Die Nachtigall

By: Mendelssohn, Felix

Text: Goethe

SATB

Publisher; Hinshaw Music, HMC-407

Grade Level: II

Andrea Weber

Die Nachtigall

By: Mendelssohn, Felix

Text: Goethe

Publisher; Hinshaw Music, HMC-407

Grade Level: II

Instructional Objectives:

The students will participate in activities exploring harmony, melody, rhythm, and form.

The students will illustrate proper phrasing and dynamics in romantic music.

The students will perform the piece with understanding and correct German diction.

The students will investigate the historical significance of the piece, concerning the composer and poet.

The students will complete a webquest activity related to the piece.

The students will evaluate their own performance.

National Standards Addressed:

1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
5. Reading and notating music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Translation:

Die Nachtigall, sie war entfernt,
The nightingale, she was far away,
Der Frühling lockt sie wieder;
the spring lures her back;
Was neues hat sie nicht gelernt,
she has learned nothing new,
Singt alte liebe Lieder.
she sings the old, well-loved songs.

(from ChoralNet http://choralnet.org/resources/viewResource.phtml?id=2313&category=1)

Score Analysis:

"Die Nachtigall"
Element	Information
Mendelssohn, Felix, Composer	1809-1847. Romantic composer influenced greatly by Bach & Schubert. More conservative than his counterparts, more classical of romantic period.
Tempo	Andante
Secular	About a Nightingale, singing in the night, about its song and feelings.
Key of F Major	Harmonic influence below
Four-Part	mostly homorhythmic, at least in the treble parts, & bass parts. Starts with just the treble voices homorhythmic, and then the lower voice work together against the treble voices.
Other Instruments	None. Un-accompanied. Piano reduction for rehearsal only.
In 3/4 Time	Starts with pick-up on beat 3.
Romantic Period	Elements of Romantic period in piece: Nature-focus, harmonic structure, use of dynamics with text. Text is emotionally connected.
Goethe	Romantic poet, writer, scientist, etc. 1749-1832. Popular work of Faust. Many poems also used for solo art songs of romantic era.
Text	By Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, english provided by Ray Robinson.
Story or Mood of text	Night song of a a night bird. Singing love songs, what has she learned about love while she was away.
Form	ABA form. Idea A starts in mm.1-12 with women. Repeated by male voices mm.12-16. Mm.16 starts idea B until mm. 23. Recapitulation of part A starting on mm. 23 until the mm. 37. Closing of piece from mm. 38-to end.
Rhythm	Mostly homorhythmic, at least in the treble parts, & bass parts. Careful attention to unique rhythmic sections due to homorhythm. (ie-altos mm. 18, 3 lower voices in mm. 23, & closing of song.)
Melody	Held mostly by the sopranos. Mm. 10-12 alto voice takes melos. Tenors take melos in mm.12. Sopranos take new melos in mm. 17. with an echo by altos a measure later. Sopranos have melos through the rest of the piece until tenors take for a mm. 37.
Harmony	Marked in score.
Timbre	No accompaniment. SATB, no divisi.
Texture	Mostly 4-part through piece. Some 2-part sections, unaccompanied.
Expression	Careful eyes for dynamic differences of the romantic period. It is a night-song of love, and should be sung with deep gentle emotion.
Phrasing	Most breathing should take place after commas or periods from original poem, except after "Die Nachtigall" at the beginning of a phrase. Careful attention to the emphasis upon the first syllable of "Lieder" not the second. Mm.17 should be sung as written with the voice like the slurs on 2 eighth notes.
Dynamics	Constantly changing throughout piece, but gradual, not terraced. Specific work on slowly changing dynamics through cresc/decresc would help.

Strategies & Activities:

Lesson Plans

Die Nachtigall

Lesson Plan #1:

Instructional Goals:

· Students will compose a 4-bar rhythmic example for African drums in ¾ time.

· Students will play African drum rhythm examples.

· Students will count-sing the rhythm of the piece on a single pitch with 90% accuracy in groups of 6-8 students (by part).

Prior Knowledge & Skills Expectations: Students will already have received the vocabulary list and info sheet about the piece. Students will also be able to use African drums to simulate rhythms in piece or composed by students. Students will also have prior experience in count-singing so it will not be explained in the lesson.

Standards Addressed in Lesson:

1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.

5. Reading and notating music.

Instructional materials, resources, & Technology: African Drums, musical score, piano, prepared blank sheet music strips.

