Pictures from an Exhibition A collaboration between and CPS All-City Visual Art exhibitions In conjunction with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra s school and family concerts on May 17 and 18, 2019, which feature Modest Mussorgsky s Pictures from an Exhibition, an evocative and thrilling orchestral masterwork inspired by works of visual art, the Negaunee Music Institute at the CSO is excited to collaborate with the Chicago Public Schools All-City Visual Art (ACVA) exhibitions to showcase student artwork created in response to the music. This packet contains additional information about the project timeline, the submission and selection processes, instructional resources for teachers, and a listing of workshops and additional resources. You may also access this packet online at cso.org/pictures. Submission guidelines, timeline, and selection process Elementary through high school teachers are invited to submit up to five works of art created specifically for this exhibition, using the Slideroom portal that can be accessed on cpsarts.org. Visual art teachers, music teachers and classroom teachers may all submit student artwork. All types of media will be accepted, including two-dimensional works, sculpture, and digital works. Slideroom will be open February 1 through March 1, 2019, for high school submissions and February 27 through March 27, 2019, for elementary school submissions. Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of CPS visual art teachers and selections will be based on the strength of the artworks connection to Viktor Hartmann s artwork and Mussorgsky s music. Please view the attached rubric for specific criteria. Teachers will be notified in late-march if their students works have been selected for the exhibition. The exhibition Up to 50 works will be selected for the exhibition that will accompany the CSO school and family concerts at Symphony Center. Student works must be delivered to Symphony Center (220 S. Michigan Avenue) on Monday, May 13 or Tuesday, May 14. The exhibition will run from Thursday, May 16 through Tuesday, May 21, 2019. More information about drop-off and exhibition hours will be shared when selections are announced. Concert tickets A limited number of free tickets for the Friday, May 17 school concerts will be available for classrooms of students whose artwork is selected for the exhibition. Bus transportation will also be provided. Alternately, students may receive tickets to the Saturday, May 18 family concert. Staff from the Negaunee Music Institute will contact teachers directly about these opportunities and will arrange group tours of the exhibition.
Lesson plans and teacher resources On the next pages are lesson plans designed to guide students artmaking in response to Mussorgsky s music. Beginning and intermediate lessons are included. Teachers are encouraged to adapt the lessons to fit the needs of their students and the resources available in their classrooms. Additionally, we have included resources to help teachers become more familiar with elements of music and, therefore, be more effective in guiding students listening analysis. Teacher workshops Pictures Lesson and Exhibition Workshop: CPS teachers are invited to attend a free lesson and exhibition workshop on January 30, 2019, from 4:30-6:00pm at Symphony Center. Teachers will get specific tips on the lessons created to support exhibition submissions, offer planning advice, and learn more about the exhibition. In addition, CSO staff will provide a tour of Symphony Center so teachers can learn more about the historic building where the exhibition will take place. ISBE clock hours will be available for teachers who attend. To sign up, email allcityarts@cps.edu or visit: http://bit.ly/cpsacva. Music workshop: On Wednesday, May 1, from 4:30-7:00pm, the Negaunee Music Institute will host a free workshop for teachers, exploring the music of Mussorgsky. While this workshop is scheduled after the submissions and selections will have occurred, CPS teachers are cordially invited to attend. Please contact Katy Clusen, Manager of School and Family Programs, for more information: clusenk@cso.org or 312.294.3044. Thank you for your interest in this opportunity and for the work you will undertake to guide your students art making. We are excited to showcase the excellent work of CPS students alongside these performances and know that the partnership will enhance our audiences understanding and enjoyment of the concert. For more information, please contact us via email at pictures@cso.org or allcityarts@cps.edu. Sincerely, Staff from the Negaunee Music Institute at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Pictures from an Exhibition Integrated Arts Lesson Summary This mini unit will explore and strengthen the relationship between visual arts and music. Students will observe the historical influence of visual art on music and draw inspiration for their own visual art making. Selected students artwork will be placed on exhibition at Symphony Center and select participants will attend Pictures from an Exhibition school and family concerts featuring members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 1. Focus: Pictures from an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky, orchestrated by Maurice Ravel, with Visual Arts Response 2. Unit of Study: Music and Art Connecting to Mixed Media ( Basic) and Music and Art Influencing Memories through Mixed Media ( Intermediate) 3. Objectives: - Make connections between elements of music and elements of visual art - Create a visual artwork that responds to a musical movement - Express mood, action, or emotion in a visual artwork using a variety of materials and the elements and principles of design - (Intermediate) Design a memory/tribute artwork that represents a movement from Pictures from an Exhibition 4. Suggested Time Allotment: Two days for Basic, five or more days for Intermediate. Time is divided into the following three phases. - Connecting: Exploration of Elements and Principles of Art with a variety of materials - Responding: Introduction to Pictures at an Exhibition: Listening, Understanding, Reflecting - Creating and Refining: Artmaking in Response to musical movements. Design. Create. Reflect. Illinois Visual Arts Learning Anchor Standards Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Anchor Standard 6: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. Anchor Standard CN 10.1: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
