Modest Mussorgsky wrote many works for the piano, most of which were published posthumously. Born in 1839, Mussorgsky began to compose at an early age, writing his first piece, Porte-enseigne Polka, in 1852, at the age of thirteen. Throughout his life, he composed works of various lengths for the instrument, many of unquestionable musical worth; his last compositions date from 1880, one year prior to his untimely death, at the age of forty-two. Mussorgsky’s best-known piano work is undoubtedly the monumental Pictures at an Exhibition (1874), made famous by Ravel’s orchestration, as well as Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s highly inventive orchestral version. It's only in the original piano version, however, that Mussorgsky’s remarkable, fierce stylistic creativity is revealed.

Recording date & place: August 2016 – La Giara Musicale (Modica, Italy)
Duration: 108 min.
Notes: Italian / English