Bydlo

This is a level 4 piece that focuses on reading strings 4-6. Each player gets the melody at some point in this arrangement. Students should pay close attention to which part has the melody and adjust the balance accordingly. Historical information: Originally written for piano, Pictures at an Exhibition is one of Mussorgsky’s most famous pieces. It is a suite of 10 movements that represent paintings and drawings by Viktor Hartmann. In between the movements, Mussorgsky presents a theme (Promenade) that ties the suite together. This work exists in many different arrangements for different instruments. The most famous arrangement is for orchestra by Maurice Ravel. The title of this movement Bydlo represents a painting of a horse-drawn cart. In the beginning, the dynamics start at a moderate level and then progress to fortissimo at the climax, finally dying away to pianissimo at the end. The use of this dynamic structure is thought to represent the approach and departure of the horse-drawn cart: the cart becomes louder as it approaches and fades into silence as it pulls away.