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Glimpse at Pictures (at an exhibition), A

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Composer: 
Mussorgsky, Modest
Year Composed: 
1874
Arranger: 
Meyer, Dick
Year Arranged: 
2009
Original Instrumentation: 
Piano (or full orchestra)
Type of Arrangement: 
Transcription
Availability: 
Commercial
Publisher: 
VerMeulen Music
Year Published: 
2009
Catalogue Number: 
8136
Sheet Music Format: 

A4, Score (22) & parts (8x2=16)

Players
Number of Players: 
8
Additional Players: 
0
Approximate Duration: 
5
Technical Difficulty: 
Medium
Structure/Movements: 

One movement.
Allegro - Slower - Faster - Largo - Allegro - Allegro maestoso - Slow

Clefs: 
Treble, bass
Key signatures: 
None
Meters: 
5/4, 6/4, 4/4, 3/4, 6/8, 2/4, ยข
Range: 

Horn 1: f1 - c3
Horn 2: f1 - a2
Horn 3: bb - g2
Horn 4: a - f2
Horn 5: a - f2
Horn 6: f - b1
Horn 7: d - g1
Horn 8: G - g1

Performance Notes: 

Pictures at an exhibition is Mussorgsky's best known work, originally written for piano in 1874. It is better known in its orchestral version, mainly the one by Maurice Ravel (1922), but there are others by Mikhail Tushmalov (1886), Henry Wood (1915), Leo Funtek (1922), Leonidas
Leonardi (1924), Lucien Cailliet (1937) and Walter
Goehr (1942).

Meyer's version is for eight horns, and includes only a "glimpse" at the full work, namely (excerpts from):
Promenade I
The gnome
The old castle
Bydlo
Ballet of the unhatched chickens
Catacombs
The hut on fowl's legs
The great gate at Kiev

Most of the "glimpses" only last a few bars, except for the Promenade and The gate at Kiev. This arrangement is an ideal introduction to the big orchestral work, with intermediate parts that are accessible to many horn ensembles.

Credits: 

Access to review score: Nancy Joy (NMSU)