Billy Goats Gruff

AND
Present
Billy Goats Gruff
Table of Contents
What to Expect?
p. 3
Billy Goats Gruff Synopsis
p. 4
Questions for Class Preparation
p. 4
Quality Core Requirements
p. 5
The Cast
p. 6
A Brief Look at Opera
p. 7
A Glossary of Opera Terms
pp. 9-10
A Checklist for Opera Singers
p. 11
Preparing your students to see the opera
p. 12
Opera Vocabulary Matching
p. 13
Opera Matching Answer Key
p. 14
Visual Quiz
p.15
Visual Quiz Answer Key
p. 16
Before your students attend the opera
pp. 17-23
Follow up Activities
p. 24
2
Dear Teacher:
We are looking forward to performing The Billy Goats Gruff for your students! These materials
will help you prepare your class for our visit.
What to Expect:
♫ We will be performing an operatic comedy in English for your school’s K – 5th grade
students. The performance lasts approximately 40 minutes.
♫ There is an entertaining plot and the show is also an educational introduction to opera.
♫ Our show requires attentive silence from the audience, but it is also interactive.
♫ We will be singing with a pianist, not an orchestra.
♫ The opera may take place in your school’s gymnasium rather than an auditorium, so your
classes might be seated on the floor.
♫ You and your students will be invited to ask questions at the end of the performance.
3
Synopsis of the Billy Goats Gruff
An operatic version of the story of the Billy Goats Gruff based on scenes from operas by W. A.
Mozart, G. Donizetti and G. Rossini.
Story and Adaptation by John Davies
An after school game of hide and seek is ruined for three billy goat friends when a big bully blocks a
bridge, preventing them from being able to go home. Remembering what their moms, dads and
teachers have told them about dealing with bullies, two boy billy goats resolve to go home a different,
longer way and share their difficulties with grownups. The littlest girl goat, however, not wanting to
abandon the beloved doll that’s been snatched from her, tromps to the crest of the bridge and,
confronting the bully, prevails by inadvertently pushing him into the creek below. Concerned for his
well-being she shows her would-be adversary kindness by asking if he’s OK. He responds by asking if
she’s OK. By the time the two boys return with help, she’s able to introduce a soggy, forlorn ex-bully
as their new friend. You may hear excerpts from this opera at http://www.operatales.com/billygoat.shtml
Questions for Class Preparation:
Please take a few moments to speak with your class about opera before our visit! This question/answer
model can help you lead the discussion.
Explain: We are going to see an opera in [the gym]. You will sit on the floor during the show. The
singers will perform with a pianist playing for them, and they will be telling you a story through their
singing.
Question: Who can tell me what an opera is?
Answer: A play that tells a story, in which the characters usually sing instead of speaking.
Question: Why do they sing instead of talking?
Answer: Because the music tells part of the story too, just as it does in a movie or cartoon.
Question: Will they sing in a different language?
Answer: There are many operas in many different languages, but these singers will perform in
English.
Question: How should we behave during the opera?
Answer: We should sit quietly, keep our eyes on the performers, and listen to the words. When they ask
us questions we should join in. We should raise our hands to answer questions or do the things they ask
us to do. It is also OK to laugh out loud, cheer, and clap.
Children Might Ask: Will there be fat ladies with horns on their heads?
Answer: Wait and see. You might be surprised to find out what opera is really like!
4
Quality Core Requirements
So you think opera is just a musical thing? Take a look at some of the ways that the study of
opera can meet the Quality Core Curriculum standards of the North Carolina Department of
Education.
Music: Because opera has been an integral part of musical development for 400 years, the study of
opera can become a window into the various style periods from early Baroque to contemporary. An
opera performance provides students with the opportunity to learn pieces by some of the most famous
composers ever known as presented by professional musicians trained in the performance practices of
the day. Performances also display various voice parts and the use of ensembles and soloists. Students
will develop their skills in critiquing performances as they identify and process the elements of a live
performance.
