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Name:______________________________________

Unit Study Lesson Plan

Student Guide

to

Blessed Are They

from

“A German Requiem” by

Johannes Brahms arr. Barbara Buehlman

Melissa Simpson Unit Study Lesson Plan (Brahms, arr. Buehlman) 2

Unit Contents I. Learning Goals II. Assignments Checklist (check off as you complete them)

A. Listening Assignment __________ B. Performing Assignment

1. Assignment #1 __________ 2. Assignment #2 __________ 3. Assignment #3 __________

C. Worksheet Assignment 1. Assignment #1 __________ 2. Assignment #2 __________

D. Composition Assignment __________ III. Historical Notes IV. Home Practice Guide V. Worksheets VI. Listening Guide

I. Learning Goals

By the end of the instructional unit the student should be able to: 1. Play his or her part to Blessed Are They with musicality and accuracy. 2. Play, sing, and identify by ear the following: F major scale, D-‐flat major scale 3. Write a melody in given key using the one of the above scales. 4. Define any terms listed in the Glossary. 5. Provide background information about Johannes Brahms and his Requiem. Suggested Listening: Access to all recordings is available through Spotify: Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem), Op. 45: I. Selig sind, die da Leid tragen

(Blessed are they that mourn) (arr. B. Buehlmann) – Johannes Brahms, Barbara Buehlmann, Ouachita Baptist University Wind Ensemble, Craig Hamilton

Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem), Op. 45: I. Selig sind, die da Leid tragen (Blessed are they that mourn) (arr. B. Buehlmann) – Johannes Brahms, Barbara Buehlmann, Messiah College Symphonic Winds, William Stowman

Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem), Op. 45: I. Selig sind, die da Leid tragen (Blessed are they that mourn) (arr. B. Buehlmann) – Johannes Brahms, Barbara Buehlmann, Concordia University Chicago Wind Symphony, Richard Fischer

John Eliot Gardiner — Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem Rudolf Kempe/Elisabeth Grümmer/Dietrich Fischer-‐Dieskau/Chöre des St Hedwigs-‐

Kathedrale Berlin/Berliner Philharmoniker — Brahms – Requiem Leonard Bernstein — Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D Major; Symphony No. 3 in F

Major Accentus – Fauré: Requiem, Laurence Equilbey: Orchestre National De France


II. Assignments

Before beginning work on the assignments below, examine the learning goals for this unit, read the Historical Notes for A German Requiem and Blessed Are They, and study the terms given in the Glossary. Your grade for the unit will be based on mastery of the learning goals as revealed through your demonstrated ability to play your part, class assignments, and unit quiz. Be sure to review all terms in the Glossary prior to taking the quiz. This unit will take approximately six weeks to complete. Your band director will guide you through its completion. Listening Assignment: Listen to a recording of Blessed Are They while following the score, and answer the Listening Assignment questions. If a recording is not available, review the entire score while noting parts other than your instrument. Complete this assignment by Friday, May 2nd

Practice Assignment: See Home Practice Guide. Begin working on this assignment as soon as possible.

Playing test on this material beginning the week of May 5th Worksheet Assignments: Complete Worksheet Assignment #1 by Friday, May 2nd Complete Worksheet Assignment #2 by Friday, May 9th Complete Worksheet Assignment #3 by Friday, May 16th Band Project (Extra Credit and Optional): For extra credit, or simply expand your knowledge, select and complete one of the following projects.

1. Listen to a recorded or live performance of Brahms’ German Requiem, and write a brief one-‐page critique. Be sure to include a discussion on how this music relates to our version of the piece.

2. Compose a short piece in they key of F major or D-‐flat major

Complete the Optional Band Project by Friday, May 23rd Unit Quiz: This written assessment will be given during the week of May 19th, and will be based on material presented in this Unit Study packet. A practice quiz and grading rubric will be distributed prior to your actual quiz.


III. Historical Notes

About the COMPOSITION: Composed mainly between 1865-‐1867, Brahms’ choral masterpiece, Ein deutsches Requiem, is still considered to be a unique contribution to the genre of choral music generally, and the Requiem specifically, for at least two reasons: the choice of Biblical passages for text, in lieu of the traditional Mass for the Dead; and the use of the vernacular language of the composer, German, rather than the traditional Latin. The seven-‐movement work begins with Blessed are They, the text taken from two Biblical sources based on Martin Luther’s translations of the Bible: Matthew 5:4 (line 1) and Psalm 126:5-‐6 (lines 2, 3, and 4): Selig sind, die da Leid tragen, den sie sollen getröstet werden. Die mit Tränen säen, warden mit Freuden ernten. Sie gehen hin und weinen und tragen edlen Samen, und kommen mit Freuden und bringen ihre Garben. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall have comfort. They that sow in tears shall reap joy.

