Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” was written as a tribute to his deceased friend, artist Victor Hartmann. The piece, composed originally for piano in 1874 and inspired by Hartmann’s art display, consists of musical representations of ten artworks, connected by a recurring ‘Promenade’ theme. Mussorgsky’s raw and self-taught musical style was less appreciated during his lifetime than after his death. His work, particularly the opera “Boris Godunov,” is now recognized as pioneering. “Pictures at an Exhibition” saw newfound fame through Maurice Ravel’s renowned orchestration in 1922, made exclusively at Serge Koussevitsky’s request. Various other arrangements have since been attempted, but Ravel’s remains the most celebrated. Live performances offer a unique experience of the piece’s power, as remembered by the author from a Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert. Upcoming performances include one by Erie Philharmonic, alongside Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2. The author also reviews notable recordings of the composition, highlighting interpretations by The Cleveland Orchestra under Lorin Maazel and George Szell, Claudio Abbado with the Berlin Philharmonic, and a recent take by the Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra. Video performances by Gustavo Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, and Sir Georg Solti with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, showcase the thrilling impact of watching the piece come to life onstage.