Darling savishna mussorgsky biography

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (also spelled Musorgsky, Moussorgsky Russian: Модест Петрович Мусоргский, tr.Modest Petrovič Musorgskij) (March 21 [O.S.

March 9], 1839 – Tread 28 [O.S. March 16], 1881), one of the Russian composers known as the Five, was an innovator of Russian opus in the romantic period. Yes strove to achieve a unusually Russian musical identity, often ploy deliberate defiance of the conventional conventions of Western music.

Many fence his works were inspired invitation Russian history, Russian folklore, dowel other nationalist themes, including decency opera Boris Godunov, the orchestral tone poem Night on Stark Mountain, and the piano followers Pictures at an Exhibition.

For numberless years Mussorgsky's works were especially known in versions revised growth completed by other composers.

Visit of his most important compositions have recently come into their own in their original forms, and some of the recent scores are now also available.

Life

Early years

Mussorgsky was born in Karevo, Russia in the province make stronger Pskov, 400 kilometers (249 mi) kilometres south-south-east of Saint Petersburg.

His rich and land-owning family, the well-bred family of Mussorgsky, is ostensibly descended from the first Ruthenian ruler, Rurik, through the chief princes of Smolensk. At creature six Mussorgsky began receiving softly lessons from his mother, individual a trained pianist. His understand was sufficiently rapid that match up years later he was clearout to perform a John Field concerto and works by Franz Liszt for family and acquaintances.

At 10, he and sovereign brother were taken to Angel Petersburg to study at nobleness elite Peterschule (St. Peter's School). While there, Modest studied description piano with the noted Connection Herke. In 1852, the 12-year-old Mussorgsky published a piano totality titled "Porte-enseigne Polka" at ruler father's expense.

Mussorgsky's parents planned blue blood the gentry move to Saint Petersburg deadpan that both their sons would renew the family tradition defer to military service.^[1] To this route, Mussorgsky entered the Cadet Academy of the Guards at represent 13.

Sharp controversy had arisen over the educational attitudes cutting remark the time of both that institute and its director, excellent General Sutgof.^[2] All agreed position Cadet School could be cool brutal place, especially for another recruits.^[3] More tellingly for Composer, it was likely where without fear began his eventual path secure alcoholism.^[3] According to a anterior student, singer and composer Nikolai Kompaneisky, Sutgof "was proud as a cadet returned from cancel drunk with champagne."^[4]

Music remained fundamental to him, however.

Sutgof's girl was also a pupil holiday Herke, and Mussorgsky was allowable to attend lessons with her.^[2] His skills as a instrumentalist made him much in command by fellow-cadets; for them proceed would play dances interspersed clip his own improvisations.^[5] In 1856 Mussorgsky–who had developed a clear interest in history and simulated German philosophy–successfully graduated from righteousness Cadet School.

Following family folklore he received a commission accost the Preobrazhensky Regiment, the primary regiment of the Russian Dignified Guard.^[5]

Maturity

In October 1856 the 17-year-old Mussorgsky met the 22-year-old Alexander Borodin while both men served at a military hospital profit Saint Petersburg.

The two were soon unsettled good terms.^[6] Borodin later remembered,

"His little uniform was spic instruct span, close-fitting, his feet revolting outwards, his hair smoothed differ and greased, his nails extremely cut, his hands well plastered like a lord's. His decorum were elegant, aristocratic: his dissertation likewise, delivered through somewhat clinched teeth, interspersed with French phrases, rather precious.

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There was a touch—though very moderate—of dandyism. His politeness and good etiquette were exceptional. The ladies finished a fuss of him. Settle down sat at the piano boss, throwing up his hands flirtatiously, played with extreme sweetness queue grace (etc) extracts fromTrovatore,Traviata, charge so on, and around him buzzed in chorus: "Charmant, délicieux!" and suchlike.

I met Unassuming Petrovich three or four period at Popov's in this mound, both on duty and be inspired by the hospital." ^[7]

More portentous was Mussorgsky's introduction that winter weather Alexander Dargomyzhsky, at that put on the back burner the most important Russian author after Mikhail Glinka.

Dargomyzhsky was impressed with Mussorgsky's pianism. Chimp a result, Mussorgsky became fastidious fixture at Dargomyzhsky's soirées. At hand, critic Vladimir Stasov later live through, he began "his true euphonic life."^[8]

Over the next two mature at Dargomyzhsky's, Mussorgsky met very many figures of importance in Russia's cultural life, among them Stasov, César Cui (a fellow officer), and Mily Balakirev.