Modifications/Accommodations needed: If any students have visual needs, large-print music will be provided. Alternative instruments will be provided for students with any physical disabilities.

Warm-up: skill focus – play rhythms together conceptual focus - rhythm

Intro: “Today we will focus on the rhythmic importance in “Die Nachtigall.” Let’s warm-up our minds by doing some clapping rhythm exercises.”

Teacher improvises rhythms in 4/4, 3/4, and 2/4 time. Students repeat. Students then go around the room creating a rhythm in 3/4 time with their first name.

· Anticipated student difficulties: Improvisation with name might be difficult, possibly shy at first, and be sure to use your own name as an example.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: The students will be assessed of their rhythmic capabilities from the name improvisation going around the room.

Selection: Rhythmic compositions skill focus - ensemble rhythms conceptual focus - rhythm

Students will receive slips of staff paper with bar lines creating a 4-bar single score pre-marked in ¾ time. Students will then receive 2 minutes to create a rhythmic composition with eighth, quarter, half, dotted quarter, and dotted half notes. They will then be randomly assigned to groups of 4 and practice their two compositions together to reinforce ensemble playing with rhythms that are the same and different.

After practicing, the groups of 4 will perform their compositions to the classroom on African drums. This will help the students not only create their own rhythmic compositions, but use their ensemble listening skills for “Die Nachtigall.”

· Anticipated student difficulties: Some students might find it difficult to work in groups. Others might find it difficult to concentrate during the composition time and so the teacher must walk around the room checking on student progress during this time.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: The students will be assessed through the teacher walking around the room during the composition section and during the in-class composition group performance.

Selection: “Die Nachtigall” Mm. 17-24 (B section), & mm. 38-end. skill focus - ensemble rhythms conceptual focus - rhythm

A transition from clapping/drum rhythmic activities will be clapping the first 12 measures of the soprano line of the piece. Then move to the middle section of piece for the rhythmic activity applying to the music. “The beginning of the piece is homorhythmic, which you know from your vocabulary sheets means the parts are singing different notes, but the same rhythm. However, the middle section is different and so we are going to explore those rhythms through count-singing.”

Students and teachers will work together to count-sing, the soprano part first, then all 4 parts separately to understand their entrances and rhythmic differences in the middle section of the piece.

The same will be done for the end of the piece. Except first the alto and tenor parts will be count-sung by the entire ensemble before all 4 separate parts are count-sung.

· Anticipated student difficulties: Students may struggle with count-singing their parts all together and so each section is presented with one or two similar lines for the entire ensemble.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: The students will be informally assessed through the count-singing activity in separate parts through the teacher’s listening.

Ending Statements: “Now we have a better understanding of rhythm in general and how it applies to the middle section of “Die Nachtigall.” In the next class we will explore the cultural and historical influence upon “Die Nachtigall.”

Lesson Plan #2:

Instructional Goals:

· Students will explore the musical influence of Felix Mendelssohn during the romantic period and in “Die Nachtigall.”

· Students will investigate the other aspects of romantic music through art, poetry, and historical influences.

· Students will apply their knowledge of romantic music by writing a half-page description of their favorite place, or thing in nature.

Prior Knowledge & Skills Expectations: Students will already have rhythmic knowledge of “Die Nachtigall.”

Standards Addressed in Lesson:

1.Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

5. Reading and notating music.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Instructional materials, resources, & Technology: Pictures/posters of art displayed throughout room. Music equipment needed for listening.

Modifications/Accommodations needed: If any students have visual needs, large-print music will be provided.

Warm-up: skill focus – Mental focus conceptual focus – mental for information & expression

The students will warm-up not only musically, but will do mental exercises. For example, one hand thumbs-up, other pointing, and switch while saying the “abc’s” with numbers. Also will be sung in reverse. Students will also sing “My Bonny Lies over the Ocean” with hand signals to warm-up their minds.

· Anticipated student difficulties: Some students may have difficulties doing the hand motions or getting distracted. Be sure to explain the activities clearly before doing.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: Assessment will be informal through participation of the students.

Selection: Romantic music overview (Museum activity) skill focus – historical conceptual focus – expression/aesthetic

Students will be presented with themes of romanticism: Nature, Nationalism, the supernatural, emotion, increase in the arts.

Playing in the background will be “Gretchen am Spinnrade” by Schubert, “Symphonie Fantastique” by Berlioz, & “The Erlking” by Schubert, all dealing with the supernatural. The students will silently walk around the room as the themes of romanticism are displayed around the room:

-Photo of a statue in Stalingrad (Mamayev Hill) “Mother Russia” symbolizing the power of Russia over Germany uniting Russian Nationalism.

