9 Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Regional Office III

Learning Activity
SheetMusic 9
Quarter– Week-4
4 1
Vocal Music Of The Romantic
Period
Music – Grade 9
Learning Activity Sheet
Title: Vocal Music of the Romantic Period
Quarter 4- Week 1-4

What I know

The activities below are related to the

new topic which is about the Vocal
Music of the Romantic Period. This
will test if you have background
knowledge about this. Enjoy!

A. Identify the following statements. Choose your answer inside the box below.

Opera Franz Peter Schubert Giuseppe Verdi

Giacomo Puccini Richard Wagner

Georges Bizet

______________1. The proper name for his songs is actually lieder.

______________2. It is usually characterized by elaborate costumes,
scenery and choreography.
______________3. Most of his works are serious love story with unhappy
ending.
______________4. He belonged to a group of composers who stressed
realism.
______________5. He was an advocate of a new form of opera which he
called “music drama”.
B. Matching type: Match Column A to Column B. Write the letter of your answer
on the space provided.
Column A Column B
____1. Tenor a. Verdi
____2. Soprano b. male voice
____3. Carmen c. Puccini
____4. La Boheme d. female voice ____5.
Oberto e. Wagner
f. Bizet

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 Lessons Vocal Music of the Romantic
1-4 Period

What’s In

Activity 1. Fill Me!

Look for famous opera or any popular singers today and try to identify their
voice classification. List 5 foreign and 5 local singers/artists.

Name of Artists Voice Classification

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

IV. What’s New

Music and literature were seen during the Romantic period in almost of its vocal musical
forms. During this period, most of the composers interpret poems, mood, atmosphere and
imagery into music. Art song is an example of this which has its inspiration from poetry and
was written for solo voice and piano.

Romantic artists found inspiration in landscapes. Their subjects were traditional myths,
legends and folklore usually dealing with the supernatural, grotesque, and less
ordinary.

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 One of the important source of musical expressions in this period is the Opera. Where it
became the place for all performances and talents that can be shown not only for music, but
poetry, painting, architecture and dance as well.

V. What is it
OPERA COMPOSERS OF THE ROMANTIC PERIOD

1. Franz Peter Schubert - He is considered the last of the Classical composers

and one of the first romantic ones. The proper name for his songs is actually
lieder, which is the German word for songs.
• Born: January 31, 1797
• Died: November 19, 1828 in Vienna, Austria at the age of 31.
 Nationality: Austrian
 Compositions: “Gretchen am Spinnrade”, “Erlkonig”, “Ellens Gesang III”
(“Ave Maria”), “Schwanenge sang” (“Swan Song”) and Symphony No.8 in
B minor (“Unfinished Symphony”) .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5rusicEn c
Ave Maria - Schubert

Image by Wilhelm August Rieder 1875

2. Giuseppe Verdi – Most of his works are serious love story with unhappy ending. He
completed 25 operas throughout his career.
• Born: October 9, 1813 in Parma, Italy.
• Died: January 27,1901 in Milan Italy.
 Nationality: Italian
 Compositions: “Oberto” (his first opera), “All the world’s a joke” (final
opera), La Traviata, Rigoletto, Falstaff, Otello and Aida were he wrote for
the opening of the Suez Canal.

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A3zetSuYR g
Rigoletto La Dona e mobile - Verdi

Image by Giacomo Brogi 1822-1881

3. Giacomo Puccini – He belonged to a group of composers who stressed realism,

therefore, he drew material from everyday life, rejecting heroic themes from
mythology and history.

• Born: December 22, 1858 in Lucca, Italy.

• Died: November 29, 1924 in Belgium
• Nationality: Belgian, Italian
• Compositions: His famous operas were: “La Boheme”, “Tosca”,
“Madame Butterfly”, and “Turandot”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP3l V -YvCY M
Puccini - La Boheme - Musetta's Waltz

Image by New York 1956

4. Richard Wagner – He was an advocate of a new form of opera which he called
“music drama”. His work would later influence modern film scores, including those of
the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings film series.
• Born: May 22, 1813 in Leipzig, Germany
• Died: February 13,1883 at age of 69 because of heart attack.
 Nationality: Saxon
 Compositions: “Tristan and Isolde”, “Die Walkyrie”, “Die Meistersinger”,
“Tannhäuser”, and “Parsifal”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AlEvy0fJt o
Richard Wagner - The ride of the Valkyries from "
Die Walkyrie”

Image by Caesar Willich 1862

5. Georges Bizet – His most famous opera is “Carmen”. However, when “Carmen”
first opened in Paris, the reviews were terrible. The shows were criticized in
horrible ways that resulted in poor audience attendance.
• Born: October 25, 1838 in Paris, France.
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 • Died: June 3, 1875
 Nationality: French
• Compositions: His famous opera is “Carmen”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ_HHRJf0x g
Carmen - Habanera
(Bizet; Anna Caterina Antonacci, The Royal Opera )

Image by Etienne Carjat 1875

What is an Opera?
Opera - It is a musical composition having all or most of its text set to music with arias,
recitative, choruses, duets, trios, etc. sung to orchestral accompaniment. The opera is
usually characterized by elaborate costumes, scenery and choreography.

