Persistance of Memory
Salvador Dali
March’s Fine Arts Mini Experience (FAME) was taught during the week of March 11-14th and featured Hungarian composer Franz Liszt’s selections, “Hungarian Rhapsody #2” and “Liebestraum” and Spanish artist Salvador Dali’s surrealist masterpiece, “Persistence of Memory”.
Listening to the gypsy strains of Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody”, students were asked to review tempo and all of the varying tempos that can be found throughout Liszt’s music. They learned about Liszt’s unique recital style, and how his passionate piano playing in the 1800s created a rock star kind of epidemic which doctors named “Lisztomania”
We also listened to Liszt’s composition “Liebestraum” ( which means “Dream of Love”) in order to hear the harmony, and to discuss the concept of dreams.
When talking about dreams, no other artist comes close to the surrealist, dream-like paintings of Salvador Dali. Dali’s unusual life and flamboyant character were discussed in detail, much to the delight of the children.
We also looked at several surreal works of art by Dali and talked about what we saw, or at least thought we saw in his work. Students especially enjoyed talking about “Persistence of Memory”…A.K.A. “The painting with the melting clocks”.