Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg composed his Piano Concerto in A minor in 1868. It wasn’t just the only piano concerto he ever wrote, it was the only concerto he wrote for any instrument. Grieg’s piano concerto was an instant hit, and remains one of the most popular pieces of classical music in the repertoire.
Developing Active Listening Skills:
Encourage the children to experiment and find ways to listen that best help them focus, which can be different for each person. There is no ‘right’ way to listen to music, and the more opportunities children have to practice active listening the more likely they are to weave music throughout their daily lives, supporting their health and well-being – reflecting, lifting, calming their mood. 12′ 43″ can be a long time for some children to stay focussed on one activity – encourage them to try different things and find what works best for them:
- Eyes open, watching the screen as pianist Julia Fischer and the Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Matthias Pintscher, perform the piece
- Eyes closed, either sitting up or with their heads resting on the table or desk
- Drawing or making marks on paper – ‘painting’ the sound as they listen
- Listening to music as they colour in or draw freehand – this can help children who find it more difficult to focus develop their active listening skills
- Creating a word cloud as they listen
Listening activities:
The children know all the themes from Grieg Piano Concerto’s first movement by now, so encourage them to sing along as they listen. Actually, it will be almost impossible for them (and you) not to!
Ask the children to sketch or draw the opening of this piece of music as they listen, laying the foundations for ‘Making a Graphic Score.’
Questions and prompts:
The camera focuses on the soloist’s (Julia Fischer’s) face just before she starts to play. How do the children think she is feeling at that moment? How do they think the members of the orchestra are feeling right at the start? How do they think they would feel themselves?
What is the children’s favourite theme from this piece of music? Can they sing it by themselves or with the rest of the class?
How does the opening of this piece of music make the children feel? What words can they use to describe the music and the ways it makes them feel?