《青少年管弦乐队指南》（The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra），副标题“珀塞尔主题变奏与赋格（Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell）”，是英国作曲家本杰明·布里顿（Benjamin Britten）为1946年一部英国音乐教育纪录片作的曲子。正如乐曲的标题，它充分表现了管弦乐队每一种乐器的特点，对于像我这种对管弦乐认识不多的人是一个名符其实的很好的“入门指南”。

在 App Store 上有一个免费 iPad app，名为 “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten”，以精彩的交互形式充分介绍了这部作品，并有许多小游戏和小测试，寓教于乐，让人在实践中认识管弦乐。我实际上学期就想玩玩这个 app，可惜它在 iPad 2 上几乎运行不起来。。。这回姥姥外公回来换来 iPad 3（。。。），竟然可以用了。下面我玩了 app 后，誊抄的对乐曲介绍的笔记。

00:00 Here’s the recording of The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. It start off with a rousing THEME by Henry Purcell(one of Britten’s favourite composers) Played by the whole orchestra. The sound of the orchestra are made in 3 different ways - blowing, scraping or banging!

00:00 Theme A:Tutti Britten indicates that the THEME should be played ‘maestoso e largente’, majestic and broadly. Instructions on how to play a piece of music are nearly always written in Italian.

00:24 THEME B:WOODWIND Now listen to the WOODWIND family on its own. Their instruments are blown and can make tooting bird-like sounds as well as more mellow ones.

00:45 Theme C:Brass BRASS instruments are also blown but tend to be a bit louder than the woodwind. When the whole section plays, the effort is bold and confident.

01:03 Theme D:Strings The STRINGS are played with a bow or plucked, but the Harp is always plucked. When all the strings play together, the sound is rich and intense.

01:19 Theme E:Percussion The PERCUSSION family includes drums, cymbals, gongs, tambourines, xylophones - anything you can hit!

01:36 Theme F:Tutti Here’s the theme again, this time played by the whole orchestra - the Italian word ‘tutti’ means everybody.

01:53 Variation A:Flutes and Piccolo Each instrument now gets its own VARIATION, beginning with the clear voice of the FLUTE and its miniature, high-pitched version, the PICCOLO.

02:26 Variation B:Oboes Next up are the OBOES with a gentle, plaintive variation, marked ‘Lento’(slow).

03:16 Variation C:Clarinets CLARINETS can sound agile and jaunty and, at other times, smooth and velvety.

04:03 Variation D:Bassoons The BASSONS get to play ‘Allegro alla marcia’(briskly like a march). They are the largest of the Woodwind family, with voices that go deep…but can also sound sweet - which is what ‘dolce’ means.

04:58 Variation E:Violins The VIOLIN variation sounds like couples swirling around the dance floor. It’s marked ‘Brillante - alla polacca’(brilliantly - like a Polish dance).

05:38 Variation F:VIOLAS VIOLAS are a bit larger than Violins and have a deeper, reassuring tone. This was Britten’s own instrument and he gives them a really expressive variation.

06:36 Variation G:CELLOS CELLOs are even deeper than violas and have a rich, warm sound. Their variation is marked ‘lausingande’, which suggests a soft, tender manner.

07:44 Variation H:DOUBLE BASS The DOUBLE BASSES are like the grandparents of the String family, sometimes their voice can be heavy and grumbing but they can also sound calm and soothing.

08:49 Variation I:HARP The HARP can produce big chords like a piano or it can sweep across the strings in a great glide, called a glissando.

09:36 Variation J:BRASS The BRASS variation begin with the HORNS. Their ancestors were used by huntmen and their sound is forceful and authoritative but they can also be lyrical.

10:22 Variation K:TRUMPET TRUMPETS have a bright, wide-awake quality. Their variation is marked ‘Vivace’(lively) and sound rather like a cavalry charge.

10:56 Variation L:TROMBONES TROMBONES have strong, solemn voices - useful for grand ceremonial occasions. The TUBA has a heavier voice. Britten asks them to play ‘Allegro pomposo’ - brisk but dignified (and a little bit pompous).

12:05 Variation M:PERCUSSION Now it’s the turn of the PERCUSSION. First three KETTLE DRUMS(also known as TIMPANI),each one tuned to a different tone.The big BASS DRUM and clashing CYMBALS.The TAMBOURINE… and TRIANGLE. The SIDE DRUM…and WOOD BLOCK… The scurring XYLOPHONE,The clacking CASTANETS. The quivering GONG, and 3 cracks of the WHIP! Then all the percussion play together.

13:48 Fugue All the instruments have shown what they can do, now they all combine in a FUGUE. The word suggests a flight or chase (it’s pronounced like ‘few but with a G on the end’).

14:00 The PICCOLO heads off with a brand new tune and all the other instruments follow, one after the other, in hot persuit.The FLUTES join in playing the same tune but starting on a different note - the two voice overlapping. Then the OBOES come in with the tune, on yet another note. Now the CLARINNETS are added to the mix - each new instument sounds as if it’s trying to catch up with others. Next up are the BASSOONS. Now the Strings enter, the FIRST VIOLINS, closely followed by the SECOND VIOLINS. And the VIOLAS, sounding particularly energetic. Then the CELLOS join the conversation. And then the BASSES (listen out for a hint of Purcell’s theme ppopping up in the woodwind). The entryof the HARP tries to calms the proceedings. But the HORNS pitch in like a herd of elephants. And the TRUMPETS seem to be competing for who can be the noisiest. When the TROMBONES and TUBA come in it’s nt so much like a conversation and more a shouting match. And with the entry of the PERCUSSION it’s almost a chaotic race to the finishing line.

15:50 Finally, as the Fugue melody hurtles away (‘Con slancio’), in comes the BRASS with Henry Purcell’s grand theme.The rest of the orchestra now throws all caution to the wind bring the piece to a loud thrilling and triumphant end.

1998/5/1——2018/5/1 …… 二十年！聊以“青少年”自勉！