Want to incorporate classical music appreciation as a weekly component in your homeschool schedule? Come check out my kid-friendly, easy-on-the-parents Music Curriculum. You can try a free sample lesson HERE.
HAPPY EASTER WEEK!
If you are catching up…here are our April Playlist lessons so far: Thunder and Lighting Polka and Sinfonia from Bach’s Easter Oratorio.
TODAY’S PIECE
Ah! Flight of the Bumblebee! It’s less than two minutes long – check it out:
It’s one of my favorites. If you have a child that absolutely cannot/will not relinquish any interest in classical music, this piece just might be your best shot.
Interestingly, Nikolai Rimksy-Korsakov never meant for it to be that big of a deal. He included it as an “incidental” piece in the opera The Tale of Czar Salton. Incidental music was usually considered background music, useful for setting the mood or transitioning between plot points. It usually wasn’t the point itself.
The piece takes place at the end of Act III when the Czar’s son is transformed into an insect so he can fly away to see his dad. But forget all that! It sounds like a buzzing bee! And kids love that.
Flight of the Bumblebee was originally written for the violin. Over time, the piece migrated to other instruments and has become a virtuoso opportunity for skilled players to show their speed and accuracy. Guitar, piano, and flute have all become options for this frenetic, thrilling piece of music. And how about this???
And a fun fact, in case you are wondering about the origin of Nikolai’s hyphenated last name. You were wondering, right?
Rimsky-Korsakov’s hyphenated named developed when one of his ancestors made a life-changing trip to Rome. The man was so proud of his journey he changed the family name to “Roman-Korsakov” to distinguish them from all the other Korsakov families. (“Rimsky” is “Roman” in Russian. Say that three times fast.) By adding the Rimsky designation, he was basically telling the world the family was more distinguished and more elevated than all the other Korsakovs. #andnowyouknow
Enjoy this piece – check out all the links and ask your child which instrument is their favorite!
I’ll be back Thursday with another piece of Easter oriented classical music from our April Playlist. See you then.
Happy Listening,
Kristi
P.S. Don’t forget to hop on the mailing list – the first newsletter goes out next week!
