Musorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition

Cambridge Music Handbooks

by Michael Russ

This informative and wide-ranging guide places the original piano work in the context of Russian cultural life, considering in particular the work of the artist Victor Hartman, creator of the pictures that inspired Musorgsky's composition. A detailed synopsis takes the reader through each piece in turn, and subsequent chapters consider the musical language and structure. Michael Russ also describes the fate of the work in the hands of editors and performers and closes by surveying the best of the orchestrations, particularly Ravel's.

Genres: Music, Biography

120 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 1992

Reviews

[Carol]

Russ takes an interesting look at Musorgsky's most famous piece, concentrating on its Russian-ness and unconventional approach to harmony (and occasionally looking at the relationship between the two). I found a lot of this fascinating because, as a composer, I am always interested in looking at alternative approaches to composition beyond the common practice theory we concentrate on in music school. I also really enjoyed the extensive examination of the social and political contexts of Pictures at an Exhibition, and the enlightening look at Victor Hartman, whose pictures and exhibition provided the inspiration for the piece.