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This week on Intermezzo, we'll hear from grade schoolers and high schoolers about their favorite parts of this pumpkin spice-y season, and we'll sample some classical music written for cozy sweater weather.
So far this week, we've talked about crunchy fall and spooky fall. Today, we'll flare our nostrils and breath in deeply. What does autumn smell like to you? Maybe campfire smoke, baked apples or chilly air?
While classical music can't literally smell, some pieces capture that atmosphere through orchestration, harmony and mood, letting your imagination fill in the scent.
Autumn in China is similar to autumn in the U.S. with cooler weather and colorful foliage. The main fall festival in China is the Moon Festival. It’s a harvest festival centered on the full moon.
Families gather to share mooncakes, light lanterns, give thanks for a good harvest, and to admire the full moon which represents completeness and happiness.
Chinese composer Lü Wencheng composed the Cantonese piece “Autumn Moon on a Calm Lake” in the 1930s after being inspired by the beauty of a lake he visited during the Moon Festival.
Lü Wencheng: "Autumn Moon on a Calm Lake"
This week's Mystery Melody
It's time to test your ears. Each week we have a mystery melody that we have to figure out together. It relates to our topic. (We'll make the melody less mysterious each day.)
If you know the mystery melody, text your name and the title and we’ll give you a shout out on Friday. The number to text is (833) 490-4718.
