Johannes Brahms, a renowned composer of German songs
Photo retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms |
Introduction
Now that you have some basic German language and translation skills, you will put them to work! It is now your job to tell a story using only German songs. Working in groups of five people, you will use your new skills to create a mini-opera. The story of the opera can be about anything, but it must speak for itself. That means, if you construct a successful story, it should be clear just from hearing and seeing the songs and dialogue performed. You will have four weeks to complete this project, at the end of which you will present your mini-opera to the rest of your class.
Task
Using five German songs, you will construct a mini-opera, which you will present to your class. Each person in the group must perform one of the songs in the opera. For your presentation, you must provide the following:
1. Copies of an English translation of the lyrics; make enough for all of your classmates and teacher.
2. A brief written description of the composer of each song and his/her background.
3. A list of your characters, with brief descriptions and their voice parts.
4. An accompanied performance of your song. (You will be accompanied by either Mrs. Smith or Mr. Roberts, and you must rehearse with them at least a week in advance of your performance.)
1. Copies of an English translation of the lyrics; make enough for all of your classmates and teacher.
2. A brief written description of the composer of each song and his/her background.
3. A list of your characters, with brief descriptions and their voice parts.
4. An accompanied performance of your song. (You will be accompanied by either Mrs. Smith or Mr. Roberts, and you must rehearse with them at least a week in advance of your performance.)
The Process
Consider these questions as you create your story and choose your songs:
- How will you set the scene?
- Five W's: Who, What, Where, When? Why?
- What dramatic event initiates the story?
- How do the characters respond?
- How will the story reach a climax?
- What kind of conclusion will your story have? Funny? Tragic? Ambiguous?
- What dialogue do you need to add between songs to fill out the story?
- How can you make sure the story is not too dialogue-heavy?
- How can your musical selection choices make your characters relatable?
- What performances choices can make your characters relatable?
- What musical elements in the songs portray the characters' responses?
- Are your songs thematically related?
- Are you prepared to perform your song convincingly with your accompanist?
Resources
Composer Information - Look here to find information about famous German classical composers.
Art Songs - Find sheet music for specific songs here.
YouTube - Use Youtube to explore performances of your song selections.
Creating a Flexible Outline - Look here for ideas of creating a basic story outline.
Creating Great Stories - Here are some tips from accomplished writers for creating effective stories.
Opera History and Development - Click here to learn about the history and development of opera as an art form.
Art Songs - Find sheet music for specific songs here.
YouTube - Use Youtube to explore performances of your song selections.
Creating a Flexible Outline - Look here for ideas of creating a basic story outline.
Creating Great Stories - Here are some tips from accomplished writers for creating effective stories.
Opera History and Development - Click here to learn about the history and development of opera as an art form.
Evaluation
You will be evaluated as a group on the cohesiveness of your plot, and individually on the performance of your song. This means there is one rubric for the opera, and another rubric for the performance. Carefully refer to both rubrics to determine how best to be successful in your story and performance preparations.
Conclusion
Now that you have completed your own mini-opera, what have you learned? It takes a lot of time, dedication and effort to put together a quality production. Professional performers put this kind of work into their productions on a daily basis, and on a much larger scale. If this is the kind of work that appeals to you, feel free to investigate further, or ask Ms. Gertje about more information and opportunities. If it's not really your thing, at least now you know and can appreciate what it takes to produce quality, creative, original entertainment.
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