Transcript with audio examples - Delaware Symphony Orchestra

Peter and the Wolf
by Sergei Prokofiev
Who is Sergei Prokofiev?
Sergei Prokofiev was born in Sontsovka, Russia on 23
April 1891.
If he were still alive today, he would be 123 years old!
When he died on 5 March 1953, he was living in Moscow,
Russia.
How old was he when he died?
The red balloon shows the approximate location of Sontsovka, where Prokofiev was born.
Can you find Moscow on the map?
What other countries are nearby?
Prokofiev was a pianist and a composer.
He traveled many places to study and write music, such
as:
•
Russia at the St. Petersburg Conservatory
•
London, England
•
United States
•
France
•
Moscow, Russia
He composed operas, ballets, film scores,
orchestral music, chamber music, piano music
and vocal music.
"Peter and the Wolf" is orchestral music. This
means it is played by an orchestra.
Lesson 1 - The instruments of the orchestra
EQ: How can you compare the instruments of the
orchestra?
Why did Prokofiev write "Peter and the
Wolf?"
The director at the Moscow Children's Musical Theater
invited Prokofiev to write something. Here's what he said
about it in his diary:
"In the spring of 1936, I started a symphonic tale for children titled 'Peter and
the Wolf,' Op. 67, to a text of my own. Every character in the story had its own
motif played each time by the same instrument ... Before each performance, the
instruments were shown to the children and the themes played for them; during
the performance, the children heard the themes repeated several times and
learned to recognize the timbres of the different instruments. The text was read
during the pauses in the music ... for me, the story was important only as a
means of inducing the children to listen to the music."
Definition break!
opus (Op.) = when followed by a number, it identifies the
chronology of the composition
motif = recurring succession of notes used to construct a
theme
timbre = characteristics of sound that help you identify
different instruments playing the same note
Let's listen to the themes for each character we
will meet in Peter and the Wolf and see the
instruments that play them.
The flute as the bird.
The flute is a member of the woodwind family of
instruments.
Woodwind instruments, by definition, are made of wood
and sounded by air.
Does it look like the flute
is made of wood?
The oboe as the duck.
The oboe is also a member of the woodwind family of
instruments.
It is played with a double reed.
The clarinet as the cat.
The clarinet is a member of the woodwind family of
instruments.
It is played with a single reed.
The bassoon as the grandfather.
The bassoon is a member of the woodwind family of
instruments.
Let's look and see if it is a single or double reed
instrument!
The French horns as the wolf.
The french horn is a member of the brass family of
instruments.
Brass instruments are made of a brass or a silver tube
that flares into a bell at the end. They have cupped
mouthpieces and usually have valves or slides.
Can you name all of the instruments?
Can you identify the bell on each instrument?
Which one has a slide instead of valves?
bell
The
French
horn
mouthpiece
keys
The string quartet as Peter.
There are four instruments in a string quartet and they
are part of the string family.
String instruments produce sound by means of vibrating
strings.
The string instruments in the orchestra can include: violin,
viola, cello, double bass, harp and the piano.
The String Family
smallest (highest sounding) to
largest (lowest sounding):
violin
viola
cello
double bass
the
piano
harp
A string quartet usually consists of two violins, a viola and
a cello.
Which instrument of the string family is left out?
Is that instrument the highest or the lowest sounding?
The timpani and bass drum as the rifle shots.
The timpani and bass drum are both percussion
instruments.
Percussion instruments are sounded by striking,
shaking, plucking or scraping.
Some percussion instruments produce a definite pitch
and others do not.
Let's listen to the sound of the timpani and bass drum.
Other percussion instruments in the orchestra
Pitched
chimes
glockenspiel
marimba
steel drums
xylophone
Not Pitched
cymbals
snare drum
gong
Other
finger cymbals
ratchet
tambourine
triangle
wood block
Let's answer the Essential Question:
How can you compare the instruments of the orchestra?
The End
Attachments
Peter and the Wolf Introduction.mp4
Bird motif - flute.mp3
Duck motif - oboe.mp3
Cat motif - clarinet.mp3
Grandfather motif - bassoon.mp3
Wolf motif - French horns.mp3
Peter motif - string quartet.mp3
Rifle shots motif - timpani & bass drum.mp3
bass drum.mp3
timpani.mp3