Bach, Baroque Composer - Latter

Bach, Baroque Composer
MUSIC
YEAR 1
G. H. M.
LESSON
Desired Result
Children will be introduced to Baroque music and one of the greatest Baroque
composers, Johann Sebastian Bach. They will learn about his childhood and his
family. Finally, they will see that happiness and success are the result of hard work
and divine help.
Academic Concept 1: Johann Sebastian Bach was a great Baroque musician and a
master of “polyphonic” music.
Academic Concept 2: Bach’s large family worked together, just like the musicians
playing his composition, the “Brandenburg Concerto No.
3.”
Gospel Principle:
Beautiful things happen when we work hard and ask
Heavenly Father for help.
Preparation & Materials
Online: Lesson
Music Year 1: Flashcard Review—Online Links & CD Selections
 1-2a—Baroque Recording: Little Fugue in G Minor, Bach (4:06)
 1-2b—Classical Recording: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61,
Movement 3, Beethoven (9:50)
 1-2c—Romantic Recording: Brahms Lullaby, Brahms (3:00)
 1-2d—Impressionistic Recording: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun,
Debussy (10:00)
 1-2e—Contemporary Recording: Easy Winners, Joplin (3:40)
 1-2f—Picture: Cathedral Pipe Organ, Passau, Germany
 1-2g—Picture: Harpsichord, National City Museum, SD
 1-2h—Picture: Violin, Viola, Cello
 1-2i—Picture: Bach
2
 1-2j—Lyrics: Little Fugue in G Minor  Print copies for children or show
screen.
 1-2k—Recording: Little Fugue in G Minor (performed by the American
Youth Harp Ensemble) (2:17)
 1-2m—Recording: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major BWV 1048-1,
Allegro – 2, Adagio, (performed by Karl Richter, Münchener Bach
Orchestra) (7:01)
 1-2n—Principles: Fill in the Blanks  Optional for younger children.
 1-2o—Coloring Page: Bach  Optional for younger children.
Online: Enrichment
 1-2p—Recording: Little Fugue in G Minor (performed by UTEP music
majors) (3:44)
Home
 Music Flashcards 1.1-1.12
 Classical Music CD
 twenty-five pieces of paper
 blank word strip
 marker & scissors
Vocabulary
o
polyphonic
o
fugue
o
ensemble
Introduction
Flashcard Review
Introduce music flashcard 1.11
 You will find detailed instructions for a music flashcard introduction/review only in
this lesson. For future lessons, refer to this explanation and the flashcard section of the
parent letter.
For each flashcard review, you will need:

the music flashcard(s) listed above

the CD, Idiot’s Guide to Classical Music, described in the parent letter

to open the online resources page entitled “Music Year 1: Flashcard Review—
Online Links & CD Selections”
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MUSIC
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YEAR 1
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LESSON 2
We are going to listen to a little bit of music that you may have heard somewhere
before, but today you will learn the title of the piece, the composer’s name, and the era
in which it was written.  Show the children flashcard 1.11. The music we are going to
listen to is called “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” It was composed by Bach during the
Baroque era. Repeat after me, “’Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring’ was composed by Bach
during the Baroque era.”  Help with pronunciation; show your enthusiasm for what they
may already know. Now I’m going to pass the card around so you can look at it as you
listen to “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.”  Hand the flashcard to the children and start the
music—this time from the CD selection #4 as shown on Music Year 1: Flashcard
Review—Online Links & CD 1.11. Take only a minute or two for this activity.
Attention Activity
 Have the children arrange music flashcards 1.1-1.5 in the proper order. Place music
flashcards 1.6-1.10 randomly on the table. Play a minute or so of each 1-2a through
1-2e recordings in any order. Have the children try to identify the correct composer
flashcard by era and place it near its musical era flashcard. Praise their efforts! Assist
them only if needed.
Lesson
Academic Concept 1: Johann Sebastian Bach was a great Baroque musician and a
master of “polyphonic” music.
Research
Today we will begin studying about the Baroque era of music. You already know
that the Baroque era was the first great era of music and lasted from 1600-1750. Do
you remember that during the Baroque era, the art and the buildings and the
dancing and the clothes were very fancy? It’s true! Even the men wore ruffled
clothing and wigs, and women wore elegant gowns.
All the music in the Baroque era was played by live musicians; there were no
recordings! Musicians were servants hired by kings and queens—and by the church.
Musicians composed and played music for royal parties and for church services.
Music was ornate and complex, decorated by fancy trills—like you just heard.
During the Baroque Era, the organ was the “king of instruments.”  Show 1-2f—
Picture: Cathedral Pipe Organ, Passau, Germany, noticing the complex design and
decorations. The harpsichord (like a small piano) was used, too.  Show 1-2g—
Picture: Harpsichord, National City Museum, SD. String instruments such as the
violin, viola, and cello were also played. Show 1-2h—Picture: Violin, Viola, Cello.
Click on “Different Types of Stringed Instruments.”
MUSIC
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YEAR 1
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LESSON 2
11
 Display music flashcard 1.6. Let me further introduce you to this wonderful
musical friend who lived during the Baroque era. His name is Johann Sebastian
Bach.  Display 1-2i—Picture: Bach and have the children repeat his name with you a
few times.

