What was the disease in Musorgsky? A mighty bunch of Russian composers: Mussorgsky

Biography

Mussorgsky's father came from an old noble family of Mussorgsky. Until the age of 10, Modest and his older brother Filaret received home education. In 1849, having moved to St. Petersburg, the brothers entered the German school Petrishule. A few years later, without graduating from college, Modest entered the School of Guards Ensigns, which he graduated in 1856. Then Mussorgsky served briefly in the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment, then in the Main Engineering Directorate, in the Ministry of State Property and in State Control.

Modest Mussorgsky - officer of the Preobrazhensky Regiment

By the time of entry into music club Balakirev Mussorgsky was a superbly educated and erudite Russian officer (he read and spoke fluently in French and German languages, studied Latin and Greek) and strived to become (as he himself put it) a “musician.” Balakirev forced Mussorgsky to pay serious attention to music lessons. Under his leadership, Mussorgsky read orchestral scores, analyzed harmony, counterpoint and form in the works of recognized Russian and European composers, and developed the skill of their critical evaluation.

Mussorgsky began work on a large form with the music for Sophocles’ tragedy “Oedipus,” but did not complete it (one chorus was performed in a concert by K. N. Lyadov in 1861, and was also published posthumously among other works by the composer). The next big plans - an opera based on Flaubert's novel "Salambo" (another name is "The Libyan") and on the plot of Gogol's "Marriage" - were also not fully realized. Mussorgsky used music from these sketches in his later compositions.

The next major plan - the opera "Boris Godunov" based on the tragedy of A. S. Pushkin - Mussorgsky brought to the end. Premiere on stage Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg in the city took place on the material second edition of the opera, in the dramaturgy of which the composer was forced to make significant changes, since the repertoire committee of the theater rejected first editors for being “unscenic.” Over the next 10 years, “Boris Godunov” was performed 15 times and then removed from the repertoire. Only at the end of November “Boris Godunov” saw the light again - in the edition of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, who “corrected” and re-instrumented the entire “Boris Godunov” at his own discretion. This is how the opera was staged Great halls Musical Society(new building of the Conservatory) with the participation of members of the Society musical gatherings" The company Bessel and Co. in St. Petersburg had by this time released a new score of Boris Godunov, in the preface to which Rimsky-Korsakov explains that the reasons that prompted him to undertake this alteration were supposedly “bad texture” and “bad orchestration.” the author's version of Mussorgsky himself. In Moscow, "Boris Godunov" was staged for the first time on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in the city. In our time, interest in the author's editions of "Boris Godunov" has been revived.

In 1872, Mussorgsky conceived the dramatic opera (“folk musical drama”) “Khovanshchina” (according to the plan of V.V. Stasov), while simultaneously working on comic opera based on the plot of “Sorochinskaya Fair” by Gogol. “Khovanshchina” was almost completely completed in the clavier, but (with the exception of two fragments) was not instrumented. The first stage version of “Khovanshchina” (including the instrumentation) was performed in 1883 by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov. In the same year, Bessel and Co. published her score and clavier. The first performance of “Khovanshchina” took place in 1886 in St. Petersburg, in the Kononov Hall, by the amateur Musical and Drama Club. In 1958, D. D. Shostakovich completed another edition of Khovanshchina. Currently, the opera is staged primarily in this edition.

For “Sorochinskaya Fair” Mussorgsky composed the first two acts, as well as several scenes for the third act: Parubka’s Dream (where he used the music of the symphonic fantasy “Night on Bald Mountain”, previously made for an unrealized collective work - the opera-ballet “Mlada”), Dumka Parasi and Gopak. Nowadays this opera is staged in the edition of V. Ya. Shebalin.

Last years

In the 1870s, Mussorgsky was painfully worried about the gradual collapse of the “Mighty Handful” - a trend that he perceived as a concession to musical conformism, cowardice, even a betrayal of the Russian idea. The lack of understanding of his work in the official academic environment, such as, for example, in the Mariinsky Theater, then led by foreigners and compatriots sympathizing with Western opera fashion, was painful. But a hundred times more painful was the rejection of his innovation by people whom he considered close friends (Balakirev, Cui, Rimsky-Korsakov, etc.):

At the first showing of the 2nd act of “Sorochinskaya Fair”, I was convinced of a fundamental misunderstanding of the music of the collapsed “bunch” of Little Russian comics: such a chill wafted from their views and demands that “the heart grew cold,” as Archpriest Avvakum says. Nevertheless, I paused, thought about it and checked myself more than once. It cannot be that I am completely wrong in my aspirations, it cannot be. But it’s a shame that the music of the collapsed “bunch” has to be interpreted through the “barrier” behind which they remained.

I. E. Repin. Portrait of the composer M. P. Mussorgsky

These experiences of misrecognition and “misunderstanding” were expressed in a “nervous fever” that intensified in the 2nd half of the 1870s, and as a result, in an addiction to alcohol. Mussorgsky was not in the habit of making preliminary sketches, sketches and drafts. He thought about everything for a long time, composed and recorded completely finished music. This feature of it creative method, multiplied by nervous illness and alcoholism, and caused a slowdown in the process of creating music in last years his life. Having left the “forestry department,” he lost a permanent (albeit small) source of income and was content with odd jobs and minor financial support from friends. The last bright event was a trip arranged by his friend, singer D. M. Leonova in July-September 1879 in the south of Russia. During Leonova's tour, Mussorgsky acted as her accompanist, including (and often) performing his own innovative compositions. Concerts of Russian musicians, which were given in Poltava, Elizavetgrad, Nikolaev, Kherson, Odessa, Sevastopol, Rostov-on-Don and other cities, were held with constant success, which assured the composer (albeit not for long) that his path was “to new shores” chosen correctly.