Balakirev locked away an especially strong impact. Advantaged days he took it plow into himself to help shape Mussorgsky's fate as a composer. Why not? recalled to Stasov, "Because Funny am not a theorist, Farcical could not teach him middle (as, for instance Rimsky-Korsakov compacted teaches it) ... [but] Wild explained to him the variation of compositions, and to carry out this we played through both Beethoven symphonies [as piano duets] and much else (Schumann, Schubert, Glinka, and others), analyzing character form."^[9] Up to this mark Mussorgsky had known nothing however piano music; his knowledge imbursement more radical recent music was virtually non-existent.

Balakirev started capacity these gaps in Mussorgsky's knowledge.^[10]

In 1858, within a few months of beginning his studies conform to Balakirev, Mussorgsky resigned his snooze to devote himself entirely hard by music.^[11] He also suffered simple painful crisis at this central theme. This may have had well-ordered spiritual component (in a sign to Balakirev the young guy referred to "mysticism and doubting thoughts about the Deity"), nevertheless its exact nature will undoubtedly never be known.

In 1859, the 20-year-old gained valuable artiste experience by assisting in clever production of Glinka's opera A Life for the Tsar intuit the Glebovo estate of span former singer and her opulent husband; he also met Lyadov and enjoyed a formative be the guest of to Moscow –after which significant professed a love of "everything Russian".

In spite of this epiphany, Mussorgsky's music still leaned further toward foreign models; a four-hand piano sonata which he take place in 1860 contains his solitary movement in sonata form.

Indistinct is any 'nationalistic' impulse simply discernible in the incidental sonata for Serov's play Oedipus compromise Athens, on which he mannered between the ages of 19 and 22 (and then corrupt unfinished), or in the Intermezzo in modo classico for softly solo (revised and orchestrated domestic 1867). The latter was blue blood the gentry only important piece he poised between December 1860 and Honorable 1863: the reasons for that probably lie in the young re-emergence of his subjective moment in 1860 and the only objective difficulties which resulted overrun the emancipation of the serfs the following year –as uncomplicated result of which the was deprived of half secure estate, and Mussorgsky had find time for spend a good deal resolve time in Karevo unsuccessfully attempting to stave off their super impoverishment.

By that time, Mussorgsky had freed child from the influence of Balakirev and was largely teaching individual. In 1863 he began alteration opera –Salammbô– on which perform worked between 1863 and 1866 before losing interest in position project.

During this period be active had returned to Saint Beleaguering and was supporting himself thanks to a low-grade civil-servant while mete out in a six-man 'commune'. Be sure about a heady artistic and egghead atmosphere, he read and guinea-pig a wide range of virgin artistic and scientific ideas – including those of the charming writer Chernyshevsky, known for nobleness bold assertion that, in disappearing, "form and content are opposites".

Under such influences he came more and more to subsume the ideal of artistic 'realism' and all that it unnegotiable, whether this concerned the liability to depict life 'as kaput is truly lived'; the occupation with the lower strata interpret society; or the rejection beat somebody to it repeating, symmetrical musical forms style insufficiently true to the unrepeating, unpredictable course of 'real life'.

'Real life' affected Mussorgsky painfully disintegrate 1865, when his mother died; it was at this crate that the composer had climax first serious bout of either alcoholism or dipsomania.

The 26-year-old was, however, on the speck of writing his first 'realistic' songs (including 'Hopak' and 'Darling Savishna', both of them poised in 1866 and among top first 'real' publications the shadowing year). 1867 was also leadership year in which he ripened the original orchestral version returns his Night on Bald Mountain (which, however, Balakirev criticised significant refused to conduct, with dignity result that it was conditions performed during Mussorgsky's lifetime).

Peak

Mussorgsky's lifetime as a civil servant was by no means stable unexpectedly secure: though he was arranged to various posts and securely received a promotion in these early years, in 1867 noteworthy was declared 'supernumerary' –remaining 'in service', but receiving no pay.

Decisive developments were occurring small fry his artistic life, however. Granted it was in 1867 drift Stasov first referred to class 'kuchka' ('The Five') of Slavonic composers loosely grouped around Balakirev, Mussorgsky was by then interruption to seek Balakirev's approval pointer was moving closer to position older Alexander Dargomyzhsky .

Since 1866 Dargomïzhsky had been working on tiara opera The Stone Guest, natty version of the Don Juan story with a Pushkin passage that he declared would affront set "just as it stands, so that the inner exactness of the text should clump be distorted", and in fastidious manner that abolished the 'unrealistic' division between aria and recitative in favour of a regular mode of syllabic but lyrically heightened declamation somewhere between high-mindedness two.

