Composer Study
What is Composer Study?
Here's what Sonya Shaffer has to say in her blog on simplycharlottemason.com:
"Charlotte recognized that not every student would become a virtuoso, but she understood that
beauty and enjoyment can be added to life by appreciating good music, singing, and learning the
basics of playing music. Here’s how to approach each of those goals.
(I have just included the section about composer study here. If you'd like to read the rest of the article on teaching music click
on the website linked above)
Teaching Composer Study at Spread the Feast Co-op:
Read a short section of a "living" (good narrative) biography at each lesson and have the kids narrate (this should only take about 5 minutes of our time). Then have the children listen to a part of one of the composers pieces. Then they tell back what they thought, liked, heard in the piece. Assign for the kids to continue listening to that piece over the next two weeks until we meet again.
Links and Resources:
Amblside Online:
Composer links and info
How CM taught music
http://classicalmusicnartcharlottemasonstyle.blogspot.com/
Dates of Composers and Artist Chronologically
This is Ambleside Online's Schedule for this school year directly from their site. We will follow it. If you click on composer study above it will take you to more information.
Claude Debussy (1910) (Impressionist) - Biography ( Here's a decent biography of Debussy)
Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun, Info
La Mer: Movement 1, Movement 2, Movement 3
Nocturnes for Orchestra: I. Nuages ("Clouds"), II. Fêtes ("Festivals"), III. Sirènes ("Sirens")
Suite Bergamasqe: Entire work, 1."Prélude"/2. "Menuet", 3. "Clair de lune"/4. "Passepied"
Children's Corner - 6 Movements
1. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum,
2. Jimbo's Lullaby
3. Serenade for the Doll
4. The Snow is Dancing
5. The Little Shepherd
6. Golliwogg's Cakewalk
Jeux ("Games") ; a "danced poem" intended to accompany a ballet
Note: Where is The Girl with the Flaxen Hair? Look at Preludes 2012-2013 TERM 2 Johann
Sebastian Bach
Listening selections for this term:
Brandenburg Concerto no. 2
St. Matthew Passion (for 4 weeks)
Toccata and Fugue in d minor (do-able in 2 weeks)
Well-Tempered Clavier (Prelude and Fugue in C minor, Book I)
Goldberg Variations
2012-2013 TERM 3 Opera Overtures
Listening selections for this term:
Giuseppi Verdi: Aida overture
Giuseppi Verdi: Rigoletto overture
Giacomo Puccini: Madame Butterfly overture
Giacamo Puccini: La Boheme overture
Gioacchino Rossini: Barber of Seville overture
Gioacchino Rossini: William Tell overture
2011-2012 TERM 1
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (early classical)
Listening selections for this term:
Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major (K525) ("Eine Kleine Nacht Musik")
Requiem Mass in D minor (K626) (A vocal work)
Symphony no. 41 in C major (K551) ("Jupiter)"
Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat major (K364)
Piano Concerto no. 21 in C major (K467) Mozart-Archiv has free mp3 downloads of all Mozart's works;
the main page is in German and offers eight identical servers, but I can only get 4 and 5 to work.
(After you click on main page click on the grayish box on Server 4 or 5 and then scroll down to earlier symphonies. Under that are tons of links that allow you to listen to all his works!! How nice. )
2011-2012 TERM 2
Felix Mendelssohn (1840) (Romantic)
Listening selections for this term:
Songs without words (there are 8 volumes, 8 different opus numbers. notes)
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Symphony no. 4 in A major, Op. 90 ("Italian") (4 weeks)
Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20
Fingal's Cave ("Hebrides") Overture, Op. 26
2011-2012 TERM 3
Bela Bartok and Paul Hindmith
Listening selections for this term:
Bela Bartok: String Quartet no. 1 in A minor
Bela Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra (Sz. 116, BB 123)
Bela Bartok: Mikrokosmos (especially "Boating" and "Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythym." Notes;
download individually here)
Paul Hindemith: Mathis der Maler (an orchestral work)
Paul Hindemith: Ludus Tonalis (solo piano; notes here)
Paul Hindemith: Kammermusik No. 5, op. 36 no. 4 'Viola Concerto'
Here's what Sonya Shaffer has to say in her blog on simplycharlottemason.com:
"Charlotte recognized that not every student would become a virtuoso, but she understood that
beauty and enjoyment can be added to life by appreciating good music, singing, and learning the
basics of playing music. Here’s how to approach each of those goals.
