Expert: Stephen Levine - 12/27/2006

Question
HI,
I was listening to the promenade and The Great Gate of Kiev by Mussorgsky and wanted to know your reaction(emotions,feelings,etc).
One of my friends told me that the music can tell a story.I don't understand. HOw can music tell a story.I know that each movement is supposed to represent the composer stopping at a different picture.Does the music do this?
Please explain.
Thank you so much for your insight.

Answer
hi  i had to think about this..some music definitely tells a story..ballet music...tone poems ie strauss til eulenspiegel..other music is more suggestive and creates a mood..in "pictures" the promenade theme is supposed to suggest the walking between the pics and the actual movements themselves suggest the content of the pics...but in the end it has to be subjective to the listener unless it is telling an actual story..