Composer-palooza!

We've spent the past few weeks learning about some classical music pieces and their composers. First, we heard "Pictures at and Exhibition" by Modest Mussorgsky. Mussorgsky wrote the music after visiting an art exhibit of a friend. We listened to an ox pulling a cart, two women arguing, and children playing in a field of flowers, among others. Then we drew our own pictures to more of Mussorgsky's music.



The following week we learned about Saint Saens and his composition "Carnival of the Animals". We colored pictures of each of the animals, and then pretended to be lions, horses, elephants, kangaroos, birds, and fish, and we even went hunting for cuckoo birds in the forest.


lions


elephants


wild horses


hunting for cuckoo birds

Last week we learned about George Frideric Handel, who composed a piece titled "Water Music" for the King's party. The King wanted to have the party on a floating barge, but there wasn't enough room on the boat for the guests and the musicians. So, 2 barges floated side-by-side down the river - one full of dancing party-goers, and the other with Handel and an orchestra playing Handel's "Water Music".

We took turns being the musicians in the boat, playing instruments along to the "Water Music", while others of us were the waves lapping at the boat.