Pictures at an Exhibition

I like this one for it's cover art by Josef Albers:

A really impressive and intriguing take on the work is by Khatia Buniatishvili.

An extraordinarily inspirational and fun presentation was from Emerson, Lake and Palmer, when in fall of 1977 they outrageously thought that they could take the show on tour with a 70 piece orchestra. After only a few weeks, they realized the folly of such expense and had to dismiss the orchestra. All were heartbroken as so much fun had been in in the offing, that the orchestra, virtually to the last person said, it's OK... You don't have to pay us. We just want to show to go on! Alas, this was impermissible under union rules, but certainly indicated the enthusiasm for the project. And who knew there were lyrics? Greg Lake, that's who. (He wrote them). This, to me, is truly goodly, spiritually speaking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO4lEEigeeo

What a fabulous piece of music and a fabulous piece of orchestration by Ravel ! I agree with the assessment of the version with The Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Kubelik conducting.  it is a great MONO recording on the Mercury label. I performed it many times as an orchestral musician.  I even had the privilege to perform it with Leopold Stokowski in HIS orchestration of the piece. It was good, but nowhere near as good as Ravel's original version.  One of the great features of the CSO/Kubelik recording is the "Bydlo" movement.  It is meant to depict a slow-moving 2 wheeled cart pulled by oxen.  The solo voice is scored for solo tuba.  It is supposed to sound slow and laboured.  Kubelik called upon the CSO's superb tuba soloist, Arnold Jacobs to perform it on a smaller than usual tuba in the key of "F" with great effect !   Many times today, it is performed on a "tenor tuba" or euphonium to make it far easier to perform but it loses the heavy, laboured character that was originally intended.  I studied with Mr. Jacobs for a bit and he thought it was just another day on the job !  What an orchestra !!

FWIW, I just listened to some of my Mussorgsky's piano versions of 'Pictures' and clearly I overlooked Kissin's recording made early i his career. My mistake, I think. I like it quite a bit and recommend it. Pretty good recording too.