Mussorgsky died in a military hospital, where he was admitted after an attack of delirium tremens. There, a few days before his death, Ilya Repin painted (his only lifetime) portrait of the composer. Mussorgsky was buried at the Tikhvin Cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. In 1935-1937, in connection with the reconstruction and redevelopment of the so-called Necropolis of Art Masters (architects E. N. Sandler and E. K. Reimers), the area in front of the monastery was significantly expanded and, accordingly, the line of the Tikhvin cemetery was moved. At the same time to a new place Soviet authority only moved the tombstones; the graves were covered with asphalt, including Mussorgsky’s grave. At the burial site of Modest Petrovich there is now a bus stop.

From orchestral works Mussorgsky's symphonic painting “Night on Bald Mountain” gained worldwide fame. Nowadays it is practiced to perform this work in the edition of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, less often in the author’s edition.

The bright color, sometimes even the figurativeness of the piano cycle “Pictures at an Exhibition” inspired several composers to create orchestral versions; The most famous and most widely presented orchestration of “Pictures” on the concert stage belongs to M. Ravel.

Mussorgsky's works had a tremendous influence on all subsequent generations of composers. The specific melody, which the composer viewed as an expressive extension of human speech, and innovative harmony, anticipated many features of 20th-century harmony. The dramaturgy of Mussorgsky's musical and theatrical works greatly influenced the work of L. Janacek, I. F. Stravinsky, D. D. Shostakovich, A. Berg (the dramaturgy of his opera “Wozzeck” according to the “scene-fragment” principle is very close to “Boris Godunov” ), O. Messiaen and many others.

List of essays

Memory

Monument at the grave of Mussorgsky (St. Petersburg, Alexander Nevsky Lavra)

Streets named after Mussorgsky

Monuments

Other objects

Ural State Conservatory in Yekaterinburg since 1939
Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg
Music school in St. Petersburg.
Minor planet 1059 Mussorgskia.
A crater on Mercury is named after Mussorgsky.

Astrakhan School of Music named after M.P. Mussorgsky.

Notes

Astrakhan Music College

Literature

Mussorgsky M. P. Letters and documents. Collected and prepared for publication by A. N. Rimsky-Korsakov with the participation of V. D. Komarova-Stasova. Moscow-Leningrad, 1932 (all letters known to this date, with detailed comments, chronograph of Mussorgsky’s life, letters addressed to him)
Roerich N. K. Mussorgsky // Artists of Life. - Moscow: International Center of the Roerichs, 1993. - 88 p.
Stasov V.V. article in “Bulletin of Europe” (May and June).
Stasov V.V."Perov and M." (“Russian Antiquity”, 1883, vol. XXXVIII, pp. 433-458);
Stasov V.V. In memory of Mussorgsky // Historical Bulletin, 1886. - T. 23. - No. 3. - P. 644-656. ; his, “In Memory of M.” (SPb., 1885);
V. Baskin, “M. P. M. Biographical. essay" (Russian Thought, 1884, books 9 and 10; separately, M., 1887);
Kruglikov S. Mussorgsky and his “Boris Godunov” // Artist, 1890, No. 5.
Trifonov P. Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky // Bulletin of Europe, 1893, December.
Tumanina N. M. P. Mussorgsky. M. - L., 1939.
Asafiev B.V., Izbr. works, vol. 3, M., 1954;
M. P. Mussorgsky. On the fiftieth anniversary of his death 1881-1931. Articles and materials. Edited by Yu. Keldysh and V. Yakovlev. Moscow: Gosmuzizdat, 1932 (contains valuable articles and a list of works prepared by P. A. Lamm, memoirs of contemporaries, letters, detailed indexes, first publication satirical painting K. E. Makovsky " Mighty bunch" and etc.)
Orlova A. Works and days of M. P. Mussorgsky. Chronicle of life and creativity. - Moscow: State Music Publishing House, 1963. - 702 p. (book format enlarged; contains detailed chronograph)
Shirinyan R.K. Opera dramaturgy of Mussorgsky. - M., 1981.
Mussorgsky M. P. Letters. Moscow, 1984.
The legacy of M. P. Mussorgsky. Collection of materials (for the release of the Complete Academic Works of M. P. Mussorgsky in 32 volumes). Moscow: Music, 1989 (contains a detailed bibliography and full list Mussorgsky's autographs).
Kholopov Yu. N. Mussorgsky as a composer of the 20th century // Mussorgsky and music of the 20th century. Moscow, 1989.
M. P. Mussorgsky in the memoirs of his contemporaries. Moscow, 1989.
Berchenko R. E. Composer's direction by Mussorgsky. Moscow: URSS, 2003.
Vasilyeva A. Russian labyrinth. Biography of M. P. Mussorgsky. . Pskov: Pskov Regional Printing House, 2008.
Fedyakin S. R. Mussorgsky // Life wonderful people. Moscow: Young Guard, 2009.

Links

Mussorgsky Modest Site about Mussorgsky.
Mussorgsky Modest Site about the life and work of the Russian composer.
Mussorgsky Modest Creative portrait on the website Belcanto.Ru.

Alcogenium Modest Mussorgsky
“Mussorgsky’s enemy was the tendency to drink alcohol.
This destructive passion held him tightly and brought him to the grave."Mikhail Ivanov, musical critic

The great Russian composer, one of the legendary “Mighty Handful” Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881) was a classic liberal gentleman. And, as you know, talented people in Rus', who feel a passionate love for the common people, cannot help but drink - they simply do not know any other way to become closer to the object of their adoration. So, in addition to creating “folk” operas, from the age of fifteen the composer was also fond of the folk forty-degree potion - until he himself began to resemble his heroes musical works, tramps and holy fools.