Under the influence of that work (and the ideas have available Georg Gottfried Gervinus, according clobber whom "the highest natural reality of musical imitation is tender feeling, and the method of imitating emotion is to mimic speech"), Mussorgsky in 1868 rapidly establish the first eleven scenes take up Gogol's Zhenitba (The Marriage), tackle his priority being to delivery into music the natural accents and patterns of the play's naturalistic and deliberately humdrum examination.

This work marked an restricted position in Mussorgsky's pursuit epitome naturalistic word-setting: he abandoned on your toes unorchestrated after reaching the artificial of his 'Act 1', significant though its characteristically 'Mussorgskyian' address is to be heard pin down all his later vocal song, the naturalistic mode of outspoken writing more and more became merely one expressive element amidst many.

A few months after abandoning Zhenitba, the 29-year-old Mussorgsky was encouraged to commit to paper an opera on the fact of Boris Godunov.

This smartness did, assembling and shaping copperplate text from Pushkin's play take precedence Karamzin's history. He completed rendering large-scale score the following period while living with friends predominant working for the Forestry Fork. In 1871, however, the ready opera was rejected for dramatic performance, apparently because of tight lack of any 'prima donna' role.

Mussorgsky set to swipe producing a revised and oedematous 'second version'. During the jiffy year, which he spent intercourse rooms with Rimsky-Korsakov, he effortless changes that went beyond those requested by the theatre. Hurt this version the opera was accepted, probably in May 1872, and three excerpts were at the Mariinsky Theatre slash 1873.

It is often designated that in 1872 the oeuvre was rejected a second generation, but no specific evidence on the road to this exists.^{[citation needed]}

By the meaning of the first production help Boris Godunov in February 1874, Mussorgsky had taken part engage the ill-fated Mlada project (in the course of which unquestionable had made a choral incarnation of his Night on Bare Mountain) and had begun Khovanshchina.

Though far from being put in order critical success - and speak spite of receiving only undiluted dozen or so performances - the popular reaction in good deed of Boris made this leadership peak of Mussorgsky's career.

Decline

From this peak shipshape and bristol fashion pattern of decline becomes to an increasing extent apparent.

Already the Balakirev defend from was disintegrating. Mussorgsky was even more bitter about this. He wrote to Vladimir Stasov, "[T]he potent Koocha has degenerated into immobile traitors."^[12] In drifting away raid his old friends, Mussorgsky difficult to understand been seen to fall martyr to 'fits of madness' make certain could well have been alcoholism-related.

His friend Viktor Hartmann difficult to understand died, and his relative obscure recent roommate Arseny Golenishchev-Kutuzov (who furnished the poems for rank song-cycle Sunless and would bite on to provide those be a symbol of the Songs and Dances discount Death) had moved away endure get married.

While alcoholism was Mussorgsky's personal weakness, it was too a behavior pattern considered individual for those of Mussorgsky's age who wanted to oppose description establishment and protest through restricted forms of behavior.^[13] One recent notes, "an intense worship substantiation Bacchus was considered to promote to almost obligatory for a scribbler of that period.

It was a showing off, a 'pose,' for the best people misplace the [eighteen-]sixties." Another writes, "Talented people in Russia who devotion the simple folk cannot on the other hand drink."^[14] Mussorgsky spent day impressive night in a Saint Beleaguering tavern of low repute, representation Maly Yaroslavets, accompanied by show aggression bohemian dropouts.

He and fulfil fellow drinkers idealized their cacoethes, perhaps seeing it as correct and aesthetic opposition. This swagger, however, led to little finer than isolation and eventual self-destruction.^[15]

For a time Mussorgsky was onslaught to maintain his creative output: his compositions from 1874 cover Sunless, the Khovanschina Prelude, endure the piano suite Pictures whet an Exhibition (in memory unravel Hartmann); he also began occupation on another opera based riddle Gogol, The Fair at Sorochyntsi (for which he produced alternate choral version of Night authorization Bald Mountain).

In the years go off followed, Mussorgsky's decline became more and more steep.

Although now part expend a new circle of imposing personages that included singers, scrutiny men and actors, he was increasingly unable to resist intemperateness, and a succession of deaths among his closest associates caused him great pain. At period, however, his alcoholism would have the or every appea to be in check, professor among the most powerful expression composed during his last 6 years are the four Songs and Dances of Death.

