Mussorgsky's "St. John's Eve on Bald Mountain" (Audio + Score)

[@thenameisgsarci]

Oh yes, the original version. Thanks for doing this one! :D

[@PentameronSV]

This is the first time I have listened to the original version, and I love it! Thanks so much for uploading!

[@fredericchopin6445]

Pentameron what’s the piece in ur profile pic

[@PentameronSV]

@@fredericchopin6445 Schnittke's Violin Sonata No.2, 'Quasi una Sonata'

[@brendanward2991]

Finally! This is actually the first time I have heard the original version. Thank you.

[@poemesymphonique]

Fascinating use of the whole tone scale at 12:11 and 12:15.

[@muzakmuzak3115]

Wow, a written high D at 0:40 on Piccolo! Now that's a rare note!

[@ctfamily40]

I have no idea why so many people say that the orchestration here is bad, and can't help but assume the majority are just parroting something they heard someone else say- one of those unfortunate tropes that gets perpetuated by a lot of people who haven't taken the time to study the piece. The orchestration here is actually quite effective, and indeed colorful- thick, heavy, yes, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing at all.

[@Apfelstrudl]

You are right, the original is definitely more effectful but I wouldn't consider it as thick at all and thats the weak point sometimes. Rimsky Korsakov's is definitely thicker and much securer in what he wants to achive. e.g. 0:42, 1:01 and 9:17 sounds just shit, 1:20 - 1:30 not playable for oboe, clarinet and bassoon, just to mention a few.

[@bendurbin9585]

If you're looking for nice orchestration, then Rimsky-korsakov's is better. What mussorgsky was going for with this piece was the idea. It doesn't matter that the orchestration is garbage in some parts, the picture/meaning he's trying to convey is more there then in Rimsky-korsakov's version.

[@klop4228]

@@bendurbin9585 Arguably, where the orchestration is bad, the image that's being conveyed is, well, not being effectively conveyed. But, on the other hand, Rimsky-Korsakov did take some liberites with the score and change some things a bit too much. The ideal is probably somewhere in-between.

[@davidreece6193]

The problem is that Mussorgsky was dead and Rimsky Korsakov could do whatever he wanted to do with Mussorgskys works. I prefer the original scoring. This 8s just Halloween music for the masses, I heard the original when it was played at a prom. It was startling what a different piece it was. This work is also in one of Mussorgskys operas with chorus singing to this.

[@hamdinger7145]

Excellent. Thank you.

[@jathondelsy]

A stunning orchestration, full of demonic inspiration, thanks so much for this upload.

[@KevinLeroyGrant]

Whoa that ending goes so hard

[@beresina6000]

Wow, never hear original before, and i like it...There is more interesting, then in Rimsky-korsakov arrangement, but beginning sounds very strange: strange rythmic, strange harmony and arrangement...After famous arrangement of Rimsky-korsakov, its really hard to "take it", but longer u listened - more u liked it.. Big thanks for that version, its really cool...

[@laszloberenyi2710]

Thank you for sharing this piece! I never heard the original version before, and now I can understand where all this started. I like this version as well, but also see Rimsky-Korsakov's point to improve it.

[@dreamhack123]

Wow! Amazing version.

[@WorldofIntenseArtie]

The piccolo part though...

[@santiagodelrivero4904]

Es mas como un Poema Sinfónico, energico 🎶

[@nataFLUTE]

0:04 - 0:17 - 0:34 - 1:44

[@jmwoods190]

Despite some of its flaws in orchestration in certain part the percussion is far better scored overall in this original version than Rimsky-Korsakov's IMO as it's much more innovative and just adds much more to the character of the work, which R-K's was more the common marching style which just doesn't quite cut it(atop of being the same old, same old in countless other works). I'd say in terms of musicality and character this original version has the edge too. After listening to this original version , I rarely look back to R-K's version anymore, though I do quite like some of his other works. That said, I'm not saying that R-K's version is bad(as his orchestration has definitely its merit), but rather not quite as interesting and authentic as this original version .

[@walterrobertogomezmonteiro4012]

Gracias a Dios se conservó y se descubrió esta versión original en 1969, creo.

[@sebastientraglia1351]

I think this was inspired by Liszt's Mephistpheles movement of the Faust symphony and by "Songe d'une nuit du Sabbat" by Berlioz

[@deliusfan]

This is eye opening for sure; I don't know why Balakirev outright rejected it when Mussorgsky showed it to him, some of the wilder parts immediately bring Symphonie Fantastique to mind, and also I hear some Danse Macabre at times in the lighter parts. Other parts anticipate Ravel's orchestral works; there is a lot to be mined from this, it needs to be performed in this version more often.

[@bored_person]

The percussion overpowers the brass in the beginning.

[@shadmium3471]

your mom overpowers me in bed

[@theoneandonly3520]

My favorite parts (1:19) and (1:22)or at least (1:23)

[@JJC333]

What edition has F 1 flat, Bb 2 flats, Eb 3 flats, Ab 3 flats, G min 1 flat, C min 2 flats, F min 3 flats, Bb min 4 flats?

[@joseortegamusicstudio]

9:21 , trumpet play the line of oboe. Trombones play the trumpets texture. The score fails.

[@blacksun2163]

............................................

