Ingenious character pieces
The piano version of "Pictures at an Exhibition" is exceptionally richly annotated.
"We have no hesitation in presenting this work as the most important piano creation by Russian masters to the present day. Certainly, there is much to criticize about this collection of ten character pieces (...). But an ingenious, original creative power, before which all criticism must fall silent, imprints these pieces with the stamp of the completely unique." Klaus Wolters described this more aptly decades ago in his still unsurpassed Handbook of piano literature (Atlantis, Zurich, 5th edition 2001), the fascination that Mussorgsky's Pictures of an exhibition hardly formulate.
In keeping with the importance of the work, Bärenreiter-Verlag has now edited an exceptionally richly annotated Urtext. The preface by editor Christoph Flamm with information on the genesis of the work, detailed thoughts on the individual images and practical performance suggestions is fascinating to read and goes far beyond what previous editions have published.
It is obvious that with so much material, contradictions also arise, such as the claim that the work is not suitable for orchestration, supported by Svyatoslav Richter's biting remark: "I reject the orchestral version of this work and hate it ..." The correction of some "errors" in the musical text also occasionally throws the baby out with the bathwater. The new readings in bar 17 of the first Promenade, for example, would simply be too absurd even for the idiosyncratic Mussorgsky (an a would probably be more appropriate. However, the composer's handwriting is ambiguous!)
The musical text itself, completely without fingerings, is convincing in its clarity and overview. The appendix contains a few black and white illustrations of Viktor Hartmann's originals, which the work was intended to commemorate. If you would like to find even more practical tips on interpretation, we recommend the Wiener Urtext Edition by Manfred Schandert and Vladimir Ashkenazy. Ashkenazy's experience with the Pictures of an exhibition Both as a pianist and as a conductor and editor of his own orchestral version predestine him to get to the bottom of things. This edition is also illustrated - even in color.
Modest Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition. Remembrance of Viktor Hartmann, for piano, Urtext edited by Christoph Flamm, BA 9621, € 14.50, Bärenreiter, Kassel 2013