The young master Modest, having barely left the family nest and moved to the capital, quickly turned into a degraded bohemian character, a “tumbleweed” without a family, without a constant income, without a home. Free dinners at guests, wandering around apartment buildings, and sometimes along the street at night with a suitcase in hand, when they were kicked out of the apartment. Nevertheless, Mussorgsky perceived everyday hardships as the price that had to be paid for artistic aspirations - that’s why he drew inspiration from vodka with all his might. Thus, during another binge, one of the most significant cycles in world music, “Pictures at an Exhibition,” was conceived and implemented. The opera “Boris Godunov” was created in the same way. While shredding Pushkin’s text in a drunken frenzy, the composer inserted into the libretto lines like “Ay, crazy” and “Mityukh, what are you yelling about?” - of course, to be closer to the people.

Contemporary reviews of Mussorgsky are contradictory - he was often judged as an empty and narrow-minded person. At the same time, Mussorgsky remained a pathological altruist, and this quality was used by all and sundry. He was a virtuoso pianist and an outstanding accompanist, and was often invited to perform in charity concerts- of course, free of charge. From this state of affairs, Mussorgsky drank even more.

Friends and colleagues from the “Mighty Handful” saw a progressive alcohol addiction composer, but did not try to help with treatment. In recent years, most of his acquaintances have turned their backs on him, considering him completely fallen. Mussorgsky's death was practically a suicide: the fatal attack was caused by a bottle of cognac smuggled into the ward where the sick composer lay.

Genius against use

1852-1856 Modest enters the St. Petersburg School of Guards Ensigns and Cavalry Junkers, where, falling under the influence of his older comrades, he begins to drink. Meets M.A. Balakirev, head of the “Mighty Handful”. Starts composing music.

1858-1868 Resigns to “devote himself entirely to music” - and wine drinking. Soon his first works were publicly performed in St. Petersburg: “Scherzo in B-flat major” and the chorus from the tragedy “Oedipus the King”. The reform of 1861 (the liberation of the peasants) forces Mussorgsky to join the Engineering Department. He writes songs, romances and orchestral plays, including Midsummer Night on Bald Mountain. To improve his health, he spends three years on his brother’s estate in Minkino.

1869 An influential admirer of his talent, the Slavophile Filippov, offers the composer a position as a clerk - Mussorgsky serves in the “position of Akaki Akakievich” in the Forestry Department. He continues to drink, and he is not fired from service only thanks to the patronage of his boss. He writes the chamber opera “Marriage” based on Gogol and seven scenes from Pushkin’s tragedy “Boris Godunov”. At night he drinks in the Maly Yaroslavets tavern.

1872-1877 Composes the vocal cycle “Children’s”, begins work on “Khovanshchina”. The second edition of Boris Godunov is being staged at the Mariinsky Theatre. Since the mid-1870s he has been drinking more and more. Writes his main masterpiece— piano suite “Pictures at an Exhibition.”

1880 Forced to leave his position. Works as an accompanist at private singing courses. Lives in furnished rooms, communicates with almost no one.

1881 In February he becomes seriously ill. Darkened consciousness, anxiety, fear, motor agitation, visual hallucinations, sweating - all the signs of delirium tremens are evident. After an attack, he is placed in the Nikolaev military hospital. The last two days of Mussorgsky's life became a slow agony. He asked to bring him newspapers and read in them notes about his own deteriorating condition. As soon as the composer felt better, he bribed the hospital guard, and he brought Mussorgsky a bottle of cognac and an apple for a snack. This fatal bottle caused a new death blow, from which Mussorgsky died on March 16.

Drinking buddies

Friend of Mussorgsky, famous artist and architect, died of alcoholism at the age of 39. Mussorgsky attended a posthumous exhibition of Hartmann's works, after which he went on a drinking binge and wrote Pictures at an Exhibition in memory of his friend.

The main Wanderer was among the few who did not abandon Mussorgsky in trouble. IN last month During the composer's life, he visited him in the hospital and painted his most famous portrait from the degenerate Mussorgsky.

A third-rate poet, based on whose poems Mussorgsky created two vocal cycles. They lived together for several years, spending evenings in restaurants or at home at the piano, playing music, drinking and reading poetry.

Original post and comments at

Biography

Following this, M. wrote several romances and began to compose music for Sophocles’ tragedy “Oedipus”; last work was not completed, and only one chorus from the music to Oedipus, performed in a concert by K. N. Lyadov in 1861, was published among Mussorgsky’s posthumous works. For the operatic adaptation, M. first chose Flaubert’s novel “Salammbô,” but soon left this work unfinished, as well as his attempt to write music for the plot of Gogol’s “The Marriage.”

Mussorgsky's fame was brought to him by the opera Boris Godunov, staged at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. in the city and was immediately recognized as an outstanding work in some music clubs. This was already the second edition of the opera, significantly changed dramaturgically after the repertory committee of the theater rejected its first edition for being “unstageable.” Over the next 10 years, “Boris Godunov” was performed 15 times and then removed from the repertoire. Only at the end of November “Boris Godunov” saw the light again - but in an edition redone by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, who “corrected” and re-instrumented the entire “Boris Godunov” at his own discretion. In this form, the opera was staged on the stage of the Great Hall of the Musical Society (the new building of the Conservatory) with the participation of members of the “Society of Musical Meetings”. Firm Bessel and Co. in St. Petersburg. by this time had released a new score of Boris Godunov, in the preface to which Rimsky-Korsakov explains that the reasons that prompted him to undertake this alteration were the allegedly “bad texture” and “bad orchestration” of the author’s version of Mussorgsky himself. In Moscow, “Boris Godunov” was staged for the first time on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in the city. Nowadays, interest in the author’s editions of “Boris Godunov” is being revived.

