One of the closest companions of Modest Mussorgsky was Victor Hartmann, an architect and occasional painter, whose sudden death at 39 was deeply affected by the musician. His anxiety was increased by guilt, because he had been walking with Hartmann few weeks ago when the artist was forced to stop and rest against a wall, and Mussorgsky downplayed the issue.
The following year (1874) as an exhibition in honor of Hartmann: its four works, Mussorgsky chose ten to form a suite for piano, with a recurring theme that suggests the progress from painting to painting. The modest sketches Hartmann (now mostly lost) are fanciful of elaborate ornamentation, no practical use or perhaps ephemeral. To transform them into music, Mussorgsky placed great attention to small details surrounding the main subject of each composition, viewing each image as a living entity. Working with great enthusiasm " I have just time to scribble the ideas on paper " completed the work in just twenty days. Pictures at an Exhibition is the modern paradigm of expression in the piano, its abstract value has freed later composers rhythmic, structural and colorfully, so modern that overcomes many of today's modern, so modern that exceeds own instrument and is therefore not surprising that the piano works is most orchestrations has known.
"Defective full of stupid mistakes, and sometimes unacceptably ugly" and Rimsky-Korsakov considered the work, and this view has influenced pianists of the century, that have interpreted sui generis , even assuming the need for some improvements . If we add a technical difficulty terrible, with daring harmonies, we can see how complicated it can be to follow the score.
Vladimir Horowitz created his own version from various sources such as editing enhanded Rimsky-Korsakov, 1886, Ravel's orchestration of 1922, and, of course, their own ideas, more orchestral piano, adding and editing notes, octaves, bending, pressing the pedal pleasure and varying dynamics, "They Said I put graffiti on Mussorgsky, pero I do not give a damn. When I change anything, it is only to make a Better piano sound. And Mussorgsky Did not know how. But I'm sorry ... That is true. " And relaxes the tempo in Gnomes far from the allegro vivo asking the score. Like Ravel, delete sections in the Old Castle (exaggerated rubato). In Tuileries accelerates the tempo in each group of sixteenths, recreating the careers of the children. In some strains of Bydlo makes a kind of arpeggio (chord instead of simultaneously) that recreates a feeling shaky. Freedom is a natural rhythm in the Ballet of the Chicks, getting a very personal trills. Rapid appoggiatura in the central section of the Jews give an impulsive character. If Limoges octave up and octave jumps under the original writing, in Catacombs directly attacks ignore the score and at the wrong chords, seeking and finding a devastating effect. Desatalantado wildly and rhythm in Baba-Yaga. Perhaps the Great Gate ask a little more solemn, but it is absolutely overwhelming (what tremolo!) In the closing stages, understood as the culmination of the entire suite, as if the whole orchestra was played by the piano. In this live recording (RCA, 1951) and blotted discreet sound in the mass grave, a youthful spectators could not repress a cry of wild excitement at the end of Gnome, and no wonder ...
With Sviatoslav Richter temptation to Horowitzian virtuosity is scrupulously avoided; its interpretation is placed at the service of music, launching a challenge to the alleged lack of Mussorgsky's piano technique. This personal belief in the work made a decisive contribution to their rehabilitation in the piano repertoire. The winter of 1958 must be terribly cold in Sofia as recorded live recording (Philips), or much of the audience was on the verge of death or perhaps celebrating the festival of bronchitis. However, the interpretive level is so high that it reaches excuse all the problems: cough obbligato, sound flat, distant, limited dynamic range, background hiss and some distortion, plenty of scratches and false notes included. The study takes the same year (Melodia, 1958) holds similar volcanic spontaneity sound significantly better. Hercules percussing tempo taken from the beginning (we eat the last half beat of the first ride) reaches enormous magnetic stress, displaying a dazzling transparency at all dynamic levels achieved his titanic strength. The dramatic intensity is overwhelming from the very creepy, slow, dark Old Castle, heavy, torn in Bydlo, the sinister catacombs, overwhelming, and exulting in Baba-Yaga, the astonishing and irresistible power in the climax of the final plating. These two interpretations have always had an almost religious predicament of the critic, but the modern recording technique has to impose (at least in a complementary way) for insight into this demanding work.
seems incredible that only three years later (1961) Byron Janis recorded for Mercury with such great sound, not just in terms of the time: big presence, definition and natural detail, a nightmare for the engineers of the future. Alternating velvety touch Gnomes (losing the meaning dark) with cruel attacks on Bydlo (too metronomic). The tempi light and little dynamic range to better fit the Tuileries and the extraordinary sparkling Catacombs to address the sharp dissonances of Baba-Yaga.
Compared with the Ukrainian, Vladimir Ashkenazy ( Decca, 1982) seems to inhabit a two-dimensional universe: it starts playing almost the entire ride provided without changing dynamics, the fast tempo of the Old Castle transforms it into a roundabout, and also the Tuileries sound very rushed, with no understanding of child psychology. Only the memories remain in the troubled Gnomes. Recording of great presence, cold and steely.