-Photo of Gustav Klimt’s “Farm Garden with Sunflower.”

-Poem by Emily Dickinson expressing love and various emotions.

When the music is complete, the students will then discuss for 30 seconds their experience with their neighbor and then a 2-5 minute discussion of the activity will follow.

· Anticipated student difficulties: Some students will find it difficult to stay silent during the activity, so the teachers should move around the room to monitor the students and prevent any misbehavior.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: Assessment will be informal through student-to-student discussion and overall classroom discussion.

Selection: “Die Nachtigall” mm. 25-38 skill focus – historical, conceptual focus – expression/aesthetic

The students will sing the excerpt on a “pa” or “la” neutral vowel in order to try and convey the feeling of nature (bird) and emotion (love).

Final Activity: The students will write a half-page narrative expressing a place in nature or an item in nature they enjoy. It can either be a memory, or a description. The music used in the museum activity will be played in the background for 5 minutes.

· Anticipated student difficulties: Some students will find it difficult to sit still and write quietly. The teacher should monitor the activity around the room.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: Assessment will be through gathering and grading the half-page narratives.

Ending Statements: “Now that we have explored the historical influence through art and culture, we can bring our personal expression to the piece the next time we sing “Die Nachtigall.” During the next class we will explore the influence of the melody on this piece.

Resources: www.allposters.com/-sp/Farm-Garden-with-Sunflowers, www.stalingrad-info.com, www.poets.org/edick/.

Emily Dickinson (1830–86). Complete Poems. 1924.

Part Three: Love

VI

IF you were coming in the fall,

I ’d brush the summer by

With half a smile and half a spurn,

As housewives do a fly.

If I could see you in a year, 5

I ’d wind the months in balls,

And put them each in separate drawers,

Until their time befalls.

If only centuries delayed,

I ’d count them on my hand, 10

Subtracting till my fingers dropped

Into Van Diemen’s land.

If certain, when this life was out,

That yours and mine should be,

I ’d toss it yonder like a rind, 15

And taste eternity.

But now, all ignorant of the length

Of time’s uncertain wing,

It goads me, like the goblin bee,

That will not state its sting. 20

Lesson Plan #3:

Instructional Goals:

· Students will recognize the melody line in “Die Nachtigall.”

· Students will recognize which parts pass the melos throughout “Die Nachtigall.”

Prior Knowledge & Skills Expectations: Students will already have rhythmic and historical knowledge about “Die Nachtigall.” The students will also know solfege syllables.

Standards Addressed in Lesson:

1.Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

5. Reading and notating music.

Instructional materials, resources, & Technology: Notecards with “S” “A” “T” “B” written on them for the entire classroom.

Modifications/Accommodations needed: If any students have visual needs, large-print music will be provided.

Warm-up: skill focus – singing different intervals conceptual focus - melody

Students will sing a song written on the board in solfege given only a first pitch. After singing that song, they will then work on their listening skills when the teacher plays a set of intervals or short line of music and they sing it back to the teacher.

Anticipated student difficulties: The students may need assistance during the first warm-up due to know help with pitches on the keyboard.

Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: Assessment will be based upon participation decided by the teacher.

Selection: Entire piece, starting with “B” section skill focus – melody conceptual focus - same

During the middle section of the piece, the students will raise their hands at the moments they believe they have the melody of the piece. Then all the students will receive cards and each section will take turns not singing and will have cards with “S” “A” “T” “B” on them. The selected section will raise the card of the section they believe has the melody as it changes throughout the piece.

After they are done with this activity, the teacher will review which sections “hand-off” the melody during the piece. Then the students will cross-reference by symbolically moving their hands towards the section taking the melody as if “handing-off” the melody to that section while singing.

· Anticipated student difficulties: Some students will find it difficult to use the cards and so multiple versions of passing the melos around are used.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: assessment will be through the participation with the cards and other activities.

Ending Statements: “Now that we have a better understanding of the importance of the melody in each of the parts in this piece, we can further explore the German text of “Die Nachtigall” during our next class. Please be sure to review the text online and begin writing the English translation in your music.”

Resources: N/A

Lesson Plan #4:

Instructional Goals:

· Students will interpret the impact of text on music, specifically the music written with texts about the Nightingale.

· Students will be able to pronounce the German diction and understand its meaning with 90% accuracy.