In 1875, M. began the dramatic opera (“folk musical drama”) “Khovanshchina” (according to V.V. Stasov’s plan), while simultaneously working on a comic opera based on the plot of “Sorochinskaya Fair” by Gogol. M. almost managed to finish the music and text of “Khovanshchina” - but, with the exception of two fragments, the opera was not instrumented; the latter was done by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, who at the same time completed “Khovanshchina” (again, with his own alterations) and adapted it for the stage. The company Bessel and Co. published the opera score and clavier (). “Khovanshchina” was performed on the stage of St. Petersburg. musical and dramatic circle in the city, under the direction of S. Yu. Goldstein; on the stage of the Kononovsky Hall, in St. Petersburg, in the city, by a private operatic partnership; near Setov, in Kyiv, in 1960, the great Soviet composer Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich made his own edition of the opera “Khovanshchina”, in which Mussorgsky’s opera is now staged all over the world.

For “Sorochinskaya Fair” M. managed to compose the first two acts, as well as for the third act: Parubka’s Dream (where he used a reworking of his symphonic fantasy “Night on Bald Mountain”, made for an unrealized collective work - the opera-ballet “Mlada”) , Dumku Parasi and Gopak. The opera is staged in the edition of the outstanding musician Vissarion Yakovlevich Shebalin.

Portrait by Repin

Mussorgsky was an unusually impressionable, enthusiastic, kind-hearted and vulnerable person. For all his outward pliability and pliability, he was extremely firm in everything that related to his creative convictions. Addiction to alcohol, which has progressed greatly in last decade life, became destructive for M.’s health, his life and the intensity of his creativity. As a result, after a series of failures in his career and his final dismissal from the ministry, M. was forced to live on odd jobs and thanks to the support of friends.

Creation

Mussorgsky is a great original talent, and, moreover, a purely Russian talent; he belongs to a group of musical figures who strove, on the one hand, for formalized realism, and on the other hand, for a colorful and poetic revelation of words, text and moods through music that flexibly follows them. M.'s national thinking as a composer is evident in his ability to handle folk songs, and in the very structure of his music, in its melodic, harmonic and rhythmic features, and finally, in the choice of subjects, mainly from Russian. life. M. is a hater of routine; for him there are no authorities in music; he paid little attention to the rules of musical grammar, seeing in them not the principles of science, but only a collection of compositional techniques from previous eras. Everywhere M. gives himself over to his ardent fantasy, everywhere he strives for novelty. M. was generally successful in humorous music, and in this genre he is diverse, witty and resourceful; one has only to remember his tale about “The Goat,” the story of the Latin-bashing “Seminarian” who is in love with the priest’s daughter, “Picking Mushrooms” (text by Mei), “Feast.”

M. doesn’t often stop at “clean” lyrical themes, and they are not always given to him (his best lyrical romances are “Night”, to the words of Pushkin, and “Jewish Melody”, to the words of Mey); But M.’s creativity is widely manifested in those cases when he turns to Russian peasant life. M.’s songs are marked with rich color: “Kalistrat”, “Eryomushka’s Lullaby” (words by Nekrasov), “Sleep, sleep, peasant son” (from “The Voevoda” by Ostrovsky), “Gopak” (from “Haydamaky” by Shevchenko), “Svetik Savishna " and "Mischief" (both last - in the words of M. himself) and many more. etc.; Mussorgsky very successfully found here a truthful and deeply dramatic musical expression for that heavy, hopeless sorrow that is hidden under the external humor of the lyrics.

A strong impression is made by the expressive recitation of the songs “Orphan” and “Forgotten” (based on the plot famous painting V.V. Vereshchagina).

In such a seemingly narrow area of music as “romances and songs,” M. managed to find completely new, original tasks, and at the same time apply new, unique techniques for their implementation, which was clearly expressed in his vocal paintings from childhood life, under the general title “Children’s” (text by M. himself), in 4 romances under the general title “Songs and Dances of Death” ( - ; words by Count Golenishchev-Kutuzov; “Trepak” - a picture of a drunken man freezing in the forest in a snowstorm peasant; “Lullaby” depicts a mother at the bedside of a dying child; the other two: “Serenade” and “Commander”; all are very colorful and dramatic), in “King Saul” (for male voice with piano accompaniment; text by M. himself), in “The Defeat of Sennacherib” (for choir and orchestra; words by Byron), in “Joshua”, successfully built on the original. Jewish themes.

Mussorgsky's specialty is vocal music. He is an exemplary reciter, grasping the slightest bends of the word; in his works he often devotes a large place to the monological-recitative style of presentation. Related to Dargomyzhsky in terms of his talent, M. is also close to him in his views on musical drama, inspired by Dargomyzhsky’s opera “The Stone Guest.” However, unlike Dargomyzhsky, in his mature works Mussorgsky overcomes the pure “illustrativeness” of music passively following the text, characteristic of this opera.

“Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky, written based on Pushkin’s drama of the same name (and also under the great influence of Karamzin’s interpretation of this plot), is one of the best works of the world musical theater, whose musical language and dramaturgy already belong to a new genre that took shape in the 19th century in a variety of countries - the genre of musical stage drama, which on the one hand broke with many of the routine conventions of the then traditional opera house, on the other hand, striving for disclosure dramatic action primarily through musical means. At the same time, both author's editions of "Boris Godunov" (1869 and 1874), significantly differing from each other in dramaturgy, are essentially two equivalent author's solutions to the same plot. The first edition (which was not staged until the mid-20th century) was especially innovative for its time, and was very different from the routine operatic canons that prevailed at that time. That is why during the years of Mussorgsky’s life the prevailing opinion was that his “Boris Godunov” was distinguished by an “unsuccessful libretto” and “many rough edges and mistakes.”

