Our Green Turtle Shells semester students are learning the intricacies of "Spring" by Vivaldi through playtime with our "Spring Bees" puppet show.
Tidbits About Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi, born in Venice in 1678, was not just a prolific composer but a fascinating character with a few quirks. He had striking red hair and struggled with asthma throughout his life. Despite these challenges, Vivaldi penned an impressive 500 baroque concerti, showcasing his immense musical talent from a young age.
Vivaldi's musical journey started early, thanks to his father. He taught him the violin so they could perform together. Isn't music a wonderful way to bond with your child?
Even if it's not the violin, perhaps you're looking forward to playing piano duets with your family someday!
Although ordained as a priest and famously known as "The Red Priest," Vivaldi's true passion lay in composing and teaching music. He eventually left the priesthood to focus entirely on his musical career, leaving behind a lasting legacy of compositions that continue to captivate audiences worldwide. One of his most renowned works, The Four Seasons, is a masterpiece that you're sure to enjoy, especially when paired with creative presentations like sand animation, bringing his music to life in new and exciting ways.
The Bees in the Show
In "Spring Bees" puppet show for Let's Play Music, several bees play key roles in the hive's success.
Let's explore them!
The QUEEN is the largest bee and the mother of all in the hive. She can lay up to 1,500 eggs per day and lives for 5 to 9 years. Despite her royal status, she doesn't command the other bees—they instinctively know their roles. You can hear her concern for the hive in the accompanying music.
The BABY bee, though not an actual infant, is a young bee involved in hive chores like making wax combs and feeding larvae. Once matured, it ventures outside the hive for the first time, a pivotal moment in our story.
WORKER BEES, all females, gather pollen with their hairy bodies and carry it in pollen baskets on their legs. They also collect nectar with specialized tongues. Water is essential for bees, too!
GUARD BEES, also workers, protect the hive from intruders like mammals and
robber bees seeking food. They sting only in defense, sacrificing their lives if they sting a mammal, due to the stinger barb. However, they can sting other insects multiple times.
The COLONY acts as a cohesive unit—when threatened, the entire hive reacts together. In the music, you can hear how the mood shifts from carefree to concern when the hive encounters with robber bees.
Working in Concert
Who else besides bees are highly organized with specific roles? Orchestras and bands! When you hear the music of the whole hive buzzing together, imagine that you are conducting a bee orchestra.
The conductor helps all the musicians work together to express the dynamics of the music (volume and stylistic expression). Without a conductor, the musicians might play the correct notes, but some might be playing forte (loudly) when they should be playing piano (softly).
Even worse, some might play too fast or too slow and the group wouldn't stay together. To help your child get an idea of the fun and power of conducing, enjoy this video of Mickey Mouse and his band. The band does a great job of following the conductor, even when silly things happen.
Here is a table of a few more terms your young composer might want to use as he conducts his beehive puppets this week. He may end up using them in his piano composition during the Orange Roots semester!
pianissimo (pp) | superlative of piano - very softly |
mezzo piano (mp) | moderately softly |
fortissimo (ff) | superlative of forte - very loudly |
fortississimo (fff) | as loudly as possible |
mezzo forte (mf) | moderately loudly |
forte-piano (fp) | loudly followed immediately by softly |
forzando (fz) > or ^ : | indicate a single tone or chord is to be accented |
crescendo | gradually become louder |
decrescendo | gradually become softer |
crescendo poco a poco | becoming louder little by little |
crescendo | subito becoming louder immediately |
crescendo al fortissimo | becoming gradually louder until f has been reached |
crescendo ed animando | gradually louder and faster |
con espressione espressivo | with expression |
con maesta maestoso | majestically |
scherzando schcrzoso | jokingly |
sotto voce | with subdued voice |
con amore | with tenderness |
con bravura | with boldness |
con energia | with energy |
con fuoco | with fire |
con passione | with passion |
con grazia | with grace |
Have fun with your bees and Vivaldi!
Want to learn and play more?
Check out this Music History Packet on Vivaldi that includes the Spring Bees Puppet Show!
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