The Magic Horn: A NSO Family Concert with Magic Circle Mime Company

NSO Family Concert

Photo by David Watanabe

Magic Circle Mime Company Magic Circle Mime Company specializes in telling musical stories through mime. They have performed with symphony orchestras all around the world, and their shows are known for bringing together music, motion, and theater.

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President

75 Musicians Led by One Conductor At today’s concert, conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl will direct the 75 members of the National Symphony Orchestra in playing the music.

The conductor is a person who leads the orchestra. Conductors generally use their right hand to tell the orchestra how fast to play and use their left hand to tell the musicians how loud or soft to play. Some use a slender white stick called a baton as they conduct.

During the concert, watch how the conductor communicates with the musicians.

A Good Audience… stays seated, stays quiet, watches and listens carefully, and claps. Have fun!

Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education

Christoph Eschenbach Music Director, National Symphony Orchestra Macy’s and Washington Gas are the proud sponsors of the NSO Family Concerts.

Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo” One hour before the concert, enjoy hands-on fun with the instruments that the musicians will play on stage in the lobbies of the Eisenhower Theater. A project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Kids’ Chat After the 4 p.m. performance, stick around to ask questions of the conductor and concert artists on stage.

Upcoming Family Concerts Please plan to join us for the next NSO Family Concert, which will be performed by the full orchestra:

Education and related artistic programs are made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

Sunday, April 26, 2015 — Gershwin’s Magic Key The NSO also presents full orchestra Young People’s Concerts for school groups in the Concert Hall each season during the school day for grades 3 through 6.

For more about NSO education programs, see www.kennedy-center.org/nso/nsoed

Orchestra Interactive Enjoy an interactive exploration of orchestras, their instruments, and their music at the Perfect Pitch Web site at: artsedge.kennedy-center.org/perfectpitch

Go to KC Connections on A artsedge.kennedy-cente RTSEDG r.org /stu E den ts

Ankush Kumar Bahl, conductor and Magic Circle Mime Company

Additional support for the NSO Family Concerts is provided by The Clark Charitable Foundation; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; the U.S. Department of Education; and the Women’s Committee for the National Symphony Orchestra.

Wait! There’s More!

Explore More!

Presented in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. © 2015 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

/kc-co nnections

A

traveling adventurer named Sahara Bob visits the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) to show the conductor (and you!) some ancient instruments. But Bob just might be hiding a magical secret…listen up to find out!

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.

Welcome to Today’s Performance If you played a note on a horn, you’d probably get a pretty sound. But if you played a note on a magic horn, what would happen? Discover what this mysterious music might be like—and much more—with the help of the NSO and two actors who will present today’s story using mime (silent acting). Watch as these mimes communicate using different faces and body movements— all without speaking a single word.

Musical Legends Legends like the tale of the magic horn are old and popular stories that may or may not be true.

Sometimes, composers will write music to help tell these stories. During today’s performance, you’ll hear music for these three different legends.

“ Morning Mood ” and “Arabian Dance ”

from the Peer Gynt Suites, by Edvard Grieg (pronounced ehd-VAHRD GREEG) In this music written to go along with a play, a legendary young man named Peer Gynt has adventures that take him all around the world. These two musical pieces tell of Peer’s experiences in Africa.

“Morning Mood” describes the moment when Peer finds himself in the desert at sunrise—after which he goes on to see a famous singing statue. Listen for…the way the soft, sweet melody is first played by only one instrument (the flute), but grows and grows until it’s played by almost the entire orchestra.

In “Arabian Dance,” Peer meets a group of women who mistake him for a great leader and then sing and dance for him. Listen for…the music’s exciting and bouncy moments as well as the parts that sound more dreamy and gentle. Can you imagine the dancing?

“ Bacchanale”

from the opera Samson and Delilah, by Camille Saint-Saëns (kuh-MEEL san-SAHNZ) This wild dance music comes from the opera Samson and Delilah, inspired by the biblical story of the same name. Here, Delilah’s people celebrate a great victory over Samson. Listen for…the blaring notes of the brass, the thumping sounds from the timpani (drum), and the crashing of the metal cymbals—and how the music starts out slow but quickly changes.

“The Legend of the Magic Horn ,” “ The Genie,” “ In Pursuit of a Thief,” and “A Thief ’s Reward ” from The Magic Horn, by Bruce Broughton

The concert’s biggest legend follows a wizard, a genie (enchanted spirit), a thief, and, of course, a strange and magical horn. The music that helps tell the story was written just for this musical show. You’ll hear the first part at the beginning of the performance and the rest toward the end. Listen for…the way certain melodies are repeated many times (especially the strong ones for the horns!) and how the instruments change their sound to go along with the story (think pounding drums when things get scary or swirling strings during quieter moments).

Instrument Families (and Their Older Relatives) All the instruments in today’s orchestra belong to groups, or families. There are four families, and, during the performance, you’ll learn a few things about two of them: percussion (including drums, cymbals, and wood blocks) and brass (including horns, trumpets, trombones, and tubas). Be sure to listen carefully for the older relatives of today’s percussion and brass instruments that Sahara Bob pulls out of his crate. You’ll also see and hear from the other two instrument families: woodwinds (including flutes, oboes, and clarinets) and strings (including violins, violas, and cellos).

Your Musical Imagination After the performance, think about one of the pieces of music you heard.

What pictures popped into your head as you listened? Can you describe them or draw them? Share your ideas with family and friends.

