Modest Mussorgski

Pictures at an Exhibition

In 1874 Mussorgsky wrote his famous piano cycle inspired by an exhibition of pictures by his friend Viktor Hartmann. The resources of musical realism are used to describe the ten pictures in great detail; the interposed 'Promenades' then reflect the subjective impressions and feelings of the visitor looking at the pictures. This edition is based on Mussorgsky's original score, with the addition of a few markings apparently overlooked by the composer, inserted in brackets. Fingerings have been added, together with the original comments on individual pieces from the first edition. These comments by the art critic Vladimir Stassov, the organiser of the exhibition, outline the 'programmatic' nature of the musical composition. A major work in the piano repertoire - now in 'Piano Classics'.