Jacob von Rueysdale - Fishing Boats and a Rowboat, Telemann - Violin Concerto in A minor

Lots of boats in this picture.  I enjoy the contrasts of light and dark, shadow and light.  As in many of Jacob Von Rueysdale's paintings you can almost feel the wind.

Fishing Boats and a Rowboat....

Today's piece by George Philipp Telemann, Violin Concerto in A Major  is a fun piece for Spring, the subtitle is "The Frogs".  The following information comes from the YouTube post:

"The Violin Concerto in A major (TWV 51:A4), which has come to light only fairly recently, does not take as its musical model the song of the nightingale (as in 'La Bizarre' [TWV 55:G2]) or of the goldfinch (Vivaldi), but the croaking of the common frog, also called 'Reling' in certain regions of Germany, whence the concerto's subtitle. Nothing better could be expected of a composer who found inspiration even in crows and in the out-of-tune playing of village musicians! Although this concerto, which the manuscript attributes to Telemann, bears traces of his personal style, other features, such as the exceptionally high solo part, leave room for doubt. At a structurally important point in the first movement the soloist produces no more than a succession of repeated notes, 'a-a, a-a', which infect the other parts as well. Of course, this is the vowel that the frog croaks, given a distinctive tone-colour by use of the open A string and stopped D string. But worse is to come. In the second ritornello the orchestral violins 'forget' the beginning of their theme, whilst the cello inappropriately pushes its way into the foreground. The setting of the second movement (Adagio), probably a moonlit stretch of shallow water, then audibly inspires a pair of courting frogs to make sweet music together. We are given the opportunity to rejoice in their croaking offspring in the concluding Menuet and its rapid Double. This movement entirely dispenses with concertante sounds of nature and thereby betrays its origins in the suite, where it always takes its accustomed place in Telemann's music. If we knew that a satirist was at work in this 'Relinge' Concerto, someone who was deliberately exhibiting all these deviations from good taste, then we could infer with some certainty that the composer is indeed Telemann. Since his own concertos 'smack of France' (as he puts it in his autobiography of 1718), we may most likely credit him with permitting his not at all 'sullen old heart' a little joke at the expense of the relevant concertos of a certain Italian composer..." - Peter Huth (trans. Charles Johnston)


Here is a link to the "Best of Telemann"

A.A.Milne's poetry has a sense of childish humor to it - today's poem is no exception.  

The Four Friends

Ernest was an elephant, a great big fellow,
Leonard was a lion with a six foot tail,
George was a goat, and his beard was yellow,
And James was a very small snail.

Leonard had a stall, and a great big strong one,
Earnest had a manger, and its walls were thick,
George found a pen, but I think it was the wrong one,
And James sat down on a brick

Earnest started trumpeting, and cracked his manger,
Leonard started roaring, and shivered his stall,
James gave a huffle of a snail in danger
And nobody heard him at all.

Earnest started trumpeting and raised such a rumpus,
Leonard started roaring and trying to kick,
James went on a journey with the goats new compass
And he reached the end of his brick.

Ernest was an elephant and very well intentioned,
Leonard was a lion with a brave new tail,
George was a goat, as I think I have mentioned,
but James was only a snail.

Jacob von Rueysdale - Bentheim Castle, Georg Philipp Tlelemann - Concerto in E Major for Flute, Oboe d'amore, viola d'amore & Strings - Allegro, A.A. Milne - Halfway Down

I would love to visit this castle painted by Jacob von Rueysdale!  All the angles would be fun to try to draw - or if that is too complex for your young students, they could use tracing paper to trace the rooflines. 

Bentheim Castle

A lovely cheerful piece of music today by Georg Philipp Telemann  Concerto in E Major for Flute, Oboe d'amore, viola d'amore & Strings - Allegro.

 Our poem today by A.A.Milne is
           Halfway Down

Halfway down the stairs
Is a stair
Where i sit.
There isn't any
Other stair
Quite like
It.
I'm not at the bottom,
I'm not at the top;
So this is the stair
Where
I always
Stop.

