Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra celebrate Mussorgsky with the release of two of his most cherished works, 'Pictures at an Exhibition' and 'Night on a Bare Mountain' (performed here in Mussorgsky’s original version). Gergiev is at his finest conducting these paragons of Mussorgsky’s work, featured alongside which are the seldom heard 'Songs and Dances of Death', composed during the years 1875 to 1877 and left languishing unpublished during the composer’s lifetime. One of Mussorgsky’s most powerful compositions, each song deals with death in a poetic manner reflecting experiences not uncommon in 19th century Russia: child death, death in youth, drunken misadventure and war. Gramophone Magazine April 2015 “[Gergiev's approach] is surprisingly mild with some of the characterisation. 'Gnomus' is agile rather than grotesque; 'The Old Castle' sorrowful (with a nicely mournful saxophone solo) rather than haunted; 'Baba-Yaga' grotesque but hardly alarming...Furlanetto has Russian credentials (as Boris Godunov, no less), and he follows Gergiev in singing a touching lullaby for the dying child.” MusicWeb International 24th February 2015 “an admirable collection…as a whole the disc works very well indeed.” The Telegraph 1st February 2015 *** “The more vivacious pictures spring to life...but those that depend on subtler characterisation and atmosphere often remain inertly matt.”