Classical Music for the Seasons Music for the Seasons    

Lesson 5: Night on Bald Mountain

by Modest Mussorgsky

Performer: Skidmore College Orchestra

Directions

Study the musical selection for one week.

Over the week:

• Each day, listen to the musical selection.
• Practice reciting the title of the composition and the composer's name.
• Read the synopsis.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Pumpkin picking, leaves crunching underfoot, corn mazes, hay rides, and apple cider, the fall is a season for family fun. The next four weeks focus on spooky selections that embody the spirit of the season. Get a flashlight, hide under a blanket, and read some spine-tingling stories while listening to the spooky music. Written in 1867 in only 12 days, 'Night on Bald Mountain' is a symphonic poem. Composers write symphonic poems to accompany stories, paintings, or (non-musical) poems. Modest Mussorgsky wrote this spooky music about witches gathering on a mountain. This piece was never played by an orchestra during Mussorgsky's lifetime. Another composer rewrote the piece after Mussorgsky’s death, and only then was it finally played.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Describe the Music

After listening to the music, describe and discuss what you heard.

Read the list of adjectives below. Select those that describe the music or think up additional adjectives.

• Happy
• Sad
• Quiet
• Loud
• Fast
• Slow
• Scary
• Dreamy
• Magical
• Rhythmic
• Dignified

Activity 2: Act Out the Music

• One day this week, as you listen to the music, pretend to climb a mountain.
• With your instructor's permission, climb a 'mountain' in your house, whether it is a set of stairs or a couch.

Activity 3: Create a Mountain Picture

• This work is about a gathering on a mountain.
• Draw, color, or paint a tall mountain.
• Draw some people climbing up the side of the mountain.

Activity 4: Study the Painting

Examine the painting below while listening to the music.

• Narrate the scene shown in the painting aloud using your own words.
• Describe how the painting relates to the music.

Find the following items in the painting:

• Moon
• Bat
• Bug-Like Fairies
• Human-Like Fairies
• Transparent/Invisible Fairies
• Wings
• Leaves
• Branches
• Sky
• Swords
• Shield

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the music?

1 / 4

Answer 1

The title is 'Night on Bald Mountain.'

1 / 4

Question 2

Who composed the music?

2 / 4

Answer 2

The composer is Modest Mussorgsky.

2 / 4

Question 3

What is a 'symphonic poem?'

3 / 4

Answer 3

A 'symphonic poem' is a piece of music that relates to a story, poem, or art.

3 / 4

Question 4

What is 'Night on Bald Mountain' about?

4 / 4

Answer 4

'Night on Bald Mountain' is about a gathering of witches on a mountain.

4 / 4

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the music? The title is 'Night on Bald Mountain.'
2. Who composed the music? The composer is Modest Mussorgsky.
3. What is a 'symphonic poem?' A 'symphonic poem' is a piece of music that relates to a story, poem, or art.
4. What is 'Night on Bald Mountain' about? 'Night on Bald Mountain' is about a gathering of witches on a mountain.

References

'Night on Bald Mountain.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Symphonic poem.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.