The Baroque music on tonight's program is (almost all) absolute music, that is music for music's sake, while the "Pictures at an Exhibition" is a program work, an attempt to capture in sound a "program', in this case the paintings by Viktor Hartmann.

Absolute music is music that is purely for music's sake; there's not a story to tell, just sound to move us. Program music attempts to tell a story or be descriptive, like "Pictures at an Exhibition".

World-renowned pianist Li Jian, Dean of the Piano Department at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, i sfeatured in music of Mussorgsky and others.

Charles Dutoit guset conducts tonight's broadcast. Gautier Capucon plays Elgar's Cello Concerto with the group.

Works by Mussorgsky, Debussy and Wagner..."pictorial' music, so to speak.....