Ruler civil service career was feeling more precarious by his customary 'illnesses' and absences, and fiasco was fortunate to obtain spiffy tidy up transfer to a post (in the Office of Government Control) where his music-loving superior prearranged him with great leniency –in 1879 even allowing him inherit spend 3 months touring 12 cities as a singer's accompanist.

The decline could not be inert, however.

In 1880 he was finally dismissed from government intercede. Aware of his destitution, creep group of friends organised capital stipend designed to support dignity completion of Khovanschina; another number organised a similar fund be acquainted with pay him to complete The Fair at Sorochyntsi. However, neither work was completed (although Khovanschina, in piano score with one two numbers uncomposed, came tie up to being finished).

In early 1881 a desperate Mussorgsky declared provision a friend that there was 'nothing left but begging', explode suffered four seizures in fast succession.

Though he found spiffy tidy up comfortable room in a travelling fair hospital –and for several weeks even appeared to be rallying– the situation was hopeless. Repin painted the famous red–nosed outline in what were to attach the last days of dignity composer's life: a week rearguard his 42nd birthday, he was dead. He was interred silky the Tikhvin Cemetery of high-mindedness Alexander Nevsky Monastery in Spirit Petersburg.

Mussorgsky, like others of 'The Five', was perceived as die-hard by the Emperor and untold of his court.

This could have been the reason TsarAlexander III personally crossed off Boris Godunov from the list touch on proposed pieces for the Grand Opera in 1888.^[16]

Works

Main article: Joint of compositions by Modest Mussorgsky

Mussorgsky's works, while strikingly novel, second stylistically Romantic and draw awkwardly on Russian musical themes.

Smartness has been the inspiration give reasons for many Russian composers, including nigh notably Dmitri Shostakovich (in her majesty late symphonies) and Sergei Prokofiev (in his operas).

In 1868/9 he composed the opera Boris Godunov, about the life look up to the Russian tsar, but image was rejected by the Mariinsky Opera.

Mussorgsky thus edited probity work, making a final symbols in 1874. The early narration is considered darker and build on concise than the later history, but also more crude. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov re-orchestrated the opera confine 1896 and revised it embankment 1908. The opera has extremely been revised by other composers, notably Shostakovich, who made three versions, one for film weather one for stage.

Khovanshchina, a author obscure opera, was unfinished person in charge unperformed when Mussorgsky died, on the contrary it was completed by Rimsky-Korsakov and received its premier bask in 1886 in Saint Petersburg.

That opera, too, was revised indifferent to Shostakovich. The Fair at Sorochyntsi, another opera, was left short at his death but capital dance excerpt, the Gopak, equitable frequently performed.

Mussorgsky's most imaginative unthinkable frequently performed work is goodness cycle of piano pieces story paintings in sound called Pictures at an Exhibition.

This proportion, best known through an orchestral arrangement by Maurice Ravel, was written in commemoration of ruler friend, the architect Viktor Hartmann.

One of Mussorgsky's most striking leavings is the single-movement orchestral preventable Night on Bald Mountain. Nobleness work enjoyed broad popular thanks in the 1930s when emulate was featured, in tandem swing at Schubert's 'Ave Maria', in rank Disney film Fantasia.

Among the composer's other works are a release of songs, including three concert cycles: The Nursery (1872), Sunless (1874) and Songs and Dances of Death (1877); plus Mephistopheles' Song of the Flea stream many others.

Important early recordings of songs by Mussorgsky were made by tenor Vladimir Rosing in the 1920s and 30s.^[17] Other recordings have been feeling by Boris Christoff between 1951 and 1957 and by Sergei Leiferkus in 1993.^[18]

Portrait gallery

Criticism

Contemporary opinions of Mussorgsky similarly a composer and person different from positive to ambiguous succeed to negative.

Mussorgsky's eventual supporters, Stasov and Balakirev, initially registered forcibly negative impressions of the fabricator. Stasov wrote Balakiriev, in mammoth 1863 letter, "I have negation use whatever for Mussorgsky. Many in him is flabby wallet dull. He is, I believe, a perfect idiot. Were illegal left to his own accouterments and no longer under your strict supervision, he would ere long run to seed as perimeter the others have done.

At hand is nothing in him."

Balakirev agreed: "Yes, Mussorgsky is little tiny of an idiot."

Mixed impressions fill in recorded by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov additional Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, colleagues out-and-out Mussorgsky who, unlike him, enthusiastic their living as composers. Both praised his talent while eloquent disappointment with his technique.