Language Arts: Opera is a story told with music and, as such, contains all the elements of storytelling
and drama. By following the plot of the libretto and learning the context of specific songs within a
particular opera, students learn about story structure, sequencing, character development and other
dramatic elements. Many operas are based on plays, books or stories that were popular in a given time
(including many of Shakespeare’s plays—or on fairy tales like The Three Little Pigs) and can give a
new insight into a work’s meaning with the added element of music. After seeing a live performance,
students will compare and contrast their reactions and will begin to form opinions and make judgments
about what they experienced.
Social Studies: Western opera is an art form that was born in late 16th-century Italy. However, the
practice of telling stories with music has been present in every major culture of the world for as long as
we have historical records. Many operas are set in times and places far removed from our own. The
costumes are unlike our clothes of today, the settings are different, as is the manner of speech.
However, often the problems and concerns of the characters reflect many similarities to today's world.
Opera can give students a looking glass into a world of the past while connecting the past to the
present.
Art: Music has often paralleled the stylistic development of the visual arts. An opera performance can
offer art students a look at the performing arts of a particular style period and provide opportunities for
discussion to compare and contrast the arts scene of that time. Our productions are fully costumed with
scenery and lighting, so there are many visual images that relate to the development of the visual arts.
Career Education: While the opera singer gets most of the limelight there are many other ways in
which to have a career in the world of opera. Workshops and other interactions with the various
contract artists who work with the opera companies in such areas as set/prop design and construction,
costume design and construction, technical direction, stage direction and arts administration can
address career opportunities in those areas as well as in musical performance areas.
5
The Cast
Lucy, A young girl billy goat; Best friend of Ernesto and Dandini
Catherine Park, Kristin
Schewcke
Ernesto, A young boy billy goat; Best friend of Lucy and Dandini
Kate Farrar, Jennifer
Lazarz
Dandini, A young boy billy goat; Best friend of Lucy and Ernesto
Jesse Darden, Jonathan
Johnson
Osmin, A big bully boy billy goat; Best friend to no one
Steven Slupe,
David Weigel
About Our Performers
The performers are graduate level students of the A. J. Fletcher Opera Institute of the University
of North Carolina School of the Arts, working on professional degrees in opera. In most cases,
these students have already performed with professional opera companies throughout the
United States.
6
What is Opera?
A brief look at Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text (called a libretto)
and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre,
such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance creating an exciting and emotional
spectacle. The performance is typically given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller
musical ensemble. An opera is staged, like a play, so must be seen as well as heard. The story of an opera is
usually not original. Many operas are based on historic events, plays, novels, Bible stories, mythology, or folk
tales—like The Billy Goats Gruff.
Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. It started in Italy at the end of the 16th century (with
Jacopo Peri's lost Dafne, produced in Florence around 1597) and soon spread through the rest of Europe.
Elements of Opera
Opera combines all of the arts together into one big art form. Singing is a large part of opera, but many other
elements are needed to make an opera come to life. Some of these elements include instrumentalists,
conductors, visual artists, costume and fashion designers, makeup designers, lighting designers, electricians,
stagehands, stage managers, choreographers, and dancers.
Musical Elements
Many different kinds of singers are needed for opera.
Soprano is the highest female voice
Mezzo-Soprano (Alto) is the lowest female voice
Tenor is the highest male voice
Bass is the lowest male voice
Sometimes in opera a mezzo-soprano will play a male character. Because this requires a female to play a male
role, the singer will usually wear pants to suggest they are a boy. Thus, the name for this part is a pants role.
An orchestra led by a conductor usually accompanies the singers in an opera. Sometimes in smaller operas, an
accompanist playing the piano is used to substitute for the orchestra. Every orchestra is made up of four
families of instruments. They are:
Strings – Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp
Woodwinds – Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, Saxophone, etc.
Brass – Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, French Horn, Euphonium, etc.
Percussion – Snare Drum, Cymbals, Bass Drum, Triangle, Timpani, Xylophone, etc.
Theatrical Elements
A Stage Director is needed to make sure that everyone goes where they are supposed to on stage. This
direction takes place during rehearsals where the director gives blocking to the singers.
