Overture from L’arlesienne Suite No. 1 (Georges Bizet)
By Gloria Nelson
   

Bizet used the melody of the French carol, “March of the Kings” as a basis for this composition, which is in the format of theme and variations. The following activity took one 30-minute period.

    The next time I teach this lesson, I might proceed more slowly to give students more thinking time. We worked in learning teams of four or five students to create ideas for a story based on the music.    

Step 1: Before gathering into our learning teams, I told the students to pretend that the Governor of Oregon was coming to Corvallis and that they were to write a play for his visit. We discussed the meaning of the word ‘plot.’ “We are going to let a musical composition be our guide as we create the lot for our play. What are some elements in music that might dictate your ideas? Please discuss this question with your team and be prepared to report one of your ideas to the class.”

Step 2: Each team was given a worksheet and one pencil.

       

As I played the initial theme many times, the students were to create and write a very brief synopsis of the plot for their play.    

Step 3: After noting the importance of having each act enhance the main plot, we continued on to subsequent acts, first listening to each variation then allowing students time to discuss and jot down ideas. We did this for as many times as the students needed. The discussion was lively, to put it mildly    

Step 4: Each team was invited to take turns reading its ideas to the class. Included in this activity were comments on how the music affected the decisions that were made for each act (variation). To promote the discussion, I asked questions such as:

• “How did the melody guide your thinking?”
• “Were your decisions based more on the rhythm or the melody?”
• “In what way did the dynamic levels create more ideas?”
• “In which act did the tempo play the most significant role for your decision-making process?”

    I found creating a plot and acting out their own stories a meaningful way for my students to internalize the idea of theme and variations. They appreciated the variety of ideas that emerged from different teams and wanted to act out their own ideas the next time they came to class.

    Step 5: We learned “March of the Three Kings,” the old French folk song on which this composition is based. The students made the connection as soon as they heard the melody.

    Step 6: In the future, this process could lead to the study of other pieces of music in which folk songs or other familiar melodies were used as the germ for the composition. Other compositions of this nature that are worthy of study include:

America – Variations on America by Charles Ives

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star – Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je Maman by Mozart

While Strolling One Day – Acadian Songs and Dance by Virgil Thomson

English folk songs – Folk Song Suite by Vaughn Williams

When Johnny comes Marching Home – American Salute by Morton Gould