From Folk Songs To Masterworks

Description

Only the best is good enough for children. This means that we use only the best folk songs and the best art music. Pedagogically, the system of presenting masterworks in this volume takes its impetus from folk songs and games that the students love to sing and play. It builds on the skills they have acquired and mastered during the reinforcement or practice of a particular element. Hopefully, we expect that the children we teach will come to love the art music as much as they love the songs and games.

From Folk Songs to Masterworks is a new book that is divided into sections by grade, although most of the lesson fragments can be used interchangeably among all grades. 77 art music examples and lessons are included. The art music examples come from a variety of composers including Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Debussy, Copland, Bartok and others. Background information is given for each musical example as well as abbreviated examples of music scores included for the teacher’s benefit.

Each lesson has an art music selection, music element focus, background information, abbreviated art music score and music lesson fragment (folk song score and teaching procedure). If a singing game is used, the game directions are included.

CD recordings (4-disc set) of the art music are incorporated for classroom use.

Contents:
Chapter 1. Kindergarten
Rinsky-Korsakov: The Tale of Tsar Saltan (“Flight of the Bumblebee”)
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor (“Moonlight”)
Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, II. Op. 95 (from the New World)
Williams: Aristophanic Suite (“The Wasps”)
Debussy: Suite bergamasque, III. Clair de Lune
Copland: Circus Music, IIIb. The Red Pony
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition V. Dance of the Unhatched Chicks

Chapter 2. Grade 1
Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March, No. 1
Haydn: Symphony No. 94 in G Major, II. Andante (“The Surprise”)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major, II. Allegretto

Chapter 3. Grade 2
Kabalevsky: A Short Story, Op. 27, Book 1, No. 13
Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals, IX. Cuckoo
Bizet: L’Arlesienne Suite, No. 1, IV. Carillon
Spohr: Wiegenlied (in drei Tonen)

Chapter 4. Grade 3
Schumann: Album for the Young, No. 12 (“Knecht Ruprecht”)
Haydn: Symphony No. 94 in G Major, II. Andante (Variation 3) (“The Surprise”)
Scarlatti: Sonata in D Minor
Bach: Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook (“Musette”)
Kabalevsky: Comedians’ Galop, Op. 26
Liszt: Les Preludes, Theme B
Handel: Water Music: Suite No. 2 in D Major, No. 2 (“The Hornpipe”)
Siegmeister: Western Suite, V. Riding Home

Chapter 5. Grade 4
Bartok: For Children, Vol. 2, No. 40 (“Swine-Herd’s Dance”)
Bartok: The First Term at the Piano, Eighteen Eementary Pieces, No. 17
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, I. Promenade
Bach: Fugue in G Minor (“The Little”)
MacDowell: To a Wild Rose, Op. 51
Schumann, Wm.: New England Triptych, III. Chester
Bartok: Sx Pieces in Five Finger Position, Piano Piece No. 6
Mozart: Variations on “Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman”
Bartok: For Children (“Play”)
Pachelbel: Canon in D

Chapter 6. Grade 5
     18 selections by Tchaikovsky, Bartok, Mozart, Dvorak, Bach, Schumann, Kabalevsky, Brahms
and Chopin

Chapter 7. Grade 6
27 selections by Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Tansman, Prokofiev, Bach, Brahms, Bartok, Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Handel

Appendices
Appendix A: List of Songs Used in this Book
Appendix B: Glossary of Terms
Appendix C: Art Music Index
Appendix D: Index of CD Recordings by Composer and Selection
Appendix E: Index of CD Recordings by Disc