Composer

:

Modest Mussorgsky

Genre

:

Orchestral

Style

:

Suite

Compose Date

:

1874 - 1922

Publication Date

:

1922

Average_duration

:

32:24

Movement_count

:

15

Movement ....

"Pictures at an Exhibition" is a suite of ten pieces for orchestra composed by Modest Mussorgsky in 1874. The work was inspired by an exhibition of paintings by his friend, Viktor Hartmann, who had died the previous year. The suite was later orchestrated by Maurice Ravel in 1922. The premiere of "Pictures at an Exhibition" was given by the composer himself in a private performance in 1874. The work was not published until 1886, five years after Mussorgsky's death. The orchestration by Ravel was premiered in Paris in 1922. The suite is comprised of ten movements, each representing a different painting or sketch by Hartmann. The movements are connected by a recurring "Promenade" theme, which represents the viewer walking from one painting to the next. The first movement, "Promenade," sets the tone for the suite and introduces the recurring theme. The second movement, "The Gnome," is a lively and playful piece that represents a wooden toy that Hartmann had designed. The third movement, "Promenade," leads into the fourth movement, "The Old Castle," which is a melancholic piece that represents a medieval castle. The fifth movement, "Promenade," leads into the sixth movement, "Tuileries," which is a playful and lively piece that represents children playing in the Tuileries gardens in Paris. The seventh movement, "Bydlo," is a heavy and somber piece that represents a Polish ox-cart. The eighth movement, "Promenade," leads into the ninth movement, "Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks," which is a light and playful piece that represents chicks hatching from their eggs. The final movement, "The Great Gate of Kiev," is a grand and majestic piece that represents a design for a gate that Hartmann had submitted for a competition. The movement features a powerful brass section and a triumphant melody. Overall, "Pictures at an Exhibition" is a vivid and colorful work that showcases Mussorgsky's talent for musical storytelling. The suite is a tribute to his friend Hartmann and a celebration of the power of art to inspire and move us.

More....