This masterpiece, originally for piano, was inspired by the tragic loss of a friend, and Ravel's orchestration is a work of art in itself. While roughly half of the original pictures have been lost, we do have descriptions of the originals that give insight to Mussorgsky's music and Ravel's orchestration.
Show Notes
You can view the surviving pictures from Victor Hartman that inspired Mussorgsky here.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer's progressive rock adaptation of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
Pianist Alice Sara Ott performs the piano version by Mussorgsky.
Meet the artist behind Steinway's Pictures at an Exhibition hand painted piano.
Gergiev conducts the Munich Philharmonic in Ravel's orchestration.
Bonus! Here is another progressive rock take from Emerson, Lake & Palmer on a familiar work by Aaron Copland.