The Instrumentalist

April 2008

Contest Winners will be announced in the May issue!

Issue Highlights

Baroque Composer: Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
was born only four years before three other famous Baroque composers, Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, and George Frideric Handel. These three composers are more famous today, but during the Baroque period it was Telemann who was in the spotlight.

A Night at the Opera:
An opera is like a long play with many characters and beautiful costumes, performed on a big stage with props and elaborate decorations. Between the stage and the audience, on a lower level, is a space for the orchestra. The people in the orchestra play during the production, and the actors sing their parts instead of speaking them.

Beginner’s Corner: The Grand Staff and practice charts.

The Art of Turning Pages: When pianists accompany other instruments in fast, challenging pieces, they often need someone to turn the pages of the music for them during the performance. Otherwise they might miss some notes while they turn the page. They often ask other pianists to help, because they know how to follow the score. This means that you might get asked to be a page turner. It sounds easy, but it is a big responsibility. If you don’t turn each page on time or get lost in the music, the pianist might not be able to continue playing.

Posture Review: Do you check your posture when you play? Sitting at the piano properly helps you play more easily and prevents back, shoulder, and wrist problems. What is wrong with this girl’s posture?

Opera Trivia: Who wrote the first opera? Where was the first opera house?

Music Corner, games, puzzles, and more.

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Composer Schedule for 2007-2008

Series on Musical Periods: Each month will feature a different era in music history and include the famous composers, musical forms and styles, art and literature, and important historical events. This series is one you won’t want to miss!

September: Early Composers
October: J.S. Bach
November: Haydn
December: Mendelssohn
January: Dvorák
February: Ravel
March: Holst
April: Telemann
May: Tchaikovsky
July: Chopin

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