A Night on the Bare Mountain

arranged by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)

A Night on the Bare Mountain is the most vivid musical account of a Witches’ Sabbath since Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, or perhaps even the most vivid ever. It is also Mussorgsky’s most popular work - though not, ironically enough, as he wrote it but as his friend Rimsky-Korsakov arranged it five years after his death. Mussorgsky was never quite sure what to do with this extraordinary inspiration of his but it was always associated in his mind with nightmare visions of devils and witches.

It begins with what Mussorgsky called a “subterranean roar of non-human voices.” The introductory passage, with excited strings and woodwind, stamping feet and heavily threatening gestures in the brass, is repeated, the second time ending in peals of mocking laughter. The witches assemble to a Russian dance tune on woodwind, in alternating loud and soft passages, and Satan’s retinue makes its entry to music recalling some of the first section before the appearance of Satan himself to a proud fanfare on trumpets and horns. The longest section, beginning quietly with chorale fragments on the woodwind and mounting to a climax as previous material is developed and recapitulated, represents the worship of Satan and the celebration of the black mass. As the sound of church bells is heard (six strokes on a tubular bell) the spirits quietly retreat and a fresh morning breaks with a lovely melody on clarinet and then flute, ending in the piece in serenity.

arranged by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)

A Night on the Bare Mountain is the most vivid musical account of a Witches’ Sabbath since Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, or perhaps even the most vivid ever. It is also Mussorgsky’s most popular work - though not, ironically enough, as he wrote it but as his friend Rimsky-Korsakov arranged it five years after his death. Mussorgsky was never quite sure what to do with this extraordinary inspiration of his but it was always associated in his mind with nightmare visions of devils and witches, as the headings he supplied for one version (printed here in italics) conclusively confirm:

subterranean roar of non-human voices - the introductory passage, with excited strings and woodwind, stamping feet and black fanfares in the brass, is repeated, the second time ending in peals of mocking laughter -

assembly of the witches - a syncopated Russian dance tune in alternating loud and soft passages -

entry of Satan’s retinue - recalling some of the first section and then building to a big climax -

the entry of Satan himself - a proud fanfare on trumpets and horns -

worship of Satan and the black mass - by far the longest section, beginning quietly with chorale fragments on the woodwind and mounting to a climax as previous material is developed and recapitulated -

the spirits take flight as the sound of church bells is heard - six strokes on a tubular bell -

and day breaks - a lovely morning song on clarinet and then flute, ending in serenity.

arr.Rimsky-Korsakov/Tchernaus

Although Mussorgsky’s A Night on the Bare Mountain is known above all as an orchestral work - either in the composer’s own scoring of 1867 or in the far more frequently performed Rimsky-Korsakov arrangement - it is not without piano associations. There are reports of Mussorgsky himself playing it on the piano and there is an unfinished arrangement for piano and orchestra in his own hand. However much pleasure he might have taken in the present version, he would have some difficulty in recognising it. It is in fact a piano arrangement of the Rimsky-Korsakov orchestral version, which is itself a very free adaptation of the Mussorgsky original together with another (unfinished) Mussorgsky version intended for the (unfinished) opera Sorotchinsky Fair.

Anyway, in whatever way Mussorgsky intended to use the piece - and he had all kinds of ideas for it - it was always associated in his mind with nightmare visions of devils and witches. And, in whatever version, it remains the most vivid account of a Witches’ Sabbath since Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. The principal events are: subterranean roar of non-human voices (the introductory passage, with excited figuration in the treble of the piano, stamping feet and black fanfares in the bass); assembly of the witches (a syncopated Russian dance); entry of Satan’s retinue (recalling some of the first section and then building to a big climax);the entry of Satan himself (a proud fanfare); worship of Satan and the black mass (by far the longest section, beginning quietly with fragments of a chorale and mounting to a climax as previous material is developed and recapitulated); the spirits take flight as the sound of church bells is heard (six strokes on the D above middle C); and day breaks (a lovely morning song derived from the epilogue supplied by Mussorgsky in Sorotchinsky Fair).

arranged by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)

