IDAGIO | Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition - Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1, "Classical" 190295877903

Featuring

Philippe Jordan
Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Paris
Modest Mussorgsky
Sergei Prokofiev

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Compositional Technique

Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition includes recurring 'Promenade' sections, which aim to convey a visitor's movements and changing moods while viewing an art exhibition.

Historical Context

Prokofiev's 'Classical' Symphony premiered on April 21, 1918, during a period of significant artistic and political upheaval, including the Bolshevik 'red' Revolution and the rise of Futurism.

Composition History

Prokofiev composed his 'Classical' Symphony entirely in his head, without the aid of instruments, believing this method yielded better results for its thematic material.

Interpretation

Maurice Ravel's 1922 orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition includes a unique combination of orchestra and saxophone in 'The Old Castle'.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Prokofiev's 'Classical' Symphony was a tribute to the Classicism of Haydn, which he intended to be both traditional and to incorporate new elements, as Haydn might have done if still alive.

Composition History

Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition was inspired by a memorial exhibition of works by his friend, Russian artist and architect Victor Hartmann, after Hartmann's death.