Night on Bald Mountain by Modest

Mussorgsky
Few programmatic pieces have matched the fame of Night on Bald Mountain, one of

the first orchestral works by the Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky. It depicts a

story by Russian author Nikolai Gogol, describing a witches' Sabbath held upon a

mountaintop on St John's Eve. After two unsuccessful attempts to transform this

story into opera, Mussorgsky completed the tone poem in 1867.1 However, it was

heavily criticised in Mussorgsky's lifetime and was revised by Rimsky-Korsakov in

1886.2

Besides being influenced by his two failed attempts of including this piece in opera,

Mussorgsky was inspired more so from outside sources as he completed very few

orchestral works before this one, mentioning Liszt's Totentanz, as a model. 3

Mussorgsky was also motivated by his desire to compose music representing

Russia, stating that the piece "is [...] Russian and original," possibly influencing his

choice of story.4 This could have contributed to the vivid detail in which Mussorgsky

narrates the scenes of the story listed in his programme.5

1
“Night on Bald Mountain,” accessed September 12, 2015,
http://www.dentonisd.org/cms/lib/TX21000245/Centricity/Domain/1690/Listening%20Guide%20-
%20Night%20on%20Bald%20Mountain.pdf.
2
“Night on Bald Mountain (orig.) | LA Phil,” accessed September 15, 2015,
http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/music/night-on-bald-mountain-orig-modest-mussorgsky.; For the purposes of
this essay, the Rimsky-Korsakov version will be studied.
3
Francis Maes, A History of Russian Music: From Kamarinskaya to Babi Yar (Berkeley: University of
California Press, 2002), 86.
4
Dan Bossaller, “Night on Bald Mountain: Movement by Movement,” April 8, 2009,
https://www.scribd.com/doc/30795925/Night-on-Bald-Mountain-Movement-by-Movement.
5
“Night on Bald Mountain.”; See Appendix
The first notable idea used by Mussorgsky to suggest his programme is a motive

symbolising "subterranean sounds of unearthly voices." 6 The piece begins with a

short motive consisting of bursts of ascending and descending glissandi in

woodwinds and violas. By layering crescendos and decrescendos on this short

phrase, Mussorgsky creates a dynamic range of piano to forte, contrasting with the

quiet chromatic pattern played by strings. This creates an effect of suddenness, and

contributes an erratic nature to the 'voices' of witches as described by the

programme. Although the beginning is in a conventional minor key, the glissandi are

in the mixolydian mode;7 when placed against the chromatic accompaniment, foreign

harmonies and images are evoked, relating to the unfamiliar voices being

introduced. This motive returns later, amidst the "appearance of the Spirits of

Darkness," 8 serving as a break between a syncopated dance-like theme of the

witches. However, it is orchestrated for more instruments with a greater dynamic.

The tension of the motive is heightened, which emphasises the witches' arrival;

previously, only echoes of them were heard. The repetition of this motive allows it to

serve as a recognisable marker amidst the depiction of the programme.

Mussorgsky furthers the programmatic element to his music by establishing themes

the listeners can associate with characters; he represents Chernabog, the 'Black

God,' using a fanfare theme in the brass, but grandeur is not evoked, as it ends on a

dissonant chord, suggesting, rather, a sinister entity. A modulation to A major

signifies the beginning of the "glorification of Chernabog and celebration of the Black

Mass." 9 The witches' celebration is symbolised by a theme consisting of fast

6
“Night on Bald Mountain.”
7
Bossaller, “Night on Bald Mountain: Movement by Movement.”
8
“Night on Bald Mountain.”
9
Ibid.
semiquaver and quaver movement in the strings, the rhythmic and dancing nature of

which representing a celebratory atmosphere. This is juxtaposed with scalic quaver

figure by winds, which is alternated with the dance theme with gradually increasing

dynamic and density of instrumentation, causing listeners to feel a sense of craze

and disorder in the witches' movements. All of the aforementioned motives are

treated in the subsequent 'Sabbath' section.10 The celebration of the witches can be

heard to have reached its climax, as glissandi, the dance theme, and also the quaver

figure are heard in alternation amidst interjecting brass fanfares representing

Chernabog's excitement. The feeling of craze is corroborated by Mussorgsky's

remark that "the form of disjointed variations with interspersions is, I think, the most

appropriate for such a commotion."11 Mussorgsky's establishment of these themes in

earlier sections makes his layering of ideas more effective and able to represent the

erratic celebration of a witches' Sabbath.