· Students will express their feelings of how they will interpret “Die Nachtigall” through a short written description.

Prior Knowledge & Skills Expectations: Students will already receive the student guide which includes the text translation. Students will also have recordings of the correct German pronunciation online or available on listening devices in the classroom.

Standards Addressed in Lesson:

1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
5. Reading and notating music.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

Instructional materials, resources, & Technology: Stereo device, overhead projector with translation of German text. Recordings of “An die Nachtigall” by Schubert, “Die Nachtigall” by Berg, “Nachtigall” by Brahms. Additional recordings about nightingales may be used, however only German texts were chosen in this lesson.

Modifications/Accommodations needed: If any students have visual needs, large-print music will be provided. Students with any hearing needs will be provided with individual recordings & equipment approved by their aid.

Warm-up: skill focus – diction conceptual focus - text

“Today we are going to focus on diction and the influence of Goethe’s text on the music Mendelssohn wrote for Die Nachtigall.”

Students will do various diction warm-ups. “Red leather, yellow leather, red leather, red.” “The Leith police dissmiseth us.” “Crisp crusts crackle crunchily.” “I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, upon the slitted sheet I sit.” (Not best choice.J)

· Anticipated student difficulties: Students may find it difficult to stay focused and laugh during this warm-up. However, be prepared with the next activity to keep students from being distracted.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: The assessment will be through the text activities.

Selection: Entire piece, text. skill focus – diction conceptual focus – text

Students will sing the German text of the piece on a single pitch. This will help correct any flaws in diction without worry about notes or rhythm. Then single sections will sing the German on a single pitch. The students should then be reminded to write the literal translation in their music from the copy in their student guide.

· Anticipated student difficulties: Students may struggle with umlauts or other vowel sounds. Also may struggle with ending consonants. However, the students should be reminded of the recording provided for them with the correct pronunciation.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: Informal by sectional singing of text.

Selection: Entire piece, other Nachtigall works skill focus – text conceptual focus – expression/aesthetic.

Students will listen to the other recordings of vocal works about Nightingales by Schubert, Berg, & Brahms. While listening they will write about how the dynamics, phrasing, rhythm, melody and other various concepts impacted how the Nightingale was portrayed. After the pieces have been the played, the students will then sing the first phrase of Mendelssohn’s “Die Nachtigall” how they personally feel it should be sung/interpreted. The students will then journal their feelings on the back of the worksheet before class is over.

Anticipated student difficulties: Some students may find it difficult to remember the concepts and how to relate them to the music they are listening to, so the vocabulary sheets should be available for the students.

Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: Assessment will be based upon the comments written on the listening worksheets

Ending Statements: “When you are finished with your journal for today’s listening and diction activity, please place your sheets in the turn-in box by my office and our next class we will explore the harmony & form of “Die Nachtigall.”

Resources: ChoralNet.org, Naxos.com (for recordings)

Lesson Plan #5:

Instructional Goals:

· Students will gain understanding in how harmony shapes the aesthetic of “Die Nachtigall” by comparing art and music.

· Students will understand the form of “Die Nachtigall” through a form map they will convey through cards and movement while singing.

Prior Knowledge & Skills Expectations: Students will already have received the vocabulary list and info sheet about the piece as well as the form map for “Die Nachtigall”.

Standards Addressed in Lesson:

1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

5. Reading and notating music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

Instructional materials, resources, & Technology: Overhead projector or computer with projector for artwork and form map.

Modifications/Accommodations needed: If any students have visual needs, large-print music will be provided. Students with any other physical disabilities will use the cards for the entire lesson.

Warm-up: skill focus – follow patterns/sequences conceptual focus - form

The students will rhythms clapped, snapped, patted, or otherwise by the teacher. The teacher will establish rhythmic patters for the students to follow, like a form. This will also be done melodically on the piano.

· Anticipated student difficulties: Students may not understand the pattern at first, but modeling should fix that issue.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: Assessment is informal through participation.

Selection: All of “Die Nachtigall” skill focus – tuning conceptual focus - harmony

The students will be presented contemporary artwork entitled, “Song of the Nightingale” by Hoffman. Looking at the many different colors displayed in the artwork they will then discuss how music can be like colors in groups of 2.

Then, the students will sing through all of “Die Nachtigall” and for different sections of the piece, think of different colors that come to their minds, or if there is only one, what central color does the piece remind them of? After singing once through, the teacher will lead discussion about the different colors of the music as they are related to the different harmonic “colors” of the piece.

