Modest Mussorgsky came from an ancient noble family. The future composer was born on March 9, 1839 in the village of Karevo, Toropetsky district, Pskov province.
In his autobiography, Mussorgsky wrote: “...acquaintance with the spirit folk life was the main impetus for musical improvisation before becoming familiar with the most basic rules of playing the piano.”
His first music teacher was his mother, Yulia Ivanovna Mussorgskaya. Already at the age of 9 he could play quite easily big concert Filda.
Since 1849, Modest studied at the Peter and Paul School in St. Petersburg, and then at the School of Guards Ensigns. He continues his music studies with one of the best teachers in the city on the Neva - A.A. Gehrke.
After graduating from school in 1856, Mussorgsky was enlisted in the Preobrazhensky Regiment. In June 1858, he retired and devoted himself entirely to creativity.
In 1863, while serving in the Forestry Department, he became a member of the " Mighty bunch».
In 1879, he made a concert tour around the south, during which the famous “Song of the Flea” was written.
On February 12, 1881, Mussorgsky suffered from paralysis. The composer died in March of the same year on the way to the hospital.
On his death, V. Stasov wrote an obituary: “Mussorgsky died in the prime of his strength and talent: How far from old age and how much more should have been expected from him, looking at his mighty talent, his mighty nature!”
Musical heritage:
Operas:"Salambo"(based on the novel by G. Flaubert, 1863–1866, unfinished), "Marriage"(based on the text of the comedy by N.V. Gogol, 1st act, 1868), "Boris Godunov"(based on the tragedy of A.S. Pushkin, 1869), "Khovanshchina"(libretto by M., 1872-1880, completed based on original materials and orchestrated by Rimsky-Korsakov, 1883), "Sorochinskaya Fair"(based on Gogol’s story, 1874-1880, completed by T. A. Cui, 1916)
Works for orchestra:Scherzo in B major(1858), intermezzo(1867) Night on Bald Mountain(1867) march Capture of Kars(1880)
Works for piano:Pictures from the exhibition(1874)
Works for choir and orchestra:chorus from Sophocles' tragedy "Oedipus Rex"(1860) Defeat of Sennacherib(words by J. Byron, 1867)
Works for choir, soloists and piano:"Joshua"(1877)
A.A. Golenishcheva-Kutuzova, 1874), Songs and dances of death(words by Golenishchev-Kutuzov, 1875-1877)
The main figure of this article will be Modest Mussorgsky. The composer's biography begins on March 16, 1839 in one of the small villages of the Pskov region. From an early age, his parents, who belonged to an old family of nobles, introduced the boy to music. His mother taught him to play the piano, and at the age of seven he was already performing plays. A few years later, the future genius was already mastering entire concerts.
Biography of Mussorgsky in the early years of his life
Few of Modest's ancestors could have imagined that he would become a great musician and composer. All Mussorgsky's relatives were devoted to the state, and the men served in the Tsar's army. The exception was first the father - Peter Mussorgsky, who was distinguished by a great passion for music, and then his son, who inherited this gift. The first piano teacher was Modest's mother, Yulia Chirikova.
In 1849, Modest Mussorgsky went to St. Petersburg, and there he began his first professional music lessons with teacher A.A. Gehrke. Under his leadership, he performs at chamber concerts, family evenings and other events. And already in 1852 he wrote and published his own polka called “Sub-Ensign”.
The period of the founding of the “Mighty Handful”
Since 1856, Mussorgsky's biography unfolds in St. Petersburg, where he simultaneously meets the composer. They become very close friends, united not only by a common cause, but also by creativity - music. Some time later, he also met A. Dargomyzhsky, M. Balakirev, Ts. Cui, as well as the Stasov brothers. All these composers are familiar to us thanks to the “Mighty Handful” group, which they founded.
The main figure in their “galaxy” was Balakirev - he became a teacher and spiritual mentor for every composer. Together with him, Mussorgsky taught new concertos and works of large form such as Beethoven, Schubert, Strauss. Visiting the Philharmonic, opera performances and others musical events contributed to the fact that for Modest the goal of life became the knowledge of beauty and the creation of it.
Biography of Mussorgsky during the period of new creativity of the “Mighty Handful”
In the next decade, the composers of the “Mighty Handful” adopted the rule that they must follow all the musical canons of M. Glinka. During this period, Mussorgsky wrote music for Sophocles’ story “Oedipus the King,” and then began working on the opera “Salammbo.” Unfortunately, it remained unfinished, but many of the works written for it were included in the composer's masterpiece - the opera Boris Godunov.