A Stage Manager is hired to manage all of the logistics of a production. He/she maintains the rehearsal
schedule and acts as a liaison between the cast and the production crew.
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All of the elements placed on the stage to suggest the setting of the opera is called a set. A Set Designer draws
small-scale pictures of the set and oversees the building of them.
All of the clothing that the singers wear during an opera are called costumes. A Costume Designer draws and
often aids in the sewing of the costumes for the production.
Makeup Designers aid the performers in looking more like their characters using makeup and wigs.
After all the physical elements have been rehearsed and designed, a Lighting Designer is brought in to set the
atmosphere for the scene using stage lighting.
All of the physical items that singers use on stage to aid in acting their parts such as swords, baskets, notes,
lanterns, etc. are called props.
Many operas utilize dancers in ball and party scenes, ballets, and other special events in the opera. A
choreographer designs these dances using the music provided by the composer and teaches them to the singers
and dancers.
8
Glossary of Opera Terms
Listed below are words commonly associated with Opera. Learning these words will help you
understand the individual pieces that, when put together, form an opera production.
Actor (ak tor)
A performer who has dialogue or significant action, but who does not sing.
Aria (är ē a)
Aria means air. Since a singer’s voice travels on air, the Italians decided to call the songs they
sing arias. In an aria, the characters usually share their inner thoughts or feelings.
Bravo (brä vō)
This is a word that audience members shout to the singers if they think they have done a good
job. Bravo in Italian means GREAT! If the singer is a female, we shout brava.
Cast (kast)
All the singers and actors who appear on stage.
Chorus (kôr us)
A group of singers (made up of all voice parts) who mostly sing together; sometimes this group
contains actors and dancers who do not sing, but who are part of the group as a whole.
Choreographer
The person who creates the movements for the dancers.
Comprimario (kom pri mā riō)
From Italian, meaning “next to the first”. A singer who performs a small character role in an
opera. Confidants (a person you trust to tell your secrets to), maids, servants and messengers are
often in this category.
Conductor (kon duk t_r)
The person who directs the singers and the orchestra during the performances. They use specific
patterns of movement with his or her hands and a baton, which is similar to a wand.
Libretto (li bret ō)
Libretto means “little book.” It is the words or text of an opera and is the same as the script of a
play. The person who writes these words is called the librettist.
Opera buffa (op era bu fa)
Buffa means “funny,” used for a comic opera. Così fan tutte by Mozart is an example of an
opera buffa.
Opera seria (op er a ser ē a)
An opera with a story that is very serious. Usually, one of the characters dies in the end.
Orchestra (ôr ke stra)
In most cases, group of musicians plays for an opera. Led by a conductor, an
orchestra is made up of string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments.
Overture (ō ver chur)
A piece that may be played at the very beginning of the opera before any action takes place on
the stage (not all operas have overtures).
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Principal (prin se pil)
A singer who portrays a primary character of an opera, often times heroes, heroines or villains.
Recitative (res i tā’tiv)
The English word “recite” both looks and means the same as the Italian word recitative. A
recitative is the part of an opera where the singers talk to each other. The music of a recitative
tries to imitate the rhythms and inflections of speech.
Stage director
The person who guides the action on stage and tells the singers where and how to move.
Score (skôr)
Musicians read from a score. It is a piece of music showing each vocal or
instrument’s part on its own staff.
Supernumerary (sōō pur nōō’me rer’ē)
A performer who appears in a non-singing or non-speaking role, like an “extra” in a movie.
Vocal categories
Contralto (kon tral tō)
The lowest female voice part. Often contraltos play old women, witches, comic roles.
Baritone (bar i tōn)
A male voice between the tenor and bass. Usually they are helpful companions or villains but
occasionally can be the hero.
Bass (bās)
The lowest male singing voice. Usually basses play kings, villains and priests.
Mezzo-soprano (mez ō so prä nō)
Mezzo means middle and a mezzo-soprano is the female voice in the middle,
between the soprano and contralto. You see these voice parts most often in the parts of mothers,
older women, villains, and servants. Sometimes mezzo-sopranos even play young boys! These
roles are called “trouser roles”.
