Zoltán Kodály: "Viennese Musical Clock" from Háry János Suite

Cross-Disciplinary Lesson Plan: Grades 6-8

Note to Teachers:
This Outline and the following pages you can download are meant to be a "packet." You are welcome to use only certain pages, but if you print and copy each page, the students can staple this into a Packet of work:

Page 1: The Life and Times of Zoltán Kodály | Answer Key
Based on: Kodály Biography: Younger Readers | Kodály Biography: Older Readers
Page 2: It Sure is (A) Suite
Page 3: Keeping Time
Page 4: Story of Háry János
Page 5: Themes and Forms
*Additional page: the melodic lines from Háry János for Orff or percussion instruments.

Also included are a Unit Pre-Test and Test | Answer Key

Standards:

National Standards for Music Education: 6,7,8,9

These lessons comply with standards noted below from The Ohio Sixth-Grade Learning Outcomes and allow you to teach to seven Multiple Intelligences (Naturalist is not present):

Sixth Grade

WRITING

• "The student will use the writing process to make the writing activities clear for the intended audience" (Life and Times of Kodály WS)
• "Given a nonfiction text to read silently, learners will demonstrate an understanding of text and of nonfiction by responding to the items in which they (Kodály biography/Life and Times of Kodály WS):
  • compare and contrast
  • cause and effect
  • infer from the text
  • use ratios and proportions (It Sure is (A) Suite WS)
  • visualize and show the results of rotation, translation, reflection, or stretching of geometric figures
  • create a picture graph (Themes and Forms WS)
  • interpret graphs to identify patterns (Themes and Forms WS)

CITIZENSHIP

• "Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to think about the relationship among events:
  • group significant individuals by broadly defined historical eras (discuss Kodály's place in 20th Century Music)
• "distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information on a map for a specific task" (in your introduction of Hungary and Austria)

SCIENCE

• Use a simple key to classify objects, etc. (Science Extension in Composer's Life section)
• Evaluate conclusions based on scientific data (Rondo lesson; Themes and Forms WS)
• "Recognize the advantages and/or disadvantages to the user in the operation of simple technological devices" (discussion of clocks/ Kodály's use of tape recorder)
• Identify simple patterns in physical phenomena (Extension of rondo lesson)

Lesson Plans

National Standards for Music Education: 6,7,8,9

I. Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967)

A. Experience two Kodály methods (20 minutes)

1. For teachers: As you may know, Kodály recommended singing games, movement and singing simultaneously, and patterned folk dance as ways to teach music. He also desired children to be aware of their own musical heritage. In this spirit, you might begin the unit with:
   1. any singing game (motions, if applicable), rhythm words
   2. the explanation and singing of an African-American spiritual or American folk song.
   3. use of Kodály Solfege syllables (Kodály did not invent these symbols, but, rather, organized them)
2. Share with students: Kodály was a proponent of these techniques for teaching music. He also wanted everyone in his country to learn music by similar, approved methods.
3. Extension Activity: Have students report to you in some way about their own family's musical heritage.

B. Composer's life (20-25 minutes)

1. ASSIGN The Life and Times of Zoltán Kodály WORKSHEET (Answer Key) based on bio of Kodály: Younger Readers/Older Readers. There is also a biography and worksheet identified for "6, 7," if you prefer to have your younger students read something shorter and more accessible.
   1. all grades may read the bio individually, or read aloud as a class
2. Perhaps you have a bulletin board in the classroom or a "Composer's Corner" where you highlight the composer you are studying. You or the students might write out the following main points and post them:

	Zoltán Kodály
	unwavering dedication to music education champion of Hungarian folk music one of the first ethnomusicologists

Explain: ETHNO (Greek: nation) A FIELD RESEARCHER who studies the music of a certain culture or nation. From Grout and Palisca A History of Western Music: "The study of folk material was undertaken on a much wider scale than previously, and with rigorous scientific method. Folk music was collected not by the clumsy process...conventional notation, but with the accuracy made possible by the use of phonograph and tape recorder; collected specimens were analyzed objectively... More realistic knowledge led to a greater respect for the unique qualities of folk music." Today, ethnomusicology programs thrive at many (university) Schools of Music.

