacific Ocean. In 1849, someone discovered gold in California. Thousands of people

packed their belongings in covered wagons. They made the long trip west hoping to make lots of money. At first, the land was free. People could graze their cattle anywhere they wanted to. They could “stake a claim” on a piece of land.

What are cowboys?

From 1865 to 1890, the “Old West” was a place where people raised huge herds of cattle. Cowboys drove longhorn cattle north to Abilene, Kansas. They followed the Chisholm Trail from Texas. In Abilene, they would load the cattle onto trains. The trains took the cattle to market on the east coast. The cowboys were great horsemen. They had to round up the cattle and rope them from horseback. They had contests called “rodeos” to see who was the best at those jobs. Sometimes they had a “hoedown,” or dance party, after the rodeo. People danced square dances at the hoedowns.

What makes American music American? Composers make music sound American by using American folk songs and American folk instruments (like fiddles and banjos) in their music. Lots of American music also uses jazz ideas. Remember, jazz is a type of purely American music.

Who was Aaron Copland?

Aaron Copland was born in 1900 in Brooklyn, New York. He studied piano with his older sister. Copland attended an orchestra concert when he was a young man. He liked the music so much he decided to become a composer. Aaron Copland wrote music that we say sounds “American.”

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

“Hoedown” from Rodeo

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Copland

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

“Hoedown” from Rodeo

Rodeo

Rodeo is a “cowboy” ballet. The story is set on a ranch in the Old West. A cowgirl tries to show the cowboys that she can rope and ride as well as they can. They don’t like having a girl compete with them. All but one cowboy laughs at her. Later, at the hoedown, she shows up wearing a pretty dress. The rude cowboys ask her to dance. She turns them down. Then she dances with the only cowboy who was nice to her at the rodeo. The dancers dance to the section of Copland’s Rodeo called “Hoedown.”

A hoedown is filled with energy. The dances are fast and lively. You can hear the sound of fiddles playing. Aaron Copland used two old American square dance tunes in this piece. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association uses “Hoedown” from Rodeo in their TV ads. Can you imagine why?

Activity 1: Follow the Listening Guide on the next page. Notice that there are two main sections to the music – the A section and the B section. A short part of the A section is repeated at the end.

Activity 2: Make up your own hoedown dance to match the music. Four couples dance together in a square dance. (They make a square when the couples face each other.) Sometimes they move around in a circle holding hands. Sometimes the couples will link arms and “swing your partner.” Use different movements for the A section and the B section.

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Intro

Aaron Copland (1900-1990), “Hoedown” from Rodeo

B

Intro

Do you hearthe fiddles???

Come tothe dance!

Ride over tothe dance hall... Grab your

partner!

Theme 2 Theme 2Oboe tune

Swing your partner!

Take a rest...S-L-OW D-O-W-N

LOUDER!

Theme 1

Theme 1

Theme 1

A

A

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softer

Aaron Copland (1900-1990), “Hoedown” from Rodeo

Tune up thefiddles!

4 times3 times much

softer…

All together, now!!!

LOUD DRUMS…

Theme 1 Theme 1

Theme 1

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Johnson17

Where in the world is Africa?

The equator runs across the middle of Africa. Africa is connected to Asia and Europe to the north. (Remember that Spain is only 10 miles away across the Strait of Gibraltar.)

Africa is the second largest continent on earth. It covers more than one-fifth of the earth’s land surface. It has the world’s longest river, the Nile. The lower bank of the Nile was the home of the first great civilization.

Most of Africa is desert and grassland. Forest covers only 10 percent of the land. Africa has over 1500 species of animals. There are 53 countries in Africa. The people in these countries speak over 1000 different languages.

What makes African music African?

Music is an important part of life in Africa. Everyone makes music. People sing and play instruments, especially drums. There are many different styles of African music. Rhythm is important to all of them. Rhythms are clapped, danced and played on drums of all kinds.

African drumming is a very complex art. You hear many different rhythm patterns at once. One drummer plays the steady beat that keeps all the different rhythms together.

James Price Johnson (1894-1955)

Drums, a Symphonic Poem

Johnson

Who is James Johnson?

James Price Johnson was an African American pianist and composer. He grew up in New York in a neighborhood called Harlem. James studied piano as a young boy. He heard a lot of jazz music when he was young. He also liked Broadway show music. He studied classical music all of his life.

People called James Johnson the Father of Stride Piano. The stride piano style is very hard to play. He taught many famous jazz pianists how to play stride piano. James Johnson wrote one of the most popular tunes of the 20th century – “Charleston.”

James wrote Broadway show tunes. He also wrote music for the orchestra. James was one of the first composers to use African music ideas in symphonic music.

Drums, a Symphonic Poem

The drumming you’ll hear in Drums, a Symphonic Poem is written for orchestra drums, not African drums. James helps the orchestra imitate the sounds of African drums. Listen for many rhythms played at one time. The melody sounds jazzy. James was also one of the first composers to bring jazz to the orchestra.

