Ilya Repin's celebrated portrait of Mussorgsky, painted 2–5 March 1881, only a few days before the composer's death. Photo: Public Domain
This suite is a musical memorial to Viktor Hartmann, who died unexpectedly from an aneurysm at the age of just 39. Viktor was an architect and painter and one of Modeste Mussorgsky’s closest friends.
Following his death, an exhibition of over 400 of Hartmann's paintings was displayed in the Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg. This extraordinary retrospective inspired Mussorgsky to compose his suite 'Pictures at an Exhibition'. Most of the works shown at the 1874 exhibition are now lost.
Each of the pieces in the suite are linked with Promenade music, which you’ll hear at the beginning of the work. That music will guide you from one picture to the next.
French composer Maurice Ravel, spellbound by the music’s colour and imagination, orchestrated it in 1922. He even included a saxophone and a famous solo for tuba.
The movements are: The Gnome, The Old Castle, Tuileries, Cattle, The Battle of the Unhatched Chicks, Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle, The Market at Limoges, Catacombs, The Hut on Fowl’s Legs, and The Great Gate at Kiev.
This performance in Wellington was accompanied by projected images from Te Papa’s Art collection – a range of images from NZ and international artists including some creative choices to match the music.
Recorded in Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington on 2 August 2019 by RNZ Concert
Producer/sound engineer: Darryl Stack
