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Old October 24th, 2020 #110
steven clark
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,277
Default Russian Classical music

I always liked Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Usually we hear the orchestrated version, but in Boston a pianist played the original score, and it was quite good.

I always liked Saint-Saens septet for trumpet. I'm fond of trumpet concertos, and it's pretty bouncy.

When I was in Boston, I went to a performance of the Russian Folklore ballet, and they did a ballet of Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain. They had been picketed by Jews, who were angry enough weren't being let out of the USSR, and threatened people outside 'blood will be on your hands if you attend this.'

They had thrown a smoke bomb in the theater the night before I went.

The company concluded with an American ballet, with them dressed up as cowboys and farmers, doing Turkey in the Straw. It was kind of fun.