PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION

Modest Mussorgsky had revolutionized the classical music with the composition of "Pictures at an Exhibition". The work was made for the posthumous vernissage of Viktor Hartmann, a close friend of the composer. The suite is divided in 10 pieces that describe the paintings, reunited by promenades, musical exercises of dynamic virtuosity. "Pictures at an Exhibition" was adapted for orchestra by Maurice Ravel and Leopold Stokowsky, both versions being spoiled by the absence of piano's harmonic tones. Also, the cycle knew two laic adaptations: an album by Emerson, Lake and Palmer (1971) and the reworking of Isao Tomita (1975). The Emerson, Lake and Palmer's version is a distant approach to the original score, taking just four movements from the classical work (excluding three promenades). The four moments are: "The Gnome", "The Old Castle" (which is not based on the original, even if Keith Emerson sustains so), "The Hut of Baba Yaga" and "The Great Gates of Kiev". Also, the album interposes between them a series of variations in blues style ("Blues Variations"), another variations on "The Hut of Baba Yaga" theme, a vocal melody called "Sage" (partially founded on "The Old Castle") and a rock adaptation of the central theme of "The Nutcracker". The album's structure hasn't a so-called classical erudition and, above that, being a live recording, whistles and shouts are heard all over the music. Another drawback is that Keith Emerson does not give enough respect to original musical phrases. But, at the first audition, there are no weak points and everything is working in contrasts. In conclusion, the album was a success, at both critics and audience. Except this, the "prophane" audience was "enlightened" by the album at the same degree that heavy metal fans were attracted to Beethoven by Accept's "Metal Heart". In classical music, the score is vigorous respected because it represents the architecture on which the music is built. The interpretation may be a revelation or an aberration depending on the virtuosity of the performer, but the architecture remains the same. On the Emerson, Lake and Palmer's album, the score bears a secondary role (as I said before, "Old Castle" has no resemblance to the original model, being full of noises that don't evoke the antique castle, nor the time passed). The correspondence between exposure and score is zero. "Great Gates of Kiev" tries to eliminate the initial difficult technical aspects and "The Hut of Baba Yaga" is far too long. The drumming tends to overcome the keyboard melody and the rhythm has no discretion. When a fan of the album will try to listen to the original suite for piano will feel the lack of percussion and his interest for classical music will pass. Above the musical context, the album cover represents a reworking of the original paintings (some of them are lost) that has little resemblance with Hartman's creation. This is exactly the impression made by the album, a vague bunch of replicas that recreates the original in a shortsighted way.