[@TheMaestro2005]

The conductor probably done this to add to the texture it's not uncommon. there are some recordings of trumpets playing tutti horn lines. There is a recording of Dvorak 8th in fact in the final movement where the horns double the woodwinds, its great effect but Dvorak didn't put this in his score.

[@parameshwarranmathiarasun9826]

Do you happen to know which recording of Dvorak's 8 is it, if you happen to know?

[@TheMaestro2005]

Not off the top of my head but I've heard two or three groups do, its really epic. in fact the first time i heard a recording of the piece I though the horns played there the entire time until i went back and seen a score few years later

[@Apfelstrudl]

It is similar here! 3:54 the slurp is definitely played also by a horn (second bar on sheet) on the third bar there is a slurp too which isn't in the score. At 3:58 there are also horns playing that line down... just to mention a few.

[@slateflash]

This version is so much better. Also much more difficult

[@sirjanska9575]

I must say I overall prefer the darker tone of Rimsky's version, but this is a refreshing version in its own way

[@Apfelstrudl]

They are clearly not playing this exact version. 3:54 the slur is definitely played also by a horn (second bar on sheet) on the third bar there is a slur too which isn't in the score. At 3:58 there are also horns playing that line down... just to mention a few. This original version has definitely more effects than Rimsky-Korsakovs, but some just don't work out properly (e.g. 0:42, 1:01 and 9:17 sounds just shit, 1:20 - 1:30 not playable for oboe, clarinet and bassoon; whereas 1:39 and 2:52 sound awesome) Rimsky- Korsakov is maybe not the better composer but definitely the better orchestrator!

[@ShengYuanMusic]

the **slurp**

[@maxo.a4106]

This is your opinion on whether it works out or not. What you lack here is understanding everyone doesn't have the same brain. We all perceive things differently. I thought this was cool because it was quite authentic and wonderful. Also when you said not playable for oboes... that music in their range. You probably misinterpreted it.

[@thematssssss]

Dude, that's Mussorgsky. Harmony heavy as shit and jumping all over the place: one melody plays for some seconds, stop, and jumps for another melody. Little bit confusion in rythym and Mussorgsky clearly hates wind with almost impossible passages and fast passages with ffff dynamics. But it's raw, visceral, direct, colorful. And Beautiful. And the completely opposite of Rimsky-Korsakov.

[@classicore22]

@@maxo.a4106 He said it was unplayable for oboes because it’s excessively difficult to do repeated notes at that speed

[@omarirucker9226]

Honestly rimsky korsakov's version is more like his own song inspired by mussorgsky, Borrowing themes. calling them both mussorgsky's song feels wrong after listening to the his actual work. In short theres: Bald mountain by modest mussorgsky And Theme from Bald mountain by rimsky korsakov

[@lhadzyan7300]

this is an epic classical masterpiece yet somehow sounds a bit more harmless and complex-exotic than the original version, as something more native Slavic thing not Christian-influenced, so the dramatic powerfull contrast of the evil vs good thing doesn´t apply much as it! This could be actually the real stuff that Disney might use to make a reconstruction of the Chernabog proyect about Night in the Bald Mountain´s 1940 - Fantasia animated segment, where the villain might be a bit less of it, and something more complex than thought before (kinda as the Maleficent reconstruction yet hopefully better).

[@davidreece6193]

Isn’t this the piece that Rimsky Korsakov butchered. I prefer the original Orchestration by Mussorgsky himself. It’s not as furiously fast as the RK orchestration. RK also changed the music at the end with another tune from Mussorgskys repertoire. He didn’t need to do this as the original work ws fine as it was. It is a revelation to those who have never heard the Mussorgsky original.

[@metodoinstinto]

WTF is this??? I've never heard this version! It makes Rimsky's version sound like a complete garbage. This is a real composition. What the hell is this?? I'm speechless. It has the aggressiveness of a true composer. The fantasia version is polite well behaved music compared to this.

[@riderjaymortensen2032]

I know who the 1 dislike is now

[@riderjaymortensen2032]

Nice profile picture

[@davidreece6193]

This is the Rimsky Korsakov orchestration. You can tell because it is faster plus the trill that the one tremolo is played backwards instead of forwards. On a string instrument in modern compositions from the classical period onward the trill is played for example as C and then a D. So you get an upwards trill. In Naroque music trills are played backwards ie D then a C. The tremello of this could be C and E forward or E to C backwards. I assume that RK thought sacre blje didn’t they teach you anything at the conservatoire and this has this was an amateurs mistake that Mussorgsky had made and corrected it. The other thing that is different is that Mussorgskys version is a tad slower so you can hear what the players are playing.

[@jonathanbreton123]

Much better than the Rimsky Korsakov Arrangement

[@daeseongkim2246]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqfckKSema-norM 무소로그스키의 천재성이 빛나는 민둥산의 하룻밤 원래 모습. 림스키 콜사코프에 의해 그의 독창성과 원형이 난도질 당했음을 알 수 있다.

[@bagdarcan]

now i'm starting to like this better than the kids' version i guess

[@AndreyRubtsovRU]

Sorry. Rimski's version is just so much better for me.

[@ianw1976]

I agree.

[@paulwl3159]

Yes the RK version has more demonic energy and relentlessness, so essential in matters that involve infernal spirits

[@paulgiven3226]

mussorgsky - st. john's night on the mountain [versio...