The period of travel and flourishing creativity
In the 60s, Mussorgsky's biography unfolded in new lands. He goes on a journey in which the main point is the city of Moscow. It was this place that inspired him to write his opera “Boris Godunov”, since, in his opinion, the “women and men” suitable for the production met him there.
In the future, the composer did not forget to give instrumental concerts and vocal performances. Among pianists he had no equal, and his own works praised by many connoisseurs of beauty. It was in this world that the composer Mussorgsky spent his youth.
His biography changed dramatically in the 80s. Then his health deteriorated and his financial situation was shaken. He no longer had much time for creativity, so he started drinking. He died on his birthday, in 1881, in a military hospital.
Mussorgsky was only 42 years old when death overtook the composer. IN last years in life he was poor and forgotten by his contemporaries, suffered from delirium tremens and alcoholism, and was not himself...
Composer homeless
On February 13, 1881, the orderly of one of the hospital residents, Modest Mussorgsky, was admitted to the Nikolaev Military Hospital as a patient. In fact, Mussorgsky is not a batman at all. His friends resorted to this trick in order to place the seriously ill Modest Petrovich in the hospital. After all, he was a person without a place of residence and certain activities, in other words, a homeless person. So what if a great composer, how can he explain this to the military authorities? You never know who he was in the past.
Mussorgsky was always a refined man, possessed foreign languages, dressed beautifully, and was liked by the ladies. But in the last years of his life, he changed beyond recognition; a terrible metamorphosis occurred with the aristocrat. Contemporaries noted that the genius suffered from alcoholism, bringing himself to a deplorable state. The painting by Ilya Repin, which depicts Modest Petrovich in the last years of his life, is world famous. In it he is unkempt, unkempt, and very overweight. A very elderly man, tired of life, seems to be looking from the canvas. Meanwhile, at that moment he was not yet 42 years old. Due to his addiction to the green serpent, Mussorgsky lost a constant source of income and became greatly impoverished. He began having attacks of delirium tremens.
In Repin's painting, Mussorgsky is unkempt, unkempt, and very plump. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Inspired by the capital
Modest Mussorgsky fell ill with music as a child. He was born in the Pskov province, in noble family. From the age of 10 I received home education, then he and his family moved to the capital St. Petersburg. After graduating from school, he served briefly in the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment, after which he served public service. At the age of 20, Mussorgsky began writing music.
The composer went down in history as a master dramatic music. His first turn to drama was working on the music for Sophocles’ tragedy “Oedipus the King.” In 1859, Mussorgsky came to Moscow for the first time and the ancient capital of Russia made an indelible impression on him. Getting to know the city awakened a storm of emotions, patriotic feelings and allowed us to touch Russian history. It was in Moscow, which amazed him with its beauty and grandeur historical monuments, the main actions of his future opera works - "Boris Godunov" and "Khovanshchina" - will unfold.
Work on “Boris Godunov” lasted almost 10 years. The composer never used drafts or outlines; he always wrote the music completely. Because of this, he worked so slowly, he thought about every detail, every note for months. The author rewrote “Boris Godunov” from scratch several times.
At the age of 20, Modest Mussorgsky began writing music. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Most of Mussorgsky's works were not completed during the author's lifetime. The composer's legacy was brought to fruition by friends: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Cesar Cui. Thanks to their efforts, Mussorsky’s musical dramas gained popularity after the composer’s death. world recognition and today they are the most often performed works Russian music on opera scenes all over the world.
Majestic and degraded
In 1965, Mussorgsky fell seriously ill, and even then the first signs of “delirium tremens” appeared. After his illness, the composer became more withdrawn and sarcastic. He had previously expressed himself pretentiously, but now he began to speak in a pseudo-folk Russian style. He put on the mask of the holy fool and never took it off, hiding his real self behind it. Friends said that his only outlet was music. He worked hard, immersing himself in sounds like a drug.
Mussorgsky became too close to his work. He literally settled in the world of his characters and became like them. And his character is a people, unpredictable, unbridled, terrible in their manifestations. And the composer had the courage to love these people and was not afraid to get dirty.
Creativity mercilessly crushed the well-bred, sophisticated dandy and threw to the surface a completely different person: majestic and degraded...
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky died in the Nikolaev military hospital on March 28, 1881 at the age of 42. Even in a hospital bed, he could not give up his addiction to alcohol. A few hours before his death, he sent a watchman to fetch a bottle of cognac, which he immediately drank. After this, the composer's condition deteriorated sharply. A genius who tried to break stereotypes in classical music, buried at the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Mussorgsky's music had a huge influence on all subsequent generations of composers. In his innovative interpretation of melody and especially harmony, musicologists now see an anticipation of some specific features music of the 20th century. The dramaturgy of Mussorgsky's musical and theatrical works greatly influenced the work of such composers as Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Janáček, and Berg.