Activity 1: Use real drums or classroom objects (trash cans, boxes, etc.) to create your own drumming patterns. Choose 2 or 3 leaders. Each leader will play a short rhythm pattern. The rest of the group will imitate the leader’s pattern.

Activity 2: Experiment with ways to change the sound of your drum. Wrap something around it to make a muffled sound. Or try filling the drum with pebbles. Try playing the drum with different types of beaters. Make a whole orchestra of drums!

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A Note to Parents:We are delighted that your child will have an opportunity to visit

Symphony Hall to hear the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. This student

guide is part of the extensive preparation materials provided for

educators to use in preparing young people for the concert. The

teacher materials are available for your perusal on the Internet at

www.atlantasymphonyorg/communityandeducation/downloadcenter.aspx.

The theme of the 2007-2008 ASO Young People’s Concerts is A World

of Music. Students will explore the function of music in our society.

This will enhance their understanding and enjoyment of all music. This

set of lessons also reinforces learning in the social sciences and other

parts of the school curriculum. In subsequent years, students will

learn about other aspects of music. We hope you will encourage your

school leaders to take advantage of these future concerts.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra provides other opportunities for

you to share the joy of music with your child. The Sunday afternoon

Family Concert series is designed to be an entertaining learning

experience for the whole family. Also on Sunday afternoons, you

and your children may enjoy concerts performed by the Atlanta

Symphony Youth Orchestra. This talented group of student musicians

ranging in age from 13-18 performs three subscription concerts a year.

We hope you’ll take advantage of these and other concerts to instill

in your child a love of orchestral music – a lifelong gift that your child

will treasure.

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Meet the ConductorMei-Ann Chen is a new conductor with the ASO this year. She will lead our Young People’s Concerts. The conductor is the person who stands in front of the orchestra and leads the music. The conductor’s instrument is the whole orchestra! The musicians follow the conductor’s arm movements in order to play together. The conductor reads from the score. The score helps the conductor see what each instrument should be playing at any moment. The conductor starts and stops the orchestra and sets the speed (tempo) of the music. She keeps the beat and shows the players how the music should be played.

Below, Maestro Chen answers some questions to help you get to know her.

Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. My parents were both wonderful teachers. I wanted to be a teacher, too. An American youth orchestra came to Taiwan. I was offered a scholarship to study violin in America. So, I came to America when I was 16. My family is still in Taiwan.

How did you become interested in music?

My parents loved music. They didn’t have a chance to play an instrument. My sister and I started music lessons when we were very young. My sister was more interested in painting. I learned the piano and the violin. Music became a way to share what I couldn’t say with words. Now I can’t live without making music.

How did you learn to conduct?

I began playing in an orchestra when I was ten years old. I knew right away that I wanted to become a conductor. I would memorize my violin part so that I could watch the conductor. That’s how I first learned to conduct. I was very determined to become a conductor. I had my first real conducting lesson while I was a junior at the New England Conservatory.

What excites you about moving to Atlanta?

I played the violin in a conducting class at a summer music camp. Maestro Robert Spano taught there. He is the conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He’s a great teacher! Working with him as a conductor for the ASO is my dream come true. I can’t wait to work with the world-class Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

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The ASO Family Concerts

with support from Publix Super Markets Charities

October 28, 2007 A Fairy Tale Halloween Jere Flint, conductor Lee Harper & Dancers 1:30 & 3:30pm

February 17, 2008

Peter and the Wolf Jere Flint, conductor Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra 1:30 & 3:30pm

March 9, 2008 Once Upon a Tune Jere Flint, conductor Wendy Bennett, vocalist 1:30 & 3:30pm

May 18, 2008 Cinderella Jere Flint, conductor Enchantment Theatre Company 1:30 & 3:30pm

Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra

presented by GE Energy

Fall ConcertSunday November 11, 2007, 3 pm Jere Flint, conductor

Winter ConcertSunday March 16, 2008, 3pmJere Flint, conductor

Spring ConcertSunday May 11, 2008, 3pm Jere Flint, conductor

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Learning Community Staff

Susan Merritt, Vice President/Learning Community Ayden Adler, Director for Learning Development

Melanie Darby, Coordinator of Youth and Family Programs

Mariel Reynolds, ASO Community Catalyst

Sponsors/Funders

ASO Young People’s Concerts are sponsored by:

Kathy Griffin Memorial Endowment

Additional Education Funding is provided by:

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

The Goizueta Foundation

William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund

Edler G. Hawkins Foundation, Inc.

Fulton County Arts Council

Georgia Council for the Arts

MetLife Music for Life Initiative

Staples Foundation for Learning

Nordstrom

City of Atlanta, Office of Cultural Affairs

The UPS Foundation

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

The Green Foundation