Night on Bald Mountain, A (Rimsky-Korsakov)

Score and five parts (Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon Horn).Moderate level of difficulty.Night on Bald Mountain depicts a witches’ sabbath on St. John’s Day the night between 23 and 24 June. Its sections present the infernal noise of ghostly voices the chattering and quarrelling of witches the appearance of ghosts the dance of witches and demons the appearance of Satan the adoration and Black Mass and finally the pealing bells of the village church announcing the break of day and thus the end of the witches’ sabbath.Whether intentionally or not Mussorgsky actually finished the work on the eve of St. John’s Day (23 June1867) after spending twelve days on its composition. Technically speaking Joachim Linckelmann’s exciting version for Wind Quintet is the arrangement of an arrangement as Mussorgsky’s symphonic poem is almost invariably heard in the familiar version by Rimsky-Korsakov.

Modeste Moussorgky a composé ce superbe poème symphonique en douze jours exactement. La version originale datant de 1867 lui a été inspirée par le sabbat de Nicolai Gogol dans La Nuit de la Saint-Jean. Mais cest à Rimsky-Korsakov que lon doit la version la plus connue dUne Nuit sur le mont Chauve ?uvre redécouverte dans un arrangement pour Orchestre Symphonique basé sur la version finale de Moussorgsky. En haut du manuscrit Moussorgski a retracé brièvement le contenu de son poème symphonique : Le Rassemblement des Sorcières bavardages et commérages ; La Procession de Satan ; Célébration pa?enne de Satan et Le Sabbat des Sorcières.

A brilliant example of Moussorgsky's innovative techniques, this dramatic work was completed and orchestrated by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov after Moussorgsky's death. Full of intense effects, the piece has long been a staple of the orchestral repertoire, particularly after its memorable accompaniment to the Witches' Sabbath sequence of Disney's Fantasia.