Melbourne Symphony Orchestra / William Barton / Jaime Martín

In the languages of the First Nations, the indigenous population of Australia, the didgeridoo is also called the yidaki. For William Barton, himself a member of the Kalkatungu people of northern Australia, it is far more than just an instrument: »The yidaki embodies everything of the land, because it’s from the tree, it’s the breath of life and the land, of sustenance to us as human beings. It embodies the history of those old trees. The yidaki has memories, it’s the breath of our ancestors.« Both Barton and the composer Deborah Cheetham Fraillon have set themselves the goal of blending the music of their ancestors with Western traditions and making it accessible to many more people in the process.

Modest Mussorgsky created a musical monument to his friend, the painter Viktor Hartmann, with his cycle »Pictures at an Exhibition«. Inspired by an exhibition of Hartmann’s works, Mussorgsky transformed a stroll through the gallery into a vivid musical experience – capturing scenes like an ancient castle, children playing in the Tuileries Gardens in Paris, the bustling market square in Limoges, and the famous Great Gate of Kiev. Close your eyes and let the music paint the pictures!