Mussorgsky's biography will be of interest to everyone who is partial to his original music. The composer changed the course of development musical culture, but his achievements were not recognized during his lifetime, as often happens with geniuses who were ahead of their time. Mussorgsky's operas "Boris Godunov" and "Khovanshchina" are today recognized masterpieces, and his works for vocals and piano are proudly performed by the best musicians in the world.
Brief biography of Modest Mussorgsky
The composer was born on March 21, 1839 in the village. Karevo, which is located in the Pskov province. The biography of Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky might not have been so successful, but his father was a representative of an old noble family, so the path to high society immediately opened up for the boy. Until the age of ten, the future celebrity was taught at home, and in 1849 he was sent to the Petrishule School - one of the oldest and best educational institutions Petersburg. Without finishing it, in 1852 Modest transferred to the School of Guards Ensigns - a privileged military school, within whose walls many outstanding figures of Russia were brought up.
One of the School's teachers, Father Krupsky, recognized the talent and taught Mussorgsky to understand the deep essence of church music. In 1856, the young man’s training came to an end. After graduating from the School, Modest served for some time in the Life Guards, then in the engineering department, and after that in the Ministry of State Property, which was in charge of state lands, as well as in state control.
"The Mighty Bunch"
In the 60s, Modest Petrovich became a member of the “Mighty Handful” - a community of outstanding composers in St. Petersburg. By this time, the young man had become a well-educated and erudite Russian officer, spoke fluent French and German, and understood Greek and Latin.
Mily Alekseevich Balakirev, who was only two years older than Modest and was the founder of the “Mighty Handful,” forced the young composer to devote more time to music studies. He played an important role in the biography of Mussorgsky. Mily Alekseevich personally supervised the reading of orchestral scores, taught to analyze the harmony and form of works greatest composers world, tried to develop skills critical thinking. Until 1871, the master did not create a single major musical composition. This period of the biography of Modest Mussorgsky was not marked by a single significant achievement. The composer wrote short songs and romances, but was unable to complete a single opera, although he made repeated attempts.
First major success
First a major work became the opera "Boris Godunov", created on the basis of the work of A. S. Pushkin. In 1870, the composer presented the materials of the opera to the directorate Imperial theaters, but was refused without explanation. However, one of Mussorgsky's friends was a member of the management committee and told the author that the opera was rejected due to the lack of the so-called " female element"Modest Petrovich finalized the work, and in 1874 its first grand premiere took place on the stage of the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater.
Biography of Mussorgsky: the last years of his life
In the 1870s, the collapse of the famous “Mighty Handful” began. The difference in views on music and its development led to the fact that society almost disintegrated and transformed. Modest Petrovich experienced this event painfully and considered the other members to be musical conformists, cowardly and hopeless, betrayers of the great Russian idea. Mussorgsky believed that other composers were short-sighted, that they did not create anything valuable, nothing new, but only rewrote what had already been created and voiced long ago.
A dark period has come in the biography of Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky. His work invariably met with misunderstanding from critics, spectators and officials. The composer's works were rejected everywhere. However, the most painful thing for the author was the rejection of his bold ideas by his close friends - members of the “Mighty Handful” Rimsky-Korsakov, Cui, and Balakirev. The stubborn author could not believe that he was wrong everywhere. It hurt him to be on opposite sides of the barricade with his friends.
Experiences, constant refusals and rejection led to a nervous breakdown and alcoholism, but the composer continued to create even in this state. He never took notes, did not write drafts, he carefully thought through all the ideas, and then wrote down the completely finished work. This method of work, combined with unstable mental state and constant drinking led to a slow pace of work.
In a brief biography of Mussorgsky, it should be mentioned that he resigned from the “forestry department” and lost a stable income. After this, the composer lived on occasional one-time earnings and the help of wealthier friends. His friend, singer Leonova D.M., took Modest Petrovich with her on tour in the southern regions. Mussorgsky acted as an accompanist and also performed his own works. His bold, harmonious improvisation was to the taste of the audience, and his concerts were a constant success. The composer realized that his innovative view of music had finally received recognition.
Last performance
The last public concert in the biography of M. Mussorgsky took place on February 4, 1881. An evening in memory of Dostoevsky was held in St. Petersburg, where Modest Petrovich performed along with other musicians. A portrait of the writer was installed on the stage, the composer took a seat at the piano and performed an impromptu funeral chime of bells. Those present were amazed at the depth of his grief.
