For Teachers and Parents Dear Grownups: Welcome to the NSO Kinderkonzerts, designed to introduce children in pre-kindergarten through grade 2 to the basics of music and musical instruments of the orchestra. Please help your young concertgoers read and understand the information in this Cuesheet. The information and activity ideas below are designed to help you further the children’s concert experience.
A Good Audience…
stays seated, stays quiet, doesn’t eat, listens, and claps. Have fun!
The Concert Program The quartet will perform excerpts from the musical selections below. Before or after the concert, you may want to have the children listen to some or all of these musical selections if you have access to them in the library or online. Ask children to see whether they can recognize the music when they hear it the second time. Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor by Johann Sebastian Bach (YOH-hahn si-BASS-chuhn bahk) Canon in D major by Johann Pachelbel (YOH-hahn PAH-kuhl-bell)
Kinderkonzert
Wait! There’s More!
David M. Rubenstein Chairman Michael M. Kaiser President Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education
Christoph Eschenbach Music Director National Symphony Orchestra NSO Kinderkonzerts are made possible in part by the generous support of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. NSO Kinderkonzerts are supported in part by generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas.
String Quartet in D major, Op. 20 No. 4, by Franz Joseph Haydn (HI-din) String Quartet in F major, Op. 135, by Ludwig van Beethoven (LOOD-vig VAHN BAY-toh-ven) String Quartet E-flat major, Op. 12, by Felix Mendelssohn (MEN-duhl-suhn) String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110, by Dmitri Shostakovich (duh-MEE-tree Shaw-stah-KOH-vitch) String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10, by Claude Debussy (klawd DEB-yoo-see) “Spagnoletta” by Michael Praetorius (pray-TOR-ee-us) “Nightmare” by David Teie (TIE) String Quartet in D major, Op. 11, by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (cheye-KOFF-skee)
Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided by the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts, Capital One Bank, the Carter and Melissa Cafritz Charitable Trust, The Clark Charitable Foundation, Fight for Children, Inc., Mr. James V. Kimsey, The Kirstein Family Foundation, The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc., Linda and Tobia Mercuro, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Park Foundation, Inc., the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Mrs. Irene Pollin, Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk, Ms. Beverly Walcoff, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Verizon Foundation.
Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo” Before the concert, enjoy hands-on fun with the instruments that the musicians will play on stage in the Hall of States. A project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO.
“Preview” the Concert Hall
More Fun With Music
We hope you have so much fun at the concert that you’ll come back soon to hear a performance of the full National Symphony Orchestra—that’s 100 musicians! When they all play together, they perform on the big stage in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Get a sneak peak at the Hall (and even go backstage) in the playful online tour led by former NSO Associate Conductor Emil de Cou at: artsedge.kennedy-center.org/nsoed.
Here are some activities for children.
Opposite Effects
www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge
After the performance, choose a song you know, like “London Bridge is Falling Down.” Try singing it with friends using some of the opposites you learned about during the performance, like singing it through once fast and then slow, then loud and soft, and high and low.
Upcoming Family Concerts
Sound Check
May 13, 2012 — Carnival of the Animals
Before or after the performance, look around your classroom or home for different-sized plastic or cardboard containers that are the same shape. Turn them upside down and see how the sound changes when you tap them with a ruler or spoon. Choose the two that are most different, or opposite.
The NSO also presents full orchestra Young People’s Concerts for school groups in the Concert Hall each season during the school day for grades 3 through 6.
Picture the Story
Orchestra Interactive
During the music by Haydn, the quartet shared what they imagined and invited you to imagine your own story. After the performance, draw a picture of something you imagined as you listened. Share your drawings with a friend.
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Major support for the Kennedy Center’s educational programs is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.
Please build on your Kinderkonzert experience by joining us at this season’s National Symphony Orchestra Family Concerts, performed by the full NSO:
For more about NSO education programs, see www.kennedy-center.org/nso/nsoed
Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center. ARTSEDGE is a part of Verizon Thinkfinity, a consortium of free educational Web sites for K-12 teaching and learning. Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education The contents of this Cuesheet do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement from the Federal Government. ©2012 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Enjoy an interactive exploration of orchestras, their instruments, and their music at the Perfect Pitch Web site at: artsedge.kennedy-center.org/perfectpitch
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Please recycle this Cuesheet by sharing it with friends!
What’s the opposite of awful noise? (Remember, an “opposite” is something completely different from another thing.) Music! And guess what? Music itself is full of different types of opposites. At the concert, you and your friends or family will join four musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) to explore how those opposites make music to our ears. David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO. Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by
Performed by the Kennedy String Quartet: Holly Hamilton, violin Jane Bowyer Stewart, violin James Deighan (pronounced DEE-gun), viola David Teie (pronounced TIE), cello
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