5th Grade Music Memory Maps

2017

Music Memory Listening Lists

5th Grade Listening List

“Variations on ‘America’” by Charles Ives

“Take Five” by Paul Desmond

“Shenandoah” a Traditional American Folksong

“The Great Gate of Kiev” from Pictures of an Exhibition by Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky

“Ride of the Valkyries” by Richard Wagner

“Nessun Dorma” from Turandot by Giacomo Puccini

“Fourth Movement” (“Choral”) from Symphony No. 9 in D minor by Ludwig van Beethoven

“The Imperial March” from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back by John Williams

“Mambo” from West Side Story Symphonic Suite by Leonard Bernstein

“Piano Concerto in C sharp minor” by Amy Beach

“Variations on ‘America’”

by Ives

Introduction Theme Calm Variation 1 = Fancy with things added

Variation 2 = Sort of Sad Variation 3 = Shocking and Dissonant

Variation 4 = Happy and Skipping Variation 5 = A Spanish Flavor

Variation 6 = Sad Then Happy Then Slower and Louder

Grand Finale = A Big Celebration

Paul DesmondPaul Desmond (born Paul Emil Breitenfeld; 1924-1977) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer, best known for the work he did in the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for composing that group's greatest hit, "Take Five". He was one of the most popular musicians to come out of the West Coast's cool jazz scene. After years of chain smoking and general poor health, Desmond succumbed to lung cancer in 1977 following one last tour with Brubeck.

Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Desmond

“Take Five” by Desmond

B

Introduction Dal SegnoThe Sign

A

A

FineEnd

Drum Set SoloSaxophone Solo Dal Segno al FineGo to the sign

and play to the end

Shenandoah

”Oh Shenandoah" is a traditional American folk song of uncertain origin, dating to the early 19th century. The song appears to have originated with Canadian and American voyageurs or fur traders traveling down the Missouri River in canoes, and has developed several different sets of lyrics. Some lyrics refer to the Native American chief "Shenandoah" (Oskanondonha) and a canoe-going trader who wants to marry his daughter. By the mid 1800s versions of the song had become a sea shanty heard or sung by sailors in various parts of the world.

Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh_Shenandoah

“Shenandoah” a Traditional American Folksong

Introduction Baritone Soloist Tenor/Bass Chorus Interlude

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839 – 1881) was a Russian composer. Many of his works were inspired by Russian history, Russian folklore, and other nationalist themes. Such works include the orchestral tone poem Night on Bald Mountain and the piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition.For many years Mussorgsky's works were mainly known in versions revised or completed by other composers. Many of his most important compositions have posthumously come into their own in their original forms, and some of the original scores are now also available.

Retrieved and adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modest_Mussorgsky

“The Great Gate of Kiev” from Pictures of an Exhibition

by Mussorgsky

Wilhelm Richard Wagner

Wilhelm Richard Wagner (1813 –1883) was a German composer and conductor who is primarily known for his operas. Unlike most opera composers, Wagner wrote both the libretto and the music for each of his stage works. Until his final years, Wagner's life was characterised by political exile, poverty, and repeated flight from his creditors. His controversial writings on music, drama and politics have attracted extensive comment, notably, since the late 20th century, where they express antisemitic sentiments. The effect of his ideas can be traced in many of the arts throughout the 20th century; his influence spread beyond composition into conducting, philosophy, literature, the visual arts and theatre.

“Ride of the Valkyries” by Wagner

Introduction Performance

“Ride of the Valkyries”

by Wagner

Giacomo Puccini

Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924) Born in Italy came from a long line of musicians. His father was a choirmaster and

organist and it was expected that Giacomo would follow in his footsteps. When his father died, he actually inherited

his positions although he was only six years old! Before he could take them on as an adult, however, he went to

hear a performance of Verdi’s Aida. From that moment on he knew that what he wanted to do was compose

operas.

It took a while for Puccini to achieve this goal, but eventually his works became successful. He was eventually

regarded as the successor to the great Verdi. In 1896 he wrote La Bohème, which is probably the most loved opera

ever written. This was followed by several others, including Madame Butterfly, Tosca, Turandot and The Girl of the

Golden West.

Puccini’s genius lay in his ability to write beautiful melodies. He also was able to create operas that audiences

responded to. His characters are very human and the stories in his operas are easy to follow.

Puccini was very successful financially as well as musically. When he died in 1924, he left over four million dollars!

Retrieved from http://www.classicsforkids.com/pastshows.asp?id=221

“Nessun Dorma” from Turandot

by Puccini

“Fourth Movement” (“Choral”)

from Symphony No. 9 in D minor

by Beethoven

Bridge

String Section

Choral Section

John Williams

John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. With a career spanning over six decades he has composed some of the most popular and recognizable film scores in cinematic history, to many of the highest-grossing films of all-time, including Jaws, the Star Wars series, Superman, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones series, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, and the first three Harry Potter films. Other notable works by Williams include theme music for the Olympic Games, NBC Sunday Night Football, "The Mission" theme used by NBC News, the television series Lost in Space and Land of the Giants, and the incidental music for the first season of Gilligan's Island. Williams has composed numerous classical concerti and other works for orchestral ensembles and solo instruments; he served as the Boston Pops' principal conductor from 1980 to 1993, and is now the orchestra's laureate conductor.

Information taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Williams

“The Imperial March”

from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

by Williams

Main Theme

Main Theme

Main Theme

Main Theme

Main Theme

Key Change

“Mambo” from West Side Story Symphonic Suite

by Bernstein

“Piano Concerto in C sharp minor”

by Beach