Are you looking for a fresh new movement activity to add to your winter repertoire? Check out this fun activity set to Troika by Prokofiev! I think Troika is an underutilized piece for winter time – and it’s time to give Troika a little love.
What is Troika by Prokofiev?
Troika refers to a three-horse sleigh. As you might imagine, this piece is meant to inspire visions of swirling snow and jingling sleigh bells on a wintry ride. Troika comes from Lieutenant Kije, a Russian film, from a scene containing a night time sleigh ride.
A fun fact about this piece is that it contains a prominent saxophone part. Saxophones were beginning to be introduced to the orchestra at that time, so in addition to being a great song for some winter fun, it is also a great chance to talk about a (relatively) newly invented instruments being added to the orchestra.
Troika Listening Map
For most orchestral works, I like to introduce the song with a listening map. Maybe it is just because I am a very visual learner, but I feel that listening maps really help organize all the sounds coming at me as a listener. Especially for untrained ears, listening maps help students to see (and hear) musical form, dynamics, and featured instruments. All the things we are trying to teach them in class.
This listening map to Troika is a great place to start your lesson. Just have students sit and listen as you point along with the listening map. You can just display it on the screen, or you can give each student their own printed map to follow along with, which is great for those kinesthetic learners.
Content to Focus on in Troika
Some of the main concepts I would discuss with this piece are the form, instrument timbres (specifically the saxophone) and tempo. The melody from the A section repeats several times, but when it plays during the intro and coda it is at a slower tempo. You could also definitely focus on dynamics, as those change throughout the piece as well.
The main thing to notice as you listen is that there are four main themes that happen during the song. They are illustrated on the listening map as:
A section: sleigh
B section: snowflake
C section: deer
D section: snowman
This will help out in the next section when we start moving.
Troika YouTube
Check out the movements I’ve created to this wintery piece in this Troika YouTube video.
Troika by Prokofiev Movement Activity
Introduction
Prepare for your sleigh ride. Pretend to do things such as harness the horses, put on gloves, pack your sleigh, etc. By the final notes students should be in their sleighs and holding their reigns, ready to go.
A section
Hold reigns and prance around the room. The last two notes of the melody should be pulling on the reigns and stopping (pull/stop) in preparation of the next section.
B section
Stand in place and flick your fingers like snowflakes falling all around. I like to try and match the rhythm of the pizzicato melody in the strings with my movement.
C section
Wave to neighbors on your right (8 counts). Then wave to neighbors on your left (8 counts).
D section
Rub your hands together to keep warm.
Coda
Return to your music spot and sit down.
Form for Troika by Prokofiev
Intro. ABCABDABCDA. coda
More Fun Winter Activities for Music Class
I hope you enjoy this fun little piece and the lesson that goes with it! If you would like some more fun ideas for music class, here are some more favorite activities of mine.
5 Great Winter Music Class Activities to Make Learning Fun
Need More Winter Listening Maps for Music?
Winter Listening Map Set: Five winter classics in color and b&w, ready for your class!
Or get all my listening map sets in one growing bundle and be set for life!
Learn more about using listening maps in your classroom with The Ultimate Guide on How to Use Listening Maps for Music Comprehension.
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