Footnotes

Footnotes

Russian for "Mighty Handful", this term was given to a quintet of amateur (at the time) composers by the critic Vladimir Stassov in 1867. This group included Balakirev, Borodin, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and César Cui (now largely forgotten about).
See Gerald Abraham. "Tolstoy and Moussorgsky: A Parallelism of Minds." Music & Letters, Vol. 12, No.1 (Jan., 1931), 54-59.
Ibis.
It should be noted that realism, in the truest sense of the term, is impossible to achieve in music. The representation of actions, objects, and social conditions as they actually are requires a visual (painting) or descriptive (literature) medium. As an auditory art form, music is only capable of representing these things in an abstract form; the listener is required to associate musical ideas with non-musical ones.
Part of the agreement between Ravel and Koussevitzky was that the latter would be granted exclusive performance rights for five years. Having just become music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Koussevitzky led the work to great acclaim of critics and audiences alike.
The author recognizes the subjectivity of this assertion; however, it should be mentioned that the field of music analysis in itself is subjective, and especially so in the case of Mussorgsky. This results from the composer's belief that a comprehension of music should remain within the grasp of even the lowest moujik. Nonetheless, in an attempt to avoid deviating too much from what Mussorgsky intended to depict, Stassov's descriptions of the pictures are strictly adhered to. Details on how the depictions unfold musically have been restricted to Stassov's biography of the composer.
Hartmann was primarily an architect; however, the works depicted by the music include six travel sketches, two craft designs, one stage design, and only one architectural plan.
See Alfred Frankenstein. "Victor Hartmann and Modeste Mussorgsky." Music Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Jul., 1939), 268-291.
Stassov quoted in M.D. Calvocoressi. Mussorgsky. London: J.M. Dent & Sons, 1919.
A discussion concerning the different incarnations of the promenade could easily occupy an entire paper. Consequently, this topic will be treated in a separate essay.
All descriptions of the paintings used that are quoted, are taken from StassovÕs biography of Mussorgsky, as reproduced in M.D. Calvocoressi. Mussorgsky. London: J.M. Dent & Sons, 1919.
A compositional device, which intersperses or juxtaposes previously stated material with new or reused material. For example, see mm. 47-55 of the piano score.
This indication requires the performer to play with the bow on the fingerboard. The resulting sound emphasizes the fundamental, and has a soft, hazy quality to it. Note that the resulting sound is gossamer, mysterious, and fantastical, which constitutes a perfect representation of the mythological creature portrayed in his movement. After all, folklore tells us that the Gnome, who lives in the depths of the earth is a very mysterious creature.
See footnote 9.
The terms antecedent and consequent are used very loosely here. They are simply meant to indicate that a melody is sounded, and then answered to by a seemingly different voice.
See Alfred Frankenstein. "Victor Hartmann and Modeste Mussorgsky." Music Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Jul., 1939), 285.
See Elizabeth Warner. Heroes, Monsters and Other Worlds from Russian Mythology. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1996.
The constant octave leaps in the left-hand are very difficult for any pianist to execute convincingly at the Allegro con brio tempo.
M.D. Calvocoressi. Mussorgsky. London: J.M. Dent & Sons, 1919.
It may be suggested that the changes in instrumentation reflect the fluctuation of moods expressed by the troubadour; however, this in itself would show that Ravel used his own interpretation (this word in itself contradicts the philosophy of realism) to set the work. Other similar suggestions could also be refuted using the same principle.
See Laurence Davies. Ravel Orchestral Music. London: BBC, 1970.