Tír Na HiFi

james wrote:Wikipedia has an interesting article and also a link to a free copy of the Piano score ...

http://imslp.org/wiki/Pictures_at_an_Ex ... trovich%29

from the International Music Score Library.

Here are the first two bars of the opening [from Wikipedia] ...



The interesting is that the first bar is in 5/4 time and the second is in 6/4 time.

james

Great link James....thanks for that! I may certainly help me at a later stage.

fergus wrote:Not a favourite work of mine Jared, in either version, but I hope to be educated out of my ignorance. You have already answered what would have been an initial question of mine i.e. what were the "pictures".

I do understand this entirely, Fergus; it will be a feeling I will have when we get to 'Rite' which does nothing for me at all. If you feel you don't want to or can't contribute much to the thread, that's absolutely fine.

I picked it for two reasons; firstly because I find the subject to be a very interesting one and something I could articulate a little more clearly than most pieces of music, and secondly because I hoped that at this early stage, it might draw in a few ageing Rockers into the classical melee.

I'm not planning on going too deep, primarily because I'm not equipped with the knowledge, but I do hope in time, to have a little look at the background to the piece which may be of some interest.

Jared wrote:

fergus wrote:Not a favourite work of mine Jared, in either version, but I hope to be educated out of my ignorance. You have already answered what would have been an initial question of mine i.e. what were the "pictures".

I do understand this entirely, Fergus; it will be a feeling I will have when we get to 'Rite' which does nothing for me at all. If you feel you don't want to or can't contribute much to the thread, that's absolutely fine.

On the contrary Jared I will contribute as much as I possibly can. I have no problem with the fact that not all people like all music; that is just impossible. This piece, and the "Rite" as you also mention are among lots of music that I still do not "get". However that will not stop me from attempting to understand them or at least meeting them half way. Sometimes it can be that we miss something something simple with these works that can be a link to their ultimate comprehension which is why I conceived the idea for these threads. You have made a very good start Jared and I will give it my full attention!

Ok, we have now 'Promenaded' our way into the gallery, so it's time to look at the first few pictures.

Painting 1: ‘Gnomus’:

Key: E-flat minor, Tempo: alternating "Vivo" and "Meno mosso, pesante" [2.24]



Hartmann’s original sketch for ‘The Gnome’ has sadly since been lost, and we are only left with Stasov’s comment “A sketch depicting a little gnome, clumsily running with crooked legs”. It is thought that the sketch was of a design for a wooden ‘Christmas tree’ nutcracker, displaying large teeth, while the spindly legs represented the handles.

Certainly, the lurching music, in contrasting tempos with frequent stops and starts, suggests the movements of the gnome. There is similarly an air of melancholy about the music, as some commentators have suggested that when brought to life, the gnome was said to have had a sad disposition, maybe even performing a mad, irregular dance.

My Listen: The music to me certainly suggest the frantic, irregular scurrying of a small gnome brought to life as he runs through the undergrowth from tree to tree. The scrambled ‘scurrying’ sounds are clearly interspersed with moments of melody which build to a mini-crescendo and fall once more, to suggest ever more strident footsteps before running for cover, culminating in a final, anarchic dance during the last 10 seconds.


Painting 2: ‘Il vecchio castello’ (The Old Castle):

Key: G-sharp minor, Tempo: "Andante molto cantabile e con dolore" [4.56]



Again with no painting, we only have Stasov’s comment to go on: "A medieval castle before which a troubadour sings a sad song”. The castle tower is meant to be a watercolour, set within a beautiful rustic scene sketched by Hartmann during a tour of Italy. It has been suggested that the lute playing troubadour/ minstrel was placed in front of the castle gates by Hartmann to suggest the scale of the building (he was after all in Italy studying architecture).