· Anticipated student difficulties: Some students may not be able to choose a color while singing so time should be allotted for students to reflect upon the piece.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: Assessment will be through participation in the discussion.

Selection: All of “Die Nachtigall” skill focus – tuning conceptual focus - harmony

Students will then look at the form map in their packets and the teacher will discuss the form of the piece with the classroom. To reinforce the idea of form, the students will have either cards to raise with the letters of the different sections, or will sit/stand every time the section changes.

· Anticipated student difficulties: Students may not understand how the map relates to the music, and so the teacher should be clear with measure numbers.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: Assessment will be through participation.

Ending Statements: Now that we have a better understanding of harmony and form, we can explore dynamics and phrasing through movement in tomorrow’s class.

Resources:

“Song of the Nightingale” Hoffman

(http://artwork.barewalls.com/artwork/product.html?ARTWORKID=13573)

Lesson Plan #6:

Instructional Goals:

· Students will show expression of dynamics & phrasing through movement while singing.

· Students will show their understanding of dynamics through a group improvisation activity of dynamic changes.

Prior Knowledge & Skills Expectations: The students will have the student information packet with information.

Standards Addressed in Lesson:

1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
5. Reading and notating music.

Instructional materials, resources, & Technology: None

Modifications/Accommodations needed: If any students have visual needs, large-print music will be provided.

Warm-up: skill focus – listening/dynamic changes conceptual focus - dynamics

The students will warm-up on a major chord in any key: basses/sops on root, altos on third, tenors on fifth. They will use their hands like taffy and increase/decrease their dynamic level with the teacher leading. Then they will change dynamic levels through 8 beats. First piano to forte, then vice versa, or mp-mf or whichever the teacher chooses.

· Anticipated student difficulties: Students may crescendo or decrescendo too quickly or too slowly.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: Assessment will be informal by the teacher.

Selection: mm.24-34 of “Die Nachtigall” skill focus – dynamics conceptual focus - phrasing

The students will be asked to get in small groups of 4, one of each part. Students will then sing the correct dynamics for that section in the piece. After all sing together, each group will sing in their quartet and improvise different dynamics for that section. It does not need to be correct, and maybe won’t sound completely appropriate for the piece, but allows the students to explore their improvisation skills in a manner which helps them feel comfortable.

Anticipated student difficulties: Some students will be afraid to do something different from the norm.

Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: Assessment will be based upon the quartet singing groups.

Selection: All of “Die Nachtigall” skill focus – dynamics conceptual focus - phrasing

The students will then be asked to get in a circle around the room. Starting at the beginning of the piece, the students will walk/waltz around the room dancing and using movement to convey phrasing and dynamics. For example, when there is a crescendo, their steps or movements should get bigger, and vice versa.

· Anticipated student difficulties: Some students may not feel comfortable moving around the room. Any students with physical disabilities may draw the movement instead of physically moving.

· Anticipated achievement goals and planned assessment: Informal assessment based upon participation.

Ending Statements: “Now that we have a well-rounded view of “Die Nachtigall” we will incorporate all that we have learned as we prepared for our upcoming performance. Do not forget that there is a webquest online due before the performance as well as your personal review of the performance due 3 days after the concert.

Assessment:

The students will assess themselves on their performance of all aspects explored during class. This will be done in two ways: First, through a graphic organizer of all the elements explored. Second, through a 1-page personal reflection of the final performance with examples using the concepts.

Rubric for Paper:

Performance Evaluation Paper Rubric
	5	3	1
Rhythm	Extensive explanation of rhythm in piece, including 2 examples	Student explains rhythmic performance with key information missing and some examples	Student explains rhythm without examples.
Melody	Extensive explanation of melody in piece, including 1 example	Student explains melodic performance with key information missing and no examples	Student does not explain melody in piece.
Harmony	Extensive explanation of harmony in piece, including 1 example	Student explains harmonic performance with key information missing and no examples	Student does not explain harmony in piece.
Text/Diction	Extensive explanation of harmony in piece, including 1 example	Student explains text & diction performance with key information missing and no examples	Student does not explain text in piece.
Expression	Extensive explanation of harmony in piece, including 1 positive and 1 negative example	Student explains expression performance with key information missing and no examples	Student does not explain expression in piece.
Conventions	Student has no obvious grammatical and/or spelling errors.	Students has minimal obvious errors.	Student has multiple errors.
Final Grade	_____/ 30