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Pictures at an Exhibition reflected and refracted The colour and graNdeur of a journey through Russia ost people come to Mussorgsky’s Perhaps it was the pentatonic nature of a particular effect. More than once I could piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition Mussorgsky’s introductory Promenade that sent have sworn there was amplification and reverb via Ravel’s sleek orchestration, Yu, musically speaking, back to his native China. being used - the music seemed suddenly to Monly to discover, when they finally hear what In my memory of the first performance of have entered a cavernous space - but again it Mussorgsky wrote, that the original is altogether Yu’s orchestration, I actually recall there being turned out to be merely the result of skilful darker and more rugged than the Frenchman’s Chinese instruments, too, but in fact there orchestration. arrangement. In fact Ravel’s is only one of many aren’t any. On the contrary, much of the time Listening to Pro Arte playing Mussorgsky’s arrangements: I believe there are now well over Yu seems to be dealing in a deliberately kitschy notes dressed up in Yu’s orchestral clothing 30 versions of the piece, for guitar, for brass Western idea of what Chinese music sounds you sometimes feel you are hearing them for quintet, brass band and percussion ensemble. like. His arrangement is full of musical jokes. I the first time. In some cases, you are - this is Vladimir Horowitz even made one for piano, remember grinning broadly when I heard it in not a strict arrangement by any means - but which was surely unnecessary. Why would the concert hall. more often than not it is simply a matter of anyone bother with yet another arrangement, Yu uses a small orchestra but he is incredibly perspective. And that perspective counts for you might wonder. You need only listen to a few resourceful with what is at his disposal, a lot. Like Ravel before him, Julian Yu has seconds of Julian Yu’s new version to hear the creating one striking effect after another. At produced a new piece out of Mussorgsky’s reason. There is still so much to say about this the premiere, I remember looking around the original. This CD should be filed under Y, not M. remarkable piece, and in Yu’s case what he says is orchestra trying to discover which instrument very personal. or combination of instruments was producing Andrew Ford PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION by Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881) arranged by Julian Yu Pictures at 1 Promenade 1’31” 2 Gnomes 2’34” an Exhibition 3 Promenade 0’48” 4 The Old Castle 4’15” reflected and refracted 5 Promenade 0’27” 6 Tuileries – Children’s Dispute After Play 1’04” 7 Bydlo 2’34” MUSSORGSKY 8 Promenade 0’39” GLINKA 9 Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks 1’14” GLIERE q0 Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle 2’35” TCHAIKOVSKY qa Promenade 0’53” qs The Market in Limoges – Astounding News 1’36” qd The Catacombs – Roman Sepulchre 1’51” Arranged by qf Talking with the Dead in the Language of the Dead 1’52” qg The Hut on Chickens’ Legs: Baba Yaga 2’45” Julian Yu qh The Great Gate of Kiev 5’20” COLORATURA CONCERTO FOR OBOE AND STRING ORCHESTRA by Reinhold Glière (1875-1956) arranged by Julian Yu Australia Pro Arte qj First movement 8’25” Chamber Orchestra qk Second movement 5’41” conducted by Oboe: Jeffrey Crellin Jeffrey Crellin ql THE NIGHTINGALE 6’35” Variation by Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857) on a romance by Alexander Alyabyev (1787-1851) Arranged for oboe and strings by Julian Yu (Variation IV added by Julian Yu) Oboe: Jeffrey Crellin TWO PIECES FROM THE SEASONS by Peyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) arranged by Julian Yu w0 June – Barcarolle 5’27” wa October – Autumn Song 4’44” PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION refinement of timbre often heard in chamber u Hocket and pointillism: Yu achieves a by Modest Mussorgsky, music and in Chinese instrumental music. The highly original sound through the traditional arranged by Julian Yu pentatonic nature of Mussorgsky’s Promenade method of hocket (distribution of the notes theme lends itself to oriental treatment, and of a melody between two or more players). Mussorgsky wrote his piano suite Pictures at an in one spot Yu even breaks into fragments of Often the effect is heightened by Webern-like Exhibition in 1874, recording his impressions of a well-known Chinese melody, Han Tian Lei. pointillism, resulting in big jumps in pitch albeit an exhibition of pictures by his late friend Victor But mostly the oriental influence occurs more here in a tonal context. These two methods are Hartman. By the year 2000 Mussorgsky’s work subtly. particularly evident in Limoges. had already been arranged for orchestra