Student Study Guide Russian Christmas Music Alfred Reed NAME:____________________________________ UNIT CONTENTS LEARNING GOALS ASSIGNMENTS Reading Assignment Important information worksheet Glossary of musical terms Rhythm Concepts (part 1&2) Listening Assignment Practice Assignment 1 Practice Assignment 2 READING ASSIGNMENT IMPORTANT INFORMATION WORKSHEET GLOSSARY OF MUSICAL TERMS RHYTHM ASSIGNMENT PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT 1 PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT 2
checklist _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______
LEARNING GOALS By the end of the unit you should be able to: 1. Play your part to Russian Christmas Music at a superior level. 2. Identify the form, keys, and scales of the composition and the major musical material for each major section. 3. Define any terms listed in the glossary. 4. Provide background information on the composition, composer, historical context, and technical considerations for Russian Christmas music ASSIGNMENTS Reading Assignment: Read the Historical Notes and be able to summarize the main points. Complete this assignment by:________________ Important Information Worksheet: See Important Information below. possible. Complete this assignment by:________________
Begin working on this assignment as soon as
Glossary of Musical Terms: Look up all terms in a dictionary (preferably Oxford Dictionary of Music and Musicians or Groves). Some terms will be defined in class. Complete this assignment by:________________ Rhythm Assignment: Complete this assignment as soon as possible. Complete part 1 by:________________ Complete part 2 by:________________. Practice assignment 1: Make sure you do this after the listening part 1. Complete this assignment by:________________ Practice assignment 2: Make sure you do this after the listening part 1. Complete this assignment by:________________
READING ASSIGNMENT COMPOSER INFORMATION Alfred Reed (1921-2005) was born in New York City. He studied composition at the Juilliard School with Vittorio Giannini after a tour in the US Air Force during World War II. He was later a staff arranger for NBC in the 1950s and a professor of music at the University of Miami from 1966 to 1993. He is remembered today as a distinguished educator, conductor, and composer. His impact was the greatest in the wind band world, where he left behind more than 100 frequently performed works. He was particularly popular in Japan, where he developed a close relationship with the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, and where many of his works are required literature for all bands. COMPOSITION Originally written in November 1944, Russian Christmas Music was first performed in December of that year at a special concert in Denver, Colorado, by a select group of musicians from five of the leading service bands stationed in that area. Two years later the music was revised and somewhat enlarged, and in that form was one of the three prize-winning works in the 1947 Columbia University contest for new serious music for symphonic band. First performances of this second version subsequently took place in 1948: the first by the Juilliard Band under Donald I. Moore, and the second by the Syracuse University Symphonic Band under Harwood Simmons, to whom the work was dedicated. Since then this music, although not previously published, has remained in the repertory of the concert band consistently and has established the composer as one of the most important writers for the contemporary band or wind ensemble. This published edition represents a thorough revision of the entire work by the composer in keeping with the developing instrumentation of the serious band or wind ensemble. It incorporates all of the many changes that have taken place in this area during the past years. Although the music is essentially the same, the instrumentation has been completely reworked throughout to achieve even greater clarity of texture and the utmost sonority possible. Thus we attain a degree of differentiation in the brass choirs that has come to be an accepted characteristic of the contemporary attitude toward the large-scale wind-brass-percussion ensemble. STYLISTIC ELEMENTS The opening section m. 1 through m. 32 should be very slow, connected, and as expressive as possible, with a dark and ominous quality. During the second section m. 32 through roughly m. 90 the melodic line should be somewhat separated with clear front to every note during the 2/2 and 3/2 sections. During the cut time at 55 the melody should be less separated, but with the same level of drive and intensity. th Going into the third section at m. 91 the solo should be played a piacere (at ones own pace), with the 16 note interludes being very staccato and in strict tempo. At m. 118 tubas should imitate a pizzicato string bass, consider only two playing at a time, with a very expressive melodic phrase on top of it. Starting at m. 166 lowest voices must stay very soft on the pedal D, while the other low voices have major contrast over each musical idea. As other instruments join that same idea must be throughout the entire band. (in the space below write your own ideas about style throughout the piece)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION WORKSHEET MUSICAL ELEMENTS
Keys [6pts]—Write the main key and implied key (concert pitches only, ex. B-flat major, E major) for each section of Russian Christmas Music. In addition, write out the note names of the scale for that key and the transposed scale (if applicable for your instrument). Beginning: Main Key:_____________Scale_______________________________________________________ Transposed scale for your instrument __________________________________________________ m. 32 Main Key:_____________Scale_______________________________________________________ Transposed scale:__________________________________________________________________ m. 118 Main Key:_____________Scale_______________________________________________________ Transposed scale:__________________________________________________________________ m. 166 Main Key:_____________Scale_______________________________________________________ Transposed scale:__________________________________________________________________
Meters [6pts] (ex. 4/4, 6/8, 2/4) o
m. 1:______________________________
o
m. 32:_____________________________
o
m. 86:_____________________________
o
m. 118:____________________________
o
m. 166:____________________________
GLOSSARY OF MUSICAL TERMS Define each using a music dictionary. Andante_______________________________________ Molto_________________________________________ Sostenuto______________________________________ Poco piu mosso__________________________________ Tempo Primo____________________________________ Con moto_______________________________________ Tutti___________________________________________ Meno mosso_____________________________________ Sempre_________________________________________ a2______________________________________________ Marcato, ma sostenuto_____________________________ Non troppo_______________________________________ A piacere_________________________________________ Recitative_________________________________________ Sonore____________________________________________ Pesante___________________________________________ FORM Sketch out the sub sections of each major sections, and then sketch the phrases.
RHYTHM ASSIGNMENT [10pts]—Notate the top 5 most challenging rhythms.
Rhythm
1
Rhythm
2
Rhythm
3
Rhythm
4
Rhythm
5
Be sure to include the meter.
LISTENING ASSIGNMENT [9pts]—Listen to a professional recording of Russian Christmas Concert while looking at your part. Complete the Practice Assignment 1 immediately after listening to the recording. Write down below words that come to mind as you listen to each movement. Limit yourself to one-word responses for how the music makes you feel or pictures the music expresses. You must have at least 3 words for each section to get full credit. Movement Word List
Measures
Problem
Approach
Date Practiced
Ex: m. 67-75
Very fast 16th notes
Chunked in groups of 4 at metronome quarter=100(is half time) goal is 200
Sept. 8, 9, 10
PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT 1 [16pts]—Write down the measures you think you will need to practice individually. You must include at least two practice passages to get the credit, and you must have been honest about practicing the passages.
Movement Word List
Measures
Problem
Approach
Date Practiced
Ex: m. 67-75
Very fast 16th notes
Chunked in groups of 4 at metronome quarter=100(is half time) goal is 200
Sept. 8, 9, 10
PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT 2 [12pts]—Practice the scale (for your instrument) and arpeggio for the main keys for each of the sections of Russian Christmas Music.
