Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839 – 1881) was a
Russian composer, one of the group known as "The Five".
He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic
period. He strove to achieve a uniquely Russian musical
identity, often in deliberate defiance of the
established conventions of Western music. Many of his
works were inspired by Russian history, Russian
folklore, and other national themes. Such works include
the opera Boris Godunov, the orchestral tone poem Night
on Bald Mountain and the ...(+)
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839 – 1881) was a
Russian composer, one of the group known as "The Five".
He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic
period. He strove to achieve a uniquely Russian musical
identity, often in deliberate defiance of the
established conventions of Western music. Many of his
works were inspired by Russian history, Russian
folklore, and other national themes. Such works include
the opera Boris Godunov, the orchestral tone poem Night
on Bald Mountain and the piano suite Pictures at an
Exhibition.
For many years Mussorgsky's works were mainly known in
versions revised or completed by other composers. Many
of his most important compositions have posthumously
come into their own in their original forms, and some
of the original scores are now also available. In a
July 5, 1867 letter to Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Modest
Mussorgsky wrote "(I have) finished St. John's Night on
Bald Mountain, a musical picture with the following
program: (1) assembly of the witches, their chatter and
gossip; (2) cortege of Satan; (3) unholy gratification
of Satan; and (4) witches' sabbath." Mussorgsky
proclaims "in form and character my composition is
Russian and original. Its tone is hot and chaotic....
St. John's Night is something new and is bound to
produce a satisfactory impression...."
The impression was not so satisfactory for Mily
Balakirev, who rejected the work in 1869 from
consideration for a Free School concert. Balakirev sent
the manuscript back to Mussorgsky bearing handwritten
marks such as the comment "Rubbish!" in the margins.
Later, under the spell of Liszt's Totentanz, Mussorgsky
considered refashioning the movement as a
piano/orchestral work, but nothing came of this
plan.
In May 1877, Mussorgsky drew up the scenario of his
comic opera Sorochintsy Fair, proposing an extensive
revision of the St. John's Night music as an Intermezzo
opening the third act. Mussorgsky completed this part
of the opera in 1880, retaining music from (1) and (3)
of the original work, and adding new material.
Identified as "Dream of the Young Peasant Lad," this
also had a new program: as a boy dreams on a hill, he
is threatened by inhuman voices and finds himself
mocked in the realm of shadows. The voices warn of the
Devil and the "Black God" Chernobog; as the shadows
fade, both appear. Chernobog is glorified, a Black Mass
is sung, and a Witches' Sabbath breaks out. As a church
bell intones, Chernobog disappears and the demons
writhe in agony. A church choir sings, the demons fade
away, awakening the boy. Mussorgsky was never to
complete Sorochintsy Fair.
In 1867 letter quoted above, Mussorgsky wrote
Rimsky-Korsakov "I should like us to examine the
orchestration together (...) we might clear up many
things." Rimsky-Korsakov fulfilled his end of the
bargain in 1886, five years after Mussorgsky's death,
in producing Night on Bald Mountain (also "Night on the
Bare Mountain"). This was the "Lad's Dream" music,
minus its choral parts and with its abrupt, dramatic
effectual "stings" removed. The first half of the
second section was removed, and Rimsky-Korsakov dropped
most of the major-key material save a brief fanfare
figure. The whole work was subjected to a streamlining
of orchestration and meter, and divided into
symmetrical sections. Rimsky-Korsakov has often been
accused of "composing" the "Matins Bell" section that
concludes Bald Mountain, but in truth the music is all
Mussorgsky's save the final flute trio at the very end.
The Rimsky-Korsakov edition was an immediate worldwide
success from the day it was launched and helped to
establish Mussorgsky's name. It remains the most
popular version of Mussorgsky's famous piece, although
the original versions are available in modern editions
and are revived to acclaim as well. Some conductors,
such as Claudio Abbado and Esa-Pekka Salonen, have made
personal specialties of the 1867 version.
Source: AllMusic
(https://www.allmusic.com/composition/night-on-bald-mou
ntain-noch-na-l%C3%AFsoy-gore-symphonic-poem-edited-by-
rimsky-korsakov-mc0002369147 ).
Although originally created for full orchestra, I
created this Interpretation of the "Night on Bald
Mountain" A symphonic poem (IMM 43) for Small Orchestra
(Piccolo, Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, English Horn,
Bassoon, Bb Trumpet, Flugelhorn, French Horn, Tuba,
Timpani, Violins, Violas, Cellos & Bass).
SHEET MUSIC