Many composers write music that is listened to with equal enthusiasm by both adults and children. But there are composers who devoted all their creativity to creating only children's music, and one that children could not only listen to, but also perform themselves.

Today we will get acquainted with the music of one of these children's composers, who lived more than 100 years ago. His name was Samuil Moiseevich Maikapar.

Samuil Moiseevich Maikapar born in the city of Kherson in 1867. In the family, besides him, there were 4 sisters and they all studied music. Samuel inherited his musical abilities from his mother, who played the piano very well. He started playing music at the age of 5. At the age of 11, he began to compose music himself and started a notebook in which he wrote down all his works. The family decided that Samuil would become a lawyer, but he abandoned this career and entered the conservatory, which he successfully completed.

In 1901, Maykapar moved to the city of Tver, where he opened his own music school. Then the idea came to him to write children's works that the children themselves could perform.

The composer’s various small pieces for small, just beginning performers can be called miniatures. They, like photographs in an album, are combined into cycles. We will introduce you to one of these cycles today. It's called "Spillikins".

Listen to the sound of this word. How affectionate and musical it is. What does it mean? Once upon a time, a long time ago, this was the favorite game of children. Very small toy things - spillikins - spilled out onto the table in a pile. Most often these were cups, jugs, ladles and other kitchen items carved from wood. ladders, hats, sticks and so on.The spillikins had to be taken out with a small hook, one by one, without moving the others.

Maikapar’s little plays are reminiscent of those very spillikins from the ancient game. Let's get acquainted with this music. What can you find among the Maikapara spillikins?

First of all, these are children's musical portraits.

Here is a little shepherdess. On a clear sunny day, he went out into a summer flowering meadow near a river. In order not to be bored with tending his flock, he cut himself a reed and made a pipe out of it. (A pipe is a small pipe). A bright, joyful tune rang over the meadows. In the middle of the piece, the melody became more reminiscent of a shepherdess’ dance, and then his pipe began to play again.

And now, after listening to the next miniature, we will see little commander. He is very militant, courageous and courageous. In a clear voice, he gives orders energetically. We don't know who they are intended for - tin soldiers, soft toys or child friends. But the music convinces us that any order from such a commander will be carried out.

In the next piece, the music is very sad, quiet, plaintive. Listening to it, you want to feel sorry for someone, sympathize, cry. It seems that the child is complaining about his difficult life, about his sad fate. This miniature was named by Samuel Maikapar - “Orphan”

Alan Huckleberry, piano


IMTA Level C3

Trifles: 26 Short Pieces for Piano, Library of Russian Soviet Music, 1977

These are the completely different portraits, not similar to each other, that the composer presented to us. In each of them one can discern not an adult, but a child. And the music told us about each one in its own way.

We now turn our attention to musical landscapes. What is "landscape"? These are pictures of nature: “Clouds are floating”, “Spring”, “Autumn”, “On the skating rink”. The musical landscapes of Maykapar are dedicated to the four seasons.

In Maikapara’s “Spillies” there is no such play called “Summer”, but at this time of year it is easily recognizable in some miniatures. For example, “In the kindergarten.” Listening to it, you vividly imagine a warm summer day, a children's playground, a shady garden. Let's listen.

While playing in the garden, the children suddenly saw... Who do you think? Maybe it's a butterfly or a bird?"Moth" ...That's what Maykapar called this work. A moth is much smaller than a butterfly, it does not have such large wings, so it is not so elegant and graceful. But it is light and fast. After listening to this work, it was as if we saw a moth flying from one flower to another.

I think everyone saw it, how water flows into the river in a large, powerful stream. Especially in the spring. Have you seen it? In the play"Stormy Flow" Maykapar drew this picture.

