Night on Bald Mountain began as a tone poem. This is orchestral music that suggests a story or idea without narration. It was inspired by legend about witches gathering on Bald Mountain, near Kiev, on Saint John’s Eve. Mussorgsky imagined their meeting, Satan’s arrival and a sabbath.

An orchestra combines instrument families. Strings, woodwind, brass and percussion work together: drums, cymbals and trombones can create mystery, tension and movement. These sounds help listeners picture mountain and its visitors.

Mussorgsky was proud, but his mentor, Mily Balakirev, criticised it and refused to perform it. The version was unheard during the composer’s lifetime. After Mussorgsky died, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov arranged it. It premiered in Saint Petersburg in 1886 and became popular. Leopold Stokowski arranged it for Disney’s Fantasia. The score was published in 1968, showing music can gain fame through revision and audiences.