3. Science extension: Have students create chart that Kodály and Bartok might have made. Have the student ethnomusicologists come up with the categories (titles?, region where it was found, length of piece, how it was recorded, etc.) If you wish, allow them to travel to different "groups" of people in the classroom who sing a tune or play something for them. Have the ethnomusicologists record their data.
   1. Ask: "The development of what technology allowed Bartok and Kodály to categorize Hungarian folk music so successfully?
   2. Ask: "Can you think of what other technologies might be helping today's ethnomusicologists working out in the field?"

II. Háry János Suite PREPARATION

A. We pronounce it "Háry YAHN-osh"; have students repeat name while looking at the words (on the board, for instance).

B. Point out that Háry János is an OPERA

1. If children are familiar with this term,
   1. Ask them to name the "ingredients" of an opera (singers, stage, orchestra, etc).
   2. You might also ask, "what is left, after we take out the singers, costumes, scenery, etc.?" (if you gage this right, they should come up with "the music")

C. What is a Suite?

1. Have kids create a list of six OR draw three homonyms (5 minutes) on It Sure is (A) Suite
2. Introduce the terms "suite" and "sweet"
3. Explain that the meaning of Suite has changed, musically, throughout history. In Bach's day, for instance, it was a series of dance movements.
4. Record on WORKSHEET the musical definition of SUITE in Kodály's lifetime: an instrumental musical composition of several movements made of material drawn from another source (an opera, for instance).
5. RECALL: How many of you have seen Tchaikovsky's ballet, "The Nutcracker?" Imagine we are sitting here in a concert hall and hear music FROM that ballet played by the orchestra? These selections or movements form a SUITE.
6. PROPORTIONS: Ask students if the Opera was made up of 21 scenes (this is not accurate), and the Suite has 7 movements, "what proportion of the Opera is the Suite?" (the Suite is 1/3 of the Opera)

D. FILL IN ON It Sure is (A) Suite WORKSHEET

1. Prelude ("pre," Latin: ______________)
2. Viennese Musical Clock
3. Song
4. Battle and Defeat of Napoleon
5. Intermezzo ("inter," Latin: ______________)
6. Entrance of the Emperor and His Court

They should answer the blanks with "before" (pre) and "between" (inter).

III. Háry János Suite

A. ASSIGN AND COMPLETE Keeping Time PAGE.

1. Locate the CLOCK FACES. Students should fill in the appropriate ROMAN NUMERALS on each clock, as these are numbers which were likely on clocks in Vienna. Numbers should be relatively small, as students will be writing information on the hands of the clock:

   (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII)
   NOTE: I = one; V = five; X = ten

2. Use the clock faces for the following notes which are in bold face (i.e., the main points).
   1. For teachers: If you have a map in the room or access to one, point out to students Hungary on a map and its proximity to (modern) Austria
   2. For students: In the late 1700s, the French and the Austrians fought all the time.
   3. Information on first clock: The French had a very powerful leader once named Napoleon Bonaparte. He ruled over nearly all of Europe, and sought rule over the whole world!
   4. Information on second clock: The word CLOCK, originally meant BELL
   5. Information on third clock: In the late Middle Ages, there were very large mechanical clocks in bell towers that were not very accurate. Guess what sound these mechanical clocks made? (mechanical clocks in towers made the sounds of bells)

B. Roots of Háry János

1. Ask several students (volunteers) to share with the class an "adventure" (a short one!) they had when younger.
2. Give a made-up version of your own: WHEN I WAS YOUNGER... Ask the students if they believe you! If you did a good job, they will not. Ask what kind of literature do we have in American history that is a "made up story?" (TALL TALE)
3. All students should invent a (short) story topic and write it ON Story of Háry János WORKSHEET
   1. ASK: did you invent something that you WISH could happen? (this is relevant because of the universal nature of Háry, which will be introduced shortly).
4. Further discussion: think of a character in a story or book you are reading. What are some of the character traits of this person, animal, etc.?

C. Story of Háry János

1. Information for students: Kodály based his opera on a character in a poem by a Hungarian poet. This "old veteran" character invented stories about the adventures of his youth.
2. Háry is a dreamer. He claims to have moved a house across Russia by his own strength, tamed a wild horse, conquered Napoleon, defeated a dragon, and made the emperor's daughter fall in love with him.
3. Háry János is a "universal" character because people in every culture dream about doing great things, being strong and fearless. The theme of "good triumphing over evil," also crosses races and geography.
4. REMIND STUDENTS (as seen in packet) THAT THE SUITE IS DRAWING FROM THE OPERA AND WILL NOT INCLUDE EVERY EVENT.
5. DIRECTIONS: On Story of Háry János WORKSHEET write numbers 1-6 next to the events in the Suite AS THEY OCCUR (chronological order). (Teacher reads events aloud). Háry recalls:
   1. the GREAT phantoms of his adventures
   2. his JOY at hearing the clock striking midday at the court of the Austrian emperor
   3. He remembers his LOVE
   4. He considers himself as BOLD as Napoleon, as he single-handedly defeats Napoleon's army!
   5. how ENJOYABLE he finds the dancing of the soldiers
   6. the SPLENDOR of the emperor's court

