Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Trepak (Russian Dance)

The Nutcracker Music Listening Lesson

Level
Grade 2-4

Objective
Students will learn AABA Form through this music listening and listening map lesson. This
lesson is designed to fulfill Standard #6 of the National Standards for Music: Listening to,
analyzing, and describing music.

Materials
Recording of Tchaikovsky's "Trepak" from The Nutcracker
Trepak Listening Map and Music Lesson Plan

Trepak from "The Nutcracker" Music Lesson Plan

Step 1
Tell students, "Today you're going to learn about musical form and listen to music from one
of the most popular ballets of all-time." Ask students, "Can anyone guess what the ballet is
called? It's very popular around Christmas. That's right! It's Tchaikovsky's, The Nutcracker."

Step 2
Tell the students, The Nutcracker includes many pieces. The one we'll listen to today is
"Trepak."

Tell students, "I'm going to give everyone a listening map. When you get it, please place it on
the floor in front of you." Pass out the listening map. If you'd like to provide a reading
opportunity for your music students, pass out "The Trepak" page from the "Trepak Listening
Map and Music Lesson Plan" and skip to Step 3.

Tell students, "Long before Tchaikovsky wrote his trepak it was a popular dance in Russia
and Ukraine. That's why this piece also called, "Russian Dance." Some of you might have
 Trepak Listening Lesson, p2

seen people dance the trepak and not even known it. It's always performed by men and it's a
very fast dance. When they dance they squat and kick their feet out one at a time.

Step 3
Ask students, "Has anyone ever seen this dance before? Is there anyone that wants to try it?"
Student volunteers. "Great! I'll put on the music." Start recording and ask student to dance.
"Way to go!" Student returns to their seat.

Step 4
Tell students, "(Student's name) was dancing to Tchaikovsky's "Trepak." Now let's learn
about the musical form of this piece, beginning with a review of the listening map.

A Section
Tell students, "The music begins with two A sections. Two times through this section on the
chart is one time through the A section. That means we have to repeat this part four times -
more than the repeat sign calls for. The dancing boy represents accented sounds, which are
a little louder than the rest of the music. The boots are the beats of the music. We'll tap our
index finger on everything as the music plays."

B Section
Tell students, "The B Section is divided into two parts. For the first part of the B section is
played and repeated only once. That's just what the repeat sign asks us to do. We'll tap our
index fingers on the candy canes to the steady beat of the music. The second part of the B
Section is filled with dynamic changes, which makes the music exciting to listen to. It begins
with an accent and an arrow. Tap your finger on the accent and slide on the arrow. The
accent and arrow are repeated because the music is repeated. Tap and slide again. Next,
four accents are given that get larger and larger showing that the music is getting louder. Tap
- TAP - TAP! - TAP!!

A Section
Tell students, "The A Section is repeated, but this time it's only played twice - exactly what the
repeat signs ask you to do."

Coda
Tell students, "The Coda is the final section of a piece. We'll tap our finger on every boot until
we get to the final accented note."
 Trepak Listening Lesson, p2

Step 6
Tell students, "I'll start the recording. Do your best to follow. If you get lost, look up to see
where I am."

Step 7
Start recording.

Step 8
Ask students, "How did you do? Great! This time I'm going to reward the students that stay in
the right spot with a piece of candy. I'll start the recording and stop somewhere in the middle.
Next, I'll call a name from my roll book. If I call your name, and you're in the right place, you'll
win the candy!"

Step 9
Start recording. Randomly stop three times, giving students a chance to win.

Step 10
Review by asking students, "Who can tell me something about the trepak?" "What is musical
form?" "What is the form of Tchaikovsky's 'Trepak?'" Reward students with candy.
 The Trepak
Tchaikovsky composed Trepak
(Russian Dance) for “The Nutcracker”
ballet in 1892, and gave the first
performance of the ballet on March 19,
1892, in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Trepak is the most recognized piece in

“The Nutcracker” ballet.

The Traditional Dance

The trepak is a fiery folk dance from the Slobozhan region of the Ukraine
and Russia. It features the leg-flinging prisiadka, which is a Slavic folk
dance performed by men that squat and kick out each foot alternately.

The Traditional Music

The trepak is written in a 2/4 meter and is based on two chords: tonic (I)
and dominant (V). It is performed at a fast tempo, which gradually which
gets faster throughout.
 Trepak (Russian Dance)
The Nutcracker Listening Map
A Section (4Xs)
AABA Form

B Section

A Section

Coda

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