CUESHEET PERFORMANCE GUIDE
National Symphony Orchestra Young People’s Concert 2017-2018
Bernstein! Inside the Music
David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.
The NSO Young People’s Concerts are sponsored by The Volgenau Foundation.
Emil de Cou, Conductor Marissa Regni, Violinist Christylez Bacon, Beatboxer
Music Master Times Three The Kennedy Center and the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) celebrate the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth by honoring his passion for sharing music with young people.
Percussion
Harp
As an equally-famous conductor, composer, and musician, Leonard Bernstein [pronounced BURN-stine, 1918-1990] was what critics call a “triple threat.” During his long career, Bernstein not only conducted music by the world’s greatest composers, he also wrote many important works for orchestras. He even performed on piano right there on stage with them. It was Bernstein’s talent and training that earned him the status of music master. As a composer, Bernstein worked in many different forms—writing music for the concert hall and also for film, opera, ballet, and Broadway. But he also wrote different kinds of music, from Latin dance music to religious music. Even popular love songs. And as a conductor, Bernstein was the first American-educated artist to become the music director of the New York Philharmonic. But most importantly, Bernstein is recognized for sharing his passion for music with young people through television programs, books, and lectures. He was also a great supporter of the arts and arts education in America. It comes as no surprise, then, that almost every professional musician today was influenced by the genius of Leonard Bernstein.
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Piano
First Violins
Second Violins
Clarinets
Concertmaster
GET READY ! At the concert, you’ll listen to Bernstein’s music, learn about the orchestra, musicians, melody and rhythm, and, no kidding — BEATBOXING!
Let’s Meet the Orchestra An orchestra is a large group of musicians who play together on various instruments. The orchestra is divided into four sections. The string section includes the violin, viola, cello, and stringed bass. The woodwind section contains the flutes, clarinets, oboes, and bassoons. The brass section holds the trumpets, trombones, French horns, and tubas. And last, but definitely not the quietest, the percussion section includes all of the drums and percussive instruments, plus xylophones, cymbals, bells, and timpani. The conductor stands in front to keep the musicians on the same beat from start to finish—and to shape the dynamics (volume) and tempo (speed) of the music.
Timpani
French Horns
Trumpets
“A” Note
Trombones Tuba
The leader of the violin section, known as the “Concertmaster,” usually enters after the orchestra is already seated. He is in charge of tuning the orchestra. You may notice him ask for an “A” from the oboe player when the musicians are tuning up. Flutes
Oboes
Bassoons
Violas
Cellos
Basses
Let’s Go, Maestro A maestro (MAHY-stroh) is a title of respect given to great conductors, composers, and musicians. Leonard Bernstein easily earned this title—as the “ultimate champion of the composer ” and for his desire “to bring a fresh approach and new insights to every performance of a work.” But wait! What does a conductor do anyway? The conductor is a person who leads the orchestra. Otherwise you would have a bunch of musicians playing at all different times, speeds, and volumes. Conductors use their right hand to tell the orchestra the tempo or speed to play, and their left hand to indicate the dynamics, or loudness or softness. Some use a slender white stick called a baton (buh-TAHN) as they conduct.
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Strike Up the Band Let’s Meet the Musicians Professional musicians usually start playing an instrument at an early age and carry their studies through their college years and beyond. That means many, many hours of practice every day. Even so, they still have to practice and attend rehearsals to stay in top form. At the same time, musicians are people with lives, families, and interests off the concert stage. Music may seem all-consuming, but musicians still find time to play sports, pursue hobbies, and spend time with their families and friends. Musicians are people, too!
Le
t’s M
ee
Host Marissa Regni has been Principal Second Violin of the National Symphony Orchestra for 20 years. As a musician, she has toured throughout the United States and around the world.
c u t d o n r o , C t e he h tt Marissa
REGNI
GO PLAY! Want to “step inside music” and interact with the instruments of the orchestra? Use the oiid iOS app to play with Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” Find it by searching for “oiid” in the App Store on your iPhone or iPad. 4
Emil
DE COU
Ho
st , a
nd a S p
Emil de Cou has been a conductor of the NSO since 2003. He also serves as a musical advisor to NASA, America’s space program. And did you know he actually studied with Leonard Bernstein in a master class at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California?
u G l a i c e
. t es
Christylez
BACON
Hip hop and beatbox artist Christylez Bacon is a native of Washington D.C. and a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. He has developed a unique personal style by combining beatbox elements with live instrumentation and musical genres from around the world.