Suggested Vocabulary - Movement - Tone - Expression - Album Covers - Assemblage (Collage) - Overlapping - Composition - Elements of Arts and Principles of Design (prerequisites) Implementation Learning Context Optional: In order to allow for student choice in this unit, students should have some prerequisite knowledge of materials and the appropriate ways to use those materials. During a class prior to the introduction of the music, allow students to explore a variety of materials to express a set of different moods. Discuss ways that mood/emotion can be expressed in works of art using the Elements and Principles of Design. Students can assign a mood or emotion to each of their material explorations. (Carefully select moods that could be applied to different movements of the music.) This will act as a reference for future artmaking. Procedures a. Connecting & Responding to Pictures from an Exhibition Introduction a. Suggested connection for Intermediate lesson: Discuss grief/loss and how individuals may deal with this. Explore how visual and musical artists may deal with grief/loss in the past/present. Journal entry or group discussions. Discuss what a tribute means and develop examples. b. Play Classics for Kids episode ( https://www.classicsforkids.com/shows/shows.php?id=95 ) to introduce the piece of music, hear samples from each of the movements, and provide some background information. Students may fill out a listening tool (included below) as the clip plays. Discuss any commonalities between music elements and visual elements and principles. c. Play Mussorgsky s piece. Organize students into pairs/groups and have them create mood art studies for the different movements. Students should refer to their listening tool as well as the Elements and Principles handout (see below) to make connections between visual art and music. Their color choices, material choices and art making techniques should change with each movement. This time is an opportunity for students to explore materials and respond to music with those materials. b. Creating Art making in Response to One Movement a. Students will choose which movement they found most interesting and use this as their inspiration for their art making. (Ideas for mixed media art making: collage, assemblage, memory boxes, paintings, drawings, etc.) b. Students will answer questions about the materials they chose, the elements and principles of art they used and how it all connects to their chosen movement.
Differentiated Instruction Diverse Learners and ELL will be offered a variety of resources and modifications to meet objectives. (For example, ELL students and visual learners can view this video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxy50exhjes&feature=youtu.be ) to ensure artworks correspond to each movement. Please note that the artworks in this video are not all by Viktor Hartmann.) Materials & Resources a. Instructional Materials: a. Listening Tool: Students will utilize during the listening portion of the lesson. b. Elements and Principles of Design handout: Students will use this during the listening and making portions of the lesson. b. Art Materials: a. 2D materials: paper, colored pencil, markers, oil pastels, crayons, paints, magazines, fabric scissors, glue sticks and base for work. b. 3D materials: pipe cleaners, beads, yarn, scissors, paper, glue, clay/model magic, found items, hot-glue and base for work. c. Resources: a. Full length recordings of Pictures from an Exhibition: https://open.spotify.com/album/3hwjrhl0hu0wghys9blijl or https://youtu.be/dxy50exhjes. b. Additional resources for teachers are available as part of this PDF: https://cso.org/pictures. c. Artworks by Viktor Hartmann: only six of Hartmann s original works still exist. They can are included in the PDF packet linked above. Suggested Assessment(s) Formative: Listening Tool Formative: Mood based artwork Summative: Artwork Summative: Student reflections Acknowledgments The Negaunee Music Institute at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the work of the following individuals who contributed to the development of these materials: Wendie Bloxsom, Visual Arts Educator, Morgan Park High School Brenda Fineberg, Executive Director, Foundations of Music Claire Reynes, Visual Arts Educator, Mark Twain Elementary School Melisa Rutkelis, CPS Department of Arts Education 2018 Wendie Bloxsom, Claire Reynes, Brenda Fineberg and The Negaunee Music Institute at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Listening Tool Movement Listen to each musical selection and identify the prominence of the musical elements listed below. Focus on one element at a time. You do not need to have an answer for each item. Consider how these different musical elements combine to depict each picture and how these elements will influence your artwork. PIANO (SOFT) FORTE (LOUD) SLOW FAST STEADY BEAT IRREGULAR BEAT LOTS OF SILENCE LOTS OF NOTES FEW INSTRUMENTS MANY INSTRUMENTS FEW STRING INSTRUMENTS FEW WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS FEW BRASS INSTRUMENTS FEW PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS DARK TIMBRE (SOUND COLOR) LOTS OF STRING INSTRUMENTS LOTS OF WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS LOTS OF BRASS INSTRUMENTS LOTS OF PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS BRIGHT TIMBRE (SOUND COLOR) SMOOTH LINES CHOPPY LINES My sketch:
