Twenty Minutes - Pictures Re-arranged

Composer and producer Gabriel Prokofiev looks at arrangements of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. The original piano suite has been arranged hundreds of times, not just for classical orchestra but for a wide range of instruments and ensembles including accordion, double bass, brass, harpischord, heavy metal band, prog-rock band, organ, percussion and synthesiser. Gabriel comes from a family that has a close association with the piece: his grandfather, the composer Sergei Prokofiev, regularly played the original version in his piano recitals. Gabriel looks at the enduring appeal of Pictures at an Exhibition for the composer/arranger, and considers some of the many and varied arrangements that have been made. Playlist: All original pieces composed by Modest Mussorgsky for piano. Excerpts as follows: Promenade (original version) Sviatoslav Richter (piano) The Sofia Recital Philips 454 167-2 Tr 1 Catacombs (original version) Alfred Brendel (piano) Philips 420 156-2 Tr 13 Catacombs arr. Ravel: Berlin Philharmonic Herbert von Karajan (conductor) DG 469 626-2 Tr 12 Promenade (original version) Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) Decca 414 386-2 Tr 1 Promenade arr. Stokowski BBC Philharmonic Matthias Bamert (conductor) Chandos CHAN 9445 Tr 9 Promenade arr. Ravel Berlin Philharmonic Herbert von Karajan (conductor) DG 469 626-2 Tr 1 Promenade arr. Ashkenazy Philharmonia Orchestra Vladimir Ashkenazy (conductor) Decca 414 386-2 Tr 7 Promenade arr. Ralf Hubert and Uwe Baltrusch Mekong Delta Zardoz Music 200212 Tr 1 Promenade arr. Isao Tomita The Best of Tomita RCA PD89381 Tr 7 Promenade arr. Emerson Lake and Palmer Emerson Lake and Palmer Victory 828 466-2 Tr 3 The Great Gate of Kiev arr. Douglas Gamley BBC Symphony Orchestra Leonard Slatkin (conductor) BBC recording The Gnome arr. Emerson Lake and Palmer Emerson Lake and Palmer Victory 828 466-2 Tr 2 Gnomus arr. James Crabb and Geir Draugsvoll James Crabb and Geir Draugsvoll (accordions) EMI classics 7243 5 69705 2 6 Tr 7 Bydlo arr. Elgar Howarth The Wallace Collection John Wallace (conductor) Collins Classics 12272 Tr 8 Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks original version Sergei Prokofiev - piano (piano roll) Laserlight 14 203 Tr 11 Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks arr. Lucien Cailliet BBC Symphony Orchestra Leonard Slatkin (conductor) BBC recording Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks arr. Kazuhito Yamashita Kazuhito Yamashita (guitar) RCA RCD14203 Tr 12 Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks arr. Ralf Hubert and Uwe Baltrusch Mekong Delta Zardoz Music 200212 Tr 9 Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks arr. Arthur Wills Arthur Wills (organ) Helios CDH88017 Tr 9 Ballet of Unhatched Chicks arr. Elgar Howarth The Wallace Collection John Wallace (conductor) Collins Classics 12272 Tr 10 Ballet of Unhatched Chicks arr. Isao Tomita The Best of Tomita RCA PD89381 Tr 9 The Old Castle arr. Ravel Berlin Philharmonic Herbert von Karajan (conductor) DG 469 626-2 Tr 4.