A Night on the Bare Mountain is the most vivid musical account of a Witches’ Sabbath since Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, or perhaps even the most vivid ever. Mussorgsky made or at least sketched several versions of it but - whether intended as incidental music for a play, as a concert piece, or as a chorus with ballet in an opera - it was always associated with nightmare visions of devils and witches. He did, in fact, complete one orchestral version in 1867 (on St John’s Eve, appropriately enough) and in a letter to Rimsky-Korsakov expressed his excited satisfaction with it. But Balakirev, whose opinion mattered, didn’t like it and it was never performed or published during the composer’s lifetime. Mussorgsky did, on the other hand, attempt to make use of it in other ways, last of all as an intermezzo for chorus and orchestra in his unfinished opera Sorochintsy Fair.

It was mainly from this last version that Rimsky-Korsakov compiled the version which, paradoxically, has become Mussorgsky’s most popular orchestral piece. It has retained its popularity in that form even though the composer’s own 1867 version has been available for performance for several years now. Since Rimsky reshaped the work, as well as rescoring it, neither of the accounts left by Mussorgsky himself of the weird story behind it - for the 1867 version and the Sorochintsy version - can be applied to this arrangement. However, a conflation of the two together with a little guess-work produces the following scenario (the italicised headings are Mussorgsky’s own):

Subterranean roar of non-human voices - the introductory passage, with excited upper strings and woodwind, stamping feet and black fanfares in the brass, is repeated, the second time ending in peals of mocking laughter -

assembly of the witches - a syncopated Russian dance tune in alternating loud and soft passages -

entry of Satan’s retinue - recalling some of the first section and then building to a big climax -

the entry of Satan himself - a proud fanfare on trumpets and horns -

worship of Satan and the black mass - by far the longest section, beginning quietly with chorale fragments on the woodwind and mounting to a climax as previous material is developed and recapitulated -

the spirits take flight as the sound of church bells is heard - six strokes on a tubular bell -

and day breaks - a lovely morning song on clarinet and then flute, ending in a serene D major.

arranged by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)

The uniquely inspired work we know as A Night on the Bare Mountain occupied Mussorgsky on and off for at least the last fifteen years of his life. He made or sketched several versions of it but - whether intended as incidental music for a play, as a concert piece, or as a chorus with ballet in an opera - it was always associated with nightmare visions of devils and witches. He did, in fact, complete one orchestral version (on St John’s Eve, appropriately enough, in 1867) and in a letter to Rimsky-Korsakov expressed his excited satisfaction with it. But Balakirev, whose opinion mattered, did not like it and it was never performed or published during the composer’s lifetime. Mussorgsky did, on the other hand, attempt to make use of it in other ways, last of all as an intermezzo for chorus and orchestra in his (unfinished) opera Sorochintsy Fair.

It was mainly from this last version that Rimsky-Korsakov compiled the version which, paradoxically, has become Mussorgsky’s most popular orchestral piece. It has retained its popularity in that form even though the composer’s own 1867 version has been available for performance for several years now. Either way, it is the most vivid account of a Witches’ Sabbath since Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, or perhaps even the most vivid ever. Since Rimsky reshaped the work, as well as rescoring it, neither of the programmes left by Mussorgsky himself - for the 1867 version and the Sorochintsy version - can be applied to his arrangement. However, a compilation of the two, together with a little guess-work, produces the following scenario (the italicised headings are Mussorgsky’s own):

Subterranean roar of non-human voices - the introductory passage, with excited upper strings and woodwind, stamping feet and black fanfares in the brass, is repeated, the second time ending in peals of mocking laughter -

assembly of the witches - a syncopated Russian dance tune in alternating forte and piano passages -

entry of Satan’s retinue - recalling some of the first section and then building to a big climax -

the entry of Satan himself - a proud fanfare on trumpets and horns -

worship of Satan and the black mass - by far the longest section, beginning quietly with chorale fragments on the woodwind and mounting to a climax as previous material is developed and recapitulated -

the spirits take flight as the sound of church bells is heard - six strokes on a tubular bell -

and day breaks - a lovely morning song on clarinet and then flute, ending in a serene D major.

Gerald Larner