by over Some textbooks describe the process 70 different composers, to say nothing of the of orchestration as clever copying, but this u Descriptive sound: Often throughout the numerous non-orchestral arrangements. certainly does not apply to Yu’s creative work a specific sound effect is used to convey The version on this CD, written in 2001, is a arrangement. Some prominent features include: a certain image. A few examples are the tone new, unique and frequently-performed one for clusters with crescendo and trombone glissandi chamber orchestra or ensemble of 16 players u Use of solo instruments to represent describing the straining of the oxen pulling by Australian-Chinese composer Julian Yu. This characters: Mussorgsky himself wandering the cart in Bydlo; the parallel major and minor arrangement has attracted some outstanding through the exhibition is represented by the second intervals imitating the high-pitched reviews. To quote from two of them: viola throughout the whole work and, to cap voices of children arguing and bickering in the Since the appearance of this new arrangement, off the impersonation, Yu has added a newly Tuileries; and the pitchless sound of rushing air we must say goodbye to the fixed ideas and models of composed viola cadenza in the last occurrence and rhythmic pitchless articulations describing Ravel’s arrangement (Seito Hiromi CD Journal of the Promenade. Samuel Goldenberg, the rich the witch flying over the forest at night in Database, May 2004). Jew, is portrayed by solo double bass, the poor Babayaga. Ravel’s position is unshakeable, but from an Jew by the clarinet, and the children playing in intellectual point of view, this new arrangement the Tuilerie Gardens by the xylophone. u New elements: There are many new surpasses that of Ravel. (http://sound.jp/ elements in this piece, most notably the kanazawa/oekcd/pictures.htm). u Reverberation and “timbre melody”: inclusion of snatches of the Chinese melody The uniqueness of Yu’s version is due at Sometimes several instruments separately take Han Tian Lei in the Promenade, and a new layer least in part to his background in Chinese one note of the melody which they sustain to of chords creating a mysterious sound in the music with its refined elegance and its tradition create an artificial reverberation such as might Catacombes. In With the Dead in a Dead Language, of ornamentation, of ‘making something new be heard in a large cathedral. Examples of the celesta plays a few tinkling arpeggio notes from the old’. He does not aim for grandeur this can be heard in the Promenades. At other to convey the glowing of the skulls, and the but contrast, and gives himself the freedom to times an echo effect is produced by the delayed whole work concludes with a peal of bell diverge from and develop Mussorgsky’s original entries of several voices all playing the same chimes. ideas, the better to bring out their meaning melody in a close canonic formation, as in The and achieve special effects and atmospheres. Old Castle. His orchestration is rich and varied, with a 3 Promenade The Promenade makes its second appearance, once again introduced by the viola. 4 The Old Castle The picture is of a medieval castle. A theme in the English horn, reminiscent of a troubadour’s song, is echoed atmospherically by the and disappears into the distance. The lowing of the orchestra. Twice you can hear the evening breeze oxen can be heard in the folk-style melody played stirring the air within the castle. by the bassoon, and tone clusters in the strings 1 Promenade and glissandi in the trombone add to the climax as In some other arrangements this is pompous and 5 Promenade the cart passes. At the loudest point the conductor fanfare-like, dominated by the trumpet. By contrast, This time it appears only in the strings, contrasting thought someone was humming with the melody, Yu uses the viola to introduce the theme, which to sharply with the next section. but then realized that this effect comes from the him represents Mussorgsky strolling from picture orchestration. to picture, as Yu associates this instrument with 6 Tuileries scholarship and intellect. After this the theme – Children’s 8 Promenade echoes around the exhibition gallery, but without Dispute After This time it starts with the twinkling, transparent the original harmonies, creating an eerie and light Play notes of the celesta. The solo viola, representing feeling. The snatches of Chinese folk tune which This is a vivid musical Mussorgsky himself, can be clearly heard. emerge here seem to combine naturally with picture of Parisian Mussorgsky’s theme. children arguing in 9 Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks high-pitched voices in This music was inspired by Hartman’s drawing of a 2 Gnomes the Tuilerie gardens. The ballet.

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