Listening Lesson: 'Golden Butterflies'

The Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi decided to go on a series of walks and write a whole lot of music inspired by the things he saw and heard. Listen to one of the pieces inspired by his walks.

1. The title of this piece is "Golden Butterflies." Can you imagine going on a walk and seeing some butterflies? What kind of music do you think that would inspire?

2. Listen to the "Golden Butterflies." Maybe you can imagine other details about this walk as you listen.

3. Three instruments play this music. Can you name what they are? If you guessed piano, violin, and cello, you are correct!

4. Create an instrument card for piano, violin, and cello. Draw as many details as you can, and label any parts you know. Look at the pictures below and use them to help you make your cards.

The parts on the piano picture are not labeled, but you can add labels to the keys and the pedals - two very important parts.

5. Listen to a little bit of each instrument's timbre, or unique sound.

Violin

LISTEN — 24 Caprices, Op. 1, No. 5 in A Minor: Agitato
Niccolo Paganini
Roberto Noferini, violin

LISTEN — Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006
Johann Sebastian Bach
Jennifer Koh, violin

LISTEN — Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 115, I. Moderato
Sergei Prokofiev
Tedi Papavrami, violin

Cello

LISTEN — Suite for Solo Cello, No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007
Johann Sebastian Bach
Matt Haimovitz, cello

LISTEN — 7 Papillons: No. 7
Kaija Saariaho
Estelle Revaz, cello

LISTEN — Cello Sonata in B Minor, Op. 8: III. Allegro molto vivace
Zoltán Kodály
Maria Kliegel, cello

Piano

LISTEN — 10 Preludes, Op. 23 No. 5 in G Minor
Serge Rachmaninov
Guillaume Vincent, piano

LISTEN — Goldberg Variations: Air
Johann Sebastian Bach
Jeno Jando, piano

LISTEN — A Prole do Bebe, No. 1, 7. O polichinelo
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Sonia Eubinsky, piano

6. Scroll back up and listen to a bit of Golden Butterflies again and flash each instrument card when you hear that instrument play.

7. Want to think more about how to get musically inspired on your own nature walks? Try the Nature Walk lesson.