Soprano (so prä nō)
The highest singing voice in women and children. Most often the heroine of the opera.
Tenor (ten er)
The highest male voice part. Tenors most often are the romantic heroes of an opera.
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A Checklist for Opera Singers
A good opera singer must have:
Volume: Opera Singers are trained to be heard in large theatres without using microphones.
Singers train for years to be able to sing loud enough to be heard over other soloists, a
chorus, and a large orchestra of about 50 musicians. Opera singers can sing really loud.
Stamina: Stamina is the strength or power to resist getting tired. An Opera singer requires
the ability to sing for two to three hours. Operas are rarely performed on consecutive
evenings because they are so physically exhausting for the performers. Piedmont Opera
plans its schedule so that the artists can rest up for a day between performances. Piedmont
Opera productions are performed on Friday evenings, Sunday afternoons, and Tuesday
evenings.
Range: Operatic music, as written, requires singers to have a wide vocal range; they must be
able to sing very low notes as well as extremely high notes.
Acting ability: Opera singers don’t just stand on stage and sing – they must be able to act as
well. Just like actors in a play, the singer must make the audience believe in the characters
they portray.
Different languages: Since operas started in Europe, most of them were written in
languages other than English. A singer must be familiar with the pronunciation and each
word of the foreign language. American singers perform in Italian, French, German, and
even Russian.
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Preparing your students to see the opera
Before telling your students about opera, brainstorm ideas and words that they think of when
they hear the word. Write these words down on a chalkboard or poster board. Discuss where
these ideas or stereotypes come from. Then define opera:
Opera is a story told through music.
The two components that all operas must have are music and a story. Discuss how music might add to the plot
of a story. Here are some activities to help teach the role and importance of music:
Music:
1. Play a piece of music for your students and encourage them to describe the music. What mood does the music
invoke? What emotions does the music suggest? What elements of the music – speed (tempo), volume
(dynamics), combination of voices and instruments (instrumentation) help the students make these decisions?
Language Arts:
2. Play an instrumental piece of music for your students. Encourage them to listen and think about a story that
the music could be the soundtrack to. Have them write the story while listening to the music another time.
Acting/ Physicality:
3. Split the class into small groups and have them work together to develop a plot that the music could be a
soundtrack to while listening to the selected music. They can either mime the action or add dialogue. After they
have worked it out, have each group act the story in front of the class. Then ask the class to discuss the different
responses that the music invoked in each group.
Visual Art:
4. For a slightly younger group of students, play a piece of opera for them and ask them to draw a picture of a
scene that might go with that music. Discuss the mood that the music invokes (sad, happy, frantic, loving,
peaceful…) and encourage them to draw scenes that fit that mood.
Discussion:
5. To teach students about what music adds to text, read the lyrics to a song that the students may not have
heard before (classical, musical theater, or popular) and then ask the students to describe what kind of music
would be appropriate to accompany that text. (Many poems have been set to music throughout history.) Then
play the song for the students. Ask them to talk about how the composer sets the music to the text. Is it
appropriate for the text? How does it add to the text?
Pre and Post-test:
6. On the following pages are sample tests to see how much knowledge the students have about opera before
and
after
the
performance.
Answer
keys
are
included
on
the
next
page.
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Opera Vocabulary Matching:
Match the word with its proper definition!
1. Orchestra
7. Opera seria
13. Tenor
19. Recitative
14. Mezzo-Soprano
20. Aria
2. Conductor
8. Principals
3. Score
9. Comprimario
15. Baritone
21. Bravo
22. Opera Buffa
4. Overture
10. Supernumerary 16. Contralto
11. Chorus
17. Bass
5. Cast
6. Actors
12. Soprano
18. Libretto
____ A: A part of the opera in which the singers talk to each other.
_____ B: A song in which a character usually shares their inner thoughts or feelings. In
English it translates to “air”.
_____ C: All the singers and actors who appear on stage.
_____ D: The lowest male singing voice.
_____ E: A group of singers who mostly sing together; sometimes this group contains
actors and dancers who do not sing, but who are part of the group as a whole.
