PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION

The cover of the first edition of Pictures at an Exhibition

As with most of Mussorgsky's works, Pictures at an Exhibition has a complicated publication history. Although composed very rapidly (between 2nd and 22nd June 1874), the work did not appear in print until 1886 (five years after the composer's death), when an edition by the composer's great friend Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was published. This publication, moreover, was not a completely accurate representation of Mussorgsky's score, but presented an edited and revised text that had been subjected to a certain amount of 'polishing', as well as containing a substantial number of errors and misreadings.

Only in 1931, more than half a century after the work's composition, was Pictures at an Exhibition published in a musicologically responsible edition in agreement with the composer's manuscript. In 1940 the Italian composer Luigi Dallapiccola published an important critical edition of Mussorgsky's work with extensive commentary. Mussorgsky's hand-written manuscript was published in facsimile in 1975.

Gallery of Hartmann's Pictures

The works by Hartmann that can be shown with any certainty to have been used by Mussorgsky in assembling his suite are as follows:

Sketch of Costumes for the Ballet 'Trilby'	The Rich Jew	The Poor Jew	The Catacombs
Plan for a City Gate in Kiev

Movements of the Suite

The ten pieces comprising the suite correspond to ten pictures by Hartmann. The five quasi-independent Promenade movements consist of an introduction and four links, and are not numbered among the ten pictures. Picture No. 8 consists of two parts, each named, but together representing one picture. The order of movements is as follows:

Promenade (French). Key of B flat major. In this piece Mussorgsky depicts himself entering the exhibition and walking through the gallery to the first exhibit. The melody and rhythm resemble Russian folk songs. The piece has simple, strong rhythms, but a changing meter. Ravel's arrangement uses a ceremonial solo trumpet and brass chorale.

1. Gnomus (Latin: The Gnome). Key of e flat minor, in 3/4 time. This piece is based on Hartmann's design sketch of a toy nutcracker shaped like "a little gnome walking awkwardly on deformed legs".

Promenade. Key of A flat major. The promenade theme, illustrating the viewer walking from work to work. Ravel's arrangement uses a solo horn alternating with a woodwind.

2. Il vecchio castello (Italian: The Old Castle). Key of g sharp minor, in 6/8 time. This piece is based on Hartmann's painting of a troubadour singing in front of a castle. Ravel's arrangement uses an alto saxophone for the melody (presumably representing the troubador) over a drone ostinato.

Promenade. Key of B major. Extremely short (8 measures).

3. Tuileries (Dispute d'enfants après jeux) (French: Tuileries (Dispute between Children at Play)). Key of B major. Hartmann originally pictured an empty garden near the Louvre in Paris, France. Mussorgsky musically added children chattering and playing in the garden.

4. Bydło (Polish: Cattle). Key of g sharp minor, in 2/4 time. This was probably a drawing of a Polish oxcart. Ravel represents the bulk of the oxcart using a solo Tuba (euphonium is often used because of the range of the solo).

Promenade. Key of d minor.

5. Balet nevylupivshikhsya ptentsov (Russian: Балет невылупившихся птенцов, Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks). Key of F major, in 2/4 time. This is based on Hartmann's costume design sketches for the ballet Trilbi; the chicks are canaries.

6. "Samuel" Goldenberg und "Schmuÿle" (Yiddish). Key of b flat minor. Vladimir Stasov adds a description "Two Jews: Rich and Poor" (Russian: Два еврея: богатый и бедный); some have incorrectly perceived this description to be part of the original title. Some arrangements have retitled this piece as "Two Polish Jews, Rich and Poor (a.k.a. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle)". The title given here is the one used in Mussorgsky's original manuscript. These are two separate pencil drawings, presented by Hartmann to Mussorgsky. Ravel uses a strong, resonant sound from unison strings and woodwind to represent the rich man, while a high muted trumpet represents the poor man. The use of augmented second intervals approximate Jewish modes such as Ahava Rabbah (Freygish).

Promenade. Key of B flat major. This is in the original, but many arrangements including Ravel's arrangement omit it.

7. Limoges, le marché (La grande nouvelle) (French: The Market at Limoges (The Great News)). Key of E flat major, in 4/4 time. Limoges is a city in central France. Musically this piece represents a bustling market place.

8. Catacombae (Latin: The Catacombs). Hartmann pictured himself in the subterranean tombs of Paris. The first part of Mussorgsky's musical translation is called Sepulcrum Romanum (Latin: Roman Sepulcher). Key of b minor, in 3/4 time. The second part is called Cum mortuis in lingua mortua (Latin: With the Dead in a Dead Language). Key of b minor, in 6/4 time. In his manuscript, Mussorgsky states: "The creative spirit of the dead Hartmann leads me towards the skulls, calls to them - the skulls quietly begin to shine".

