M. P. Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” Interpreted by S. T. Richter: In Search of New Meanings

The piano cycle “Pictures at an Exhibition” by M. P. Mussorgsky is one of the undisputed peaks of Russian music. Despite the apparent wide coverage of this work in scientific literature, it conceals a lot of mysteries and provides an opportunity for its multiple rethinking. Many outstanding pianists have addressed its interpretation: V. Horowitz, M. Yudina, M. Pletnev, V. Ashkenazy, but the performance of S. T. Richter stands out for its special depth and allows us to discover new meanings in understanding this masterpiece. The peculiarities of Richter’s interpretation of “Pictures at an Exhibition” allow us to form our own view of the figurative content of the cycle. The ideas expressed in this article differ somewhat from the traditional understanding of “Pictures” as musical illustrations to the works of V. Hartmann. The work, created during a difficult period in the composer’s life, is considered in the article as a deeply personal narrative of Mussorgsky about life and death.