_____ F: An ensemble that is comprised of string, woodwind, brass and percussion
instruments.
_____ G: A notated piece of music showing each vocal or instrumental part on its own
staff.
_____ H: The words or text of an opera.
_____ I: This Italian word is used by audience members to shout to the singers if they
think they have done a good job.
_____ J: Performers who have dialogue or action on stage, but do not sing.
_____ K: An opera with a very serious story.
_____ L: A singer who portrays a primary character in an opera.
_____ M: The highest singing voice in women and children.
_____ N: The individual who determines the musical direction of the singers and
orchestra during the performances by using specific patterns of movement with
his or her hands and a baton.
_____ O: A male voice between the tenor and bass.
_____ P: An orchestral piece that may be played at the very beginning of the opera
before any action takes place on stage
_____ Q: The highest adult male voice.
_____ R: From the Italian, meaning “next to the first”, a singer who performs a small
character role in an opera.
_____ S: A performer who appears in a nonsinging or non- speaking role, like an
“extra” in a movie.
_____ T: Female voice between the soprano and contralto.
_____ U: A comic opera.
_____ V: The lowest female voice part.
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ANSWER KEY FOR WORD MATCHING
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
F Orchestra
N Conductor
G Score
P Overture
C Cast
J Actors
K Opera seria
L Principals
R Comprimarios
S Supernumerary
E Chorus
M Soprano
Q Tenor
T Mezzo-Soprano
O Baritone
V Contralto
D Bass
H Libretto
A Recitative
B Aria
I Bravo
U Opera buffa
14
15
Answer Key
How much do you know about opera?
Soprano
F
Alto
C
Tenor
B
Bass
D
Conductor
G
Accompanist I
Aria
A
Duet
H
Trio
L
Quartet
E
Set
K
Props
J
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Before Your Students Attend the Opera
Language Arts: Locate a version of the story The Billy Goats Gruff at your library or on the internet. Read the
story to your students and discuss it with them. Ask them to describe how they think it might be turned into an
opera. What elements of the story do they expect to see on stage (the set)? What kind of costumes do they think
the performers will be wearing? Explain to the students that in opera, people sing to express emotions that they
are feeling? What are some of the emotions that characters feel in Billy Goats Gruff? (i.e. The troll under the
bridge is angry when the goats cross over his bridge; The goats are scared when the troll confronts them; the
third goat is happy/proud when he defeats the troll.) Then have them decide where the characters might sing
about their emotions.
Writing: As a journal entry or writing exercise, have your students write the words to one of the songs that they
think a character in Billy Goats Gruff would sing. The song may rhyme or may not. Songs often have a structure
much like a poem. Maybe the students can write a poem that is similar in style to poetry they are studying in
language arts.
Music: Once the students have discussed where the characters might sing in the exercises above, ask them to
write a song as a group, or take one of their songs and set it to music.
Visual Arts: Once the students have read the story of Billy Goats Gruff, ask them to draw a picture of what
they think the set will look like. Encourage them to keep in mind the elements of the story that must be in the
set in order for the story to take place. If they have time, encourage them to make a 3D model of the set in a
shoebox using clay, paper cut-outs, toothpicks, and other household items that they can find.
Music: Below is an excerpt from the opera that the students are encouraged to join the cast in singing. Please
teach this excerpt to your classes prior to them attending the opera so they can sing along with the cast at the
appropriate time. Prepare your students that this excerpt happens close to the end of the opera.
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The Music of Billy Goats Gruff
For this version of Billy Goats Gruff which has both sung and spoken dialogue, John Davies utilizes music from
three great opera composers: Gaetano Donizetti, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Gioachino Rossini. These
three composers were all extremely influential to the development of European Opera in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries. Combined, these three composers penned 132 operas during their careers. Below is a small
biography of each composer and some of the operas that they are known for. Your students can find more indepth information on the internet about these composers as well as excerpts of their music.
