Classical Music in Pictures Music in Pictures    

Lesson 2: Pictures at an Exhibition - The Gnome

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.
• Read the synopsis.
• Review the vocabulary terms.
• Read about the composer and practice reciting his or her name and the composition title.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Each movement within Modest Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition' reflects a picture. Mussorgsky used music to represent himself wandering the halls of a museum and stopping to look at pictures of gnomes, gardens, and markets. In stories, gnomes are often creatures of darkness that hoard sparking piles of treasure deep beneath the surface of the earth. Today, they are also the white haired, red cheeked, kindly old man statuettes that adorn people's gardens and lawns. Listen to the music. Which type of gnome do you think Mussorgsky envisioned? The artwork for this lesson is by John Bauer, showing a group of gnomes clustered around a little gnome boy who asks, 'How do I get into the mountain?' Next week, we'll move on to another painting of people enjoying a pleasant day in a garden.

Vocabulary

Gnome: A legendary dwarfish creature supposed to guard the earth's treasures underground.
Museum: A building in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest are stored and shown.
Exhibition: A public display of works of art or other items of interest, often held in an art gallery or museum.
Suite: A set of movements or musical pieces meant to be played in a specific order.
Movement: A smaller part of a longer suite or musical work with its own key, tempo, and structure.

Composer

1. Modest Mussorgsky was born in 1839 in Toropets, Russia. See his picture below.

2. Zoom in and find Mussorgsky's country of birth on the map of Europe below.

3. Mussorgsky's mother was a pianist, and she taught him piano starting at the age of six. He published his first composition at the age of twelve.
4. Mussorgsky went to military school and served in the military and as a civil servant.
5. Mussorgsky suffered from alcoholism induced epilepsy, which eventually claimed his life at the age of 42.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Create Your Own Museum Exhibition

• Over an 8-week period, you'll listen to compositions from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
• Each week, draw a picture to add to your exhibition.
• At the end of the 8-weeks, you'll use your pictures to create your own museum show.
• This week: Listen to the music, and draw, color, or paint a picture of a gnome in any setting. Keep your pictures in a safe place until your exhibition.

Activity 2: Describe the Music

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

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

• Cheerful
• Mournful
• Soft
• Noisy
• Vivacious
• Soothing
• Eerie
• Threatening
• Surreal
• Whimsical
• Rhythmic
• Grand

Activity 3: Study the Painting

Examine the painting paired with the music.

• After you study the painting, narrate the scene shown in the painting aloud using your own words.
• Describe how the painting relates to the music.

Activity 4: Act Out the Music

• Listen to the music, and pretend to be gnome.
• Build a mountain fort out of tables, couches, chairs and blankets.
• Bring some treasure into your under-the-mountain lair.
• Stand guard over your treasure.

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the music?

1 / 3

Answer 1

The title is 'Pictures at an Exhibition - The Gnome.'

1 / 3

Question 2

Who composed the music?

2 / 3

Answer 2

The composer is Modest Mussorgsky.

2 / 3

Question 3

What is a 'gnome?'

3 / 3

Answer 3

A 'gnome' is a dwarfish creature that guards the earth's treasures underground.

3 / 3

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the music? The title is 'Pictures at an Exhibition - The Gnome.'
2. Who composed the music? The composer is Modest Mussorgsky.
3. What is a 'gnome?' A 'gnome' is a dwarfish creature that guards the earth's treasures underground.

References

'Modest Mussorgsky.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Pictures at an Exhibition.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.