Pictures At An Exhibition.

The Hartman works on canvas, hardly known to art

But known to music, with sounds so profound and wonderful.

You go on the journey through the sounds

That come to your ears

 

The Promenade through the Academy of St Petersburg

Showing Viktor’s works assembled

As a tribute to the young artist,

Taken from us before his time.

 

Stopping at The Gnome, running clumsily,

His legs at odds with his body;

He stops when he hears the Troubadour

Playing before The Old Castle

 

The Promenade continues on to

The Gardens of the Tuileries

Where children play

To sounds so sublime that are formed in your mind

 

The sound of the Cattle in the distance

Come to you from the sounds from the orchestra

Then BANG! The sounds and the Cattle stop nearby

Only to move on to the sound dying away

 

The Promenade moves to the Ballet

And there performing on stage

Are Unhatched Chicks to Petipa’s steps

And Gerber’s music

 

The Canaries hatch, while watching from their frame

Are Goldenburg and Schmuyle.

But now written in music, as well as cast in paint.

The sound meanders  along the floor

 

Until it reaches The Market at Limoges,

Where women are violently quarrelling.

So scuttling away through the Catacombs

Lit by the light of the lamp in hand.

 

Suddenly the witch is seen in her Hut on Fowl’s Legs,

Baba Yaga! A horrendous sight with her teeth of metal,

long nose and spindly, skinny legs.

The music dies away from this awful place

 

The Promenade is ending and at the door

The Gates of Kiev, in all their splendour

Give a sound so uplifting, as once more

Mussorgsky moves back to his piano;

To compose “Pictures at an Exhibition”.