Now we have an amazing journey ahead of us to the world of fairy tales . Fairy tales are always something mysterious, amazingly beautiful, unusual. Sometimes we make up fairy tales ourselves, sometimes we see them in our dreams. Samuil Moiseevich came up with little fairy-tale plays, such as: “A Fleeting Vision”, “Fairy Tale”, “Legend”…

Who among us doesn't love dancing? We like children's and youth, modern and ballroom dances. We enjoy watching ballet, but this is also dance. Dancing is a very exciting, enjoyable and beautiful activity. Samuil Moiseevich Maikapar wrote many dances. This Polkas, gavottes, minuets, waltzes.Waltz is a smooth ballroom dance that is more than 200 years old. Word"Waltz" translated means "to spin, to spin." This dance is dominated by whirling graceful movements.

Alan Huckleberry, piano
The University of Iowa Piano Pedagogy Video Recording Project
IMTA Level D3
Trifles: 26 Short Pieces for Piano, Library of Russian Soviet Music, 1977

Maykapar "Polka"

Spanish Katya, 6 years, 10 months. (Report concert of Children's Music School Gaza)

A multi-talented musician, Maikapar was known as the author of a number of piano pieces for children and youth. In particular, his cycle of piano miniatures gained great popularity “ Spillilets."

Spills, cycle of plays for children, op.28 (1900)

• 1. In kindergarten
• 2. Orphan
• 3. Shepherd
• 4. Autumn
• 5. Waltz
• 6. Anxious moment
• 7. Polka
• 8. A fleeting vision
• 9. Little commander
• 10. Fairy tale
• 11. Minuet
• 12. Moth
• 13.Music box
• 14.March
• 15.Lullaby
• 16.Song of the sailors
• 17.Legend
• 18.Prelude and Fughetta
• 19. Echo in the mountains
• 20.Gavotte
• 21.In the spring
• 22. Seven-league boots
• 23.At the skating rink (Toccatina)
• 24.Clouds are floating
• 25.Romance
• 26.Horseman in the forest (Ballad)

Performs Anna Wang (14 year old)Anna Wang, 14 years old(Recorded on May 9, 2010 in Vancouver, BC, Canada)

And now I offer you, my dear readers, the children’s cycle “Spillkins” by S. Maykapar in the form of a fairy tale

(based on the fairy tale by G. Kamennaya)

One day, while cleaning out the attic, Natasha’s mother found an old doll with a peeling nose in a dusty dress. She didn't have shoes on her feet. Natasha glued chestnut pigtails on the doll, sewed a new chintz dress and small oilcloth shoes. But, although she now had shoes on her feet, the doll was called Sandalfoot. The girl saw her like this for the first time. Natasha really loved the sandal. Every day in the morning she took her out for a walk in the garden. The puppy Sharik always played with them. And what kind of games did they play!

And in the evening, tired of playing, the doll powerlessly lowered its rag hands and bowed its head on Natasha’s shoulder. Then the girl put Sandalfoot in a wooden crib, covered her with a blanket, and sang a lullaby.

Barefoot liked this life. But one day, for her birthday, dad gave Natasha a new doll. She was so beautiful! In a pink transparent dress with lush frills, on her feet are patent leather shoes with buckles, and on her head is a hat with ribbons like a water lily flower. The beautiful doll was named Lyalya. She sat on the sofa, among embroidered pillows, and did not talk to anyone. Of course, the doll was very imaginative. When other toys began to play, she arrogantly declared: “Quiet up, I have a headache!” The toys were offended and stopped paying attention to the troublemaker.

But Natasha really liked Lyalya. In the morning, she took the elegant doll in her arms, affectionately hugged her and spun around the room with it.

And the more affectionate Natasha was with Lyalya, the sadder and sadder Barefoot became. She did not have such a beautiful dress, hat, and she could not open and close her eyes. The sandal was crying more and more often, huddled in a corner. “Why are you whining,” Lyalya once told her. If I were you, I would have left here long ago. So I’ll go ahead and complain to Natasha, and they’ll throw you into the attic again.” Out of resentment, Barefoot cried even harder and decided to go far into the forest and stay there. She didn’t say anything to anyone, jumped out of the window and ran further and further from her house. The forest was dark and scary.