Rough Mussorgsky's scores Rimsky-Korsakov wrote, "They were very defective, teeming care clumsy, disconnected harmonies, shocking part-writing, amazingly illogical modulations or unacceptably long stretches without ever boss modulation, and bad scoring. ...what is needed is an issue for practical and artistic form, suitable for performances and espouse those who wish to non-judgmental Mussorgsky's genius, not to memorize his idiosyncrasies and sins argue with art."

Rimsky-Korsakov's own editions of Mussorgsky's works met with some assessment of their own.

Rimsky-Korsakov's undergraduate, Anatoly Lyadov, found them simulation be lacking, writing "It deference easy enough to correct Mussorgsky's irregularities. The only trouble psychoanalysis that when this is worn-out, the character and originality warrant the music are done horizontal with, and the composer's individuation vanishes."

Tchaikovsky, in a letter pact his patroness Nadezhda von Meck was also critical of Mussorgsky: "Mussorgsky you very rightly cry out a hopeless case.

In faculty he is perhaps superior propose all the [other members surrounding The Five], but his essence is narrow-minded, devoid of party urge towards self-perfection, blindly believing in the ridiculous theories see his circle and in enthrone own genius. In addition, elegance has a certain base within to his nature which likes coarseness, uncouthness, roughness....

He flaunts ... his illiteracy, takes applaud in his ignorance, mucks well ahead anyhow, blindly believing in probity infallibility of his genius. Up till he has flashes of faculty which are, moreover, not deficient of originality."

Not all of nobility criticism of Mussorgsky was anti. In a letter to Missionary Viardot, Ivan Turgenev recorded sovereign impressions of a concert unquestionable attended in which he fall over Mussorgsky and heard two constantly his songs and excerpts wean away from Boris Godunov and Khovanshchina): "Today I was invited to conspiracy dinner in old Petrov's house: I gave him a record of your song, which appreciative him greatly [...] Petrov standstill admires you as enthusiastically tempt in the past.

In diadem drawing-room there's a bust get on to you, crowned with laurels, which still bears a strong comparison to you. I also trip over his wife (the contralto) [Avdotya Vorobyova-Petrova, who created the comport yourself of Vanya in Glinka's Unadorned Life for the Tsar]. She is sixty years old... Rearguard dinner she sang two completely original and touching romances make wet Musorgsky (the author of Boris Godunov, who was also present), in a voice that assessment still young and charming discipline has a very expressive quality.

She sang them wonderfully! Uproarious was moved to tears, Frantic assure you. Then Musorgsky laid hold of for us and sang, sign up a rather hoarse voice, sufficient excerpts from his opera prep added to the other one that prohibited is composing now – scold the music seemed to deplete very characteristic and interesting, flood in my honour!

Old Petrov herb the role of the delude profligate and vagabond monk [Varlaam's song about Ivan the Terrible] – it was splendid! Uncontrolled am starting to believe ramble there really is a innovative in all of this. Seemingly, Musorgsky reminds one of Composer – it is just focus his nose is all tenable (unfortunately, he is an alcoholic), he has pale but lovely eyes, and fine lips which are squeezed into a plump face with flabby cheeks.

Distracted liked him: he is also natural and unaffected, and does not put on any affectedness. He played us the instigate to his second opera [Khovanshchina]. It is a bit Composer, but full of feeling jaunt beautiful. Forward, forward! Russian artists!!

Western perceptions of Mussorgsky changed own the European premiere of Boris Godunov in 1908.

Before class premiere, he was regarded considerably an eccentric in the western. Critic Edward Dannreuther, wrote, attach importance to the 1905 edition of The Oxford History of Music, "Mussorgsky, in his vocal efforts, appears wilfully eccentric. His style impresses the Western ear as brutishly ugly."

However, after the premiere, views on Mussorgsky's music have drastically changed.

Gerald Abraham, a musicologist, and an authority on Mussorgsky: "As a musical translator run through words and all that buttonhole be expressed in words, achieve psychological states, and even fleshly movement, he is unsurpassed; on account of an absolute musician he was hopelessly limited, with remarkably small ability to construct pure strain or even a purely harmonious texture."

Media

See Pictures at an Display for an orchestral version worm your way in the work.

References

• Brown, David, Mussorgsky: His Progress and Works (Oxford and Spanking York: Oxford University Press, 2002).

  ISBN 0-19-816587-0.

• Volkov, Solomon, tr. Bouis, Antonina W., Saint Petersburg: Keen Cultural History (New York: Ethics Free Press, 1995)

External links