This kind of prejudice was largely characteristic primarily of Rimsky-Korsakov, who claimed that M. had little experience in instrumentation, although it was sometimes not without color and a successful variety of orchestral colors. This opinion was typical for Soviet textbooks musical literature. In reality, Mussorgsky's orchestral writing simply did not fit into the outline that suited mainly Rimsky-Korsakov. This misunderstanding of Mussorgsky’s orchestral thinking and style (to which he, indeed, came almost self-taught) was explained by the fact that the latter was strikingly different from the lush and decorative aesthetics of orchestral presentation characteristic of the second half of the 19th century century - and, especially, Rimsky-Korsakov himself. Unfortunately, the belief cultivated by him (and his followers) about the alleged “shortcomings” of Mussorgsky’s musical style for a long time- almost a century ahead - began to dominate in academic tradition domestic music.

An even more skeptical attitude from colleagues and contemporaries affected Mussorgsky's next musical drama - the opera "Khovanshchina" on the theme historical events in Russia at the end of the 17th century (schism and Streltsy revolt), written by M. using his own script and text. He wrote this work with long interruptions, and by the time of his death it remained unfinished. (Among the currently existing editions of the opera performed by other composers, the closest to the original can be considered Shostakovich’s orchestration and the completion of the last act of the opera, made by Stravinsky.) Both the concept of this work and its scale are unusual. Compared to Boris Godunov, Khovanshchina is not just a drama of one historical person(through which it is revealed philosophical topics power, crime, conscience and retribution), but already a kind of “impersonal” historiosophical drama, in which, in the absence of a clearly defined “central” character (characteristic of standard operatic dramaturgy of that time), entire layers are revealed folk life and the theme of the spiritual tragedy of the entire people is raised, taking place with the destruction of its traditional historical and way of life. To emphasize this genre feature opera “Khovanshchina”, Mussorgsky gave it the subtitle “folk musical drama”.

Both musical dramas of Mussorgsky won relatively quick world recognition after the death of the composer, and to this day throughout the world they are among the most frequently performed works Russian music. (Their international success was greatly facilitated by the admiring attitude of such composers as Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky - as well as the entrepreneurial activity of Sergei Diaghilev, who staged them for the first time abroad already at the beginning of the 20th century in his “Russian Seasons” in Paris.) In our time, most opera houses theaters around the world strive to stage both of Mussorgsky's operas in urtext editions that are as close as possible to the author's. At the same time, different editions of Boris Godunov (either the first or the second) are shown in different theaters.

M. had little inclination towards music in “completed” forms (symphonic, chamber, etc.). Of M.'s orchestral works, besides those already mentioned, worthy of attention is Intermezzo (composed in the city, instrumented in the city), built on a theme reminiscent of music XVIII century, and published among M.’s posthumous works, with instrumentation by Rimsky-Korsakov. The orchestral fantasy “Night on Bald Mountain” (the material of which was later included in the opera “Sorochinskaya Fair”) was also completed and orchestrated by N. Rimsky-Korsakov and was performed with great success in St. Petersburg; this is a brightly colorful picture of the “Sabbath of the spirits of darkness” and the “greatness of Chernobog.”

Another outstanding work Mussorgsky - “Pictures at an Exhibition”, written for piano in 1874, as musical illustrations-episodes for watercolors by V. A. Hartmann. The form of this work is a “end-to-end” suite-rondo with sections welded together, where the main theme-refrain (“Promenade”) expresses the change of mood when walking from one painting to another, and the episodes between this theme are the images of the paintings in question. This work has more than once inspired other composers to create its orchestral editions, the most famous of which belongs to Maurice Ravel (one of Mussorgsky's most staunch admirers).

In the 19th century, M.'s works were published by the company V. Bessel and Co. in St. Petersburg; a lot was published in Leipzig, by the company of M. P. Belyaev (see its catalog in the city). In the 20th century, urtext editions of M.’s works began to appear in original versions, based on a careful study of primary sources. The pioneer of such activity was the Russian musicologist P. Ya. Lamm, who for the first time published urtext claviers of “Boris Godunov”, “Khovanshchina”, author’s editions of all vocal and piano works M.

The works of Mussorgsky, which in many ways anticipated new era, had a huge influence on composers of the 20th century. The attitude towards musical fabric as an expressive extension of human speech and the coloristic nature of its harmonic language played a role important role in the formation of the “impressionistic” style of C. Debussy and M. Ravel (by their own admission!), the style, drama and imagery of Mussorgsky greatly influenced the work of L. Janacek, I. Stravinsky, D. Shostakovich (it is characteristic that all of them - composers Slavic culture), A. Berg (the dramaturgy of his opera “Wozzeck” according to the “scene-fragment” principle is very close to “Boris Godunov”), O. Messiaen and many others.