Gaetano Donizetti
(1797 – 1848)
Gaetano Donizetti was born on November 29, 1797 in Bergamo, Italy. He was known as one of the great
masters of the opera style known as bel canto (translated: Beautiful Singing). This style is known for its very
florid vocal writing that showcased the voices of the singers and created great star vehicles for leading operatic
performers. During his career, Donizetti composed 75 operas including Lucia di Lammermoor, La Fille du
Regiment, Don Pasquale, L’elisir d’amore, and Maria Stuarda.
The excerpts from Donizetti’s operas that are in Billy Goat’s Gruff include:
From La Fille du Regiment:
Act II Trio – “Tous les trios reunis”
From Don Pasquale
Act III Duet – “Signorina, in tanta fretta”
Gioachino Rossini
(1792 – 1868)
Gioachino Antonio Rossini was born on February 29, 1792 in Pesaro, Italy. His mother was a singer and his
father, a horn player, and they provided their son with every sort of musical training they could find. He
received training to play in the French horn, harpsichord, cello, and piano, as well as instruction in musical
theory, voice, and counterpoint. Gioachino performed in local churches and opera houses and began winning
prizes for his compositions by the time he was sixteen. Rossini bragged about his ability to set any text to music
saying, “Give me a laundry list and I will set it to music." During his amazingly short career (considering he
retired at the age of 37), Rossini composed over 35 operas. He could create fairly long operas in very short
periods of time. For example, the Barber of Seville was completed in a mere thirteen days. Donizetti (who
composed The Elixir of Love in just eight days) commented, "I always knew Rossini was a lazy man."
The excerpts from Rossini’s operas that are in Billy Goat’s Gruff include:
From La Cenerentola:
Act II Duet – “Un segreto d’importanza”
From Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Act II Trio – “Zitti, ziti, piano, piano”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756-1791)
Throughout his short lifespan, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prolific composer. He was a true child
prodigy, composing his first piece of music at the age of six. Born in Salzburg, Austria, his father, Leopold was
also a musician and composer who fostered Mozart’s musical genius throughout his childhood.
Mozart wrote over 400 compositions including twelve large operas. His musical output was astounding as he
would compose the music in his head and then write it down with very few changes. Although his works are
now considered great masterpieces, Mozart’s genius was not fully appreciated until after his death. He died in
1791 a poor man and was buried in an unmarked grave.
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The excerpts from Mozart’s operas that are in Billy Goat’s Gruff include:
From Die Entführung Aus Dem Serail:
Act I aria – “Wer ein Liechenhat gefunden”
Act I Duet – “Verwunscht seist du sammit”
Act I Trio – “March! March! March!”
Act I Aria – “Wer ein Liebchen hat gefunden”
Act I Aria – “Solche hergelaufne Laffen”
Act III Aria – “O, wie will ich triumphieren”
Finale – “Nie werd’ ich deine Huld verkenne”
From Don Giovanni
Act I Recitative – “Don Ottavio! Son morta!”
Possible activities:
Music and Language Arts Activity:
1. On the following page is a timeline of Mozart’s early life. Have your students find their age on the timeline
and compare Mozart’s accomplishments with some of their own. This activity is good for talking about the
amazing things a person can accomplish even at a young age if they are dedicated and commit themselves to
education.
2. In keeping with the theme of research from the opera, ask your students to research about Mozart’s life and
find some other interesting details about his later life. This research could take place either by searching for
information on the internet or going to the library and finding a book on Mozart’s life. Some of the topics of
research could include:
A. Mapping the countries and cities that Mozart traveled to during his life.
B. Finding pictures of Mozart, his family, and his birthplace.
C. Finding out more information about Mozart’s family who were all musicians.
D. Play some pieces of Mozart and ask them to describe his musical style.
Mozart’s Childhood
4 Years Old
Mozart begins playing the piano
5 Years Old
Mozart begins playing his father’s violin without any previous lessons
6 Years Old
Mozart composes his first piece of music. He also performs in his first public concert.
7 Years Old
Mozart goes on a three year musical tour with his family to Germany, Bavaria, the Netherlands, Brussels, and
France.
