DRAFT


Deo Preparatory School of Georgia /

MUSIC CURRICULUM

Course Title: /

History and Appreciation of Music V

/ Version: 0.1
Grade: / 5 / 1/10/2000 23:00
  1. Course Goals
  • Students shall be given an overview of music from the Romantic period.
  • Students should know basic facts about the composers covered in this course:
  1. First and Last Name.
  2. Country of Birth.
  3. Brief Life History.
  1. Course Objectives

Topic
/ Instructional Materials /
Meas.
/ Approx. time (Periods) / Align. / Compl.
1.History of the Romantic Period / 1
a.Overview of Europe, the countries and map of Europe in this period.
b.A brief history of the major events, wars, and issues of the period.
c.Life in the 1800s – what people ate, how they dressed, how they traveled, and how they listened to music
d.The rise of Romanticism - characteristics, causes, contrasts with the Classical period.
e.Themes and characteristics of Romanticism, including Escapism, Nature, Artist as hero, and
The rise of new forms incl. Opera & Symphonic Poem.
2.Symphonie Fantastique (H. Berlioz) / 3
a.Hector Berlioz
  • Life History

  • Survey of most well known works

b.Study symphonic form, and contrast this symphony with typical Classical symphonies.
c.Introduction to Romantic orchestration, and contrast with typical Classical orchestration
techniques.
d.Survey of instruments of the Romantic period. (i.e. What’s new since the Classical Period.)
e.Story behind this work.
f.Identify the development of musical theme in this symphony.
g.Play a section of the work each lesson to allow students to become familiar with the work.
The work should be played through completely without interruption at least once.
3.Symphony No.1 (J. Brahms) / 2
a.Johannes Brahms
  • Life History

  • Survey of most well known works

b.Story behind this work.
c.Identify the themes of the first movement.
d.Listen for musical ideas that Brahms uses throughout the symphony.
e.Contrast this symphony with a typical Classical symphony.
4.Variations on a theme of Haydn (J. Brahms) / 3
a.Story behind this work
b.Introduction to the concept of a variation. Listen to the original Haydn work on which these
variations have been composed. Review briefly the well-known variations from the Classical
and Romantic period.
c.Isolate several of the orchestral instruments being used in this work.
d.Study how each variation is made distinct from the others, and how a finale is reached.
5.Piano Concerto No.1 (F. Chopin) / 2
a.Frederick Chopin
  • Life History

  • Survey of most well known works

b.Story behind this work
c.Contrast this concerto with Beethoven’s “Emperor” concerto of the Classical era.
d.Examine techniques used to express emotion and feeling.
6.Keyboard works (F. Chopin) / 3
a.Introduce the forms Etude, Nocturne, and Polonaise. Listen to Chopin’s Etude No.8 in F
from Op.10, Nocturne No.2 in E-flat from Op.9, and Polonaise No.1 in A from opus 40.
b.Examine techniques used in solo piano works to express romantic ideas. Contrast with
Beethoven’s “Fur Elese” solo piano work of the Classical period.
c.Examine the concept of virtuosity, and in particular, for solo piano. If time permits, contrast
the virtuosity of Beethoven with Chopin.
d.Look at how the piano has changed since the classical period, and look at how these changes
are used in these compositions.
e.Review several of the Italian terms used for the techniques heard in these works. (E.g. piano,
pianissimo, forte, ritardando, staccato, etc.)
f.Where applicable, look at the story behind these works. Also not the idea of a collection of
similar works under a single opus number.
7.Symphony No.9 “From the New World” (A. Dvorak) / 2
a.Antonin Dvorak
  • Life History

  • Survey of most well known works

b.The story behind this symphony, in particular, the influence of American folk and Native
American musical themes.
c.Examine the development of the themes in each movement, and how they are used
throughout the movement, and used in the finale for that movement.
8.Concerto for Cello (A. Dvorak) / 2
a.Examine the cello as an instrument.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
  1. Student Materials:
  1. Teacher Materials:

Reference Books:

Teaching aids:

  • Orchestra Board, depicting the instruments of the orchestra and their position on the stage, wall mountable.
  • Stave, with detachable clefs and notes, wall mountable.

Music Sources:

  1. Classical Teaching Methodology:

Teaching at this level is work-centric. i.e. A work is introduced, and then various concepts illustrated or suggested by that work are discussed. The work is the vehicle for musical concepts. For each work:

  1. Discuss the life history of the composer. At this level, where the composer was born, lived and any interesting stories or anecdotes about the composer’s life will suffice. It is only necessary to do this the first time a composer is introduced in the year the course is taught.
  2. Where possible, discuss the story behind the composition of the work. Many works have specific stories and anecdotes associated with them.
  3. Where appropriate, discuss the story represented by the work (e.g. the story of the Nutcracker for the Nutcracker Suite)
  4. Develop an awareness of musical form (i.e. Concertos, Symphonies, Operas, etc.).
  5. Develop an awareness of musical pitch (i.e. concepts of high and low pitch, and intervals).
  6. Develop an awareness of timing and counting in music (i.e. two, three and four time music). Clapping and tapping help.
  7. Develop an awareness of theme and variation, including fugue etc.
  8. Develop an awareness of key (at this stage, major vs. minor keys)
  9. Attempt to identify the instruments of the orchestra where they are prominent or easily identifiable in the work. Where appropriate, contrast different sounds that can be produced by the same instrument using different techniques (e.g. violin).
  10. Where possible and appropriate, encourage visualization of scenes or pictures intended by the composer in the work.
  11. Where appropriate, make students aware of other well known similar or contrasting works, even if they are not part if the course’s listening list.
  12. Look for opportunities to introduce music theory through a work (e.g. Haydn’s Surprise Symphony to introduce the major third interval, or loud/soft concepts, etc.)

Don’t be afraid to play a work (or parts of it) more than once. Many works “grow” on one when they become familiar. Where possible and time allows, previously studied works can be reviewed later in the course to help the students recognize them.

Be prepared. Know the work, research it and its composer, and know more than the students are likely to ask. Know the history of the period and places connected with the work. Know the dates, people’s names and place names connected with the work (or at least, have them at your fingertips!). If you succeed in passing on your enthusiasm for the music to your students, you may be surprised what they may ask. Always anticipate their questions, and prepare accordingly.

DEO History and Appreciation of Music III CurriculumPage 1 of 1

Version 0.2 5/27/2001 13:12