Mussorgsky's Pictures is available on iTunes Music Store. An innovative interpretation of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition performed by Italian pianist Andrea Corazziari, including an extraordinary transcription of A Night on Bald Mountain. MODEST PETROVIC MUSSORGSKY (1839 – 1881) A NIGHT ON BALD MOUNTAIN Inspired by an ancient Russian legend according to which on the night of S. John (June 23-24) a witch's sabbath ritually occurs, Mussorgsky wrote a first orchestral version of the piece in 1867 and another for chorus and orchestra in 1872. The opera that we know today in the Ravel’s symphonic version is, in reality, a posthumous re-elaboration by Rimskj Korsakov principally based on the score of 1872 but without the chorus. Paolo Marzocchi carried out his remarkable concert transcription basing it on this apocryphal piece. PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION In 1873 death claimed the Russian painter – architect Victor Hartmann. Mussorgsky and Hartmann had been close friends and, after attending memorial exhibition of the artist’s works, Mussorgsky was inspired to interpret 10 of the drawings in a suite for piano (1874). The ten pieces are preceded by a reoccurring theme that Mussorgsky entitled Promenade and that must be intended as the author's movement among the drawings. ANDREA CORAZZIARI Born in Rome in 1975, Andrea Corazziari studied in Rome, Imola and Paris. He dedicates great part of his musical activity to contemporary music, collaborating with several composers. He divides his time between concerts and teaching.