Discovering the world of Opera through the music of

Humperdincks Hansel and Gretel

LESSON PLAN

INTRODUCTION
Hansel and Gretel: Learning about Opera! is an online educational experience featuring
Humperdinck's Opera Hansel and Gretel. Players can control interactive elements in every scene
and watch the play unfold.
Parents and children or student groups can experience and enjoy these activities together and
learn about opera music and theatre. Music listening guides and music games assist with
exploration of the elements of orchestral and opera music. t the end of the story! additional
information and resources can be found Backstage at the Opera.
GRADE LEVEL
"rades # $ %
CONTENT OCU!
Music
&heater
'anguage rts
LENGTH o" Lesson #lan
# or ( )*$minute periods
$ATERIAL!
&his module has a downloadable language arts activity and downloadable puppet making activity.
&echnical +e,uirement for the online educational experience- .ecause of extensive multimedia
sound! this program works best on faster computers /P0- Pentium 1 or better! Mac- "% or better2
and with faster connections /)34 or better.2
&his program re,uires the 5lash plug$in version 6 or higher. 7"o to
http-88www.macromedia.com8shockwave8download8 to download 5lash9
Hansel and retel! Learning A"out Opera 'esson Plan Page # of #*
TEACHING AND LEARNING #ROCEDURE!
&his learning experience will help the visitor listen to classical music as well as present musical
elements through such concepts as melody and rhythm. s the visitor listens to the music and
follows the story! other music concepts will be presented as :'istening and 'earning; guides!
teaching about music<s color! mood! and energy. &he orchestra will be a focus at the
:=ntermission; and will present the instruments and sections of the ensemble.
=n addition to an introduction to Hansel and Gretel! students will learn about opera history! access
a glossary of opera terminology! learn about the elements of opera! opera singers! production
crews! behind the scenes in an opera house and partake in two off$line activities /puppet$making
and fairy tale story$telling2.
>epending upon the number of computers available in the classroom! divide the class into
groups. ?ach student or group can take a turn on the computer! listening to the music on the
home page as well as playing the Hansel and "retel game. One group of students can work with
the computer! one group can write their own :5ractured 5airy &ale; and one group could work with
the puppet download! creating their own puppets of Hansel and "retel.
?valuation of student learning can be assessed by giving them the Hansel and retel #ui$ at the
end of the learning experience. lternatively! a teacher might choose to have students fill out the
@uiA as they find the answers during their exploration of the module /generally answers can be
discovered in the BCextB scrolls which pop up at the end of each scene2.
%ui& Ans'ers:
l. /c2
(. /a! b! and c2
1. /c2
%. /b2
). /b2
3. /a2
D. /c2
6. /b2
E. /a2
#*. /b2
Hansel and retel! Learning A"out Opera 'esson Plan Page ( of #*
E(aluation)Out*o+es
Ftudents will be able to identify visually and aurally the shape and sounds of the string!
woodwind! brass! percussion! and string instruments of the orchestra
Ftudents will be able to understand the concept of melody in music
Ftudents will be able to understand the concept of rhythm in music
Ftudents will be able to identify motion in musical composition
Ftudents will be able to identify energy in musical composition
Ftudents will be able to will be able to identify mood in musical composition
Ftudents will be able to identify musical motif or theme
Ftudents will be able to understand terms associated with the production of an Opera
Ftudents will be able to understand the characteristics of Opera Houses
Ftudents will be able to costume choreography and technical effects of opera productions
:'istening and 'earning; 0oncepts /found in the :Cext; scroll at the end of each screen2
Perceptual map of music learning8music elements
Perception categoriAes music in a holistic fashion
Con elemental characteristics of music include motion! flow! texture or fabric! energy! color
and mood
?lements of music include rhythm! melody! motif or theme
Melody is created when pitches are heard in a linear fashion
0omposers use a motif to represent a character in a musical story
Learning Ob,e*ti(es:
:'istening and 'earning; 0oncepts /found in the :Cext; scroll at the end of each screen2-
&o recogniAe motion! energy! color and mood in music composition
&o recogniAe the musical elements of rhythm! melody and motif or theme
&o understand that melody is created when pitches are heard in a linear fashion
Hansel and "retel =nteractive elements on each story screen-
&o understand the terms associated with the production of opera
&o understand the characteristics of opera houses
&o understand costume! choreography! technical effects of opera productions
Hansel and "retel Orchestra "ame-
&o identify the sounds and shapes of the various instruments of the orchestra
&o identify the sections and placement of instruments in an orchestra
5ractured 5airy &ale /'anguage rts2 /downloadable P>5 ctivity2
&o restate facts and details in the text to clarify and organiAe ideas
&o generate alternative endings to plots and identify the reasons for and the impact of the
alternatives
&o describe the setting! characters! objects and events of a story in detail
&o comprehend basic plots of classic fairy tales
&o determine what the characters are like by what they say and do
&o identify the main events of a plot! its cause and the influence of each event on future
action
Hansel and retel! Learning A"out Opera 'esson Plan Page 1 of #*
Gse knowledge of a situation and its setting and of a character<s traits and motivations to
determine the causes of that character<s actions
&o write narratives
Hansel and retel! Learning A"out Opera 'esson Plan Page % of #*
!tandards "or Visual and #er"or+ing Arts
0'=5O+C= F&C>+>F 5O+ H=FG' C> P?+5O+M=C" +&F
Music-
rade One! rtistic Perception-
#.1 =dentify common instruments visually and aurallyI esthetic Haluing
%.( >escribe how ideas or moods are communicated through music.
