The sheet music of The pictures at an exhibition of Mussorgsky for piano.
The suite is opening by the piece "Promenade". The theme of this part based on the pentatonic reminds Russian folk choral music. The measure is variable - 5/4 and 6/4. The leitmotif of "Promenade" will come back from time to time between other parts of suite as illustration of the composer walking from work to work. The other friend of Modest Mussorgsky, a prominent critic Vladimir Stasov see here the reminiscence of the mood of the composer, who is "roving through the exhibition, now leisurely, now briskly in order to come close to a picture that had attracted his attention, and at times sadly, thinking of his departed friend."
Besides of "Promeande" and it’s theme the Suite consists of ten pieces-sketches describing the pictures of Hartmann: No.1 "Gnomus", No. 2 "Il vecchio castello", No. 3 "Tuileries" (Dispute d'enfants après jeux), No. 4 "Bydlo", No. 5 "Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks", No. 6 "Samuel Goldenberg und Schmuÿle", No. 7 "Limoges, le marché" (La grande nouvelle), No. 8 "Catacombae" (Sepulcrum romanum), No. 9 "The Hut on Hen’s Legs (Baba-Yaga)", No. 10 "The Bogatyr Gates (in the Capital in Kiev".
Here is a part of suite performed by the great Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter.
Initially written by Mussorgsky for the piano this suite was rearranged many times for the orchestra by Henry Wood, Leopold Stokowski, Walter Goehr and others. But the most famous is the orchestration of Maurice Ravel. Commissioned by Sergey Koussevitzky this version was first performed on 19th of October 1922. Maurice Ravel was a unique composer and also a prominent arranger this version has acquired a wide distinction and is one of the most famous nowadays.
Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra play “The Pictures at an exhibition” orchestrated by Maurice Ravel.