8 Years Old
Mozart’s family travels to London where he and his sister perform for King George III. Mozart composes his first
symphony
9 Years Old
Mozart travels to Holland and composes his second symphony.
10 Years Old
The first public performance of on of Mozart’s symphonies takes place in Amsterdam.
12 Years Old
Mozart composes his first full opera La finta semplice.
14 Years Old
Mozart goes on a musical tour of Italy.
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Listening to the Music
Here are some excerpts from the opera with a brief description of the character(s) singing them. Play the
melodies or the accompaniment for the students and ask them to describe the character from the music. What
does the composer tell the audience about the character and how they are feeling with the music that they
wrote?
1. This excerpt is Osmin’s Aria. Osmin is the mean Billy Goat the lives under the bridge and bullies the
other billy goats. Ask the students to explain why this is good music for a bully!
20
2. As the 3 Billy Goats decide to “tromp, tromp, tromp” across the bridge, they decide that marching would be a
good way do it. They each sing this melody as they march. Have the students march in place while listening to
the music.
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3. In the opera, the Billy Goats are not very successful with tromping or marching. They decide instead that if
they tiptoe across the bridge, the bully may not hear them. This is the music that that they sing as they tiptoe.
Ask they students to tiptoe across the floor as they listen to this music. Then ask them to describe how the
“tiptoe” music compares to the “marching” music
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The Billy Goat Bully
This opera is a retelling of the classic story of Billy Goats Gruff. Although it contains many
similarities to the story, it also has a twist by teaching the audience about the dangerous cycle of
bullying. Osmin, the mean bully billy goat is only a bully because he was made fun of in school
by other bullies. He chooses to bully the other three goats until one of them, Lucy is nice to him
and teaches him that being “fair, kind and true” to everyone is the way to make friends.
After your students have seen the opera, take a moment to discuss the bully in the show and
moments that they have experienced bullying:
1. Ask them how if made them feel.
2. Ask them to describe why a bully might act the way they do.
3. Discuss how being nice to others might be a better way to get what the bully really wants:
respect of others, attention, and friendship
Writing Activities:
1. Ask the students to write a story about a bullying situation that they have experienced. Ask
them to change the ending of the story to show the bully realizes his wrong-doing and
apologizes for his bad behavior.
2. Ask the students to write a letter from Osmin to the other billy goats apologizing for his bad
behavior and explaining why he had become a bully.
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Follow-up Activities
Language Arts
Here are some suggestions for topics that your students can write about, make a class presentation about, or to
help create a class discussion:
1. Ask your students to write a critical review of the performance. Bring in some examples of critiques from
newspapers and magazines. Explain to the students that a good critical review includes specific ideas about
what they liked and disliked about the performance. Suggest that they focus on topics including the plot,
characters, singing, costumes, set, and acting.
3. Even though operas are often based on familiar stories, the composer (person who writes the music for the
opera) and the librettist (person who writes the words for the opera) are free to take liberties with the story to
make it work for their opera. This is very much the case with John Davies’ Billy Goats Gruff. After attending
the performance, ask the students to write a paragraph or essay to compare and contrast the opera and the story
that they read prior to attending. Ask them to focus on the differences of characterizations of the characters and
the differences in the plot. Then ask them to explain which version they liked better and why.
Visual Arts
1. Ask your students to draw a picture of their favorite scene from the opera. Have them write a caption for the
picture as if it were a snapshot in a newspaper.
2. Explain to your students that a set designer sometimes makes a small-scale “model” of the set before they
build the real one. Using the inside of a shoe box as the stage, encourage the students to create a set model for
their favorite scene from An Aesop Odyssey. Encourage them to be creative with the materials they use to create
the set. (This activity could also be done creating a scene for a story or play they are currently studying.)
Music
Ask your students to describe why music adds to the story in opera. Play examples of opera for your students
and ask them to describe the mood and emotions that the music suggests. Have them describe how the music of
Billy Goats Gruff added to the story. Ask them to describe what the music sounded like when the characters felt
emotions like angry, scared, happy, and caring.
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