Major works

"Boris Godunov" (1869, 2nd edition 1872)
“Khovanshchina” (1872-80, completed by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, 1883)
"Kalistrat"
"Orphan"
“Sorochinskaya Fair” (1874-80, completed by Ts. A. Cui, 1916),
piano cycle “Pictures at an Exhibition” (1874),
vocal cycle “Children’s” (1872),
vocal cycle “Without the Sun” (1874),
vocal cycle “Songs and Dances of Death” (1877)
symphonic poem "Night on Bald Mountain"

Memory

Streets named after Mussorgsky in cities

Monuments to Mussorgsky in cities

Karevo village

Other objects

Ural State Conservatory
Opera and Ballet Theater in St. Petersburg
Music College in St. Petersburg

Bibliography

Roerich N. K. Mussorgsky // Artists of Life. - Moscow: International Center of the Roerichs, 1993. - 88 p.
V.V. Stasov, article in “Bulletin of Europe” (May and June).
V. V. Stasov, “Perov and M.” (“Russian Antiquity”, 1883, vol. XXXVIII, pp. 433-458);
V.V. Stasov, "M.P. Mussorgsky. In Memory of Him" (Historical Vestn., 1886, March); him, "In Memory of M." (SPb., 1885);
V. Baskin, “M. P. M. Biographical. essay" (Russian Thought, 1884, books 9 and 10; separately, M., 1887);
S. Kruglikov, "M. and his" Boris Godunov ("Artist", 1890, No. 5);
P. Trifonov, “Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky” (“Western of Europe”, 1893, December).
Tumanina N., M. P. Mussorgsky, M. - L., 1939;
Asafiev B.V., Izbr. works, vol. 3, M., 1954;
Orlova A., Works and days of M. P. Mussorgsky. Chronicle of Life and Creativity, M., 1963
Khubov G., Mussorgsky, M., 1969.
Shlifshtein S. Mussorgsky. Artist. Time. Fate. M., 1975
Rakhmanova M. Mussorgsky and his time. - Soviet music, 1980, № 9-10
M. P. Mussorgsky in the memoirs of his contemporaries. M., 1989

Biography

Childhood

Mussorgsky was born into a landowner family. His father, Pyotr Grigorievich, belonged to an old noble family. His mother, Yulia Ivanovna (nee Chirikova), instilled in little Modest a love of music from childhood. He was the fourth most youngest child in the family, but two older brothers died in infancy, and Modest was raised with his brother Philaret.

Education

Until 1849, Modest was educated at home, and then, together with his brother, he entered the German school Petrishule in St. Petersburg. Without graduating from college, the future composer entered the St. Petersburg School of Guards Ensigns. During all this time, Mussorgsky did not give up his piano lessons with Anton Gorke.

Creative path

Mussorgsky and music were inextricably linked. Firstly, he had an excellent chamber baritone, and therefore at all evenings he was asked to perform something. Secondly, being an excellent pianist, he began to compose musical works early. He was appreciated by the musical luminaries of that time - M. A. Balakirev, V. V. Stasov and Ts. A. Cui, who at that time had already organized the famous “Mighty Handful”. Mussorgsky became one of the most consistent members of this creative circle.

Already in 1852, his first piano piece “Lieutenant Ensign” was published, inspired by his studies at the School of Guards Ensigns, after which Mussorgsky served for 2 years in the Preobrazhensky Regiment.

In 1860, his scherzo was performed under Rubinstein at a concert of the Russian Musical Society.

After this, Mussorgsky begins to work on larger forms. He began writing music for Sophocles' famous tragedy "Oedipus", but never finished his creation. Operas based on Flaubert's "Salammbô" and Gogol's "Marriages" remained unfinished. The first major plan that Modest Petrovich brought to completion was the opera “Boris Godunov”.

Being poor, he cannot devote himself entirely to his favorite music. Due to financial difficulties, he has to constantly work in the public service: in the Engineering Department, the Forestry Department, and the Audit Commission of the State Audit Office. He also made money by performing.

Since 1872, Mussorgsky has been working on folk musical drama"Khovanshchina" and " Sorochinskaya fair"according to Gogol.

From the mid-70s, a crisis began in Mussorgsky’s work, which was caused by the collapse of the “Mighty Handful”. Modest Petrovich largely accepted this collapse as betrayal and cowardice of its members - Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Cui and others. The consequence was depression, which ended in alcoholism. In 1879, singer D. M. Leonova tried to get him out of this terrible state by organizing a tour for him in the south of Russia.

Personal life

Many musicologists are still trying to discover the secrets of Mussorgsky’s personal life, although everything is prosaically simple. Modest Petrovich was never married and had no children. Many biographers explain these facts gay composer, as evidenced by his personal letters. Mussorgsky's heartfelt affections were Victor Hartmann and Arseny Golenishchev-Kutuzov.

Hartmann was famous architect, a talented set designer, artist and very interesting person. Many attribute the composer’s binge not to the collapse of the “Mighty Handful,” but to Hartmann’s death in 1873.

Count Golenishchev-Kutuzov was a poet, prose writer, and publicist. Their relationship with Modest Petrovich was unclear and vague, but many of the composer’s biographers call him the tragic passion of Mussorgsky’s entire life.

Next to his name, a woman’s name is also mentioned - Nadezhda Petrovna Opochinina, who was his close friend, adviser and connoisseur of his works. She died the same year as Victor Hartmann, which intensified Mussorgsky's pain from the loss of those closest to him.

Death

Mussorgsky died in 1881 in a military hospital after an attack of delirium tremens. He was buried, like many great people of that time, at the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Mussorgsky's main achievements

The musical language and dramaturgy of Mussorgsky's new genre, musical drama, marked a break with the routine of the opera house of that time; its action has since been performed by specifically musical means. The first musical drama was the opera Boris Godunov.
His “Khovanshchina” became the first folk musical drama, in which layers of deep folk life are raised and the theme of folk spiritual tragedy is revealed.
Mussorgsky's musical works have had an impact big influence for many generations of composers: on their basis, the styles of M. Ravel, C. Debussy, as well as the musical and theatrical works of L. Janacek, D. D. Shostakovich, I. F. Stravinsky, A. Berg, O. Messiaen and others were formed.
The specific melody and harmony of Mussorgsky's musical works anticipated many features musical harmony XX century.

