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How many times has this happened: you're listening to classical radio, or shopping, or in a doctor's office, or anywhere classical music is playing, and a recognizable tune begins. You know you've heard it many times, and can even hum along a bit, but you can't quite name the title of the piece or the composer… sound familiar?
You may not know this, but our high schoolers have a pretty sweet assignment right now in History, and we love it so much we wanted to tell everyone about it! Those of you without high school students will still be interested to know what they are doing, and you may even want to try this with your kids at home – the entire family could have fun with this challenge (and yes, it counts for E&E!).
The students are currently in the middle of a Music Appreciation/History unit, learning about some of the greatest musical works from the early modern and modern ages. These are musical masterpieces that we should all be familiar with – just as we want our students to have a foundation in the best of classic literature, which they will encounter again and again in life, we also want to acquaint them with the finest pieces of classical music. In addition to rich instruction and discussion in class, Ms. Shotwell has challenged the students to listen to classical music attentively for 30 minutes a day, and to learn to recognize the titles, composers, country, and year of completion for the following pieces:
1. Canon in D Major (c. 1680) – Johann Pachelbel (German)
2. Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major (1721) – J.S. Bach (German)
3. The Four Seasons Concerto, Opus 8, Spring (1725) – Antonio Vivaldi (Italian)
4. Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major (1730) – J. S. Bach (German)
5. Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (1740) – J.S. Bach (German)
6. The Messiah / “Hallelujah Chorus” (1742) – George Friedrich Handel (British)
7. The Magic Flute Overture (1791) – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Austrian)
8. Requiem Mass in D Minor, Lacrimosa (1791) – W. Amadeus Mozart (Austrian)
9. Symphony no. 4 / “The Surprise Symphony” (1791) – Joseph Haydn (Austrian)
10. Piano Sonata 14 / “Moonlight Sonata” (1801) – Ludwig Von Beethoven (German)
11. Symphony no. 5 in C Minor (1808) – Ludwig Von Beethoven (German)
12. Symphony no. 9 in D Minor (1824) – Ludwig Von Beethoven (German)
13. Nocturne in E-Flat Major, Opus 9 no. 2 (1832) – Frederic Chopin (Polish)
14. Fantasie Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor (1834) – Frederic Chopin (Polish)
15. Radetzky March (1848) – Johann Strauss, Sr. (German)
16. Hungarian Dance No. 5 (1869) – Johannes Brahms (German)
17. Ride of the Valkyries (1870) – Richard Wagner (German)
18. Swan Lake, Act II Scene (1876) – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian)
19. In the Hall of the Mountain King (1876) – Edvard Grieg (Norwegian)
20. Symphony No. 9 in E Minor (1893) – Antonin Dvorak (Czech)
21. Maple Leaf Rag (1899) – Scott Joplin (American)
22. Suite Bergamasque, Clair de Lune (1905) – Claude Debussy (French)
23. Rhapsody in Blue (1924) – George Gershwin (American)
24. Nessun Dorma (1926) – Puccini (Italian)
25. Hoedown, from Rodeo (1946) – Aaron Copland (American)
Who wants to join in? Ms. Shotwell has a playlist of these titles on Soundcloud, entitled “Ms. Shotwell’s Classical Jams.” You can access the playlist here: https://soundcloud.com/ms-shotwell
Or make your own playlist of these titles on the music streaming service of your choice…many of the kids have already made one on Spotify, for example, and I’m sure they would be willing to share – ask a high schooler! Listen in the car, around the dinner table, or while getting ready in the morning. We hope you and your family will have fun learning these pieces and composers, while enjoying the beauty of classical music. Thank you, Ms. Shotwell, for sharing this assignment with us!
