《青少年管弦樂指南》是英國當代著名作曲家本傑明·布裏頓（B•Britten，1913—1976）於1945年為英國音樂教育片《管弦樂隊中的樂器》所作的管弦樂曲,樂曲的意圖在於將優雅的普賽爾主題同十三個變奏成熟得銜合起來,向青少年介紹管弦樂隊的樂器及其組合.
—普塞爾主題變奏曲與賦格
這首變奏與賦格曲原是布裏頓受英國教育部委托為科教紀錄影片《管弦樂隊的樂器》而譜寫的音樂。該影片放映後，受到普遍歡迎，它不僅使廣大青少年得益匪淺，甚至對具有較多音樂知識的聽眾來說也不啻為一種美好的享受。變奏主題是一段活潑、輕快的舞曲曲調，選自十七世紀著名音樂家普塞爾的戲劇音樂《摩爾人的複仇》。
音樂開始前先是由指揮講解的一段解說詞。 然後，樂隊按照（A）整個樂隊、（B）木管樂器、（C）銅管樂器、（D）弦樂器、（E）打擊樂器、（F）整個樂隊的次序呈示主題。
在主題由各組樂器反複陳述之後，接著就是主題的十三段變奏，每段變奏前各配有一段解說詞，逐一介紹演奏各段變奏的樂器：
第一變奏 解說詞：“現在讓我們聽一聽每一種樂器演奏各自的一段變奏。 木管樂器組音區的最高聲部是聲音明亮而甜美的長笛，還有它那尖聲尖氣的小兄弟——短笛。”
第二變奏 解說詞：“雙簧管的音質溫和而憂鬱，但在作曲家需要時，它也能表現得足夠有力。”
第三變奏 解說詞：“單簧管非常靈活。它的聲音美麗、平順而圓潤。”
第四變奏 解說詞：“大管在木管樂器組中體積最大，聲音也最低沉。”
第五變奏 解說詞：“弦樂器家族中的最高聲部是小提琴。它們分成第一第二兩組演奏。”
第六變奏 解說詞：“中提琴比小提琴稍大，音響也較低。”
第七變奏 解說詞：“大提琴以豐滿而熱情的音色歌唱，請聽這優美的歌聲! ”
第八變奏 解說詞：“倍低音提琴是弦樂器家族中的老祖父，它聲音沉重，嘟嘟嚷嚷的。”
第九變奏 解說詞：“豎琴有四十七根弦,還有七個踏瓣,用以變換弦的音高。”
第十變奏 解說詞：“銅管樂器家族從法國號（即圓號）開始。 這些樂器是用銅管盤成圓形製成的。”
第十一變奏 解說詞：“我希望你們都熟悉小號的聲音。”
第十二變奏 解說詞：“長號的聲音沉重、洪亮。大號更加沉重。”
第十三變奏 解說詞：“打擊樂器種類繁多， 我們不可能一一介紹，這裏隻介紹一些最常用的打擊樂器。首先是定音鼓，大鼓和鈸，鈴鼓和三角鐵，小鼓和木魚，木琴，響板和鑼，在這些樂器一一演奏之前，先聽一聽響鞭。”
令人意想不到的是，作者為打擊樂器寫了一段富於想象力的華彩樂段，( “鞭子”——劈啦！用得非常生動) 由三個定音鼓提供旋律基礎，其他各打擊樂器則按解說詞中的次序，以各自的變化形式加入這一舞曲的行列。在作為全曲結束的音樂中，布裏頓魔術般地將前麵介紹過的各種樂器構築成一首絢麗多彩的賦格曲。隨著各種樂器的加入，氣氛也愈發熱烈。最後，全曲以銅管樂器雄壯輝煌地重現放寬了節奏的變奏主題——“普塞爾主題”作為結束。----------------------------------
BRITTEN
THE YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA, Op. 34
(Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Purcell)
Britten uses a unique style of Theme and Variation in "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra." The full orchestra begins by playing the theme at the unison. Britten then gives each section a chance to be in the spotlight by allowing them to play the theme by themselves. The following list provides the order that the different sections of the orchestra play the themes, and what the narrated says before they are to come in.
A-Theme (Full Orchestra)
B-Woodwinds "The Woodwind are superior varieties of the penny-wistl. They are made of wood."
C-Brass "The first BRASS instruments were trumpets and hunting-horns. These are their modern descendants."
D-Strings "The STRINGS, large and small, are scraped with a bow or plucked with the fingers. Their cousin the Harp is always plucked."
E-Percussion "The PERCUSSION group includes drums, gongs, tambourines and anything else you hit. When you have heard them, the whole orchestra will play the melody again."
F-Theme-The full orchestra plays the unison theme once more before the piece goes into the variation section.
After each section gets to play the theme the piece then moves into the variations. The following list contains the narration which is read before each section is to come in.
A-"Now let us hear each instrument play a variation of its own. The highest of the Woodwind team is the clear, sweet voice of the FLUTE, with its shrill little brother, the PICCOLO."
B-"Oboes have a gentle plaitive quality, but they can be forcful enough when the composer wants them to.
C-"CLARINETS are very agile. They make a beautifully smooth, mellow sound.
D-"BASSOONS are the largest of the Woodwind team, so they have the deepest voices."
E-"The highest voices in the String family are the VIOLINS. They play in two groups-Firsts and Seconds."
F-"VIOLAS are a bit larger than Violins, and so are deeper in tone."
G-"CELLOS sing with splendid richness and warmth. Listen to this fine sound!"
H-"The DOUBLEBASSES are the grandfathers of the String Family, with heavy, grumbling voices."
I-"The HARP has forty-seven strings, and seven foot-pedals to alter the pitch of its strings."
J-"The BRASS family begins ith the HORNS. These are made from brass tubing coiled into a circle."
K-"I expect you all know the sound of TRUMPETS."
L-"The TROMBONES have heavy brassy voices. The BASS TUBA is heavier still."
M-"there is an enormous number of PERCUSSION instruments. We can't play them all, but here are the most familiar ones. First the KETTLE DRUMS-often called TIMPANI."
FUGUE-"We have taken the whole Orchestra to pieces. Now let us put it together in a Fugue. The instruments come in one after another, in the same order as before-beginning with the Piccolo. At the end, the Brass will play Henry Purcell's fine melody, while the others go on playing Benjamin Britten's Fugue."
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試聽 (no listening instruction in it)
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推薦以下作品作為了解西洋樂器音色的起步：
普羅科菲耶夫 － 彼德與狼
聖桑 － 動物狂歡節
穆索爾斯基 － 圖畫展覽會
格裏格 － 培爾。金特 第一，第二組曲
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