The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music• Students will prepare to watch the musical, The Sound of

Music, by taking notes on the composers, historical information and discovering voice and ensemble types they will hear in the musical.

The Musical• based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the

Trapp Family Singers• The original Broadway production opened in November 1959• Written by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II

Rodgers and Hammerstein• Richard Rodgers • Oscar Hammerstein• Rodgers – music• Hammerstein - lyrics• Created a number of popular

Broadway musicals in the 1940’s and 1950’s• Considered the “Golden Age” of

Broadway Musicals• Their shows (and film versions)

won 34 Tony Awards, 15 Academy Awards, the Pulitzer Prize and two Grammys.

Richard Rodgers

• Born June 28, 1902• Died December 30, 1979• American composer • Wrote more that 900 songs

for 43 Broadway Musicals• Also wrote music for film

and TV• Before he worked with

Oscar Hammerstein he wrote music with Lorenz Hart

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

Oscar Hammerstein

• Born July 12, 1895• Died August 23, 1960• American writer, producer

and director• He wrote 850 songs• He always wrote the words

(lyricist) to the music and worked with composers Jerome Kern, Vincent Yourmans, Rudolf Friml and Sigmund Romberg

Their Collaboration• Hart was becoming more difficult to work with for Rodgers,

and Jerome Kern had turned Hammerstein down, so the two worked together for the first time on Oklahoma!

• Before Rodgers and Hammerstein arrived on the Broadway scene, musicals were largely built around a star and had fantastical or unrealistic stories.

• Rodgers and Hammerstein changed that by writing shows that had a story that was easy to follow, was realistic or made you think.

• All the parts of the show: the dancing, singing and music all worked together as a whole.

Formula Musical• Some people call this a “formula musical.”• In a formula musical there is always a male lead, a female

lead, a male supporting role and a female supporting role. • These are usually by voice type, too: Baritone, Soprano, Tenor

and Alto.• There is typically a predicable plot and all the music and

dancing and singing go together.

The Sound of Music• The Sound of Music was Rogers and Hammerstein’s last

musical.• Hammerstein died of cancer just 9 months after the show

opened on Broadway.• The last lyrics that Hammerstein wrote were the lyrics for

“Edelweiss”• Edelweiss, Edelweiss

Every morning you greet meSmall and white clean and brightYou look happy to meet meBlossom of snow may you bloom and growBloom and grow foreverEdelweiss, EdelweissBless my homeland forever.

The Movie• 1965• Starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer

Voice types• Soprano – highest female voice• Mezzo-Soprano – “medium” female voice• Alto – low female voice• Tenor – highest adult male voice• Baritone – mid-range adult male voice• Bass – lowest adult male voice

Ensemble (musical group) types• Solo – one person• Duet – two people• Trio – three people• Quartet – four people• Chorus – the entire cast or everyone• Orchestra – the instruments that accompany the show. In

Rogers and Hammerstein shows these instruments would include: violin, viola, cello, string bass, percussion, flute, oboe, clarinet, maybe bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, maybe tuba, French horn

The Sound of Music• Students will prepare to watch the musical, The Sound of

Music, by taking notes on the composers, historical information and discovering voice and ensemble types they will hear in the musical.