Who goeth forth and weepth, and beareth precious seed, shall doubtless r return with rejoicing,

and bring his sheaves with him. Barbara Buehlman, a former public school band director and Executive Administrator of the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, arranged the movement for band and published it in 1970. About the REQUIEM MASS The Requiem Mass is a liturgical service of the Roman Catholic Church (a Mass for the Dead), and comes from the opening words of the Introit: Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis (Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them). It includes portions of the Ordinary of the Mass, such as the kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and portions of the Proper of the Mass, including the Introit and Gradual. The sequence Dies irae is substituted for the Alleluia. About BRAHMS’ REQUIEM An important distinction in Brahms’ treatment of the Requiem is that, instead of honoring the dead, Ein deutsches Requiem seeks to comfort the living, offering solace and hope to those who have lost loved ones. This departure from the traditional Requiem form also features texts that are taken from a variety of sections of Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible. The autere and traditional Latin texts of darkness and suffering are replaed with reassuring texts, indlcluding “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall have comfort,” “How lovely is thy dwelling place,” and “Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord.”


Other composers who have set the Requiem Mass to music include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giuseppe Verdi, Gabriel Fauré, Heinrich Schütz, Maurice Duruflé, and John Rutter. About the COMPOSER:

Johannes Brahms (1833-‐1897) was a German composer and pianist. Brahms composed for piano, chamber ensembles, symphony orchestra, and for voice and chorus. Many of his works have become staples of the modern concert repertoire. Brahms was a traditionalist, but also an innovator. His music is firmly rooted in the structures and compositional techniques of the Baroque and Classical masters. Brahms aimed to honor the "purity" of the respected "German" structures of the classical period and advance them into a Romantic idiom. In the process, he created a bold new approach to harmony and melody. Historical and Backround information compiled from Brahms’ Blessed Are They, arr. Buehlman (conductor’s score), and Teaching Music through Performance in Band: GIA Publications, Inc.


Listening Assignment (To be completed in class on Wednesday, April 30th) Due: Friday, May 2nd

Instructions: Listen to Blessed Are They and follow along with the score projected on the board. Answer the following questions based on this information provided. Measures 1-‐47:

1. Who has the melody at measure 7?

2. Which percussion instruments are playing? (ex. Snare drum, timpani, etc.) _________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What is the loudest dynamic in this section?

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4. What is the time signature? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Measures 47-‐63

1. What is the concert key of the ensemble at measure 47? _________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Which instruments play the counter-‐melody from measures 55-‐63? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Measures 63-‐87

1. Which instruments have solos in this section? _________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the softest dynamic marking in this section? _________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. In what concert key does the piece end? _________________________________________________________________________________________________


IV. Home Practice Guide

• Practice your part to Blessed Are They until you can play the notes correctly, play with rhythmic accuracy, and play it musically (dynamics, articulation, phrasing, etc.)

• The scales of the keys used in Blessed Are They are listed below in concert pitch. You can use your method book to find these scales written in the key for your instrument. Practicing these scales will help you achieve success in Blessed Are They.

F Major

D-‐flat Major


Playing Exam: week of May 5th Flutes: mm. 15-‐37 Oboes: mm. 73-‐87 B-‐flat Clarinets: mm. 47-‐63 Bass Clarinet: Same as Flutes Contra Bass Clarinet: Same as Flutes Bassoons: Same as B-‐flat Clarinets Alto Saxophones: Same as B-‐flat Clarinets Tenor Sax: Same as B-‐flat Clarinets Bari. Sax: Same as Flutes Cornets: Same as B-‐flat Clarinets Horns: Same as B-‐flat Clarinets Trombones: Same as B-‐flat Clarinets Baritone: Same as B-‐flat Clarinets Bass: Same as flutes Suspended Cymbal: 51-‐63 Timpani: mm. 1-‐19 If you are assigned a solo, you will also be asked to perform it during your playing exam.


V. Worksheets Worksheet Assignment #1 Define Glossary Terms Due: Friday, May 2nd

Instructions: Define the following glossary terms using a music dictionary. A music dictionary can be borrowed from one of your band directors for use in the band room. You may use the Internet as a resource. The following website has a nice music dictionary: http://dictionary.onmusic.org/. Largo

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Breath mark

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a2

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8va ossia

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Requiem Mass

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Modulation

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pp

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fff

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tenuto

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Worksheet Assignment #2 Excerpt Analysis

Due: Friday, May 9th

Instructions: Below is the moment in the piece where the first line of text is introduced: “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall have comfort.” Answer the following questions and complete the exercises as they relate to this musical excerpt. Note that this excerpt is not transposed (“concert pitch”).

1. The above musical example is in what concert key?

2. On which scale degree does the excerpt begin?


3. What dynamic should be played in the beginning of measure 10?

4. How many measures long is the first phrase? (Hint: You may want to play it on your instrument to see where it makes sense to breathe.)

5. What articulation marking is used most in this excerpt?

6. What is the articulation over the note in measure 9, beat four?


Worksheet Assignment #3 Composition Assignment Due: Friday, May 16th

Instructions: Using this worksheet, compose a short melody using the F major scale. Choose either treble clef or bass clef. The first and last measures have been done for you. Use them as a guide. You may wish to expand this assignment to complete Band Project #2. 1. Use no notes shorter in duration than a 16th note. 2. You should be able to perform this on your instrument. 3. Include at least three dynamic elements (dynamics, crescendo, decrescendo, etc.). 4. Include articulations that are similar to those found in Blessed Are They (legato, tenuto, accents)


VI. Listening Diagram

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