Beethoven Rocks!: National Symphony Orchestra Young People's Concert

National Symphony Orchestra Young People’s Concert Did you know two hundred years ago, Ludwig van Beethoven was the most popular rock star? And guess what?

He’s still big!

Brett Mitchell, Conductor * Edwin Outwater, Conductor * *Brett

Mitchell will conduct the October series of Beethoven Rocks! performances at the Kennedy Center and on the NSO Residency in Kentucky; Edwin Outwater will conduct the March series of concerts at the Kennedy Center.

Beethoven’s greatest hits include Moonlight Sonata, Für Elise, “Ode to Joy,” and his famous Fifth Symphony. You might not recognize these titles, but you’re sure to know the melodies. You hear them today in movies, television, cell phone ring tones—and orchestral concert halls. Get ready for Beethoven to rock your world!

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

(pronounced LOOD-vig VAHN BAY-toh-ven) was born in a small city in Germany in 1770. Little Ludwig started playing the piano when he was very small—so small he had to stand on the piano bench to reach the keys. When his father heard him play, he knew right away that he would be a big star.

Beethoven or Bust!

Beethoven was known as an angry, gloomy guy—even in statues, he looks upset.

His father pushed him — and Ludwig pushed himself. He practiced through the night and into the morning. At age 10, he gave his first public piano performance. At 11, he quit school to pursue a full-time musical career. In his early twenties, Beethoven began improvising on the piano. Eventually, Beethoven became the greatest composer of his time.

Big Dreams Beethoven knew he was talented and wasn’t afraid to tell everyone. He famously told a wealthy prince, “There are and there will be thousands of princes. There is only one Beethoven.” While Beethoven might have thought a lot of himself, he also had the drive and determination to realize his dreams. He sought out the greatest composers of his day, including Mozart and Haydn, so that he could learn from the very best. As a composer, Beethoven kept detailed notebooks and repeatedly edited his own work until it was “perfect.”

Know d l u o h S u o Y s M u s i c a l T engr wmork for orchestra in thretse” or four

A lo vemen Symphony : s called “mo rt a p r lle a sm at is lodic idea th e m r o ic m rt rhyth on Motif : A sho a compositi repeated in three one, two, or r fo n o ti si o usical comp ovements Sonata : A m ents in three or four m instrum ally two usicians, usu m r u fo f o p et : A grou la, and a cello String quart violins, a vio

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Big Music Beethoven wrote all kinds of music for singers, pianists, string quartets, and more. But he became especially famous for his symphonies (SIM-fuh-neez), the music he wrote for orchestras. Beethoven’s Third Symphony, the Eroica (eh-RO-ih-kah), introduced audiences to a much larger orchestra with a much bigger sound. His Fifth Symphony, one of the most famous symphonies of all time, asked the audience to listen with its simple opening motif (moh-TEEF)

of four notes—“da-da-da-DUM”—which was repeated throughout. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony made the music sound even bigger by adding human voices singing the famous song “Ode to Joy.” In addition, Beethoven’s compositions Moonlight Sonata (so-NAH-tuh) and Für Elise (For Elise) were considered revolutionary for their time. You’ll hear excerpts of all these great works at the concert.

’

the riff heard round the world

da-da-da-DUM da-da-da-DUM

LISTENING ACTIVITY Listen to the introduction of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony for the trademark motif.

Beethoven is believed to have said the sound described “fate knocking at the door.” ( Fate is another word for “destiny.”)

As you listen, rap your fist three times in the air for each slow note—like you’re knocking on an imaginary door. Then, when you hear the long note, raise both hands in the air to catch your fate like it is a football. The motif repeats—so don't forget to do the motions the second time!

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Rock stars are famous for breaking rules and trying new things. Beethoven rocked the world by increasing the size of the orchestra to make a bigger sound. He added instruments like the piccolo and the contrabassoon to the orchestra to play notes that were both higher and lower than had been heard before. He experimented with new ways of using music to “paint” pictures of country picnics, violent storms, and even moonlight. Music lovers never knew what to expect next. Beethoven’s wild new ideas made everyone want to hear his music.

Making a

Big Impact

Even though Beethoven was moody and bad-tempered, people adored him and his music. He wrote big, passionate, emotional music that made people sit up and listen—and they liked what they heard.

City governments responded by building concert halls and creating orchestras as more people wanted to hear Beethoven’s music.

LISTENING ACTIVITY Listen to the “Ode to Joy” in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and sing along to the melody using the words below.

During the performance, you’ll be invited to sing with the orchestra.

Practice now and you’ll be ready for the concert!

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Happy voices! Hear them singing This song to the sky above.

As we walk the earth will ring A million voices sing of love!

When the world seems cold and lonely, No place for a girl or boy.

Think back to our happy friendship As we sing this ode to joy!

How

Big is Big?

It takes big words to describe big things.

Here are some to describe Beethoven and his music:

What other

“ Big � words can you add to this list?