rade %wo! rtistic Perception-
#.) =dentify visually and aurally individual wind! string! brass! and percussion instrumentsI
esthetic Haluing
%.1 =dentify how specific musical elements communicate ideas or moods in music
rade %hree! rtistic Perception
#.% =dentify visually and aurally the four families of orchestral instrumentsI esthetic valuing
%.1 >escribe how specific musical elements communicate particular ideas or moods in music
rade &our! rtistic Perception
#.% >escribe music according to its elements! using the terminology of music
0+OFF 0G++=0G'+ 0&=H=&=?F =C 'C"G"? +&F
rade %wo!
Ftandard (.* +eading comprehension
(.) +estate facts and details in the text to clarify and organiAe ideas
(.3 +ecogniAe cause and effect relationships in a text
Ftandard 1.* 'iterary +esponse and nalysis
1.( "enerate alternative endings to plots and identify the reasons or reasons for! and the
impact of! the alternatives
Ftandard (.* Jriting pplications
(.#.a Move through a logical se,uence of events
(.#.b >escribe the setting! characters! objects and events in detail
rade %hree!
Ftandard 1.* 'iterary +esponse and nalysis
1.( 0omprehend basic plots of classic fairy tales
1.1 >etermine what characters are like by what they say and do
Ftandard (.* Jriting pplications
(.# Jrite narrativesI provide a context within which an action takes place
rade &our!
Ftandard 1.* 'iterary +esponse and nalysis
1.( =dentify main events of the plot! their causes! and the influence of each event on future
actions
1.1 Gse knowledge of the situation and setting and of a character<s traits and motivations to
determine the causes of that character<s actions
Ftandard (.* Jriting plications
(.# Jrite narratives
Hansel and retel! Learning A"out Opera 'esson Plan Page ) of #*
'A()S%AE A% %HE OPE*A
Hansel and Gretel #lot !-nopsis
Act One! =n their family cottage deep in a forest! Hansel and "retel have been left alone. =nstead
of doing chores! "retel tries to teach Hansel to dance and shows him a jug of milk saved for
dinner. Fuddenly their mother comes home and scolds them for playing. Hansel accidentally
breaks the milk jug and laughs about it! making mother furious. ngry! she sends the children out
into the forest to gather strawberries for dinner. &he father comes home with food and wonders
where the children are. Jhen the mother tells him they have gone to the woods! he is horrified.
He tells her about the Jitch who lives in the forest and cooks children into "ingerbread.
Act %wo! =n the forest the children gather strawberries. s darkness falls! the children realiAe
they have lost their way. Hansel and "retel decide to say their prayers and go to sleep for the
night. s they pray! angels come and surround them! protecting them from harm.
Act %hree! =t is morning. Fuddenly the mist clears and a "ingerbread house appears. &he
starving children rush and break off pieces of cake from the house. n ugly witch appears and
grabs Hansel and "retel. Jhen the children try to escape! the Jitch puts a spell on them!
trapping Hansel in a cage. t the thought of baking the children into cookies! the Jitch gets very
excited and flies around. &he Jitch wants to see how ready Hansel is to be baked! and then tells
"retel to get the oven ready. "retel pretends not to understand. s the Jitch leans in to show
"retel how to open the oven door! the children push her in and slam the door. Hansel is freed
from the Jitch<s spell and the children joyously dance around. &he father and mother rush in and
the family is reunited safely.
