Comments on: Viktor Hartmann

By: Klaus Narr

Klaus Narr — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:24:13 +0000

Hi,
Picture # 2 can in absolutely no way be associated with Mussorgsky’s music piece entitled Bydlo in Pictures at an Exhibition.
‘Bydlo’, a Polish word meaning ‘cattle’, is the musical transcription by Mussorgsky of a sketch by Hartmann representing a heavily loaded cart with huge wheels and drawn by massive-shaped oxen, making its progress along a country way.
Picture # 5 is not just “Egg”, it’s a sketch for a costume, and the corresponding piece in Mussorgsky’s Pictures is Ballet of the Chicks in their Shells.

By: Alan Bennett

Alan Bennett — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:43:29 +0000

Thank you so much Sergei for sharing these splendid pictures. I have been fascinated by Moussorgsky’s superb music for many years, and it is a delight to be able to see some of Hartmann’s works that inspired it. I was also very pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of a painting of the old city of Périgueux, which is about 100 kms southwest of Limoges, and near which I live. Apart from Ravel’s magnificent orchestration, could you recommend other noteworthy versions ?

By: David Canfield

David Canfield — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:44:01 +0000

Dear Sergei Korschmin,
A friend told me about your site, featuring more of the paintings of Viktor Hartmann, and I have been utterly fascinated to see paintings of his not previously known to me (especially the ones with association to Mussorgsky’s “Pictures.” Please allow me to introduce myself to you and the visitors to your site as a “Pictures at an Exhibition” enthusiast, and the president of IKVA (International Kartinki s Vystavki Association), and organization devoted to the promotion of all the arrangements (more than 300 to date) of this work, and the recordings of them. Anyone wishing to receive our free occasonaly newsletters, and lists of all of the known arrangements and recordings of this work can contact me at davecanfield@sbcglobal.net.

I do have a question for you: One of the arrangements that I have encountered (I purchased the score to it) is your own arrangement for brass sextet of “Pictures.” Could you tell me if there are any recordings (even private ones) of your arrangement, and if so, how I can obtain one for our archive? Also, if you can supply any details about how you came to make your arrangement, the year you arranged it, etc., I would like to put this information into an encyclopedia of “Pictures” that I am at work on.

Many thanks, and I wish you every success in your hunt for further Hartmann works!

David Canfield

By: Ariel Shih

Ariel Shih — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:08:55 +0000

Wow! These pictures are very interesting. Since I saw these after playing “Pictures at an Exhibition”, they are quite different to what I’ve imagined. :P …very interesting phenomenon.

By: Sergei Korschmin

Sergei Korschmin — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:28:38 +0000

Hi Hermann. I assume you are referring to Thomas von Hartmann (1886-1956), the Russian composer? I have looked through some of the historic & biographical references in my library and browsed through quite a few Russian historic websites and found no conclusive answer. My guess is that these two men are not related, however I could be wrong. I will keep your question in mind and if I discover any new information I will let you know. If you discover any further information, please feel free to share your information here. Other than that, thank you very much for your comment.

By: Hermann

Hermann — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:02:24 +0000

Is Viktor Hartmann related to Thomas von Hartmann ?
Thanks for you answer !

By: Sergei Korschmin

Sergei Korschmin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:13:45 +0000

Hello Elvira,
Thank you for your comment. Mussorgsky’s visit to Hartmann’s posthumous exhibition of about 400 works led him to the creation of “Pictures at an Exhibition”. I feel that it is plausible to assume that the composer at the time was influenced by all of the works displayed. I completely sympathise with your desire to recreate in its entirety the exhibition that took place in February 1874. (I assume that this is what you are after, purely because your suggestion of having six pictures is absolutely correct. Mussorgsky only took sketches of four “foreign” and two Russian themes as a core pictorial representation of the musical work. Here is very interesting web site with very good images.) However, the majority of the works displayed were then sold and locating originals will be a very difficult if not impossible task.

Maybe this humble web page could help resurrect what Mussorgsky and many others experienced 134 years ago… It is very bold and ambitious…, perhaps I will start with this:

Hear Me, Hear Me… !

Dear korschmin.com visitors and readers: If while reading through your great-grand and/or grandparents correspondence and/or diaries you notice any reference to Viktor Hartmann’s life or work and/or their having been in St. Petersburg (Russia) in March 1874 and visited an exhibition in Academy of Arts of Viktor Hartmann’s drawings, watercolors, architectural projects, sketches of theatrical scenery and costumes please let me know.

By: Elvira Castillo de Sazo

Elvira Castillo de Sazo — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:16:21 +0000

Hello, I am from Guatemala, Central America. I am working in a power point presentation of Mussorgsky’s Pictures, and I just had the 6 pictures most known. I really would like to have the rest of them to finish with the original my presentation. Would you be so nice to let me know how to get the others?

By: firebird

firebird — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:34:26 +0000

I am enjoying seeing Hartmann’s work! Where did you find these sketches?

By: Osvaldo Manso (Lisbon, Portugal)

Osvaldo Manso (Lisbon, Portugal) — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:09:27 +0000

Thank you for sharing!
I have read on the Internet that most of the original paintings are lost (either destroyed by neglect or still to be found). How did you manage to found this ones?