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Let’s Make Music is a pattern constructed from pitches, rhythms, melodies, tempo, and dynamics. Every composer uses the same basic tools to write music and speak to musicians. One tool is pitch which refers to the high notes and low notes. Another tool is rhythm or the long notes and short notes. Once you mix pitch and rhythm, you’ve written a melody. Other tools the composer uses include tempo and dynamics. The tempo refers to the speed of the music; dynamics focus on the music’s volume—how loud or soft the music sounds.
Melody: Hear the Message A melody is a pattern of musical notes arranged by a composer. Notes are the various tones or “pitches” that we hear in music. A composer organizes a melody by moving between higher and lower notes. Have you ever noticed that a melody can stick in your head, or give you energy, or lull you to sleep? That’s because melodies contain messages. A melody can also suggest an idea, a memory, or an emotion, but remember, it’s okay to feel whatever you feel.
Rhythm: Feel the Beat! Rhythm is the pattern of long and short notes that fill a melody and create a beat. All music has a beat that continues like a pulse under the music. The rhythm of long and short notes brings energy to the music.
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Some Music GO PLAY! Now Add YOU: Be a Human Beatbox Beatboxing simply involves making sounds with your mouth. Try to make these three basic sounds: The classic kick drum is a hard “b” sound that pops off the lips. The high-hat is a sharp “t” or “ts” sound struck off the teeth with the tip of the tongue.
Christylez Bacon
The classic snare drum is a punchy “p” or “pt” sound off the lips. Once you can do these three sounds, practice combining them into a rhythmic pattern like:
b t pt t / b t pt t and b t pt t / b b pt t After these basic sounds and rhythms, you can work up to more complicated patterns.
The Human Beatbox
CYMBAL
SNARE DRUM
TURNTABLE BASS DRUM KEYBOARD
LOUDSPEAKER
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Before You Go It’s All Up to You
Things to Know
Each person listens to an orchestra in his or her own way. Leonard Bernstein liked to remind audiences that listening to an orchestra is supposed to be “fun.” As you listen to the National Symphony Orchestra perform, you might be excited by the melody—or maybe the rhythm. You might choose to follow the sound of a particular instrument or the orchestra as a whole. Or you might watch the conductor as he or she delivers cues to the musicians. It’s your choice.
Before you get on the school bus and travel to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, there are some things you should know. But don’t worry! Your teacher will fill you in on a lot of the important music stuff, but here are a few other things you might want to know before you go.
In the same way, music only “means” what it means to you. The music might put you into a certain mood or it might trigger a thought or a feeling. It could suggest a specific image, a story, or a personal memory. Or you might simply feel the energy of the entire audience as you listen to the orchestra together. As Leonard Bernstein would say, “it’s all up to you ” when you attend the orchestra.
Before the Concert ■ Bring a sweater or sweatshirt; sometimes the hall is
pretty cold.
■ Use the restroom before the concert begins. ■ Put away wrapped candy. The crinkle can ruin a
performance. Really!
During the Concert ■ Respect the audience. Talking during the performance
makes it hard for others to hear the music and speakers.
The Concert Program Leonard Bernstein, Overture to Candide Edvard Grieg, “In the Hall of the Mountain King” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Symphony No. 29, 1st movement Arturo Márquez, Danzón No. 2 James Kent Williams, African Sketches Igor Stravinsky, “Danse Sacrale” from The Rite of Spring Benjamin Davies, No. 7 Aromatique
■ Respect the musicians. It’s okay to laugh and applaud,
but only when the musicians expect it.
■ Respect the person in front of you. Don’t kick his or
her chair.
■ Respect the person behind you. Don’t flop around
too much.
Leonard Bernstein, “Mambo” from West Side Story
ENJOY THE CONCERT!
For more about Bernstein! Inside the Music, go online to: http://goo.gl/LuPJis
David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President, Education
Gianandrea Noseda Music Director National Symphony Orchestra Gary Ginstling Executive Director National Symphony Orchestra
NSO Young People’s Concerts are made possible in part by the generous support of A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Park Foundation, Inc.; and the U.S. Department of Education. Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program. Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts. The content of this Cuesheet may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government. ©2017 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts