Classical Music in Pictures Music in Pictures    

Lesson 6: Pictures at an Exhibition - Catacombs

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. Catacombs are underground cemeteries holding the remains of the deceased. The catacombs beneath the city of Paris, France hold the remains of six million people. Listen to the music 'Catacombs' and examine the painting, 'A Procession in the Catacomb of Callistus' by Alberto Pisa. How well do they capture the dark and mysterious ambiance of the catacomb? After our visit to the spooky catacombs, we are in the perfect mood for the next painting, which is both a little scary and a little strange.

Vocabulary

Catacomb: An underground cemetery consisting of a subterranean rooms or passages with recesses for tombs.
Ambiance: The character and atmosphere of a place.
Procession: People or vehicles moving forward in an orderly fashion, especially as part of a ceremony or festival.
Paris: The capital city of France.
France: A country in western Europe.

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 dark passageway or room in the catacombs. 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: Map the Music

• Study the map of Europe below.
• Find France, which has catacombs in its capital city of Paris.
• Find the capital city of Paris (red dot in France).

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the music?

1 / 5

Answer 1

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

1 / 5

Question 2

Who composed the music?

2 / 5

Answer 2

The composer is Modest Mussorgsky.

2 / 5

Question 3

What are 'catacombs?'

3 / 5

Answer 3

'Catacombs' are underground cemeteries consisting of a subterranean rooms or passages with recesses for tombs.

3 / 5

Question 4

Describe the ambiance of catacombs.

4 / 5

Answer 4

Catacombs are dark, quiet, eerie, spooky, etc.

4 / 5

Question 5

Describe the ambience of an open-air market (from last lesson).

5 / 5

Answer 5

An open-air market is bright, busy, noisy, etc.

5 / 5

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the music? The title is 'Pictures at an Exhibition - Catacombs.'
2. Who composed the music? The composer is Modest Mussorgsky.
3. What are 'catacombs?' 'Catacombs' are underground cemeteries consisting of a subterranean rooms or passages with recesses for tombs.
4. Describe the ambiance of catacombs. Catacombs are dark, quiet, eerie, spooky, etc.
5. Describe the ambience of an open-air market (from last lesson). An open-air market is bright, busy, noisy, etc.

References

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

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