Components of an Opera
• Libretto – the text of an opera
• Score –the book that the composer and librettist put together
• Recitative –declamatory singing, used in the prose parts and dialogue of opera
• Aria –is an air or solo singing part sung by a principal character
• Acts- main divisions of an opera
• Scene- setting or place
Other Components:
• Duet, trio, and other small ensemble
• Chorus
• Orchestra
Types of Voices of Singers
For the Male Voice:
1. Tenor- highest male voice
2. Baritone- Middle male voice, lies between Bass and Tenor voices. It is the common male
voice.
3. Bass- lowest male voice

For the Female Voice:

1. Soprano- highest female voice.
o Coloratura- highest soprano voice
o Lyric- bright and full sound o
Dramatic- darker full sound
2. Mezzo-Soprano- most common female voice; strong middle voice, tone is darker or
deeper than the soprano.
3. Contralto- lowest female voice and most unique among female.

Musical Terms
 A Capella - one or more singers performing without instrumental accompaniment
 Cantabile - In a singing style
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  Capo - Head, the beginning
 Coda - closing section appended to a movement or song
 Dolce - sweetly
 Falsetto - a weaker and more airy voice usually in the higher pitch ranges
 Glissando - sliding quickly between 2 notes
 Passagio - parts of a singing voice where register transitions occur.
 Rubato - slight speeding up or slowing down of the tempo of a piece at the discretion of
the soloist
 Tessitura – the most comfortable singing range of a singer
 Vibrato - rapidly repeated slight pitch variation during a sustained note, to give a richer
and more varied sound

VI. What’s More

Activity 1. Answer Me!!
Directions: Define the following terms based on your understanding.
a. Aria - ..
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
b. Mezzo Soprano –
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
c. Falsetto -
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
d. A capella -
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

e. Art Songs -
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Activity 2.
Watch and listen to the famous Opera “La Traviata” and answer the following
questions below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tog9KGlPW4Q

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1. Does the opera showcase the ideals and emotional whims of Romantic opera?How?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. Do you think the opera “La Traviata” is an opera worth watching? Why?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. Does the plot of the opera reflect the ideals of the Romantic period? Why?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

VII. What I Have Learned

1. What do you feel when your emotions are not expressed?

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
2. Describe your mood in listening to the famous compositions of the different Opera
Composers.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
3. Write atleast 3 things you remember about the Vocal Music of the Romantic Period.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

VIII. What I can do

A. Listen and Discuss

Listen to Puccini’s “Un bel di,” from “Madame Butterfly, Act II and explain the plot,
musical and theatrical elements while listening to the composition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmfw17L_Deo
Here is an excerpt from the aria “Un bel di” in English translation.

Calling Butterfly, Madame Butterfly

Butterfly, butterfly, have no fear
I’ll be back to wipe your tears
Oh, sweet Butterfly, so sweet Butterfly
She’s waiting.
I’ll wait for him with unshakable faith.
He’ll be back

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 ______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

B. Listen to the following compositions of the different Opera Composers of the

Romantic period below and hum these using any recording devices and send it to

your teacher thru messenger application. Follow the time given in every song that
you will perform.

1. Richard Wagner - Ride Of The Valkyries (1:05 – 1:16 minutes)

youtube.com/watch?v=GGU1P6lBW6Q

2. Georges Bizet -Carmen Habanera Instrumental (0.15-0.28 seconds)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCrKncOpE7Q

3. Luciano Pavarotti - Ave Maria (Schubert) (0.21-0.40 seconds)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpYGgtrMTYs

Rubric for Scoring

Criteria (20points) (15points) (10points) (5points) TOTAL
Tone Quality
Rhythm
Pitch
Dynamics
Expression and
Style

Assessment

A. Identify the following statements and write your answer on the space provided.
______________1. The most comfortable singing range of a singer.
______________2. It is the lowest female voice and most unique among female.
______________3. It is the text of an opera.
______________4. It is the closing section appended to a movement or song.
______________5. Lowest male voice.

B. Answer the following questions.

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1. Why is it important to know our voice type?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

2. In choosing songs, is it important to consider the type of voice the singer has?
Why?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

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