Mussorgsky

MODEST PETROVICH MUSSORGSKY

(1839-1881)

Russian composer, at first army officer, later a civil servant but studied
briefly as a young man with Balakirev. Both were members of THE MIGHTY HANDFUL, the
group of five nationalist composers; expressed sympathy with the people and showed it in
various works including his masterpiece the opera BORIS GODUNOV.

Evolved, partly from speech-inflection, a highly individual musical idiom misunderstood by
many contemporaries - Rimsky-Korsakov 'correcting' (misleadingly) much of his work
after his death and fathering on him a piece called NIGHT ON THE BARE MOUNTAIN, his
other works include unfinished operas THE KHOVANSKY AFFAIR, SOROCHINTS FAIR, and THE
MARRIAGE, PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION for piano (orchestrated by others); many songs
including SONGS AND DANCES OF DEATH.

Died after alcoholic epileptic fits.

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