Don't Be so Modest, Mussorgsky! Quiz

"Pictures at an Exhibition" was dedicated to art and music critic Vladimir Stasov, who introduced Hartmann to Mussorgsky in 1868. Stasov wrote a commentary to go with the different movements, and he began by describing the time signature-shifting "Promenade" theme that appears multiple times:

"In this piece Mussorgsky depicts himself "roving through the exhibition, now leisurely, now briskly in order to come close to a picture that had attracted his attention, and at times sadly, thinking of his departed friend.""

The first movement, originally titled "Gnomus," translates from Latin to "The Gnome." Stasov describes the short movement as "A sketch depicting a little gnome, clumsily running with crooked legs." The musical instruction given is 'Vivo and Meno mosso, pesante' (Lively and Less movement, heavily).

The actual painting that the music represents was lost over time, but is believed to have depicted a nutcracker with large teeth.

In the score, the title for this movement was originally in Italian, "Il vecchio castello," and in English, "The Old Castle." The original painting was lost, but Stasov's description seems to have captured the essence, "A medieval castle before which a troubadour sings a song."

Written in 6/8 time, the melody is slow and lilting, with the direction, 'Andante molto cantabile e con dolore' ('Very' moderately slow in a singing style and with grief).

The title for this movement was originally in French, "Tuileries (Dispute d'enfants après jeux)." The style changes drastically as the musical instruction gives 'Allegretto non troppo, capriccioso' (Fast, but not too fast, in a whimsical or fanciful style).

Like the first two pictures, this one was also lost over time. But the Tuileries (outside the Louvre in Paris) still exist, and one can picture Stasov's description, "An avenue in the garden of the Tuileries, with a swarm of children and nurses."

As given in the hint, the original Polish title of the fourth movement is "Bydlo," which translates into English as "Cattle." According to Stasov's note, the picture (also lost) depicted "A Polish cart on enormous wheels, drawn by oxen."

Musically, the direction given is 'Sempre moderato, pesante' (Always moderately, heavy), and it begins at a fortissimo dynamic (very loud), fading to pianissimo (very quiet) towards the end, as though the wagon were moving away from the observer.

In Russian, the title of the fifth movement is "Balet nevylupivshikhsya ptentsov," and it is based on one of Hartmann's paintings that still exists. The name of the picture is "Sketches of theatre costumes for the ballet Trilby," depicting a person wearing a costume of an egg with a chicken's head, arms and legs sticking out. The ballet "Trilby" was composed by Yuli Gerber and choreographed by Marius Petipa in 1870.

Stasov's note is not much different from the actual title of the painting, "Hartmann's design for the décor of a picturesque scene in the ballet Trilby." With the musical direction 'Scherzino' (Little joke), "Ballet of Unhatched Chicks" is light and quick, with notes jumping about almost erratically.

The sixth movement of "Pictures at an Exhibition" were actually based on two paintings that Hartmann had given to Mussorgsky, and were the inspiration for the song cycle. The paintings are titled "Jew in a fur cap. Sandomierz" and "Sandomierz (Jew)."

""Samuel" Goldenberg and "Schmuÿle"" comes with a subtitle from Stasov: "Two Jews, Rich and Poor." The music represents the two characters in different ways, with a booming voice for Goldenberg and Schmuÿle sounding like he is shivering in the cold. The instruction given is 'Andante. Grave energico and Andantino' (Walking speed. Solemnly energetic and Like walking speed). After presenting the two themes, they are played in counterpoint with one another.

The musical direction 'Allegretto vivo, sempre scherzando' (Fairly quick and lively, always playful/joking) really catches the energy of the seventh movement, titled in the original French, "Limoges. Le marché (La grande nouvelle)."

Stasov was also quite descriptive, with "French women quarrelling violently in the market." This is a good thing, as the original painting was lost somewhere along the way.

(The hint 'Nouvelle-Aquitaine' refers to the region of France that Limoges is found within.)

The painting on which this movement was based is titled "Paris Catacombs" and actually depicts the artist, himself (Hartmann), along with Russian architect Vasily Kenel and a guide holding a lantern as they tour the catacombs beneath Paris. Stasov's comment reflects this, "Hartmann represented himself examining the Paris catacombs by the light of a lantern."

Musically, the only direction given is 'Largo' (Rather slow; stately), and it consists largely of loud and soft chords, resembling an echo, although it changes to include the "Promenade" towards the end of the movement. Mussorgsky titled this movement in Latin, "Catacombae (Sepulcrum romanum)," and also added the subtitle, "Cum mortuis in lingua mortua," which translates as "With the Dead in a Dead Language."

The penultimate movement of "Pictures at an Exhibition" is described by Stasov as such: "Hartmann's drawing depicted a clock in the form of Baba Yaga's hut on fowl's legs. Mussorgsky added the witch's flight in a mortar." This is one of the paintings that still exists, with the title "The hut of Baba-Yaga on hen's legs. Clock in the Russian style."

"Izbushka na kuryikh nozhkakh (Baba-Yaga)" is Mussorgsky's Russian title that translates as "The Hut on Hen's Legs (Baba Yaga)." Musically, it begins with the direction 'Allegro con brio, feroce' (Fast with vigour, fierce) and changes to a slower section 'Andante mosso' (Walking speed with movement) before returning to 'Allegro molto' (Very fast).

"The Bogatyr Gates (In the Capital in Kiev)" is also sometimes translated as "The Great Gate of Kiev" or "The Heroes' Gate at Kiev" from the Russian "Bogatyrskiye vorota (V stolnom gorode vo Kiyeve)." Hartmann's painting (still in existence) is titled "Project for city gates in Kyiv. Main façade." Vostov's note described the movement by describing the painting, "Hartmann's sketch was his design for city gates at Kiev in the ancient Russian massive style with a cupola shaped like a Slavonic helmet."

This final movement is triumphant and majestic, taking the uneven "Promenade" and evens its meter, and adding a solemn hymn from the collection of Russian orthodox chant. The musical direction is 'Allegro alla breve. Maestoso, con grandezza' (Fast in cut time. Majestically with grandeur).