Alfred Brendel (Philips, 1985) he lost in this record the search lyrics textures, light and very carefully controlled, so as not to confuse power with violence, is in a dynamic flatness, mono tone, a grisaille. Yes, finally heard the slurs in Gnome, but so transparent it would seem cold, no emotion. Children in the Tuileries Gardens appear strangely obese. Bydlo situation improves, which itself achieved successful dynamic contrasts (eye, light) into Ballet with its immaculate trills, and the use of pedal burial in catacombs. Do not look here or bombast bombast, even in the final climax. The spacious recording does not eliminate the clinical environment, aseptic autopsy.
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literally fantastic version of Mikhail Pletnev (Virgin, 1991) thoroughly squeezing the sonic possibilities of the instrument: In the slow Gnomes and mysterious use of the pedal creates a gloomy background, in the Old Castle mesmeric mesmerize us, making us dream with several pianos, children genuinely linked in the Tuileries. Bydlo powerful and intense, with occasional and successful use of the pedal, never allowing the wheels to dig into the mud. Phenomenal games with the tempo at the Ballet (magical fairy tale silvery timbre that extracts from the piano in the middle). Dramatic conversation between Jews, nether the Catacombs, and impeccable dreamlike use of dynamic gradations Baba-Yaga. With majestic chords that open the Great Gate is strumming which cascades distant bells. Great sound, atmospheric (the ff shake the piano), warm and natural in the range of colors.
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Anatol Ugorski dynamics surprisingly calm and elegant, air and light, with tempi relaxed and a particular and ongoing management of rubato. Very well draw slurs of gnomes and transmits expressive depth in the Old Castle. In Tuileries enters certain passages out of tempo in the left hand, by creating chaos flutter and children. I think Bydlo less fortunate where martial rhythm resembles more a rude cakewalk the wobbly step oxcart. The striking effect with the pedal in the Catacombs is too festive. Without the courage needed in Baba-Yaga and circumspect before the Great Gate of Kiev. View as mannerist, or collected by the DG engineers (1992).
anyone Ivo Pogorelich (DG, 1997) undertakes a sophisticated intellectual redefinition ("heretical?) of interpretive values \u200b\u200bof the work that leads to a personal approach, and nontransferable, with abrupt dynamic contrasts and long pauses, a very soft handling of the left hand, a wealth of sonic palette, an astonishing ability to draw a variety of sound environments and expressive , what a prodigy of articulation and beauty of sound! Tempi wonderfully weightless and painful in the Old Castle and Catacombs, followed by a mortuis in lingua mortuary With unsurpassed, with the tremolo makes the right hand which hypnotic swing. Perfect the way in rushing the words " perdendosi" in Bydlo, which has never sounded so overwhelmingly Russian. Deliciously singing the Ballet of the Chickens, is running an amazing sequence of pedal. Subtle rhythm and contagious Jews in Limoges. Boasts an incredible technique in the fast-paced and ferocious Baba-Yaga and the majestic Great Gate. It takes incredible sound clarity, presence and dynamics. In-dis-pen-sa-ble.
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academic, clear and accurate, we describe the version of Evgeny Kissin (RCA, 2001). Excelente la ostinata decadencia del Viejo Castillo, cuyo rubato genera una inesperada tensión, sonando muy ibérico (Albéniz); si las escalas ascendentes que simbolizan las carreras de los niños están ejemplarmente resueltas en Tullerias, en Bydlo sigue al pie de la letra la indicación “ con tutta forza ”, un verdadero y masivo peso pesado. El Ballet de los Pollos se lleva a velocidad de vértigo pero con gran suavidad, iluminando la línea del bajo. El comienzo de los Judíos rebosa de un inmenso rubato. Se lanza a través del mercado de Limoges a tumba abierta, siguiendo todas las apabullantes indicaciones de dinámica y articulación escritas por Mussorgsky. Tras el trepidante Baba-Yaga start, the Great Gate is dignified and polite, but dark and without brilliance.
Other versions have been compared to Fircusny (Orfeo, 1957) that offers a sense of haste, curious Gnomes retention, without the necessary pause Jews. Clang, sick Nikita Magaloff (Carrere, 1978) Gray, despite the brilliant performance. Sound just enough, resonating metal arch over the piano, Misha Dichter (Philips, 1982) distinguished and lightweight exaggerated slowness Valery Afanassiev (Denon, 1991), reveling in the rich timbre of sustained notes, it offends the sense of melody. Record cold, Andrei Vieru (Harmonia Mundi, 1996) is monotonous and smug, not to exploit the barbarism that is in the score; Pyotr Dmitriev (Mystery, 2003) is terrible, overwhelming, threatening the massive press: If you really and sound pp intense, in ff it seems that you have your head in the sound board and listen as sympathetically vibrate the other strings, if you have a piano to hand a try (you'll see, ya). Out of competition shows the uneven adaptation of Jean Guillou (Dorian, 1989) the court imposing the Zurich Tonhalle. The curious use of the records opened a new avenue of knowledge. If the Catacombs appear impressive, Baba-Yaga shakes the soul. However, the difficulty of playing the organ is a special circumstance of this recording and it requires both a formidable team, and above all, a listening room size to try to recover uppercase abyssal grave.
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