From Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, "Baba Yaga" and "The Great Gate of Kiev". I've posted a recording of the "Great Gate of Kiev" before, but the first of these two movements jumps right into the next one with practically no pause, so you get them both. Baba Yaga, incidentally, was a witch from Russian folklore who lived deep in the woods in a hut mounted on giant chicken legs; the dwelling could rotate to face anyone who approached. She flew through the air on a mortar and pestle. The music seems to suggest her rapid locomotion.
The performance is by the Auckland Symphony Orchestra.
Baba Yaga, incidentally, was a witch from Russian folklore...
ReplyDeleteAlso John Wick's nickname, given to him by the Russian mafia, because you don't mess with Baba Yaga...or John Wick.
But I can't imagine that Baba Yaga's body count would be any more than a small fraction of John Wick's body count. :-)
I haven't seen the John Wick movies (saving them for my old age...Wait! I'm now old! I guess I can start watching). You're probably right about the body count.
DeleteDon't forget, there's four of'em, and if you want to do a body count you'll really need to watch each one twice. The first time to follow the story, and the second time to count the bodies. You really have to concentrate at times, to keep track of the unfortunates that get in his way.
DeleteThe first John Wick movie is pretty good. Kind of a documentary about a reasonable response to someone killing his dog.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised I liked it, I usually can't take Ted Theodore Logan seriously.
I haven't seen any sequels.
It's cool watching good orchestras. Watching 20 or 30 people moving in perfect concert is hypnotizing.
As a tourist, my son saw the Great Gate in person in 2021, just a few months before the invasion as it turned out. The ancient 'gate' has been restored and is in a park in the middle of the city, surrounded by busy roads now. I was blown away to see the pictures he sent, as a fan of the music.
ReplyDeleteHe also did the bus tour to Chernobyl! I urged him to visit the huge statue of St Vlad overlooking the river, because I was reading Bulgakov's White Guard (published 1925) at the time. He only stayed a week or so. He has Ukrainian friends, and also Russian friends.
What a world!