Classical Music in Pictures Music in Pictures    

Lesson 4: Pictures at an Exhibition - Cattle

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. What do you imagine when you think about cows? Probably a bunch of well-fed and happy cows in a sunny field near a red barn. Listen to Mussorgsky's Cattle. Does this music sound like happy cows in a sunny field? Why or why not? Look at the painting 'Cart with Black Ox' by Vincent van Gogh. Is this painting more reflective of the music than the cows in the sunny field? Why or why not? The music is slow and lumbering, just like the little 'beast of burden' trying to pull the heavy cart over rough terrain. You can hear the poor cow's plodding footsteps and his struggles in the music. Next week, let us promenade to the next painting and hope for something a bit more upbeat.

Vocabulary

Ox: A bovine cow used to perform work such as plowing or pulling.
Oxen: More than one ox.
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 an ox 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 an ox pulling a heavy burden.
• Each step takes effort. Your burden is so heavy, you must move very slowly.
• Imagine you are a tired ox that is struggling to pull a plow to break up the hard soil.
• Imagine you are an ox pulling a wagon full of people and supplies over a boggy, muddy road.

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the music?

1 / 3

Answer 1

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

1 / 3

Question 2

Who composed the music?

2 / 3

Answer 2

The composer is Modest Mussorgsky.

2 / 3

Question 3

What is an 'ox?'

3 / 3

Answer 3

An 'ox' is a bovine cow used to perform work such as plowing or pulling.

3 / 3

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the music? The title is 'Pictures at an Exhibition - Cattle.'
2. Who composed the music? The composer is Modest Mussorgsky.
3. What is an 'ox?' An 'ox' is a bovine cow used to perform work such as plowing or pulling.

References

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

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