Wednesday 6 January 2016
Tune of the Day: Il vecchio castello
from Mussorgsky's “Pictures at an Exhibition”
Today we present the second movement of Modest Mussorgsky's famous suite for piano “Pictures at an Exhibition”, which has also become known through various orchestrations and arrangements, with Ravel's arrangement being the most recorded and performed. This movement, whose Italian title means “The Old Castle”, is thought to be based on a watercolor depiction of an Italian castle. The tempo marking reads “Andante molto cantabile e con dolore”, which translates literally as “At walking pace, very singable and with sorrow”.
Thanks to Peter for suggesting this piece!