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The

music in His Head

When he was only 27 years old, Beethoven noticed he could no longer hear high notes.

Over the next 20 years, Beethoven slowly became completely deaf. No one knows for sure what caused Beethoven’s deafness.

In Beethoven’s day, people with disabilities were often treated badly. Beethoven wrote letters to his brothers expressing his anger, frustration, and despair at becoming deaf. He became increasingly isolated from family and friends, but he never stopped writing music.

In fact, Beethoven’s deafness affected his social life more than his music, since he wrote some of his greatest compositions after he was completely deaf. Today, Beethoven’s deafness doesn’t make his great work any “greater,” but it does say something about the huge challenges he overcame in order to reach his dreams.

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Sound Vibrations: The

science of Sound

Beethoven had already mastered writing music when he became aware that he was becoming deaf. In the same way that a construction worker can look at blueprints and see the whole building, Beethoven could look at a musical score and “hear” the orchestra “inside his head,” simply by using his imagination. Beethoven could also “feel” the music with his sense of touch because sound vibrates.

Sound is created by vibrations that travel through the air until they reach our ears and the brain hears them as familiar sounds. You can feel vibrations in many parts of your body. Have you ever felt a video game controller vibrate? Have you ever felt a car with booming speakers as it passes by in traffic?

Beethoven felt vibrations, too, and used them to help him “hear” his music. He even sawed the legs off his piano and placed the instrument flat on the floor. That way, when he played, he could feel vibrations coming off the piano strings and through the wooden floor.

LISTENING ACTIVITIES The speed of sound vibrations changes depending on the pitch of a sound, meaning whether a sound is high or low. Try it out for yourself. Blow up a balloon and hold it close to your mouth.

While you speak, have someone else touch the balloon. After you experiment by saying a few things, switch roles, and now you touch the balloon while the other person talks against it. Can you feel the vibrations?

Are they fast or slow? Strong or weak? Do the vibrations change as the voice goes higher or lower?

Louder or softer? What happens to the vibrations when you switch between speaking, singing, or humming? How does that change the vibration? Did it get faster, slower, stronger, or weaker?

Then try holding the balloon while you play Beethoven’s music really loud on a sound system with good speakers.

Can you feel any sound vibrations on the surface of the balloon?

What do the vibrations feel like?

Fast or slow? Strong or weak?

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“

Watch this lad.

”

One day, he will force the world to talk about him.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, upon hearing Beethoven play the piano at age 17

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Michael M. Kaiser President

Know Before You Go Practical Tips on Enjoying the Concert Before the concert, your teacher will share musical selections from the Beethoven program. Listen to the music and do the listening activities. You’ll enjoy the concert more if you’re familiar with the music.

Be sure to practice singing the words to Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” that appear on page 5 of this Cuesheet. You’ll be asked to sing along during the performance of the Ninth Symphony.

Things to Know About a Concert An orchestra is a group of musicians who play different instruments. There are four sections or “families” of instruments: strings (including violin, viola, cello, and bass); woodwinds (including flute, clarinet, and bassoon); brass (including trumpet and tuba); and percussion (including timpani, snare drum, and xylophone).

The conductor is a person who leads the orchestra.

Conductors use their right hand to tell the orchestra the tempo (speed) to play, and use their left hand to indicate the dynamics (loud or soft). Some use a slender white stick called a baton (buh-TAHN) as they conduct. At the concert, watch how the conductor communicates with the musicians.

After an orchestra is seated, the leader of the violins, known as the “first violinist” or “concertmaster,” bows to applause and takes his or her seat. This person then asks the principal oboist to sound an “A” note, to which the entire orchestra tunes.

Watch for the first violinist at the beginning of the performance.

Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education

Christoph Eschenbach Music Director National Symphony Orchestra Additional support is provided by the U.S. Department of Education, Verizon Foundation, Mr. Martin K. Alloy and Ms. Daris M. Clifton, the Carter and Melissa Cafritz Charitable Trust, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, The Clark Charitable Foundation, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Fight for Children, The President's Advisory Committee on the Arts, National Committee for the Performing Arts, and Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk.

Gifts and grants to the National Symphony Orchestra Education Programs are provided by Sandra K. and Clement C. Alpert; The Theodore H. Barth Foundation, Inc.; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; The Clark Charitable Foundation; Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; Mrs. Diane Lipton Dennis; The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.; The Charles Engelhard Foundation; The Kiplinger Foundation; MLKA Foundation, Inc.; National Trustees of the National Symphony Orchestra; Park Foundation, Inc.; Mr. Albert H. Small; Washington Gas; the U.S. Department of Education; and the Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund.

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Visit us at www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org For more about the performing arts and arts education, visit the Kennedy Center’s Education Department online at www.kennedy-center.org/education The U.S. Department of Education supports approximately one-third of the budget for the Kennedy Center Education Department. The contents of this Cuesheet do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. © 2010 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

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