(I have just included the section about composer study here. If you'd like to read the rest of the article on teaching music click
on the website linked above)
- Music Appreciation
Simply choose one composer and play his or her music around your house for several weeks. You can play it as background music while you are all eating lunch or working on handicrafts or running errands in the van. You can play it during rest times or while the children are going to sleep (provided the composer was not too rambunctious!). You don’t need fancy introductions or elaborate explanations; just tell the children which composer’s work you are playing. At the end of those weeks, they will have a pretty good feel for that composer’s style. Then you can choose another composer and go again. It’s simple, yet effective! - Teaching Tip
During those weeks of listening, if you can find a good living biography on your selected composer, read it aloud to the children. Some of our favorite composer biographies for young children are the ones written by Opal Wheeler. Several composers are featured in these great living books: Chopin, Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann, Bach, Brahms, Handel, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, and more. We have some listed in the CM Bookfinder, and they are available for purchase through Zeezok Publishing,Christian Book Distributors, and Amazon.com."
Teaching Composer Study at Spread the Feast Co-op:
Read a short section of a "living" (good narrative) biography at each lesson and have the kids narrate (this should only take about 5 minutes of our time). Then have the children listen to a part of one of the composers pieces. Then they tell back what they thought, liked, heard in the piece. Assign for the kids to continue listening to that piece over the next two weeks until we meet again.
Links and Resources:
Amblside Online:
Composer links and info
How CM taught music
http://classicalmusicnartcharlottemasonstyle.blogspot.com/
Dates of Composers and Artist Chronologically
This is Ambleside Online's Schedule for this school year directly from their site. We will follow it. If you click on composer study above it will take you to more information.
Claude Debussy (1910) (Impressionist) - Biography ( Here's a decent biography of Debussy)
Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun, Info
La Mer: Movement 1, Movement 2, Movement 3
Nocturnes for Orchestra: I. Nuages ("Clouds"), II. Fêtes ("Festivals"), III. Sirènes ("Sirens")
Suite Bergamasqe: Entire work, 1."Prélude"/2. "Menuet", 3. "Clair de lune"/4. "Passepied"
Children's Corner - 6 Movements
1. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum,
2. Jimbo's Lullaby
3. Serenade for the Doll
4. The Snow is Dancing
5. The Little Shepherd
6. Golliwogg's Cakewalk
Jeux ("Games") ; a "danced poem" intended to accompany a ballet
Note: Where is The Girl with the Flaxen Hair? Look at Preludes 2012-2013 TERM 2 Johann
Sebastian Bach
Listening selections for this term:
Brandenburg Concerto no. 2
St. Matthew Passion (for 4 weeks)
Toccata and Fugue in d minor (do-able in 2 weeks)
Well-Tempered Clavier (Prelude and Fugue in C minor, Book I)
Goldberg Variations
2012-2013 TERM 3 Opera Overtures
Listening selections for this term:
Giuseppi Verdi: Aida overture
Giuseppi Verdi: Rigoletto overture
Giacomo Puccini: Madame Butterfly overture
Giacamo Puccini: La Boheme overture
Gioacchino Rossini: Barber of Seville overture
Gioacchino Rossini: William Tell overture
2011-2012 TERM 1
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (early classical)
Listening selections for this term:
Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major (K525) ("Eine Kleine Nacht Musik")
Requiem Mass in D minor (K626) (A vocal work)
Symphony no. 41 in C major (K551) ("Jupiter)"
Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat major (K364)
Piano Concerto no. 21 in C major (K467) Mozart-Archiv has free mp3 downloads of all Mozart's works;
the main page is in German and offers eight identical servers, but I can only get 4 and 5 to work.
(After you click on main page click on the grayish box on Server 4 or 5 and then scroll down to earlier symphonies. Under that are tons of links that allow you to listen to all his works!! How nice. )
2011-2012 TERM 2
Felix Mendelssohn (1840) (Romantic)
Listening selections for this term:
Songs without words (there are 8 volumes, 8 different opus numbers. notes)
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Symphony no. 4 in A major, Op. 90 ("Italian") (4 weeks)
Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20
Fingal's Cave ("Hebrides") Overture, Op. 26
2011-2012 TERM 3
Bela Bartok and Paul Hindmith
Listening selections for this term:
Bela Bartok: String Quartet no. 1 in A minor
Bela Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra (Sz. 116, BB 123)
Bela Bartok: Mikrokosmos (especially "Boating" and "Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythym." Notes;
download individually here)
Paul Hindemith: Mathis der Maler (an orchestral work)
Paul Hindemith: Ludus Tonalis (solo piano; notes here)
Paul Hindemith: Kammermusik No. 5, op. 36 no. 4 'Viola Concerto'
