Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” was helped mightily by the projection of paintings by Natasha Turovsky (Yuli’s daughter), which had been cleverly animated by the digital artist Gael Hollard to “translate” the musical content. In truth, “Choreographed Paintings,” as Yuri Turovsky calls them, struck me as a logical expansion given my opinion that arranging “Pictures at an Exhibition” for string orchestra makes as much sense as turning something like Tchaikovsky’s “Overture 1812” into a piece for guitar. I enjoyed this arrangement as if it were a new piece, but when I let my mind travel to either the piano solo or Ravel’s fantastic version for full orchestra, I found much of this performance too fast, sometimes too gentle and minus appropriate gravitas for the recurring “Promenade” as well as “The Great Gate at Kiev.”
Some of the movements benefited from the ensemble’s knack for speed and lightness, most notably “Tuileries” and “Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks,” the latter serving as metaphor for the entire evening – many unhatched chicks struggling to break free of their limitations.

– article submitted by Rita E. Landrum