Halfway up the stairs
Isn't up
And it isn't down.
It isn't in the nursery,
It isn't in town.
And all sorts of funny thoughts
Run round my head.
It isn't really
Anywhere!
It's somewhere else
Instead!

Jacob Von Rueysdale - Two Undershot Watermills with Men Opening a Sluice, Georg Philipp Telemann - Dolce, A.A.Milne - Wind on the Hill

I really like the light as it falls on the water here as well as on the mill front and wall on the right in this painting by Jacob Von Rueysdale.  The whole picture has a feel of cold and wind and you can almost hear the water rushing through the mill dam.  

Two Undershot Watermills with Men Opening a Sluice

 A lovely, peaceful, classical guitar piece today composed by  Georg Philipp Telemann - Dolce

And a poem by A.A. Milne 

    Wind on the Hill 

No one can tell me,

   Nobody knows,

Where the wind comes from,

   Where the wind goes.

 

It’s flying from somewhere

   As fast as it can,

I couldn’t keep up with it,

   Not if I ran.

 

But if I stopped holding

   The string of my kite,

It would blow with the wind

   For a day and a night.

 

And then when I found it,

   Wherever it blew,

I should know that the wind

   Had been going there too.

 

So then I could tell them

   Where the wind goes . . .

But where the wind comes from

   Nobody knows.     

Jacob von Rueysdale - Sailboats, Georg Philipp Telemann - Water Music in C; A A Milne - Come Out with Me

You can almost feel the wind in this wonderful painting by Jacob von Rueysdale.  All the lovely pastel colors in those wonderful cumulus clouds make me want to try painting it! 

Georg Philipp Telemann's wassermusik (Water Music) in C is as dramatic as the above painting.  Full of tension and exuberance.

Today's poem by Alan Alexander Milne tugs at my heart and reminds me to take the time to just explore outside with my children while I have them with me.  

Come Out with Me

There's sun on the river and sun on the hill . . .
You can hear the sea if you stand quite still!
There's eight new puppies at Roundabout Farm-
And I saw an old sailor with only one arm!

But everyone says, "Run along!"
(Run along, run along!)
All of them say, "Run along! I'm busy as can be."
Every one says, "Run along,
There's a little darling!"
If I'm a little darling, why don't they run with me?

There's wind on the river and wind on the hill . . .
There's a dark dead water-wheel under the mill!
I saw a fly which had just been drowned-
And I know where a rabbit goes into the ground!

But everyone says, "Run along!"
(Run along, run along!)
All of them say, "Yes, dear," and never notice me.
Every one says, "Run along,
There's a little darling!"
If I'm a little darling, why won't they come and see?

Jacob von Rueysdale - Windmill; Georg Philipp Telemann - Viola Concerto in G Major, A.A. Milne - Buckingham Palace

There are lots of fun details in this painting by Jacob von Rueysdale.  Notice how tiny the people are in the right lower corner.  I like the light and shadows - on the windmill and roof and even the cloud shadows on the water. Lots of blues and greens in this painting with that bit of orange roof. 

 
Note:  For those of you wanting to study a particular artist, composer or poet and want to see if they've been featured in past posts - the search button to the right should bring them up by name if they've been featured on this blog - just type in the last name you are looking for. Three of my favorite artists from past posts are William Bouguereau, Thomas Cole and Joseph Farquharson.

 This week's music by Georg Philipp Telemann is Viola Concerto in G Major Today you can watch the musicians perform.  

And our poem by A.A. Milne is -

Buckingham Palace

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
Alice is marrying one of the guard.
"A soldier's life is terrible hard,"
Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
We saw a guard in a sentry-box.
"One of the sergeants looks after their socks,"
Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
We looked for the King, but he never came.
"Well, God take care of him, all the same,"
Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
They've great big parties inside the grounds.
"I wouldn't be King for a hundred pounds,"
Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
A face looked out, but it wasn't the King's.
"He's much too busy a-signing things,"
Says Alice.

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace -
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
"Do you think the King knows all about me?"
"Sure to, dear, but it's time for tea,"
Says Alice.

