Listening Recommendation: Limoges (Pictures)

Dear Friends,
I hope this finds you well and healthy.
Today, let's talk about the seventh movement of Pictures at an Exhibition: Limoges. The Market- The Great News.

Ligomes is a city in south-central France, about 200 miles south of Paris. I have never been to Limoges, France before, but it looks like a beautiful thriving city. When this pandemic is over, I am looking forward to traveling to various countries, and perhaps I'll add this city to my bucket list.

Limoges Trip Advisor


Ok, back to Pictures: Hartmann's artwork for this movement is lost, and it is beyond my ability to draw, so you will have to use your imagination. Mussorgsky's friend Stasov described it as "French women quarreling violently in the market." I imagine a busy market on a sunny afternoon with full of people and activities as two women argue over a seemingly insignificant matter.

The music is fast paced and busy, and the instrumentation used by Ravel is similar to other lighter movements, such as Tuileries and Unhatched Chicks. This movement ends abruptly, leading directly into the following movement, Catacombs, without a break.

Limoges

Enjoy!

Best,

Kayoko