9. Izbushka na kur'ikh nozhkakh (Baba-Yaga) (Russian: Избушка на курьих ножках (Баба-Яга), The Hut on Hen's Legs (Baba Yaga)). Key of C minor, in 2/4 time. This is based on a drawing of an elaborately carved clock representing the hut of Baba Yaga (a witch in old Russian legends). This piece is one of the more demanding of the set with a 64th note tremolo during the entire middle part.

10. Bogatyrskie vorota (v stol'nom gorode vo Kieve) (Russian: Богатырские ворота (В стольном городе во Киеве), The Bogatyr Gates (in the Capital, in Kiev)). Key of E flat major. This movement is commonly translated "The Great Gate of Kiev". It is based on sketches Hartmann made for a planned (but never built) monumental gate for Tsar Alexander II. This gate was to have commemorated Tsar Alexander II's narrow escape from an assassination attempt on April 4, 1866. Viktor Hartmann felt that his design for The Great Gate of Kiev was the finest work he had yet done, and it won the competition for the gate's design. It is likely that the project's cancellation deeply disappointed Hartmann.

Versions by Other Hands

The first musician to arrange Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition for orchestra was the little-known Russian composer and conductor Mikhail Tushmalov (1861-96). However, his version (first performed in 1891 and possibly produced as early as 1886 when he was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov) does not include the entire suite: only seven of the ten pictures are present (no 'Gnomus', 'Tuileries', or 'Bydlo'), and all the 'Promenades' are omitted except for the last one, which is used in place of the first.

After him, the next orchestration was that undertaken by British conductor Sir Henry Wood in 1915. This too eliminated some of the appearances of the 'Promenade' theme.

The first person to orchestrate the piece in its entirety was the Slovenian-born conductor and violinist Leo Funtek, who finished his version in 1922 while living and working in Finland.

The version by Maurice Ravel (also produced in 1922, to a commission by Serge Koussevitsky) is a virtuoso effort by a master colourist, and has proved the most popular in the concert hall and on record. Ravel does, however, omit the fifth and last 'Promenade' movement.

Conductor Leopold Stokowski introduced Ravel's version to Philadelphia audiences in November 1929; he produced his own, very free orchestration (incorporating much that could accurately be called re-composition) ten years later. Stokowski revised his version over the years, and made three gramophone recordings of it (1939, 1941 and 1965). The score was not printed until 1971.

Many other orchestrations and arrangements have been created, and the original piano composition is also frequently performed and recorded. A brass ensemble arrangement was made by Elgar Howarth for the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble in the 1970s. There is even an adaption for solo guitar by Kazuhito Yamashita.

There have also been several very different non-classical interpretations: one incorporating progressive rock, jazz and folk music elements by the British trio Emerson, Lake and Palmer (1971; see Pictures at an Exhibition (album)), and an electronic music adaptation by Isao Tomita (1975). A heavy metal arrangement made by German band Mekong Delta also exists. Death Cab For Cutie has also released a track of the same title. In 2002, electronic musician-composer Amon Tobin paraphrased Gnomus for the track "Back From Space", from the album Out From Out Where. In 2003, guitarist-composer Trevor Rabin released his electric guitar adaptation of "Promenade," once intended for the Yes album Big Generator, but included with his demo album 90124.

Orchestral Arrangements

A listing of orchestral arrangements of Pictures at an Exhibition:

1. Mikhail Tushmalov (?1886; 3 'Pictures' and 4 'Promenades' omitted);
2. Henry Wood (1915; 4 'Promenades' omitted);
3. Leo Funtek (1922);
4. Maurice Ravel (1922; '[Promenade V]' omitted);
5. Giuseppe Becce (1922; for 'Salon-Orchestra');
6. Leonidas Leonardi (1924);
7. Lucien Cailliet (1937);
8. Leopold Stokowski (1938; 'Tuileries' and 'Limoges' omitted);
9. Walter Goehr (1942; includes a subsidiary part for piano);
10. Sergei Gorchakov (1954);
11. Helmut Brandenburg (ca. 1970);
12. Emile Naoumoff (ca. 1974, for piano and orchestra);
13. Zdenek Macal (ca. 1977);
14. Lawrence Leonard (1977; for piano and orchestra);
15. Vladimir Ashkenazy (1982);
16. Pung Siu-Wen (ca. 1983; for orchestra of Chinese instruments)
17. Thomas Wilbrandt (1992);
18. Byrwec Ellison (1995);
19. Mekong Delta (for group and Orchestra; 1997);
20. Julian Yu (2002; for chamber orchestra);
21. Hanspeter Gmur (date unknown);
22. Carl Simpson (1997);