My Listen: The overall tone of the piece is meant to suggest introspection and a melancholy beauty, as the castle nestles majestically amidst a picturesque valley. You can quite clearly hear the mournful, melancholic strains of the minstrel as he sings alone, perhaps unheard by others, at the imposing medieval gate, growing in turns, quieter and louder, before his song is terminated by the final notes.


Painting 3: ‘The Tuileries Gardens’ (A dispute between children at play):

Key: B-major, Tempo: "Allegretto non troppo, capriccioso" [0.58]



This famous work by Camille Pissaro was completed 20 years after Hartmann's, and will give us an idea of the paths which were strolled around, during our short piece:



The painting is described by Stasov as "An avenue in the garden of the Tuileries, with a swarm of children and nurses." The picture of the Tuileries Gardens, near the Louvre is also lost, however it is believed that once again Hartmann added the children in the foreground to emphasise scale. Here however the atmosphere is meant to be whimsical and light-hearted, with cheeky children arguing and teasing each other, as children do, rather than anything more sinister. Mussorgsky naturally had a tender regard for children, which shines through this section.

This very brief musical interlude is also stylistically meant to suggest a ‘promenade’ through the gardens by the children’s nurses, with the music in a three-part (ternary) form, with the introduction and similarly sounding conclusion, book ending the central ‘trio’.

My Listen: The underlying 1-2 theme here, represents the walk of the nurses/ nannies as they wheel push chairs through the park. Mussorgsky cleverly interrupts this ‘promenade’ with the scurrying (contrast the playful, lighthearted scurry here with the more furtive, erratic scurry of the gnome) of the children randomly across the lawn, onto the path, bumping into the adult figures as they go. As the piece builds in tempo, the rising staccato notes give way to scrambled notes, representing playful arguments amongst the children, perhaps over toys or winning & losing a game.

Jared, I have just organised your excellent notes so far and they are ready for printing to accompany my listening. I intend to do this over the coming weekend. Solo piano not being my forte as you know I only have one version of this work in that format....





I will let you know how I get on.

Hi Fergus,

The Richter 'Sofia Concert' CD has a great reputation but personally I find I can't listen to it because of all the audience noise [and I am a fan of 'Pictures' and Richter]. So if you find you can't listen to it don't give up [yet] on Mussorgsky. There are lots of other good recordings of the piano version.

James

Is it the Sofia concert that has Richter playing wildly different notes during the octave runs in The Great Gate of Kiev? I think I heard it on the radio once and I couldn't follow what the hell he was trying to do at all.

james wrote:Hi Fergus,

The Richter 'Sofia Concert' CD has a great reputation but personally I find I can't listen to it because of all the audience noise [and I am a fan of 'Pictures' and Richter]. So if you find you can't listen to it don't give up [yet] on Mussorgsky. There are lots of other good recordings of the piano version.

James

Thank you James. I have listened to this one before it it has been a while and now that you mention it I do vaguely recall a lot of audience noise. I do have a few live concert recordings so I am somewhat used to it. I will let you know how I get on with it.

What would you recommend or what version do you prefer James?

Diapason wrote:Is it the Sofia concert that has Richter playing wildly different notes during the octave runs in The Great Gate of Kiev? I think I heard it on the radio once and I couldn't follow what the hell he was trying to do at all.

This is not boding particularly well for me on this one is it?

fergus wrote:This is not boding particularly well for me on this one is it?

Fergus, Youtube has several examples of each pictorial section played on piano, which will be perfectly adequate for the task of getting to grips with the music; for which I have started to and will contiue to post links. Please don't feel pressured into buying several different versions of a piece you might not enjoy, purely for familiarisation purposes. You have one live performance by a world class pianist which should be enough, to be able to actively join in for the month.

As always, it's down to how you feel about the piece concerned, as to how many versions you want in your collection; for instance I have a version of Rite being performed by BBC NOW which will suffice for July's inclusion as it's hard to see me buying another, whereas I wouldn't be at all surprised if Simon persuades me into another purchase of HBC during June... because I know it'll be something I'll listen to in the coming years.