Pictures at an Exhibition
Brussels Philharmonic
Modest Mussorgsky, Maurice Ravel and Paul Dukas. The first was inspired by paintings, the second by famous fairy tales and the third listened to Goethe’s poetry.
All three wrote very image-rich music, populated by magical characters that we all know: Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, a sorcerer’s apprentice (with big round ears) but also ‘gnomes on crooked legs’ and the Slavic folklore figure Baba Yaga.
The composers know how to sketch them all with a childlike unspoilt quality and kaleidoscopic orchestral colours. Who needs Disney animated movies when the characters come to life right in front of your ears.
Flagey, Brussels Philharmonic