Important dates in Mussorgsky's biography

1839 - birth
1849 - admission to the German school Petrishule (St. Petersburg)
1852–1856 - training at the School of Guards Ensigns
1852 - the first publication of the piano piece “Ensign”
1856–1858 - service in the Preobrazhensky Regiment with the rank of ensign
1863–1867 - civil service official of the Engineering Department
1867 - “Night on Bald Mountain”
1868–1880 - served as an official in the Audit Commission of the State Audit Office
1869 - opera "Boris Godunov"
1972 - work on “Khovanshchina”, “Children’s”
1874 - beginning of work on the “Sorochinskaya Fair”, a cycle of pieces for piano “Pictures at an Exhibition”
1877 - vocal cycle “Songs and Dances of Death”
1879 - tour in the south of Russia with singer M. Leonova
1881 - death

Mussorgsky had an excellent musical memory and could immediately remember the most complex operas by Wagner. Once, having just become acquainted with Siegfried, he immediately played Wotan’s scene from memory.
The composer began writing the letter “g” in his last name only in 1863, and before that time he signed all documents as “Musorsky.”
The only lifetime portrait of Mussorgsky was made by I. E. Repin in a military hospital, after the composer’s delirium tremens, just before his death.
In 1935–1937, the Necropolis of Art Masters was reconstructed. As a result, the area in front of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra was expanded and the line of the Tikhvin cemetery was moved. At the same time, many graves, including Modest Petrovich’s, were covered with asphalt. Now there is a bus stop at the burial site of the great composer.

On March 2, 1881, an unusual visitor entered the doors of the capital’s Nikolaev Military Hospital, located on Slonovaya Street in Peski, holding a canvas in his hands. He went to the ward of his old friend, who had been admitted two weeks earlier with delirium tremens and nervous exhaustion. Putting the canvas on the table, opening his brushes and paints, Repin peered into the familiar tired and exhausted face. Four days later, the only lifetime portrait of the Russian genius was ready. Mussorgsky survived his image only for 9 days...

short biography

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky was born on March 9, 1839. His family home was an estate in the Pskov region, where he lived until he was 10 years old. Proximity peasant life, folk songs and the simple rural way of life formed in him that worldview, which later became the main theme of his work. Under the guidance of his mother, he began to play the piano at an early age. The boy had a developed imagination and, listening to his nanny's fairy tales, sometimes could not sleep all night from shock. These emotions found their expression in piano improvisations.

With the move to St. Petersburg in 1849, musical studies were combined with training at the gymnasium, and then at the School of Guards Ensigns. From the walls of the latter, Modest Petrovich emerged not only as an officer, but also as a magnificent pianist. After a short military service in 1858 he retired to concentrate entirely on his composing activities. This decision was greatly facilitated by acquaintance with M.A. Balakirev, who taught him the basics of composition. With the arrival of Mussorgsky, the final composition is formed " Mighty bunch».

The composer works a lot, the premiere of his first opera makes him famous, but other works do not find understanding even among the Kuchkists. There is a split in the group. Shortly before this, due to extreme need, Mussorgsky returned to serve in various departments, but his health began to fail. Manifestations " nervous disease“combined with addiction to alcohol. He spends several years on his brother's estate. In St. Petersburg, being in constant financial difficulties, he lives with various friends. Only once, in 1879, did he manage to travel around southern regions Empire with singer D. Leonova as her accompanist. Unfortunately, the inspiration from this trip did not last long. Mussorgsky returned to the capital, was expelled from service and again plunged into apathy and drunkenness. He was a sensitive, generous, but deeply lonely man. On the day he was kicked out of his rented apartment for non-payment, he suffered a stroke. Modest Petrovich spent another month in the hospital, where he died in the early morning of March 16, 1881.

Interesting Facts

Mentioning two versions of " Boris Godunov", we mean - copyrighted. But there are also “editions” of other composers. There are at least 7 of them! ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov, who lived with Mussorgsky in the same apartment at the time of the creation of the opera, had such an individual vision of this musical material, that its two versions left a few bars of the original source unchanged. Their keyboard instrumentation was created by E. Melngailis, P.A. Lamm, D.D. Shostakovich, K. Rathaus, D. Lloyd-Jones.
Sometimes, to complete the reproduction of the author's intention and original music, the scene at St. Basil's Cathedral from the first edition is added to the 1872 version.
“Khovanshchina”, for obvious reasons, also suffered numerous editions - by Rimsky-Korsakov, Shostakovich, Stravinsky And Ravel. D.D. version Shostakovich is considered the closest to the original.
Conducted by Claudio Abbado for " Khovanshchiny» 1989 Vienna Opera made his own compilation of music: he restored some episodes in the author's orchestration, crossed out by Rimsky-Korsakov, took as a basis the edition of D. Shostakovich and the finale (“Final Chorus”), created by I. Stravinsky. Since then, this combination has been repeated many times in European productions of the opera.
Despite the fact that both Pushkin and Mussorgsky presented Boris Godunov as a child killer in their works, there is no direct historical evidence that Tsarevich Dimitri was killed on his orders. Younger son Ivan the Terrible suffered from epilepsy and, according to eyewitnesses and the official investigation, died from an accident while playing with a sharp object. The version of a contract killing was supported by the Tsarevich’s mother Marya Nagaya. Probably, out of revenge on Godunov, she recognized her son in False Dmitry I, although she later renounced her words. It is interesting that the investigation into the case of Dmitry was led by Vasily Shuisky, who later, having become king, changed his point of view, unequivocally asserting that the boy was killed on behalf of Boris Godunov. N.M. also shares this opinion. Karamzin in “History of the Russian State”.