Hansel and retel! Learning A"out Opera 'esson Plan Page 3 of #*
A.OUT THE CO$#O!ER
%e+t from 'A()S%AE A% %HE OPE*A
"erman composer Engel"ert Humperdinck /#6)% $ #E(#2 was the son of an elementary
school teacher and sang in the choir of his local church. He won priAes that helped him
study with a famous composer of the time! +ichard Jagner.
He was a ,oung composer when his sister delheid asked if he would set parts of a
children<s play she was writing about Hansel and "retel to music. &he results were so
wonderful that he was asked to write a full opera about the fairy tale.
Humperdinck<s opera on Hansel and Gretel has become a classic and is performed
around the world! and is considered the composer<s greatest success.
(The modern 1960s singer, Engelbert Humperdinck, named himsel ater the amous
composer!"
L-N)S
www.naxos.com8composerinfo8?ngelbertKHumperdinckK(%)#68(%)#6.htm
www.emusic.com8album8?ngelbert$Humperdinck$Hansel$and$"retel$MP1$>ownload8#*E3(1D6.html
Additional 'ackground -nformation for %eachers.Parents!
&he composer ?ngelbert Humperdinck succeeded in writing an opera which tells the
simple fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel in a musical treatment of remarkable sophistication.
student of the famous composer +ichard Jagner! he knew how to orchestrate in grand
and lyrical style! but managed with this beautiful opera to create captivating melodies.
&hese melodies! which helped the opera to instant success with their immediate folk$like
appeal are familiar around the world today. &he world premiere was on >ecember (1!
#6E1! and the tradition to make Hansel and Gretel the ideal 0hristmas opera was
established.
AIR/ TALE!
%e+t from 'A()S%AE A% %HE OPE*A
&air, %ales have been told and retold for hundreds of years. &hey are often known as folk
tales.
%he rimm 'rothers were known for collecting folk tales that were passed down from
generation to generation. Gri++0s air- Tales are known all over the world.
5airy tales often have characters such as go"lins/ elves/ trolls/ giants/ witches. &here
are scar, villains/ heroes/ magic kingdoms and enchantments. Harr, Potter is our
most famous modern day fairy tale.
L-N)S
www.surlalunefairytales.com
www.grimmfairytales.com
Downloada"le Activities
5ractured 5airy &ale activity 7P>59
Hansel and "retel Puppets activity 7P>59
Additional 'ackground -nformation for %eachers.Parents!
About air- Tales: Many cultures have the same fairy tales! for instance! ?gypt and =celand have
similar :0inderella; stories. Grimm#s $air% Tales include 0inderella and Hansel and "retel. 5airy
Hansel and retel! Learning A"out Opera 'esson Plan Page D of #*
tales often involve folkloric characters and often happy endings after a crisis for one of the main
characters.
1HAT I! O#ERA2
%e+t from 'A()S%AE A% %HE OPE*A
Opera is a story told in music combining the text 3libretto4 with a musical score. Opera
performances are typically given in opera houses and the singers are accompanied by an
orchestra. &he lead characters in an opera are sung by individuals of different vocal ranges
and there is often an opera chorus. Operas also feature beautiful scenery and costumes.
Opera stories are told in several musical ways. Main characters sing arias which have
beautiful melodies. Fometimes groups of three! four! or more singers /ensem"les2 sing at
the same time. nd the chorus often comments on the action of the plot.
Opera singers sound really different from pop singers because they are trained to use their
voices without microphones0
L-N)S
www.metoperafamily.org8metopera
www.santafeopera.org
www.lyricopera.org
www.sfopera.com
www.losangelesopera.com
'OO)S
Sing 1e a Stor,! %he 1etropolitan Operas 'ook of
Opera Stories for (hildren! Lane +osenberg
Pavarottis Opera 1ade Eas,! 'uciano Pavarotti
%he (lassical (hild at the Opera! nastasi Mavrides
%he Dog 2ho Sang at the Opera! Lim Jest and
Marshall =Aen
Opera (at! &ess Jeaver
'ravo0 'rava0 A Night at the Opera! nne Fiberell
Additional 'ackground -nformation for %eachers.Parents!
.e5ind t5e !*enes at t5e Opera: &he production crew is made up of a stage manager! stage
hands! prop manager! wardrobe supervisor! and wig and make up supervisor. =n addition! there is
a sound engineer! master electrician! master carpenter and technical8lighting supervisor.
+ehearsal pianists and vocal coaches complete the group that is responsible for all the backstage
activities at the opera.