Non-Orchestral Arrangements

A listing of non-orchestral arrangements of Pictures at an Exhibition:

1. Giuseppe Becce (Piano Trio; 1930);
2. Rudolf Wurthner (accordion orchestra, ca. 1954); abridged version
3. Ralph Burns (jazz orchestra, ca. 1957)
4. Erik Leidzen (band, ca. 1960)
5. Allyn Ferguson (jazz orchestra, ca. 1963)
6. Mark Hindsley (band, ca. 1963)
7. Dale Eymann (band, ca. 1965); 'Great Gate' only.
8. B. Futerman (Russian folk instruments orchestra, ca. 1968); 'Great Gate' only.
9. Roger Boutry (ca. 1970; for band)
10. Emerson, Lake & Palmer (Rock group, 1971; see Pictures at an Exhibition (album));
11. Harry van Hoof (brass ensemble, ca. 1972); 'Great Gate' only.
12. Isao Tomita (Synthesizer; 1975);
13. Oskar Gottlieb Blarr (Organ; 1976);
14. Elgar Howarth (Brass Ensemble; ca. 1977);
15. Arthur Willis (Organ; 1970s);
16. Dr. Keith Chapman (Organ; viz., for the [Wanamaker Organ[1]] 1970's)
17. Günther Kaunzinger (Organ; 1980);
18. Elgar Howarth (Brass Band; 1981);
19. Kazuhito Yamashita (Guitar; 1981);
20. Reginald Haché (2 Pianos; 1982);
21. Arie Abbenes & Herman Jeurissen (carillon & band, ca. 1984); 'Great Gate' only.
22. Jan Hala (guitar, pop orchestra, ca. 1988); 'Baba-Yaga' only.
23. Jean Guillou (Organ; ca. 1988);
24. Heinz Wallisch (2 Guitars; ca. 1989);
25. Yuri Chernov (ca. 1991; Russian folk instrument orchestra); 'Great Gate' only.
26. Gert van Keulen (band, 1992)
27. Hans Wilhelm Plate (44 Pianists and 44 Grand Pianos and One 'Prepared Piano'; 1993);
28. Jim Prime & Thom Hannum (brass quintet & band, ca. 1994); abridged version
29. Hans-Karsten Raecke (chorus, vocal soloists, synthesizers, brass & percussion, ca. 1994)
30. Tangerine Dream (From album "Turn of the tides", 1994).
31. Elmar Rothe (3 Guitars; 1995);
32. Mekong Delta (metal version; 1997);
33. Joachim Linckelmann (wind quintet; ca. 1999);
34. Vladimir Boyashov (Russian folk orchestra, ca. 2000);
35. Tim Seddon (2 pianos, ca. 2002);
36. Ward Swingle (Vocal Ensemble, double bass, percussion); 'Limoges' only.
37. John Boyd (band; date unknown);
38. Vyacheslav Rozanov (bayan orchestra, date unknown); 'The Old Castle' only.
39. William Schmidt (saxophone choir, date unknown);
40. Elias Seppala (band, date unknown);
41. Carl Simpson (Wind Orchestra, 2004);
42. Atsushi Sugahara (percussion ensemble, date unknown);
43. Tohru Takahashi (band, date unknown);
44. Henk de Vlieger (percussion ensemble, celesta, harp, piano, date unknown);
45. Simon Wright (band, date unknown)
46. Akira Yodo (clarinet choir, date unknown);

Trivia

Atari AV self test screenshot

• Gnomus, Tuileries and other excerpts were used extensively for the score of Hanna-Barbera's cartoon series, The Smurfs.
• An excerpt of the piece was used as part of the score in several episodes of the Warner Bros. animated television series Animaniacs.
• An abridgement of the Promenade theme was the theme tune of the British political sit-com The New Statesman.
• Promenade theme was used in audio-visual mode in self test software of 8-bit Atari computers (self test is built in ROM of the computer).
• The movement Gnomus is played during the interpretive dance scene in the movie The Big Lebowski.
• The Great Gate of Kiev is used as the entrance theme to wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler.
• There is a society devoted to the promotion of performances and arrangements of "Pictures", International Kartinki s Vystavki Association (IKVA).

See also

• Lists of solo piano pieces
• Romantic Music

References

• Russ, Michael. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK; 1992). ISBN 0-521-38607-1 (paperback), ISBN 0-521-38442-7 (hardback).

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Pictures at an Exhibition

• Reproductions of Viktor Hartmann's pictures
• Another page with reproductions (German)
• Yet another page with reproductions (Hungarian)
• A page with additional pictures reproduced in higher resolution (Japanese site with English pages)