Jacob von Rueysdale - Landscape with a Waterfall; Georg Philipp Telemann - Suite for Recorder in A Minor; A.A.Milne - Sneezles

It's  interesting to contrast these two paintings by Jacob von Rueysdale.  both are titled Landscape with a Waterfall, but they are very different from one another in coloring, mood and even the buildings. 

Landscape with a Waterfall

Landscape with a Waterfall

Music this week by Georg Philipp Telemann - Suite for Recorder in A Minor

Here is a picture of two different sized recorders.  They make a fun and inexpensive first instrument.  


 


There are many wonderful books for learning and teaching recorder. Penny Gardner's Nine-Note Recorder Method is one we have enjoyed using along with her book of recorder duets.

 

















A fun poem this week by A.A.Milne for Spring colds.... I love how he plays with words and shares his wonderful sense of humor with us.

Sneezles

By A. A. Milne

  Christopher Robin

     Had wheezles

     And sneezles,

     They bundled him

     Into

     His bed.

     They gave him what goes

     With a cold in the nose,

     And some more for a cold

     In the head.

     They wondered

     If wheezles

     Could turn

     Into measles,

     If sneezles

     Would turn

     Into mumps;

     They examined his chest

     For a rash,

     and the rest

     Of his body for swellings and lumps.

     They sent for some doctors

     In sneezles

     And wheezles

     To tell them what ought

     To be done.

     All sorts of conditions

     Of famous physicians

     Came hurrying round

     At a run.

     They all made a note

     Of the state of his throat,

     They asked if he suffered from thirst;

     They asked if the sneezles

     Came after the wheezles,

     Or if the first sneezle

     Came first.

     They said, “If you teazle

     A sneezle

     Or wheezle,

     A measle

     May easily grow.

     But humour or pleazle

     The wheezle

     Or sneezle,

     The measle

     Will certainly go.”

     They expounded the reazles

     For sneezles

     And wheezles,

     The manner of measles

     When new.

     They said, “If he freezles

     In draughts and in breezles,

     Then PHTHEEZLES

     May even ensue.”

 

Christopher Robin

Got up in the morning,

The sneezles had vanished away.

And the look in his eye

Seemed to say to the sky,

“Now, how to amuse them today?”

Jacob von Rueysdale - Winter Landscape, Georg Philipp Telemann - Overture for Trumpet and Oboe in D Major, A.A.Milne - Forgiven

I don't know about you, but we still have snow where I live, so this winter scene by Jacob von Rueysdale seemed appropriate....  Spring will come even here in the North, God has promised, so we wait with eager expectation.

Winter Landscape

 Our musical piece this week by Georg Philipp Telemann is Overture for Trumpet and Oboe in D Major.  Following are pictures of a trumpet and an oboe.  

Forgiven by A.A. Milne

I found a little beetle; so that Beetle was his name,
And I called him Alexander and he answered just the same.
I put him in a match-box, and I kept him all the day ...
And Nanny let my beetle out -
Yes, Nanny let my beetle out -
She went and let my beetle out -
And Beetle ran away.

She said she didn't mean it, and I never said she did,
She said she wanted matches and she just took off the lid,
She said that she was sorry, but it's difficult to catch
An excited sort of beetle you've mistaken for a match.

She said that she was sorry, and I really mustn't mind,
As there's lots and lots of beetles which she's certain we could find,
If we looked about the garden for the holes where beetles hid -
And we'd get another match-box and write BEETLE on the lid.

We went to all the places which a beetle might be near,
And we made the sort of noises which a beetle likes to hear,
And I saw a kind of something, and I gave a sort of shout:
"A beetle-house and Alexander Beetle coming out!"

It was Alexander Beetle I'm as certain as can be,
And he had a sort of look as if he thought it must be Me,
And he had a sort of look as if he thought he ought to say:
"I'm very very sorry that I tried to run away."

And Nanny's very sorry too for you-know-what-she-did,
And she's writing ALEXANDER very blackly on the lid,
So Nan and Me are friends, because it's difficult to catch
An excited Alexander you've mistaken for a match.