Buckle up! We have now arrived at the ninth movement of the Pictures at an Exhibition: Baba Yaga. This movement is the most terrifying movement due to its subject matter and the music that depicts it.
In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is a witch with a deformed figure, and the story has many variations as many folklores do. You can read more about it here:
Baba Yaga Folklore
Baba Yaga lives in a hut that rests on skinny chicken legs. Here is Hartmann's sketch:
This sketch is rather beautiful, but the music that Mussorgsky composed is violent and terrifying.
This movement is divided into 3 sections. Two outer sections are fast paced and aggressive, while the second section, starting around 1:05 is mysterious and sneaky. This section is terrifying as well, because it sounds like the witch is lurking around waiting to strike.
At the end of the movement, it directly leads into the finale of this work, The Great Gate of Kiev. I look forward to chatting about that final movement in my next post.
Until then, stay healthy!
Best,
Kayoko