About t5e Or*5estra: &he Orchestra is the group of instrumental musicians who accompany the
singers in an opera. &he orchestra performs in the :pit; or the sunken area in front of the stage.
&he conductor! often the Music >irector of the Opera! directs all the musicians. Jith the use of a
:baton; he8she provides the tempo for the music! volume! and all other expressive elements of the
orchestra.
Hansel and retel! Learning A"out Opera 'esson Plan Page 6 of #*
VOICE !TUDIO
%e+t from 'A()S%AE A% %HE OPE*A
ood singing is made ", a stead, flow of "reath that produces vibrations on the vocal
cords. &he breath sends those vibrations to all the spaces in the throat and head where
the voice picks up a ,uality called resonance.
Fingers are born into a vocal range. 5or women! the highest voice is the soprano!
followed by the lower +e&&o soprano. 5or men! the highest voice is the tenor! followed
by the lower baritone or bass.
&here is nothing like a truly beautiful voice to inspire us. 'isten below to some of the
greatest singers of our time.
3-DEO
Soprano! +enee 5leming sings BJhen = Have Fung My Fongs 5or MouB
1e$$o Soprano! Marilyn Horne sings B0ruda ForteB from +osini's opera B=talian "irl in
lgiersB
%enor! 'uciano Pavarotti sings B0he "elida ManinaB from Puccini's opera B'a .ohemeB
'aritone! &homas Hampson sings B'argo al 5actotumB from +osini's opera B.arber of
FevilleB
3isit a 1aster (lass! a lesson for advanced singers usually attended by an audience
7Placido >omingo teaches a soprano9
L-N)S
www.sethriggs.com
www.thevoiceplace.com8
www.findingyourvoice.com8
&A1O4S OPE*A S-NE*S
'uciano Pavarotti in HNlodrome Ftadium
Maria 0allas
Loan Futherland as Haydn's Euridice
PlOcido >omingo as Otello
'eontyne Price
?nrico 0aruso
Marilyn Horne as mneris in &ida
Additional 'ackground -nformation for %eachers.Parents!
About Opera !ingers: Opera singers are trained to sing in a big theater without microphonesP
&hey work on controlling the flow of breath which uses a lot of stomach muscles and good lung
capacity. Opera singers must have a voice teacher and a voice coach! they have to learn
languages! stage movement! and of course learn to read musicP Fopranos are the female singers
with the highest vocal range. MeAAo sopranos are female singers with a voice slightly lower than
sopranos /in choral music! the term alto is also used for this voice type2. &enors are male singers
with the highest range! baritones are mid range male voices! and a bass is a male singer with the
lowest vocal range.
Hansel and retel! Learning A"out Opera 'esson Plan Page E of #*
GLO!!AR/
Aria Q beautiful song for one singer
'ackdrop Q curtain that displays scenery hung at the back of the stage
'ackstage Q &he area behind the curtain and around the performing stage where all the technical
things happen
'locking Q How the performers are placed and moved around the stage
(horeographer Q &he person who creates and arranges dances or ballets
(horus Q group of singers
(horus 1aster Q &he person who directs and rehearses the chorus
(onductor Q &he person who directs the orchestra! and is usually the music director of the Opera
(ostume and 2ig Designer Q &he person responsible for designing the wardrobe and wigs for
the actors
Diva Q female singing star
Dressing *oom Q &he place where the singers put on their makeup and costumes
Duet Q beautiful song for two singers
&ootlights Q &heater lights at the front of a stage
eneral Director Q &he person who is responsible for being in charge of the Opera /this is MOGP2
Li"retto Q &he text! or words that are sung in an opera
Lighting %echnician Q &he person that plans all aspects of lighting a production
Orchestra Pit Q &he area where the instrumental musicians sit! in front and below the stage
Overture Q &he music that is played by an orchestra before the opera begins
Prompter Q person who sits in a little booth at the foot of the stage and helps the singers with
their words
Props Q Objects used on stage
Proscenium Q &he area at the front of the stage
#uartet Q piece of music for four voices
*aked stage Q &he stage is slanted! higher in the back! lower in the front to give dimension to the
stage
*ehearsal Q &he music and staging is practiced before performance
Score Q &he words and music of an opera
Set Designer Q Fet >esigner creates the set with furnishings! wallpaper! and built set pieces
Spotlight Q strong beam of light that illuminates only a small area
%echnical Effects Q &he art of creating illusions on stage
%empo Q &he speed of the music
Hansel and retel! Learning A"out Opera 'esson Plan Page #* of #*