When the dawn was already turning red over the trees, Barefoot went out to the edge of the forest. She looked around and saw the master Silkworm on a branch, and on the tree trunk a fluffy Squirrel with a nut in her tenacious paws. The sandal shared her grief with the forest inhabitants. The animals consulted and decided to help the doll - to make it as beautiful as Lyalya. Silkworm sewed her a beautiful dress, and Squirrel gave her two nut shells instead of shoes. The Heron also brought a gift - it was a lily hat. Sandal's dream came true: she became as elegant as the Lyalya doll. The little animals frolicked around the doll, calling her to play, but she was afraid to stain her dress. And the animals ran away.

Everyone in the forest was busy with their own business. The silkworm was winding its cocoons into thread. The squirrel was storing nuts for the winter. The sandal became sad. She didn’t know what to do, and she wasn’t used to idleness. She remembered the house, Natasha, toys. “I didn’t even imagine that I would be so sad without you,” thought Barefoot. Why do I need such a beautiful dress if Natasha doesn’t see it? I’m an ungrateful doll. They took me out of the dusty attic, took care of me, and I ran away from them to forest". The sandal ran straight through the thorny bushes. The grass became thicker and taller. Suddenly the wind blew, lightning flashed, large drops of rain fell on the leaves. All the animals hid in their holes, and Sandal was left alone.

And the rain kept pouring and pouring. A lily hat got caught on a branch, the wind tore off her dress, and streams of water washed her shoes off her feet. Spattered with mud, shivering from the cold, Sandalfoot finally saw a familiar roof. But just before the house she slipped and fell. She woke up from Sharik’s loud barking. It was he, her faithful comrade, who spent the whole day when the loss was discovered, he could not find a place for himself and went on a search. Sharik happily licked Sandalfoot on the cheek and brought her home. Natasha was very happy. Even Lyalya smiled at Barefoot. And how happy all the other toys were! The doll was cleaned and dressed in a washed cotton dress. And in the evening all the toys had a real ball in honor of Sandal, and Natasha danced with her, as before.

Sandalfoot was happy again. Only now did she fully understand that friends are more valuable than shiny outfits.

Music lessons

A TALE IN MUSIC

Samuel Maykapar. A fleeting vision
Edvard Grieg. Dance of the Elves
Edvard Grieg. In the cave of the mountain king

A TALE IN MUSIC

Samuel Maykapar. A fleeting vision
Edvard Grieg. Dance of the Elves
Edvard Grieg. In the cave of the mountain king

1st lesson

Program content. Teach children to distinguish between the figurativeness of music and the means of expression that create an image.

Progress of the lesson:

Educator: You listened to fairy tales told by music. In fairy tales, good often meets evil; they tell about fantastic characters and magical transformations. The piece you are about to hear is called “A Fleeting Vision.” It was written by S. Maikapar. What kind of fleeting vision do you think is being told in this music - good, harmless or evil? (Performs a play.)

Children. Oh good. The music is light, airy, gentle, as if someone is fluttering or flying - a beautiful butterfly or moth.

P a g o g Yes, the music sounds gentle, high, abrupt, very quiet (plays bars 1-4). It contains the same intonations, similar to circling or flapping of light wings (plays bars 5-8). Maybe the composer wanted to tell us about a beautiful moth, bird, magically glowing firefly or fairy-tale elf? The music is light, graceful, danceable. (Performs the piece again.)

2nd lesson

Program content. Teach children to distinguish between the means of musical expression that create an image: dynamics, register, tempo.

Progress of the lesson:

The teacher performs S. Maykapar’s play “A Fleeting Vision.” Children remember its name and comment on the nature of the music.

TEACHER Does the character of the music change in the play, or does it sound in the same mood? (Performs the piece again.)

Children. Changes. In the middle it sounds more mysterious, enigmatic.