Welcome to Today’s Performance If you played a note on a horn, you’d probably get a pretty sound. But if you played a note on a magic horn, what would happen? Discover what this mysterious music might be like—and much more—with the help of the NSO and two actors who will present today’s story using mime (silent acting). Watch as these mimes communicate using different faces and body movements— all without speaking a single word.

Musical Legends Legends like the tale of the magic horn are old and popular stories that may or may not be true.

Sometimes, composers will write music to help tell these stories. During today’s performance, you’ll hear music for these three different legends.

“ Morning Mood ” and “Arabian Dance ”

from the Peer Gynt Suites, by Edvard Grieg (pronounced ehd-VAHRD GREEG) In this music written to go along with a play, a legendary young man named Peer Gynt has adventures that take him all around the world. These two musical pieces tell of Peer’s experiences in Africa.

“Morning Mood” describes the moment when Peer finds himself in the desert at sunrise—after which he goes on to see a famous singing statue. Listen for…the way the soft, sweet melody is first played by only one instrument (the flute), but grows and grows until it’s played by almost the entire orchestra.

In “Arabian Dance,” Peer meets a group of women who mistake him for a great leader and then sing and dance for him. Listen for…the music’s exciting and bouncy moments as well as the parts that sound more dreamy and gentle. Can you imagine the dancing?

“ Bacchanale”

from the opera Samson and Delilah, by Camille Saint-Saëns (kuh-MEEL san-SAHNZ) This wild dance music comes from the opera Samson and Delilah, inspired by the biblical story of the same name. Here, Delilah’s people celebrate a great victory over Samson. Listen for…the blaring notes of the brass, the thumping sounds from the timpani (drum), and the crashing of the metal cymbals—and how the music starts out slow but quickly changes.

“The Legend of the Magic Horn ,” “ The Genie,” “ In Pursuit of a Thief,” and “A Thief ’s Reward ” from The Magic Horn, by Bruce Broughton

The concert’s biggest legend follows a wizard, a genie (enchanted spirit), a thief, and, of course, a strange and magical horn. The music that helps tell the story was written just for this musical show. You’ll hear the first part at the beginning of the performance and the rest toward the end. Listen for…the way certain melodies are repeated many times (especially the strong ones for the horns!) and how the instruments change their sound to go along with the story (think pounding drums when things get scary or swirling strings during quieter moments).

Instrument Families (and Their Older Relatives) All the instruments in today’s orchestra belong to groups, or families. There are four families, and, during the performance, you’ll learn a few things about two of them: percussion (including drums, cymbals, and wood blocks) and brass (including horns, trumpets, trombones, and tubas). Be sure to listen carefully for the older relatives of today’s percussion and brass instruments that Sahara Bob pulls out of his crate. You’ll also see and hear from the other two instrument families: woodwinds (including flutes, oboes, and clarinets) and strings (including violins, violas, and cellos).

Your Musical Imagination After the performance, think about one of the pieces of music you heard.

What pictures popped into your head as you listened? Can you describe them or draw them? Share your ideas with family and friends.

NSO Family Concert

Photo by David Watanabe

Magic Circle Mime Company Magic Circle Mime Company specializes in telling musical stories through mime. They have performed with symphony orchestras all around the world, and their shows are known for bringing together music, motion, and theater.

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President

75 Musicians Led by One Conductor At today’s concert, conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl will direct the 75 members of the National Symphony Orchestra in playing the music.

The conductor is a person who leads the orchestra. Conductors generally use their right hand to tell the orchestra how fast to play and use their left hand to tell the musicians how loud or soft to play. Some use a slender white stick called a baton as they conduct.

During the concert, watch how the conductor communicates with the musicians.

A Good Audience… stays seated, stays quiet, watches and listens carefully, and claps. Have fun!

Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education

Christoph Eschenbach Music Director, National Symphony Orchestra Macy’s and Washington Gas are the proud sponsors of the NSO Family Concerts.

Musical Instrument “Petting Zoo” One hour before the concert, enjoy hands-on fun with the instruments that the musicians will play on stage in the lobbies of the Eisenhower Theater. A project of the Women’s Committee for the NSO.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Kids’ Chat After the 4 p.m. performance, stick around to ask questions of the conductor and concert artists on stage.

Upcoming Family Concerts Please plan to join us for the next NSO Family Concert, which will be performed by the full orchestra:

Education and related artistic programs are made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

Sunday, April 26, 2015 — Gershwin’s Magic Key The NSO also presents full orchestra Young People’s Concerts for school groups in the Concert Hall each season during the school day for grades 3 through 6.

For more about NSO education programs, see www.kennedy-center.org/nso/nsoed

Orchestra Interactive Enjoy an interactive exploration of orchestras, their instruments, and their music at the Perfect Pitch Web site at: artsedge.kennedy-center.org/perfectpitch

Go to KC Connections on A artsedge.kennedy-cente RTSEDG r.org /stu E den ts

Ankush Kumar Bahl, conductor and Magic Circle Mime Company

Additional support for the NSO Family Concerts is provided by The Clark Charitable Foundation; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; the U.S. Department of Education; and the Women’s Committee for the National Symphony Orchestra.

Wait! There’s More!

Explore More!

Presented in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. © 2015 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

/kc-co nnections

A

traveling adventurer named Sahara Bob visits the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) to show the conductor (and you!) some ancient instruments. But Bob just might be hiding a magical secret…listen up to find out!

Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.