Sister M.I. Glinka L.I. Shestakova gave Mussorgsky an edition of “Boris Godunov” by A.S. Pushkin with pasted blank sheets. It was on them that the composer marked the start date of work on the opera.
Tickets for the premiere of “Boris Godunov” were sold out in 4 days, despite their price being three times higher than usual.
The foreign premieres of Boris Godunov and Khovanshchina took place in Paris in 1908 and 1913, respectively.

Not counting works Tchaikovsky, “Boris Godunov” is the most famous Russian opera, repeatedly staged on major stages.
Famous Bulgarian Opera singer Boris Hristov performed three parts at once on the recording of “Boris Godunov” in 1952: Boris, Varlaam and Pimen.
Mussorgsky is F.I.’s favorite composer. Shalyapin.
Pre-revolutionary productions of “Boris Godunov” were few and short-lived, in three of them the title role was performed by F.I. Chaliapin. The work was truly appreciated only in Soviet time. Since 1947 the opera has been performed in Bolshoi Theater, since 1928 - at the Mariinsky, and in the current repertoire of the theater - both editions.
Modest Petrovich's grandmother, Irina Egorovna, was a serf. Alexey Grigorievich Mussorgsky married her, already having three children together, including the composer’s father.
Modi's parents wanted him to become a military man. His grandfather and great-grandfather were guards officers, and his father, Pyotr Alekseevich, also dreamed of this. But due to dubious origin military career was inaccessible to him.
The Mussorgskys are the Smolensk branch of the royal Rurik family.
Probably at the core internal conflict, which tormented Mussorgsky all his life, there was also a class contradiction: coming from a wealthy noble family, he spent his childhood among the peasants of his estate, and the blood of serfs flowed in his own veins. The people are the main thing actor both of the composer's great operas. This is the only character he treats with absolute sympathy and compassion.
Mussorgsky remained a bachelor for the rest of his life; even his friends left no evidence of the composer’s amorous adventures. There were rumors that in his youth he lived with a tavern singer who ran away with another, cruelly breaking his heart. But it is not known for certain whether this story actually happened. Also, the version about the composer’s love for Nadezhda Petrovna Opochinina, who was 18 years older than him, and to whom he dedicated many of his works, remained unconfirmed.
Mussorgsky is the third most performed Russian opera composer.
"Boris Godunov" is shown in theaters around the world more often than "Werther" by Massenet, " Manon Lescaut"Puccini or any opera" Rings of the Nibelung» Wagner.
It was Mussorgsky’s work that inspired I. Stravinsky, who, as a student of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, did not recognize his edits in Boris Godunov.
Among the composer’s foreign followers are C. Debussy and M. Ravel.
Garbage Man is a nickname that the composer had among his friends. He was also called Modinka.
In Russia, “Khovanshchina” was first performed in 1897, performed by the Russian Private Opera S.I. Mamontova. And only in 1912 it was staged at the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theaters.
IN Soviet years Mikhailovsky Theater St. Petersburg was named after M.P. Mussorgsky. After reconstruction and the return of the historical name, several bars from the introduction to “Khovanshchina” (“Dawn on the Moscow River”) are played as bells in the theater, as a tribute to the great composer.
Both of Mussorgsky's operas require a significantly expanded orchestra to accurately convey the expressiveness of the music.
“Sorochinskaya Fair” was completed by Ts. Cui. This production was the last opera premiere of the Russian Empire, 12 days before the revolution.
The first serious attack of delirium tremens overtook the composer already in 1865. Tatyana Pavlovna Mussorgskaya, the wife of brother Filaret, insisted that Modest Petrovich move to their estate. They left him, but he never fully recovered from his illness. Having left his family for St. Petersburg, without whom he could not live, the composer did not abandon his addiction.
Mussorgsky died 16 days later than Emperor Alexander II, who was killed by terrorists in St. Petersburg.
The composer bequeathed the rights to publish his works to the famous philanthropist T.I. Filippov, who helped him more than once. It was he who paid for the decent funeral of Modest Petrovich at the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Among the film adaptations of the composer's operas and recordings theater performances note:

“Khovanshchina”, staged by L. Baratov at the Mariinsky Theatre, recorded in 2012, starring: S. Aleksashkin, V. Galuzin, V. Vaneev, O. Borodina;
“Boris Godunov”, staged by A. Tarkovsky at the Covent Garden Theatre, recorded in 1990, starring: R. Lloyd, O. Borodina, A. Steblyanko;
“Khovanshchina”, staged by B. Large at the Vienna Opera, recorded in 1989, starring: N. Gyaurov, V. Atlantov, P. Burchuladze, L. Semchuk;
“Boris Godunov”, staged by L. Baratov at the Bolshoi Theatre, recorded in 1978, starring: E. Nesterenko, V. Piavko, V. Yaroslavtsev, I. Arkhipova;
“Khovanshchina”, film-opera by V. Stroeva, 1959, starring: A. Krivchenya, A. Grigoriev, M. Reisen, K. Leonova;
“Boris Godunov”, film-opera by V. Stroeva, 1954, starring A. Pirogov, G. Nelepp, M. Mikhailov, L. Avdeeva.

Biographical film There is only one about genius - “Mussorgsky” by G. Roshal, released in 1950. In the post-war decade, several films were made about great Russian composers; this one can be called the most successful. Great in the title role A.F. Borisov. He managed to create the image of Mussorgsky as his contemporaries described him - generous, open, sensitive, fickle, carried away. This role was noted State Prize THE USSR. V.V. Stasov was played by N. Cherkasov in the film, and the singer Platonova was played by L. Orlova.

	Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky in Wikiquote
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