Pictures at an Exhibition
From its stately opening to its majestic finale, Mussorgsky’s depiction of a stroll through an art exhibit is a perennial symphonic favorite, thanks to Ravel’s splendid orchestration. Augustin Hadelich, Musical America’s 2018 Instrumentalist of the Year, brings his astonishing technical wizardry to Paganini’s dazzlingly virtuosic First Violin Concerto.
"Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” exists in three primary iterations: the original 1874 suite for piano, the expanded 1970 version for prog trio and the orchestral rendition created in 1922 by French composer Maurice Ravel. The latter is by far the most popular, and with good reason — Ravel literally wrote the book on colorful orchestration, and painted Mussorgsky’s picturesque music with a vast palette of symphonic charm. Augustin Hadelich will perform Paganini’s “First Violin Concerto,” and two new compositions round out the bill: Missy Mazzoli’s radiant “Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)” and the world premiere of a newly-commissioned work by Gabriella Smith." – Oregon Arts Watch