Modest Mussorgsky
1839-1881
Period of Music: Romantic
Instruments he played: Piano
Nationality: Russian
Major compositions: Night on Bald Mountain (orchestra), Pictures
at an Exhibition (piano), Boris Godunov (opera)
Interesting Facts:
-Mussorgsky was an innovator of
Russian music in the Romantic period;
he tried to create a unique Russian musical identity in his
pieces. Many
of his works were inspired by Russian history and folklore.
-For many years his works were mainly known in versions revised or
completed by other composers.
-Mussorgsky began piano lessons at age 6 and at age 10 began to study
at
St. Peter’s School in St. Petersburg.
- In 1852 he entered the School for Cadets of the Guard, later joining
one of Russia’s most aristocratic regiments
(Preobrazhensky Guards)
as a lieutenant. After that Mussorgsky worked as a civil servant in
the
Ministry of Communications.
-Mussorgsky, along with Alexander Borodin, Mily Balakirev,
Nicholai
Rimsky-Korsakov, and Cesar Cui, was a member of
“The
Five”, a group of Russian composers with the common goal of
creating a nationalist school of Russian music.
