It is such a simple melody, but is only one out of three that actually makes me feel something, and it is very vivid; I can't help but imagine a man marching down the street carefree. Knowing the tragic fate of Mussorgsky, however, is really what brings the other half of the emotion. I think that his Promenade represents all of his hopes and dreams, but also his realization that they would remain as suchβvery ispiring because I relate to this alot.
I really wasn't aware, for all this time, that it was from Virginia Woolf's Mark on the Wall. Now I feel kinda dumb.
My second project! I chose this piece because it's short and I want to learn how to mix winds and brass.
#Pictures at an Exhibition: 1. Promenade
by Modest Mussorgsky (orchestration by Maurice Ravel)
Read about the suite here
Read about Mussorgsky here
See RSO's performance of the suite's finale, The Great Gate of Kiev, here
Instrument List
- Flutes 1, 2
- Piccolo / Flute 3
- Oboes 1, 2, 3
- Bβ Clarinets 1, 2
- Bβ Bass Clarinet
- Bassoons 1, 2
- Contrabassoon
- F Horns 1, 2, 3, 4
- C Trumpets 1, 2, 3 (Bβ parts provided)
- Trombones 1, 3 (2 is tacet)
- Tuba
- Violins 1, 2
- Violas
- Cellos
- Basses
Performance notes
Please tune to A=440
Follow the articulation of the reference recording as best you can, and mind the divisi!
Horn 3, Trumpet 3: first note one measure after rehearsal 5 is a concert Eβ despite what the recording sounds like
##Recordings are due on or before April 6
#Send your final recordings here
In the file name, please include:
-
The name you want to be credited by
-
The instrument/part you recorded
[Website testing: beginner-friendly]
Thank you!
You simply are not in a rush today. The gallery is what it is, you have plenty of time to see it all, and the steady breeze blowing through the main corridor of the building is very close to a delight. The occasion does not call for speed.
You simply stroll at your own pace, slowing down here to investigate the indoor garden, picking up the pace there when the wind hits your back.
Thereβs a word for this unhurried, rolling gait. You are not merely walking, you are on a promenade.
ββββββββββββββββββββββ
The first roomβs painting is hilariously awful. Not badly done, of course- your friend was a skilled artist and any inept work of his didnβt make the cut to be displayed- but the subject matter was grotesque.
The Gnome of the painting was a crooked-legged little monstrosity, with oversized teeth and a wily gleam in its eyes. The description beneath the painting says it started life as a sketch of a nutcracker; you suppose that would account for the jutting fangs.
Just looking at it you can imagine it scurrying around from shadow to shadow. The uneven legs would cause issues, of course. The faster it skittered, the weirder its pace would have to be. Just imagine the little creeper stalking a rogue walnut like a jungle predator.
Grinning at the thought, you return to the main corridor to wander to the next exhibit. Your promenade takes you on a random path...
ββββββββββββββββββββββ
Your friend had traveled all of Europe for inspiration. This painting was inspired by an Old Castle in Italy, left to the ravages of time to settle gracefully into rotted splendor. Your friend always loved sticking people in the foreground of his subject, to give a sense of scale. Here, he had inserted a lone troubadour strumming his strings before the ancient walls.
Your friend had a knack for painting not merely images, but emotions. You could feel the wistfulness of the bard, soaking in the history and fallen glory of the castle, gently playing his sad song on his golden harp. This was no tavern ballad, meant to rouse the patrons into generosity with its upbeat tempo. This was a long piece- the castle had been there before he was born and would be there long after he died. As such, the song could stretch out and unfold itself slowly.
Softly, softly he did play.
Remembering the old days when the place was grand and lively.
Softly, softly, the tune carries across the stone walls and battlements.
You realize youβve been staring at the painting for a good long while.
... keep reading on reddit β‘
