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The Ohio orchestral premiere of Mussorgsky's masterpiece
“Pictures at an Exhibition” gathered quite a crowd at
Cleveland Institute of Music. Cleveland Institute of Music
(CIM) Orchestra performed under the direction of Yuli
Turovsky. An Animated Short film by
based on her original surrealistic paintings was shown on
a huge screen behind the orchestra.
“Were you born in Moscow?”- asked an old lady from the
audience during an official reception organized by CIM in
artist’s honor before the orchestral premiere.
“Yes, I was”- answered Natasha standing in front of her
painting: an old man and a scale in his hands with a piano
keyboard on one side of the scale and sickle and the
hammer on the other. Music weighted more heavily.
“Pictures at an Exhibition” gathered quite a crowd at
Cleveland Institute of Music. Cleveland Institute of Music
(CIM) Orchestra performed under the direction of Yuli
Turovsky. An Animated Short film by
based on her original surrealistic paintings was shown on
a huge screen behind the orchestra.
“Were you born in Moscow?”- asked an old lady from the
audience during an official reception organized by CIM in
artist’s honor before the orchestral premiere.
“Yes, I was”- answered Natasha standing in front of her
painting: an old man and a scale in his hands with a piano
keyboard on one side of the scale and sickle and the
hammer on the other. Music weighted more heavily.
what the price was that the winner had to pay. But back in 1976 when Natasha immigrated with
her parents from Moscow to Montreal it was probably a vital question for Turovsky’s family.
American audience might not be that familiar with Russian music, art, and history. But they liked
Modest Mussorgsky created his famous work “Pictures at an Exhibition” in 1874 in
commemoration of his friend, the artist and architect Viktor Hartmann, who died in 1873 at the
age of 39. A year later the friends of Hartmann organized an exhibition of his paintings.
Mussorgsky, inspired by his friend’s painting and the idea of an exhibition, composed a cycle for
piano consisting of ten pieces and five intermezzi. The ten pieces corresponded to ten pictures
by Hartmann. The Master structured the suite in a manner that allowed him to present his own
progress through the exhibition. The intermezzi, title “Promenade”, suggest strolling from one
painting to another.
Since that time most of the art work by Hartmann disappeared, but it’s “musical” form became
one of the most popular and difficult pieces in the piano repertoire. It became even more popular
due to orchestral transcription of the piece by Serge Koussevitsky, the famous Russian-American
conductor.
Over one hundred years later since Mussorgsky’s premier and Hartmann exhibition, Yuli
Turovsky, the founder of I Musici de Montreal Chamber Orchestra, decided to present to the
public the string orchestra version of Pictures at an Exhibition. His daughter, artist Natasha
Turovsky inspired by Mussorgsky’s music and upcoming Montreal premier created her own
paintings and invited the audience for a new surrealistic “Promenade” through centuries, hand
in hand with Great Masters. With the help of digital artist Gael Hollard, directed by Natasha, her
fifteen pictures came alive trough animation:
The Gnome; The Old Castle; Bydlo; Ballet of the Unhatched Chickens; Two Jews: Rich and Poor;
The Catacombs; Baba Yaga; The Great Gate of Kiev…..
The paintings were “dancing” on the screen, reflecting every turn of musical phase, tempo and
rhythm. The musicians of CIM under the direction of Yuli Turovsky skillfully performed one of the
most difficult orchestral pieces, finalizing the celebration of art and music union with Mussorgsky’
s overwhelming Great Bells’ toll.
her parents from Moscow to Montreal it was probably a vital question for Turovsky’s family.
American audience might not be that familiar with Russian music, art, and history. But they liked
Modest Mussorgsky created his famous work “Pictures at an Exhibition” in 1874 in
commemoration of his friend, the artist and architect Viktor Hartmann, who died in 1873 at the
age of 39. A year later the friends of Hartmann organized an exhibition of his paintings.
Mussorgsky, inspired by his friend’s painting and the idea of an exhibition, composed a cycle for
piano consisting of ten pieces and five intermezzi. The ten pieces corresponded to ten pictures
by Hartmann. The Master structured the suite in a manner that allowed him to present his own
progress through the exhibition. The intermezzi, title “Promenade”, suggest strolling from one
painting to another.
Since that time most of the art work by Hartmann disappeared, but it’s “musical” form became
one of the most popular and difficult pieces in the piano repertoire. It became even more popular
due to orchestral transcription of the piece by Serge Koussevitsky, the famous Russian-American
conductor.
Over one hundred years later since Mussorgsky’s premier and Hartmann exhibition, Yuli
Turovsky, the founder of I Musici de Montreal Chamber Orchestra, decided to present to the
public the string orchestra version of Pictures at an Exhibition. His daughter, artist Natasha
Turovsky inspired by Mussorgsky’s music and upcoming Montreal premier created her own
paintings and invited the audience for a new surrealistic “Promenade” through centuries, hand
in hand with Great Masters. With the help of digital artist Gael Hollard, directed by Natasha, her
fifteen pictures came alive trough animation:
The Gnome; The Old Castle; Bydlo; Ballet of the Unhatched Chickens; Two Jews: Rich and Poor;
The Catacombs; Baba Yaga; The Great Gate of Kiev…..
The paintings were “dancing” on the screen, reflecting every turn of musical phase, tempo and
rhythm. The musicians of CIM under the direction of Yuli Turovsky skillfully performed one of the
most difficult orchestral pieces, finalizing the celebration of art and music union with Mussorgsky’
s overwhelming Great Bells’ toll.
| “PROMENADE” THROUGH TIME, ACROSS CONTINENTS |
The event was organized by
and took place at CIM (Kulas Hall) on
Friday, November 16, 2007 in
Cleveland.
and took place at CIM (Kulas Hall) on
Friday, November 16, 2007 in
Cleveland.
By Anna Danilova
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