Elements and Principles of Visual Art Elements - Line - Shape - Color - Texture - Value - Space - Form Principles - Balance - Contrast - Emphasis - Pattern - Unity/Variety - Movement - Rhythm
Rubric This rubric will be used by a panel of CPS visual art teachers to select student artwork that will be placed on exhibition at Symphony Center in conjunction with the May 17 and 18, 2019 CSO school and family concerts featuring Pictures from an Exhibition. Technical Elements Composition and Presentation Originality, Concept, and Student voice Connection to Pictures from an Exhibition Wide range of values, demonstrates strong understanding of color, complex textures, effective use of space, varying line quality, form and shape are accurate and effective Appropriately complex composition and effectively uses multiple principles of art: balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm, movement, unity/variety, proportion/scale. Made entirely by the student artist or student effectively expands past the goals set by the teacher 3 2 1 Work connects directly to piece Pictures from an Exhibition, specifically to one movement or their entire piece as interpreted by the student's voice Most elements are present but not all are effective Student attempted a complex composition, work has limited visual movement, piece is slightly wrinkled or has unfinished edges Student has attempted an original concept or successfully completed the assignment while maintaining their own style. Work has limited or unclear connections to the piece Pictures from an Exhibition as interpreted by the student's voice Limited range of values, attempt at complex composition, demonstrates limited understanding of one or two principles of art. Student did not plan composition, overall work is rushed, unfinished, or damaged. Student participation is hidden behind teacher influence or student s original concept is unclear Work has no clear connections to the piece Pictures from an Exhibition Score Exemplary: 12-10 points Proficient: 9-7 points Fair: 6-4
Additional resources for teachers The information and resources shared below are designed to orient teachers to Mussorgsky s and Ravel s music in order to support students musical exploration as a foundation for their artmaking. Many additional resources are available online, to expand upon and supplement what is presented here. Summary Pictures from an Exhibition is an evocative and thrilling piece of classical music inspired by drawings and paintings by the 19 th century Russian designer and artist Viktor Hartmann, depicting his experiences and encounters while traveling across Europe. The composer, Modest Mussorgsky, was a close friend of Hartmann s. His work for piano was a musical tribute to his friend, after his untimely death. Chicago Symphony Orchestra Scholar-in-Residence & Program Annotator Phillip Huscher describes the origins of Mussorgsky s music: When Victor Hartmann died at the age of thirty-nine, little did he know that the pictures he left behind the legacy of an undistinguished career as artist and architect would live on. The idea for an exhibition of Hartmann s work came from Vladimir Stassov, the influential critic who organized a show in Saint Petersburg in the spring of 1874. But it was [composer] Modest Mussorgsky, so shocked at the unexpected death of his dear friend, who set out to make something of this loss. Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life, he is said to have asked, paraphrasing King Lear, and creatures like Hartmann must die? Stassov s memorial show gave Mussorgsky the idea for a suite of piano pieces that depicted the composer roving through the exhibition, now leisurely, now briskly, in order to come closer to a picture that had attracted his attention, and at times sadly, thinking of his departed friend. Mussorgsky s suite includes ten musical pictures, introduced and connected by a series of Promenades. Mussorgsky wrote Pictures from an Exhibition in 1874. It was published in 1886 and, within a few years, composers began arranging the piece for orchestra. The most popular and frequently performed arrangement is by the French impressionist composer Maurice Ravel. This is the version that members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will perform at the school concerts on May 17, 2019. List and description of movements Below is a chart with short descriptions of each of the movements (distinct sections, often separated by silence) of Pictures from an Exhibition. The descriptions draw from quotes by Vladimir Stasov. Some movements include a second description, which removes significant geographic and cultural references, in case teachers want to encourage students to imagine their artwork in a different setting. In the far right column are questions or suggestions to help students make contemporary connections to the subjects of these movements
Movement Description by Russian critic Vladimir Stasov Description without geographic and cultural references Contemporary connections 1. Promenade Mussorgsky roving through the exhibition now leisurely, now briskly in order to come close to a picture that had attracted his attention, and at times sadly, thinking of his departed friend. 2. No. 1 The Gnome A sketch depicting a little gnome, clumsily running with crooked legs 3. Promenade 4. No. 2 The Old Castle 5. Promenade A medieval castle before which a troubadour [French medieval poet/singer] sings a song An old castle, with a poet and musician performing in front. 6. No. 3 Tuileries An avenue in the garden of the Tuileries, with a swarm of children and nurses. Google images of the Tuileries Gardens can be found here. 7. No. 4 Bydlo A Polish cart on enormous wheels, drawn by oxen. 8. Promenade Children and their parents, grandparents or caregivers, playing in a huge public park. A cart with huge wheels, pulled by oxen. Where in your neighborhood do you see children playing? 9. No. 5 The Ballet of Unhatched Chicks Hartmann s design for the decor of a picturesque scene in the ballet Trilby. Costumes for a ballet.