Do you think Bach’s hair and clothing look Baroque? (Yes. Fancy clothes,
wig.)
Bach’s music was also fancy. He was a master of “polyphonic” music. Say
“polyphonic.”  Write “polyphonic” on the blank word strip, saying the letters aloud as
you write. Let’s spell “polyphonic” aloud as I point to the letters. The word
“polyphonic” is made up of two smaller words called Latin roots.  Cut the word
strip in two—between poly and phonic. “Poly” means many, and “phonic” means
voices.

So what does “polyphonic” mean? (Many voices.)  Introduce music
flashcard 1.13.
Yes, “polyphonic” means many voices singing together—many voices weaving
together. In Baroque music, the many “voices” of the orchestra are the many
instruments, such as the violin, viola, and cello, and each voice, or instrument, often
plays its own melody. The many voices weave together to make music that is
complex and beautiful.
A polyphonic piece of music is called a “fugue” [pronounced “fūg” with a long “u”
and hard “g”].  Write this word on the board. A “fugue” has many voices, or
instruments. Bach loved to compose fugues with many voices weaving together.
Let’s listen to Bach’s “Little Fugue in G Minor.”  Pass out 1-2j—Lyrics: Little Fugue
in G Minor. Listen very carefully to the melody in the first few dozen notes of the
fugue. Let’s sing along with these words each time we hear the beginning melody.
We will hold the words with dashes a little longer. If we get mixed up, don’t worry!
The beginning melody will keep coming back. Let’s try!  Play and sing along with
1-2k—Recording: Little Fugue in G Minor.
Words for Bach’s “Little Fugue in G Minor”
Fugues—by—Bach—are polyphonic, So Baroque,
Many voices weave to—gether,
Many voices weave to—gether—,
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!
Now you know that, “Johann Sebastian Bach was a great Baroque musician and a
master of polyphonic music.”  Write this academic concept on the board.
Academic Concept 2: Bach’s large family worked together, just like the musicians
playing his composition, the “Brandenburg Concerto No.
3.”
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MUSIC
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YEAR 1
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LESSON 2
Research
Johann Sebastian Bach was part of a large and happy family. His father and many of
his uncles, cousins, and older brothers were professional musicians, but the best part
for young Sebastian was that they made music together as a family.
Every summer, Bach’s relatives would gather in Eisenach for a Bach family reunion.
These events lasted a whole week! What would they do for all that time? Make
music! Sometimes the Bachs would begin their family reunion by marching through
the streets playing music that they had created. They would gather every day and
every evening, laughing and making more music! If you had been there, you might
have brought your instrument and joined in—often the townspeople did just that!
It seems like Sebastian was the luckiest of boys, but sadly, like all families, the Bach’s
had serious troubles. When Sebastian was ten years old, his mother died; eight
months later, his father died. It must have been a lonely, worrisome time for the
little boy and his brothers. He might have wondered if the happy times would ever
continue for them.  Take this opportunity to discuss family things that may be
troubling or frightening to your children. Help them know that hard times come to
everyone.
Fortunately, Sebastian didn’t wonder very long about who would care for him. His
oldest brother Christoph and his wife took both Sebastian and another brother into
their home, where they continued the tradition of filling their lives with family
love—and music! Christoph provided Sebastian with his first formal music lessons.
When young Bach grew up, he took the tradition of making music into his own
family. He taught his children to sing and play instruments. Maybe you have played
some of the songs he wrote for his own children. Eleven of Bach’s twenty children
lived into adulthood, and Bach boasted that he could form a vocal or instrumental
ensemble (a musical group) with himself, his wife, and any combination of their
children!
Often the music they played together was written by one of the family’s composers.
Let’s listen to some beautiful music that Bach composed for an ensemble of string
players. Bach wrote the “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3” with parts for three violins,
three violas, three cellos, one upright bass, and a harpsichord.