Finally, instrumentation is used to bring the piece back to a calm coda, although this

part was added by Rimsky-Korsakov. 12 At the height of the Sabbath section, the

music dies down as bells chime a D six times, representing the bell of the local

village church, signalling the end of the night.13 The motifs of the Sabbath die down,

being feebly stated again at a pianissimo dynamic and slower tempo, suggesting a

sense of fading away. This is perhaps the most programmatic of elements in the

piece, as a musical instrument has been directly associated with an occurrence in

10
Bossaller, “Night on Bald Mountain: Movement by Movement.”
11
David Brown, Mussorgsky: His Life and Works, The Master Musicians (New York: Oxford University Press,
2002), 89.
12
Modest Mussorgsky and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, “Une Nuit Sur Le Mont Chauve,” IMSLP, accessed
September 12, 2015, http://burrito.whatbox.ca:15263/imglnks/usimg/4/48/IMSLP139196-PMLP04739-
Mussorgsky_-_Night_on_Bald_Mountain_FS_rsl.pdf; Modest Mussorgsky, “Night on the Bare Mountain,”
accessed September 16, 2015, http://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/usimg/f/f5/IMSLP17143-Mussorgsky-
Night1867fs.pdf.
13
Bossaller, “Night on Bald Mountain: Movement by Movement.”
real life. Interestingly, the piece ends on a major chord, providing a sense of closure

from the erratically changing harmonies, suggesting that the ordeal is over.

Having listened to two recordings of this piece,14 I found the harmonies daunting and

abrasive at times, but, now, being aware of the programmatic elements, understand

that they serve to enhance the story. Also, the contrast between tension and calm in

terms of orchestration, tempo and dynamic mutually enhance their effectiveness.

With how suggestive the musical ideas in this piece are, it is no wonder it has

remained a staple of orchestral concert repertoire.

796 words.

14
Fritz Reiner and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Night on Bald Mountain (RCA Records), accessed September
12, 2015,
http://auckland.naxosmusiclibrary.com.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/catalogue/item.asp?cid=884977098853; Leonard
Bernstein and New York Philharmonic, St. John’s Night on Bald Mountain (Sony Classical), accessed
September 13, 2015,
http://auckland.naxosmusiclibrary.com.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/catalogue/item.asp?cid=827969272725.
Appendix

Programme of the Rimsky-Korsakov edition.15

“Subterranean sounds of unearthly voices. Appearance of the Spirits of Darkness,

followed by that of Chornobog. Glorification of Chornobog and celebration of the
Black Mass. Witches’ Sabbath. The bell of the little village church is heard from afar.
The Spirits of Darkness are dispersed. Daybreak.”

15
“Night on Bald Mountain.”
Bibliography

Books

Brown, David. Mussorgsky: His Life and Works. The Master Musicians. New York:

Oxford University Press, 2002.

Maes, Francis. A History of Russian Music: From Kamarinskaya to Babi Yar.

Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002.

Recordings

Bernstein, Leonard, and New York Philharmonic. St. John’s Night on Bald Mountain.

Sony Classical. Accessed September 13, 2015.

http://auckland.naxosmusiclibrary.com.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/catalogue/item

.asp?cid=827969272725.

Reiner, Fritz, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Night on Bald Mountain. RCA

Records. Accessed September 12, 2015.

http://auckland.naxosmusiclibrary.com.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/catalogue/item

.asp?cid=884977098853.

Scores

Mussorgsky, Modest. “Night on the Bare Mountain.” Accessed September 16, 2015.

http://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/usimg/f/f5/IMSLP17143-Mussorgsky-

Night1867fs.pdf.

Mussorgsky, Modest, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. “Une Nuit Sur Le Mont Chauve.”

IMSLP. Accessed September 12, 2015.

http://burrito.whatbox.ca:15263/imglnks/usimg/4/48/IMSLP139196-

PMLP04739-Mussorgsky_-_Night_on_Bald_Mountain_FS_rsl.pdf.
Websites

Bossaller, Dan. “Night on Bald Mountain: Movement by Movement,” April 8, 2009.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/30795925/Night-on-Bald-Mountain-Movement-by-

“Night on Bald Mountain.” Accessed September 12, 2015.

http://www.dentonisd.org/cms/lib/TX21000245/Centricity/Domain/1690/Listeni

ng%20Guide%20-%20Night%20on%20Bald%20Mountain.pdf.

“Night on Bald Mountain (orig.) | LA Phil.” Accessed September 15, 2015.

http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/music/night-on-bald-mountain-orig-modest-

mussorgsky.