10. No. 6 Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuÿle Two Jews: rich and poor A rich man and a poor man. How does this music depict the power or stature of a rich man and the powerlessness of a poor man? 11. Promenade 12. No. 7 Limoges. The Market. French women quarrelling violently in the market. Women arguing in a public marketplace. 13. No. 8 Catacombs Hartmann represented himself examining the Paris catacombs by the light of a lantern. Ancient underground burial sites. Hartmann included himself in his original, taking in the scene. For students who have experienced the loss of friends or family members, does this music inspire you to imagine solemn places? 14. No. 9 The Hut on Fowl s Legs Hartmann s drawing depicted a clock in the form of Baba Yaga s hut on fowl s legs. [Baba Yaga is a supernatural being.] Mussorgsky added the witch s flight in a mortar. A clock shaped like a witch s hut, with chicken s legs. 15. No. 10 The Great Gate of Kiev A design for the city gates at Kiev [Ukraine] in the ancient Russian massive style with a cupola shaped like a Slavonic helmet. Massive city gates, including a dome. What is an architectural feature of your city or neighborhood that matches the scale and grandeur of this music? Hartmann images Only six of the paintings and drawings by Viktor Hartmann still exist. They can be found at the end of this packet. Recordings There are many recordings of Pictures from an Exhibition available online; a few links are included below. The Negaunee Music Institute has an educational CD that we are happy to share. To receive a CD, email us at pictures@cso.org. https://open.spotify.com/album/3hwjrhl0hu0wghys9blijl https://youtu.be/dxy50exhjes
Introduction to the elements and principles of music The chart below lists a variety of musical elements and principles, with descriptions and examples of each. The recording referenced in right column is the CSO recording on Spotify ( https://open.spotify.com/album/3hwjrhl0hu0wghys9blijl ). Please note the differences between track numbers and movement numbers. Term Definition Examples Musical Selections Beat The regularly recurring pulse in music. Time is counted in music by using beats, which are assembled into measures. Listen to the very beginning of the piece ( Track 1, Movement 1, Promenade, 0:00-0:20 ). Notice how the beat is even, measured, and sounds like walking or marching. Now listen to the very beginning of Track 2 (Movement 3. Promenade). Notice how the melody is the same, but the beat is very different. It no longer feels evenly measured and march-like, but has more give and take, slowing down in some places and resuming a steady tempo in other places. Rhythm A musical pattern moving through time formed by a series of notes of different durations. Listen to track 5 (Movement 9, Ballet of Chicks in their Shells ). You will hear a very busy rhythm, in which the pulse is subdivided into many small pieces. This rhythm is interrupted by long, held notes which break up the flow. Tempo The speed of the music s beat. Presto (very fast) Allegro (fast) Andante (moderate, walking tempo) Largo (slow) Rubato (give and take with tempo and rhythm) Accelerando (getting gradually faster and faster) Listen to Movement 9 (Ballet of Chicks in their Shells) at 0:34. Notice how the rhythm is busy (subdivided into many pieces), but the tempo is quite moderate. To feel the difference, pat your lap on the big beats that sound like DEE-dum, DEE-dum. Notice how it s a more of a walking tempo? Go back and listen again to Track 9. Can you find the big beats here?
