November 15, 2011

Athletes of the OrchestraNew Jersey Symphony Orchestra at New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Athletes of the Orchestra

✤ What is NJPAC?

✤ What is a Symphony orchestra?

✤ What instruments will be playing in the orchestra?

✤ Why do you think the musicians are called athletes?

✤ What types of music do you think we will hear?

✤ If they are athletes, do they get together in teams?

Star Spangled Banner

✤ National Anthem of the USA.

✤ Poem Defence of Fort McHenry by Francis Scott Key in 1814.

✤ War of 1812 between US and England.

✤ Written after witnessing the Battle of Fort McHenry.

✤ Sung to a popular British tune.the original flag that inspired Francis Scott Key

Albert von Tilzer

✤ American composer who lived from 1878 - 1956.

✤ Songwriter with his older brother.

✤ Born Albert Gumm, but took his mother’s maiden name and added a “von” before it.

✤ Considered a top tune or melody writer in Tin Pan Alley.

Tin Pan Alley - area of NYC

✤ Tin Pan Alley is the name given to a collection of NYC music publishers and songwriters who dominated popular music in the early 1900’s.

✤ It referred to West 28th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. (A plaque is there.)

✤ May have gotten it’s name because the sound of so many pianos playing different tunes sounded like the banging of tin pans!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

✤ Written in 1908 and is considered the unofficial anthem of baseball.

✤ Traditionally sung during the seventh inning stretch of a baseball game.

✤ Neither of its authors had attended a baseball game prior to writing the song.

✤ In what ways does the orchestra and its musicians compare to athletes?

“Take me out to the ball game,Take me out with the crowd.Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,I don’t care if I never get back,Let me root, root, root for the home team,If they don't win it’s a shame.For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out, At the old ball game.”

Katie Casey was baseball mad.Had the fever and had it bad;Just to root for the home town crew, Ev'ry sou Katie blew.On a Saturday, her young beauCalled to see if she'd like to go,To see a show but Miss Kate said,“No, I'll tell you what you can do.”

Katie Casey saw all the games,Knew the players by their first names; Told the umpire he was wrong,All along good and strong.When the score was just two to two, Katie Casey knew what to do, Just to cheer up the boys she knew,She made the gang sing this song:

“Take me out to the ball game,Take me out with the crowd.Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,I don’t care if I never get back,Let me root, root, root for the home team,If they don't win it’s a shame.For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out, At the old ball game.”

John Williams

✤ American composer born in Queens – 1932.

✤ Composer and conductor.

✤ Famous for Jaws, Superman, Indiana Jones, Home Alone, Jurassic Park and Harry Potter.

✤ Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra.

Olympic Fanfare and Theme

✤ Written for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

✤ Expands on “Bugler’s Dream” written in 1958 by Leo Arnaud.

✤ Austrian composer who lived from 1756-1791.

✤ His father was a violinist and recognized Wolfgang’s talent.

✤ Toured Europe with his sister playing violin and piano for royalty.

✤ Wrote his first piece at 5, published at 7, first opera at 12.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Eine Kleine NachtmusikSerenade No. 13 for strings in G major

✤ “A little night music”

✤ Performed by a small group of strings.

✤ Has four movements.

✤ No one knows the reason this was written, but Mozart wrote other serenades on commission. Can you make a guess why it was written?

Charles Gounod

✤ French composer who lived from 1818-1893.

✤ Big fan of religious music and music of Johann Sebastian Bach.

✤ Most famous for Ave Maria, a beautiful melody added to a keyboard prelude by Bach.

✤ While most of his music was for voices, he did write two symphonies.

Petite Symphonie, Opus 216

✤ What does the French title mean?

✤ Symphony - long piece for orchestra usually in four movements (sections).

✤ Opus - work Composers (and some historians) number the pieces to help keep track of all the compositions.

✤ Written for nine wind instruments. (That is why it is called a “little” symphony).

Leroy Anderson

✤ American composer (and conductor) who lived from 1908 - 1975.

✤ Best know for his short, “light” concert pieces like Sleigh Ride, The Syncopated Clock, and The Typewriter.

✤ Studied music at Harvard.

✤ Developed a close relationship with the Boston Pops Orchestra.

Bugler’s Holiday

✤ Features three trumpets.

✤ Listen for the fanfares that are similar to bugle calls.

✤ Do you hear the humor or fun in the music?

Modest Mussorgsky

✤ Russian composer who lived from 1839-1881.

✤ Fine piano player.

✤ One of a group of composers who included Russian folk music in their compositions.

Night on Bald Mountain

✤ Written in 1867 when Mussorgsky was 28 years old.

✤ Originally called St. John’s Night on Bare Mountain.

✤ St. John’s Night is like our Halloween. (bald/bare = no trees)

✤ Never performed while he was alive.

✤ Part of Walt Disney’s Fantasia.