How many instrument parts did Bach write for the “Brandenburg Concerto
No. 3?” (Eleven.)
 Start 1-2m—Recording: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, expand the screen, and pause
immediately.
Notice that there are more than eleven musicians ready to play.

Why do you think there are more than eleven musicians playing in this
group? (Accept any answer.)
It could be that more musicians wanted to participate, just like at a Bach reunion.
With the Bach family, there was always room for one more—musician! As we listen
and watch, perhaps we can imagine that these musicians are Bach’s uncles and
cousins, and eventually his own children, playing this music together. You might
want to choose a musician and imagine that he is Johann Sebastian Bach himself. As
we continue the recording you can each pretend to conduct this ensemble or choose
MUSIC
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YEAR 1
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LESSON 2
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an instrument and pretend to play.  Play the remainder of the recording. After a time
and with the music in the background, ask the following questions:

What do you like about this performance of the “Brandenburg Concerto
No. 3?”

How would it feel to be part of an ensemble like this?

How would you feel if the members of the ensemble were your sisters and
brothers and cousins?
It’s fun to see that “Bach’s large family worked together, just like the musicians
playing his composition, the ‘Brandenburg Concerto No. 3’.”  Write this academic
concept on the board.
Reason
Gospel Principle:
Beautiful things happen when we work hard and ask
Heavenly Father for help.
Bach knew two very important truths about success. First, he was a hard worker. He
wrote an average of twenty-five pages of music every day for sixty-five years! Let’s
count twenty-five pages.  Count aloud the twenty-five pieces of paper. That’s a LOT
of work! Second, Bach asked for help. Before composing a piece of music, Bach
often wrote the initials, “G. H. M.” at the top of the empty paper.  Write “G. H.
M.” on the board.

What do you think these letters mean? (Accept any answer.)
They stand for “God Help Me!” Repeat the words with me.

Do you think Heavenly Father helped Bach? (Yes.) What makes you think
so? (Bach worked hard; he was close to Heavenly Father; his music is
beautiful; his family was happy.)
Relate

What would happen if you wrote “G. H. M.” on your most important
assignments? (Accept any answer, but be sure to wait for the Spirit to work
in your children.)

Why do you think he wrote “G. H. M.” at the top of a blank page of music
writing paper? (It was a kind of prayer, a humble plea for help from God.)
It’s true, “Beautiful things happen when we work hard and ask Heavenly Father for
help.”  Write this gospel principle on the board.
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MUSIC
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YEAR 1
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LESSON 2
Review & Testimony
Let’s review the Academic Concept(s) and Gospel Principle we have learned today.
 As directed by the Spirit, share your testimony of the gospel principle you have taught.
Academic Concept 1: Johann Sebastian Bach was a great Baroque musician and a
master of “polyphonic” music.
Academic Concept 2: Bach’s large family worked together, just like the musicians
playing his composition, the “Brandenburg Concerto No.
3.”
Gospel Principle:
Beautiful things happen when we work hard and ask
Heavenly Father for help.
Record
 Choose from the following activities according to time available and appropriateness for
each child.
1. Record the academic concepts and the gospel principle you have learned
today and place it behind the “Concepts and Principles” tab in the Music
section of your notebook.  Young children may want to use 2n—Principles:
Fill in the Blanks.
2. You may wish to display your coloring page (if you used this option) for a
time and then safely store it with today’s recordings behind the “Concepts
and Principles” tab in the Music section of your notebook.
Enrichment
 The following ideas are for individual or family enrichment and can be used to
supplement or prepare for this lesson.
1. Family Follow-up: Select a time when children’s recordings and/or the
music from this lesson can be shared with family members, such as
mealtime, Family Home Evening, or before family prayer.
2. Further Enrichment: Enjoy 1-2p—Recording: Little Fugue in G Minor
(performed by UTEP music majors) found in Online Enrichment. It is
performed solely by the voices of four young adults. Because we know
something about Bach, we can imagine young relatives like these at a Bach
family reunion delighting the older musicians with an unusual way of
performing a familiar song!
3. Further Enrichment: Replay the recordings from this lesson often in your
home.
MUSIC
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YEAR 1
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LESSON 2
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