Mussorgsky's Exhibition Pieces

[Spatula]

I found even the first "movement" of these piano pieces very very spooky and uneasy for me to listen to (more so than the bartok), I find these songs SUPER creepy even though they portray a "sophiticated" texture to allow one to experience audiually for example an art museum or exhibition, hence the name.

What are your thoughts?  

Composer: Modest Mussorgsky
Piece: Pictures at an exhibition

[matt_haley]

what did you find spooky about it spatula,  im curious
the opening promenade is rich and colourful,okay the 2nd movement gnomus could be regarded as spooky aswell as the old castle,catacombs and maybe baba yagas hut, yes these can seem spooky but not the promenade . it returns 5 times within the exhibition and but colour inbetween maybe some of the more dull movements.

how about the finale great gates of kiev,what an incredabile piece,full of  fantastic heavenly chords,i played this piece not so long ago its incredabile\

my intention was to learn the entire pictures of an exhibition but it is very time consuming so i left it

let me no your opinion spatula

[Spatula]

Actually I'm not too sure.  When I listen to this piece, I close my eyes and then am transported to a ficitional yet so "real" museum or art work studio looking at various paintings.  There's some of people and landscape and such, but there is a sense of nostagia or a "holding back" feeling where you kinda look back into the past (of your personal life) and its a very dreamy but somewhat sad feeling looking into the pictures.  It's kinda like you're alone, or maybe you might be with someone but when you look behind you, you see darkness.  Then you have the feeling of tingling sensation down your spine like something creepy, like an apparition will apear.

You might disregard this as bullshit or perhaps take another look, or more appropriately, listen to especially the first "part", for lack of a better word, "movement" of this piece and maybe pay attention to the intervals or jumps of melody in the music line.  

Have a listen!  

[Sketchee]

I love this piece.  I don't think Pictures at an Exhibition is spooky from the beginning but it definitely gets to that point in various movements.  I also like the way the movements connect together directly.  It's a half an hour to hear the complete work and I'd like to play it but I don't think I have the stamina!  I currently only know the Promenade by heart.  I could imagine playing half an hour playing a piece, but the practice time however would be a bit much!  Have you heard the Ravel orchestra transcription?