LOVERS OF classical music and art will rejoice at an event taking place in Waterford this week.

On Thursday, February 28, at 8 p.m. the Large Room at City Hall will provide the venue for a celebration of ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ by Mussorgsky under the banner, ‘Echoes: Artwork and Music (Debussy – Mussorgsky)’.

The performance will feature the sublime talents of pianist, Míċeál O’Rourke, and narrator, Stephen Ackert.

‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ is one of the most successful and popular pieces of music ever and has inspired classical and non-classical composers and musicians.

Since it was composed in 1874 the piano suite in fifteen movements has been orchestrated more than 20 times. There have also been many eclectic interpretations of the work which has seen it performed by brass bands, on classical and electrical guitar, and on organ.

In addition adaptations have been composed in a wide range of music genres including progressive rock, jazz, folk, electronic and heavy metal.

However, the performance in Waterford, which is being presented by w a t e r f o r d ~ m u s i c will be based on the original version.

Mr. O’Rourke’s rendition will be accompanied by slides of the original pictures that inspired Mussorgsky to compose his music in the first place.

Stephen Ackert, from the National Gallery of Art Washington DC, will help the audience experience great art and music simultaneously.

Paintings from impressionists and symbolists will be presented in a slide show to accompany Debussy’s piano ‘Préludes’. There will also be images displayed from the exhibition of drawings and watercolours by Victor Alexandrovich Hartmann which provided the original inspiration for Mussorgsky to compose ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’.