IV. Movement II: Viennese Musical Clock

A. IMAGINATION

1. Ask: What kind of musical choices might Kodály have made to create the image of a clock?
   1. Clues: what dynamics (louds and softs), instruments (remember, as well, his interest in Hungarian folk music!), tempi (speed of the music), sounds.

B. LISTENING

1. Listen to this movement, asking the students to patschen (pat) their knees on every quarter note (4/4 time) for the first few measures.

C. TEXTURE, RHYTHM

1. Why is this very strict rhythm appropriate for the movement?
2. Name any other instrument you heard in the piece? ( flute, piccolo, trombone, triangle, trumpet, clarinet, piano)
3. Are the voices (instruments) in homophonic or polyphonic texture?
   1. ANSWER: voices are poly (many) phonic, with a few melodic voices accompanied by ostinato figures.
   2. Ask: why is this texture appropriate for a clock? (different parts of the clock have different functions)
4. 4. can anyone identify (with voice, for instance) an ostinato (repeated pattern)?

D. USE OF NATIVE INSTRUMENTS

1. Kodály was very interested in highlighting the tunes and instruments of his country, Hungary.
2. He uses the Campane (Italian: tubular bells) in the Viennese Musical Clock movement. Bells are an important part of Hungarian / Eastern folk music. In Russian music, for instance, the use of (church) bells.
3. In what "Western Music" CATEGORY would you place the tubular bells?

E. PERFORMANCE

1. If Orff instruments are available, you can ask students to perform the first theme. (music reproduced in Finale version--not done yet).
2. Given a steady beat in 4/4 time, can anyone, tap, clap, or voice the rhythm heard in the flutes?
3. ON Themes and Form WORKSHEET, students try to take down the rhythm of the first two measures of the flutes FROM MEMORY:
   (Ti-ti Ti-ti Ta (eighth rest) ti / Ti-ti Ti-ti Ta (eighth rest) ti)

F. FORM

1. RECALL: what musical forms do you know for movements? AB, ABA, rondo.
2. Listen to the movement again, and ask the students to assign a symbol or "A" to the opening theme. While listening, they should notate how many times the theme occurs and possibly anything that happens in between. (some students will be comfortable writing A B A C, etc.)
   1. Students should at least be able to identify the repetition of the "A" theme four times.
3. Point out the rondo form as you listen with the students. ON THE Themes and Form WORKSHEET, create a pictograph of the rondo form noting that B is different than C is different than D.

G. MOVEMENT
National Standards for Music Education: 3,4

1. In small groups, have students create an ostinato pattern where each person has a different four beat pattern.
   1. Directions: the movement should reflect the character of the piece.
2. Have each group "perform" their patterns for while you play 15 to 30 seconds of the movement.
   1. Make sure all students begin and end at the same time and keep a steady tempo (students in the class can watch and "peer edit").
   2. Discuss: how is each person maintaining his or her own individuality while being part of a whole? Where else in society do we see this happening?
3. Another option if the class is large is to have several groups stand up at a time. One group can perform for two measures (for instance) and stop,while the second group performs for two, etc.
4. Talented, small groups, can create a canon with their motions.

H. COMPOSITION
National Standards for Music Education: possible 1,2,3,4 (depending on students' choices)

1. Allow students to go to one of four stations to create a rondo:
   1. in pictures (1) VISUAL
   2. using bookbag or classroom items (2) KINESTHETIC
   3. words (3) (VERBAL OR LINGUISTIC)
   4. with a set of instruments (4) MUSICAL
2. Note: All students are having to use SPACIAL and LOGICAL methods to complete this assignment.
3. Classroom Extension: Students can look around their homes and community for representations of rondo form.

Classroom Extension:
Do a brief report on the history of clocks, using the website: http://www.ernie.cummings.net/clock.htm#FIVE or other sources.

Zoltán Kodály Links