Now when you look at a picture, usually there's some main idea to the picture, the thing that draws your eye to it, but there can also be other things in the picture. There can also be a background. Let's take a look at the Mona Lisa by Leonardo DaVinci.
Hi Mona. Can you tell me what it's like over there?
"Well. Morris. It's kind of damp and misty. The sun is low on the horizon, hidden behind the clouds. I'm sitting in front of a really beautiful background, but after over 400 years, I'm getting a little tired of it. Back to you, Morris."
Thanks for the info, Mona. I really like Mona. She's so much fun, and she has a such a great smile.
In music, your ear is drawn to the melody, but there can be other music that goes along with the melody. It's called the accompaniment.
In the "Swan" the cello plays the melody of the swan, and the piano plays the accompaniment. To me, it sounds like the composer wanted to describe moving water.
Imagine that you were the composer. How would you describe water with music? Would you make the lines smooth or jerky, fast or slow, high or low? What would you do?
Let's listen and hear what Saint-Saëns did with the the accompaniment for the "Swan."
