Hi, kids! Today, we are going to listen to a famous piece of music by Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 1.
THE CHALLENGE: Go grab a scarf, towel, or pillowcase to explore how many types of fast and slow motions you can make! Try making as many different kinds of motions you can. Now you’re ready to listen to the music and let your ears guide the flow of the scarf! If you had a friend, family member, or even a pet watching you, would they be able to tell whether the music was fast or slow?
Materials needed:
- A scarf (or towel, pillowcase, or blanket)
- YOUR EARS!
Listen to Brahms’s Hungarian Dance No. 1:
There are many different contrasts in each piece of music. Today, we talked about fast and slow. Take a look at some other types of contrasts you may find in a piece of music:
- Dynamics (volume: loud or soft)
- Instrumentation (which instruments are playing)
- Style (smooth and connected, or separated and choppy)
- Mood (does it sound angry, happy, sad, or playful?)
Fun facts about Brahms’s Hungarian Dances
- There is a total of 21 Hungarian Dances written by Brahms
- They were originally written for four hands on piano
- He based his compositions on popular pieces written by other composers