Ritardando (getting gradually slower and slower) Do you feel them moving along more quickly? Pitch How high or low a musical sound is. Listen to Movement 14 (The Hut on Fowl s Legs). This selection is full of contrasts between low and high sounds. At 0:57, notice the orchestra alternating between some of the lowest and highest pitches they can play. In the slower section beginning at 1:05, notice how the melody rises and falls. Melody Harmony A succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence. Musical pitches that fall into a recognizable pattern, which you might sing or hum. A combination of pitches sounding together, like a chord. When a group of pitches sound harsh or jarring, they are described as being dissonant. Listen to Movement 12, The Catacombs. Much of the track is a series of loud, harmonic blasts or chords from the brass section. However, at 1:30, the trumpet plays a short melody all on its own, or solo. Notice the contrast between a single voice playing one note at a time and the sound of a group of instruments playing different notes at the same time. Dynamics Degrees of intensity of volume. How loudly or softly the music is played. Pianissimo (very quiet) Piano (quiet) Mezzo-forte (medium-loud) Forte (loud) Fortissimo (very loud) Listen to Movement 7 (Bydlo) from the beginning through 2:29. Notice how the orchestra begins at it s softest possible dynamic, builds all the way through it s loudest, then pulls all the way back to its softest at the end of this section. This is called a crescendo (building) and diminuendo (reducing), a way composers can build drama and expression into a piece.
Expression Various ways that the same pitches can be played differently (e.g. smooth or choppy, heavy or light) Legato (smooth and connected) Staccato (short and percussive) Accented (strong front with decay) Listen to Track 1 at 1:40 (Movement 2, Gnomus). Listen to how the instruments accent certain notes in each phrase. This section lacks the same sense of steady beat we find in the Promenade, but the accents keep the music moving forward. At the concert, watch how the conductor indicates these different expressions to the musicians. Notice how much the orchestra must watch the conductor in order to play these notes exactly together! Instrumentation The particular instruments used in a piece of music. Instruments are grouped into families based on similarities in the ways that they produce sound. The four instrument families of the orchestra are strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Strings (violin, viola, cello, double bass) Woodwinds (flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, etc.) Brass (tuba, trombone, French horn, trumpet, etc.) Percussion (timpani, xylophone, cymbals, etc.) Other (e.g. synthesizer or electronic instruments, found percussion) For an example of the STRING section, listen to the opening of Movement 10 (Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuÿle (0:00-0:45) The WOODWINDS, specifically the flute, are featured throughout Movement 9 (Ballet of the Chicks in their Shells). The BRASS are most clearly notable in the very opening of the piece, Track 1 (Movement 1, Promenade). The PERCUSSION section, specifically a rolling snare drum and the steady beat of the Timpani, can be heard moving the music forward at 1:30 in Movement 7 (Bydlo). Timbre The quality or color of sound that makes one voice or instrument different from another. The composer chose the brass instruments to both start and end the piece. Listen to Movement 1 from the beginning, then listen to Movement 15 (The Great Gate of Kiev) at 5:21. The bright, vibrant tone of the brass announces the beginning and end of the piece. The composer wants to make sure the
listener knows the tour of the gallery is over! You can also compare and contrast the color of the sound in the different Promenades (Movements 1, 3, 5, and 8). Texture The ways multiple voices or instruments interact in a piece of music. Listen to Movement 8 (Promenade) at 2:40. Notice how the texture starts out simply: two instruments play a variation of the theme in harmony. As the piece continues, notice how more and more instruments join in the music, adding layers and complexity to the sounds and texture until it is hard to tell one voice from another. Phrasing A division of a musical line, comparable to a line or sentence in poetry or prose. Listen to Track 2 beginning at 3:10 (Movement 4, The Old Castle). Notice how each instrument/group of instruments has a smooth connected musical sentence, then a short break, or rest. You can almost imagine the instruments speaking to each other, pausing for breath, or to express a new idea. Form The structure of a musical composition. Repetitive (e.g., the exact same musical idea occurs again and again: AAAAAA ) As a whole, there is REPETITION in the piece because the Promenade section returns. Within each movement, there is melodic repetition too. Predictable (e.g., Sections of the piece re-occur in an expected way: ABACADA ) However, the structure of the piece is not PREDICTABLE, as the Promenade does not appear between every individual sketch. Thematic (e.g., the same general musical idea is re-stated, though not exactly the same way each time: AA A A ) The same THEMATIC idea, the Promenade, is repeated throughout, but every time, it sounds a bit different. There is CONTRAST both between each version of the
Contrasting (e.g., sections sound very different from one another: ABCDEF ) Promenade, and between each picture. Other resources https://www.wassilykandinsky.net/pictures.php https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyid=112101115 https://www.amazon.com/pictures-exhibition-anna-harwell-celenza/dp/1570914923 https://www.amazon.com/can-you-hear-william-lach/dp/0810957213 https://www.classicsforkids.com/shows/shows.php?id=95 http://pictures.studio409art.com/
Viktor Hartmann s artwork No. 5. The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks
No. 6a. Samuel Goldenberg
No. 6b. Schmuÿle
No. 8. Catacombs
No. 9. The Hut on Fowl s Legs
No. 10. The Great Gate of Kiev