YourClassical Adventures

Listen to the exciting sounds of the musical form called a scherzo.

Felix Mendelssohn: Scherzo from A Midsummer Night’s Dream —Lively scherzos tend to be played fast, like this Scherzo written by Felix Mendelssohn for a play.

John Williams: Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra — This is a scherzo written for the action/adventure film, Indiana Jones.

Florence Price: Scherzo from the Piano Sonata in E minor — In a scherzo, you will often hear the first musical idea, a second musical idea, and then the first one repeated.

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How do the musicians keep a consistent speed in music?

Johann Sebastian Bach: Air on a G String — Here's an example of music played at a slow tempo.

LISTEN — Johann Sebastian Bach: Air on a G String

Jacques Offenbach: Can Can from Orpheus in the Underworld — Here's a piece of ballet music played at a fast tempo.

LISTEN — Jacques Offenbach: Can Can

George Gershwin: Walking the Dog — How would you describe this tempo? A medium pace, like walking through the park?

LISTEN — George Gershwin: Walking the Dog

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Listen to the exciting sounds of violinist and composer, Antonio Vivaldi.

Antonio Vivaldi: Sonata for Two Violins —Vivaldi wrote most of his music for the violin. One of his first jobs as a musician was teaching young girls' to play the violin

Antonio Vivaldi: Winter from The Four Seasons — His most famous genre was concertos, and his most famous piece was a set of four concertos for violin, called The Four Seasons. Each concerto evokes the feeling of a different season.

Antonio Vivaldi: Spring from The Four Seasons — Does this section from the four seasons remind you of springtime, or flowers blooming?

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Do you remember listening to lullabies as a very young child?

Johannes Brahms: Lullaby — Johannes Brahms wrote the most famous lullaby. Maybe you'll recognize it!

LISTEN — Johannes Brahms: Lullaby

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Twinkle, Twinkle Variations — Mozart did a fun variation on the popular lullaby Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

LISTEN — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Twinkle, Twinkle Variations

Stephen Hough: Musical Jewelry Box — As a young child, did you ever have a wind up musical box that played songs? Does this remind you of a song or lullaby you heard as a young child?

LISTEN — Stephen Hough: Musical Jewelry Box

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Is your imagination as big as Beethoven's?

Ludvig Van Beethoven: 2nd mvt from Symphony No. 7 — People love Beethoven' Symphonies. What do you picture in your mind when you listen to this?

LISTEN — Ludwig Van Beethoven:Symphony No. 7 - 2nd mvt

Ludwig Van Beethoven: Moonlight Piano Sonata — What do you think Beethoven was imagining when he wrote his Moonlight Sonata?

LISTEN — Ludwig Van Beethoven: Moonlight Piano Sonata

Ludwig Van Beethoven: Ode to Joy — This symphony was the very first symphony to feature singers and a choir.

LISTEN — Ludwig Van Beethoven: Ode to Joy from Symphony No. 9

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Have friends ever helped you with your creativity?

Edward Elgar: Nimrod from Enigma Variations — Elgar named this selection after his friend, Nimrod, who encouraged him to keep writing music.

LISTEN — Edward Elgar: Nimrod from Enigma Variations

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 — When Rachmaninoff was sad and angry, he shared those feelings with a friend, and then wrote this piece.

LISTEN — Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2

Johannes Brahms: Intermezzo No. 2 — Clara Schumann was an amazing pianist and friend who inspired Brahms to write really beautiful piano music for them to play.

LISTEN — Johannes Brahms: Intermezzo No. 2

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Some of the greatest journeys you'll ever go on are made possible by classical music.

Howard Shore: Lord of the Rings Theme — So many stories have you wandering off into the woods with friends. Like this story, about hobbits and wizards and a magic ring.

LISTEN — Howard Shore:The Lord of the Rings Theme

Sergei Prokofiev: 'The Wolf' from Peter and the Wolf — Here's what it sounds like when Peter comes across a big wolf, lurking in the woods.

LISTEN — Sergei Prokofiev: The Wolf

Johann Strauss, Jr.: Tales from the Vienna Woods — What magical things do you see when you listen to this piece, written about a beautiful forest in Austria?

LISTEN — Johann Strauss, Jr.: Tales from the Vienna Woods

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Like a warm sunrise or a full moon, enjoy the rich and warm sounds of the French horn.

Maurice Ravel: Pavane for a Dead Princess —Does the French horn remind you of a slow, warm sunrise in this piece?

LISTEN — Maurice Ravel:Pavane for a Dead Princess

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 4 -3rd mvt — The older version of the French horn, was sometimes called a hunting horn. They were so loud hunters could send each other signals across the forest.

LISTEN — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 04 - 3rd mvt

Hans Zimmer: Pirates of the Caribbean Theme — The French horn help the music and composers bring the greatest adventures to life.

LISTEN — Hans Zimmer: Pirates of the Caribbean Theme

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