P a g o r. Correct. In the middle, the melody moves from the upper register to the lower, darker one, becoming wary, gloomy, alarming, mysterious, sounding intermittently, cautiously, uncertainly, questioningly. (Performs measures 17-24.)

Suddenly the movement stopped, a mysterious pause sounds - the vision disappeared, was lost. (Performs bars 25-30.)

But then again the familiar fluttering, quiet intonation began to flicker. The melody rose high and disappeared completely. (Performs the last nine bars, then the entire piece.)

Who wants to portray a fleeting vision, dance to the music? (Children improvise.)

Draw at home the fairy-tale image that appears to you when you listen to this play.

3rd lesson

Program content. Teach children to compare plays with similar titles.

Progress of the lesson:

Educator: You listened to S. Maykapar’s play “A Fleeting Vision.” Today you will hear another piece with a similar name - “Dance of the Elves” by the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. Are they similar in character? (Performs two pieces.)

Children. Yes. They are light, airy, fluttering, dancing.

TEACHER: Listen, in the play “A Fleeting Vision,” abrupt, light sounds and swirling, fluttering, smooth melodies alternate. (A fragment plays.) What is the melody in “Dance of the Elves”? (Fragment plays.)

Children. The melody is also sometimes abrupt, sometimes smooth.

Pedagogical Yes, but in the dance of the elves the smooth melody is longer, it is smooth, soft, melodious, and in “A Fleeting Vision” by S. Maykapar the smooth intonations are very short (plays fragments).

We talked about the fact that in S. Maikapara's play there is a more mysterious middle part (a fragment plays). Does the character of the music change in E. Grieg’s play? (Performs a play.)

Children. Yes, “Dance of the Elves” also has a dark, mysterious melody.

P e d a g o g . Well done! “Dance of the Elves” alternates two melodies - light, light and darker, mysterious, wary. What instruments can we use to highlight the different character of these melodies? (Plays a piece.)

Children. In a gentle light theme there is a bell, and in a mysterious one there are rattles.

P e d a g o g Yes. We can use these same instruments when orchestrating S. Maykapar’s play “A Fleeting Vision.” (Children orchestrate plays.)

E. Grieg's play is called "Dance of the Elves." What dance do elves perform? Let's try to come up with one. (Children improvise movements to the music.)

4th lesson

Program content. Teach children to distinguish between the figurativeness of music, the features of marching and dancing.

Progress of the lesson:

TEACHER: You listened to the play “Dance of the Elves.” Elves are kind magical creatures, light, airy, flying.

In Scandinavian countries, there are fairy tales about evil spirits - trolls. These are fantastic creatures hostile to people. Trolls build entire palaces in caves in the mountains.

The play “In the Cave of the Mountain King” from the suite “Peer Gynt” talks about such magical creatures and depicts a picture of the underground kingdom of trolls. What does this music sound like? (Recording sounds.)

Children. The music is scary, mysterious, fabulous.

P e d a g o g Yes. At the beginning of the play, the music sounds quietly, from afar, low, abruptly, as if trolls are sneaking. Gradually the sonority increases, the same melody becomes louder, faster, as if the trolls are approaching. The orchestra plays double basses and bassoons - low, ominously. Then other instruments join them. The music is like a march, and at the end - like a dance, harsh, fantastic, dark, mysterious, ominous. At the end of the play, witchcraft spells and threatening shouts are heard. The mysterious mountain fairytale nature is depicted in this music. (Recording sounds.)

Let's compose a fairy tale about a fleeting vision, elves, trolls and portray fairy-tale characters and dance to the music.

Presentation

Included:
1. Presentation - 7 slides, ppsx;
2. Sounds of music:
Samuel Maykapar. Fleeting Vision, mp3;
Edvard Grieg. Dance of the Elves, mp3;
Edvard Grieg. In the Cave of the Mountain King, mp3;
3. Accompanying article, docx;
4. Sheet music for performance by the teacher, jpg.