Composer

:

Modest Mussorgsky

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Suite

Compose Date

:

1874

Publication Date

:

1886

Average_duration

:

32:43

Movement_count

:

16

Movement ....

Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" is a suite of ten pieces for solo piano, composed in 1874. The work was inspired by an exhibition of paintings by Mussorgsky's friend, Viktor Hartmann, who had died the previous year. The suite is structured as a musical tour of the exhibition, with each movement representing a different painting or sketch. The premiere of "Pictures at an Exhibition" was given by the composer's friend, the pianist Vladimir Stasov, in 1874. The work was not well-received at the time, and Mussorgsky revised it several times before his death in 1881. The suite was later orchestrated by Maurice Ravel in 1922, and has since become one of Mussorgsky's most popular and frequently-performed works. The ten movements of "Pictures at an Exhibition" are as follows: 1. Promenade - This recurring theme represents the visitor walking through the exhibition. 2. Gnomus - A grotesque, gnome-like figure depicted in a painting by Hartmann. 3. Promenade - The visitor continues on to the next painting. 4. Il vecchio castello - A medieval castle depicted in a painting by Hartmann. 5. Promenade - The visitor moves on to the next painting. 6. Tuileries - A scene of children playing in the Tuileries gardens in Paris, depicted in a watercolor by Hartmann. 7. Bydlo - A Polish cart drawn by oxen, depicted in a painting by Hartmann. 8. Promenade - The visitor moves on to the next painting. 9. Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks - A whimsical depiction of chicks hatching from eggs, depicted in a costume design by Hartmann. 10. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle - Two contrasting characters from a painting by Hartmann, one rich and one poor. 11. Promenade - The visitor moves on to the next painting. 12. Limoges, le marché - A bustling market scene in Limoges, France, depicted in a watercolor by Hartmann. 13. Catacombae (Sepulchrum romanum) - A haunting depiction of the catacombs beneath Rome, inspired by a sketch by Hartmann. 14. Cum mortuis in lingua mortua - A solemn interlude, representing the dead speaking in a dead language. 15. Baba Yaga - A depiction of the witch Baba Yaga from Russian folklore, depicted in a painting by Hartmann. 16. The Great Gate of Kiev - A grand finale, representing the entrance to the city of Kiev, depicted in a painting by Hartmann. "Pictures at an Exhibition" is characterized by its vivid and colorful depictions of the paintings and sketches that inspired it. Mussorgsky's use of folk melodies and Russian harmonies give the work a distinctly nationalistic flavor, while his unconventional harmonies and rhythms reflect his rejection of traditional Western European musical forms. The suite is also notable for its use of recurring themes, particularly the Promenade theme, which ties the movements together and represents the visitor's journey through the exhibition.

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