Dear Friends,
I hope this finds you well.
We finally arrived at the final movement of the Pictures at an Exhibition, The Great Gate of Kiev.
The energy and the artistry culminate in this grand movement, providing the most satisfying ending to this magnificent work.
This movement was inspired by Hartmann's sketch for a city gate for Kiev, which he won a national competition for the design but was never built.
As mentioned in previous post, Baba Yaga movement goes directly into The Great Gate of Kiev. Take a listen (recording begins with Baba Yaga, and The Great Gate starts around 3:20)
Great Gate
This stately main theme is interrupted by different sections. For example, a more somber hymn theme interrupts twice (4:20 and 5:30). The Promenade theme returns in this movement (6:35), allowing this movement to "wrap up" the entire work.
Also, listen to the bells around 8:10 and look back at Harmann's sketch. Ravel didn't forget to represent the bells from the sketch in his orchestration 🔔
Thank you for taking the musical journey with me through Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition. I hope we get to perform this work for you in the near future.
Best,
Kayoko
