I'm no authority on the subject, but I have heard many performances of "PixEx"
over the years, and we've got four different versions on vinyl and/or CD.
Among them is a tour de force piano performance by Svistislav Richter, which is all about technical brilliance on the verge of chaos. The orchestral versions
are all about gifted musicians making the most beautiful sounds they can on
their individual instruments. I was initially quite taken with a synthesizer
version by Isau Tomita, but the novelty wore off and so did my interest. To be
blunt, I didn't even bother to put any version of PixEx on my iPod.
Then along came Martin Setchell. The DVD is fun to watch, and I do appreciate
seeing an artist's interpretations of Martin's performance. However, for me,
experiencing Martin's playing for the first time, the visuals were secondary.
The music was everything. I remember thinking that it sounded as if he'd never
heard anyone else play it before. This is the freshest, most original version
I've ever heard. The picture Martin paints with his voicings and interpretation is of the Russia that poor Mussorgsky knew. In the last days of the Romanov
dynasty, it was a country that produced Faberge eggs and Rasputin. Martin
touches on both extremes, with everything in between, and he's got the chops to pull it off.
PixEx has finally made it onto my iPod!
