MEDIUM HYBRID SACD
CONDITION sealed
CD CASE M mint
BOOKLET M mint
SERIALNUMBER No
LIMITED Yes
MISCELLANEOUS Stereo
MUSICIAN HOMEPAGE --
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Fritz Reiner - conducting
MODEST MUSSORGSKY (1839 - 1881)
pictures at an exhibition (kartinki s vïstavski) for orchestra, orchestrated by maurice ravel
promenade - 1:32
gnomus - 2:19
promenade - 0:48
il veccio castello - 4:15
il vecchio promenade - 0:26
tuileries - 1:03
bydlo - 3:10
bydlo promenade - 1:14
ballet des poussins - 0:42
samuel goldenberg et schmuyle - 1:29
limoges. le marche - 2:54
catacombae. sepulchum romanum - 1:30
cum mortuis in lingua mortua - 2:22
la cabane sur des pattes de poule - 1:56
le grande porte de kiev - 4:40
Another sonic and musical blockbuster from the unbeatable combo of Reiner and RCA (and Mohr & Layton)
Recorded in 1957 at Chicago's Orchestra Hall; the original analog session tapes were used in mastering for LPs and SACDS
Mussorgsky's inspiration for "Pictures ..." was the death of his dear friend, the architect and visual artist Victor Hartman
Having died at age 39, Hartman had not yet had the opportunity to realize any of his architectural visions, and Mussorgsky was angered that his friend would have no legacy
The Architects' Society arranged an exhibition of some of Hartman's sketches — some of architecture, others of characters or scenes from everyday life
The tribute was enough to give Mussorgsky ideas for his composition, but not enough to give Hartman any lasting place in history
Today, of all of the sketches that were captured in music, only six can be positively identified
The piece is known today primarily through the orchestral version created by Maurice Ravel in 1922
In fact, the work had already been orchestrated multiple times, by a variety of lesser names
Some conductors today find that Ravel's version, in spite of its color, sacrifices some of the coarse nature inherent in Mussorgsky's piano original
Furthermore, Ravel worked from Rimsky-Korsakov's edited version of the piano part — the only one available at the time — which changed some notes and rhythms
None of the orchestrations, however, change the fundamental spirit of the piece
Mussorgsky imagines himself making his way down the hallway that showcased his late friend's work, with his stately procession represented by the Promenade that opens the piece and returns several times
Upon stopping at each image, he reflects on what he sees
Between the early movements, the promenade returns regularly, as Mussorgsky is conscious of moving from one scene to the next
As the work progresses, however, he becomes less aware of the interval between pictures, and more immersed in the continuous psychological experience of moving from one state of mind to the next
By the end, the composer sees himself transformed by the connection with Hartman through his visual expressions of Russian pride and humanity
RECORDING 1957 at the Chicago Orchestra Hall
ENGINEERING Lewis Layton
LABEL RCA Living Stereo
RE MASTERING Ryan Smith
RE RELEASED April 2014
AVERAGE RATING 5 Stars out of 5
MADE IN USA
STYLE Classic / Suite / Orchestral Music
AVAILABLE as long as inventory stock