On February 13, Modest Petrovich had an attack of delirium tremens, and he was urgently hospitalized. Already in the hospital, Ilya Repin visited the master and wrote the only lifetime portrait genius composer. A month later, Mussorgsky's heart stopped forever. He was buried on the territory of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
Creation
Mussorgsky's biography consists of ups and downs. His original, unique understanding of music was not understood by his contemporaries, but his descendants considered him a genius. Modest Petrovich rejected routine, did not recognize authorities, ignored the rules, considering them only a collection of archaisms. All his life the author strived for novelty. The composer's main specialization is vocal music. With the help of sound, the author knew how to give words weight, the necessary emotion and touch the listener to the depths.
However, Modest Petrovich achieved his most significant success in the field of opera. He created a special variety of this genre, which he called “musical drama.” During this period, romantic opera aesthetics were popular, but Mussorgsky completely rejected the existing canons. Using specific musical methods, he created a tragic collision, which he embodied in the work “Boris Godunov”. Critics were unkind to the author's innovative ideas, calling the libretto unsuccessful and the music rough. Even close friends, members of the “Mighty Handful” considered Mussorgsky inexperienced and noted the absence storyline and lack of character development. Modest Petrovich's music received recognition only after the death of the author.
The most famous works:
- opera "Boris Godunov";
- opera "Khovanshchina";
- opera "Sorochinskaya Fair";
- song "Where are you, little star?";
- romance “I have many towers and gardens”;
- romance "What do you need words of love";
- lullaby "Sleep, sleep, peasant son."
When describing a brief biography of Mussorgsky, one cannot fail to note an interesting fact from life outstanding composer. Although the author did not create literary works, his extraordinary literary skill was manifested in letters, which were subsequently published in the form of a separate book.
Mussorgsky's biography is very interesting; his life was filled not only with creativity: he was familiar with many outstanding people of its time.
Mussorgsky came from an old noble family. He was born on March 9 (21), 1839 in the village of Karevo, Pskov province.
He spent the first 10 years of his life at home, receiving home education and learning to play the piano.
Then he was sent to study in St. Petersburg at a German school, from where he was transferred to the School of Guards Ensigns. It was at this school that he became interested in church music.
Since 1852, Mussorgsky began composing music; his compositions were performed on stages in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
In 1856, he was sent to serve in the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment (during his service he met A. S. Dargomyzhsky). In 1858 he transferred to serve in the Ministry of State Property.
Music career
A short biography of Mussorgsky by Modest Petrovich, written for children, mentions that in 1859 Modest Petrovich met Balakirev, who insisted on the need to deepen his musical knowledge.
In 1861, he began work on such operas as Oedipus (based on the work of Sophocles), Salammbô (based on the work by Flaubert), and Marriage (based on the play by N. Gogol).
All these operas were never completed by the composer.
In 1870, the composer began work on her most important and famous work– the opera “Boris Godunov” (based on the tragedy of the same name by A. S. Pushkin). In 1871, he presented his creation to the court music critics, who suggested that the composer work some more and introduce a certain “ feminine" It was staged only in 1874 at the Mariinsky Theater.
In 1872, work began on two works at once: the dramatic opera “Khovanshchina” and “Sorochensk Fair” (based on a story by N. Gogol). Both of these works were never completed by the maestro.
Mussorgsky wrote many short musical works, based on the plots of poems and plays by N. Nekrasov, N. Ostrovsky, poems by T. Shevchenko. Some of them were created under the influence of Russian artists (for example, V. Vereshchagin).
last years of life
In the last years of his life, Mussorgsky suffered greatly from the collapse of the “Mighty Handful”, misunderstanding and criticism from music officials and colleagues (Cui, Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov). Against this background, he developed severe depression and became addicted to alcohol. He began to write music more slowly and quit his job, losing his small but constant income. In the last years of his life, only his friends supported him.
The last time he spoke publicly was at an evening in memory of F. M. Dostoevsky on February 4, 1881. On February 13, he died in the Nikolaevsky hospital in St. Petersburg from an attack of delirium tremens.
Mussorgsky was buried at the Tikhvin cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. But today only the tombstone has survived, since after large-scale reconstruction old necropolis (in the 30s), his grave was lost (rolled into asphalt). Now there is a bus stop at the composer’s burial site.
Chronological table
Other biography options
- The only lifetime portrait of the composer by Ilya Repin was painted a few days before the composer’s death.
- Mussorgsky was incredible educated person: fluent in French, German, English languages, Latin and Greek, was an excellent engineer.
Biography score
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