Biography

Following that, Mussorgsky wrote several romances and set to work on the music for Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus; the last work was not completed, and only one choir from the music for Oedipus, performed in a concert by K. N. Lyadov in 1861, was published among the composer's posthumous works. Mussorgsky first chose Flaubert's novel Salammbo for opera adaptation, but soon left this work unfinished, as well as an attempt to write music for the plot of Gogol's The Marriage.

Fame Mussorgsky brought the opera Boris Godunov, staged at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg in the city and immediately recognized as an outstanding work in some musical circles. This was already the second version of the opera, significantly changed dramaturgically after the repertory committee of the theater rejected its first version for being "unscenic". Over the next 10 years, "Boris Godunov" was given 15 times and then removed from the repertoire. Only at the end of November, "Boris Godunov" saw the light again - but already in the edition, redone by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, who "corrected" and re-instrumented the entire "Boris Godunov" at his 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 clavier of Boris Godunov, in the preface to which Rimsky-Korsakov explains that the reasons that prompted him to undertake this alteration were the supposedly “bad texture” and “poor orchestration” of the author’s version of Mussorgsky himself. In Moscow, "Boris Godunov" was staged for the first time at the Bolshoi Theater in the city. In our time, interest in the author's editions of "Boris Godunov" is being revived.

Portrait by Repin

In 1875, Mussorgsky began the dramatic opera (“folk musical drama”) “Khovanshchina” (according to the plan of V.V. Stasov), while simultaneously working on a comic opera based on the plot of Gogol’s “Sorochinsky Fair”. Mussorgsky 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 finished Khovanshchina (again, with his own adaptations) and adapted it for the stage. The firm Bessel & Co. published the score of the opera and the clavier (g.). "Khovanshchina" was performed on the stage of the St. Petersburg Music and Drama Circle in the city, under the direction of S. Yu. Goldstein; on the stage of the Kononovsky Hall - in the city, by a private opera partnership; at Setov, in Kyiv, in the city. In 1960, the Soviet composer Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich made his own version of the opera Khovanshchina, in which Mussorgsky's opera is now being staged all over the world.

For the Sorochinsky Fair, Mussorgsky managed to compose the first two acts, as well as for the third act: The Dream of Parubka (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 editorial office of the outstanding musician Vissarion Yakovlevich Shebalin.

Mussorgsky was an unusually impressionable, enthusiastic, soft-hearted and vulnerable person. For all his external compliance and pliability, he was extremely firm in everything that concerned his creative convictions. Addiction to alcohol, which progressed strongly in the last decade of his life, acquired a destructive character for Mussorgsky's health, his life and the intensity of his work. As a result, after a series of failures in the service and the final dismissal from the ministry, Mussorgsky was forced to live on odd jobs and thanks to the support of friends.

Creativity belongs to a group of musical figures who strove - on the one hand - for formalized realism, on the other hand - for a colorful and poetic disclosure of words, texts and moods through music, flexibly following them. Mussorgsky's national thinking, as a composer, comes through both in the ability to handle folk songs, and in the very warehouse of his music, in its melodic, harmonic and rhythmic features, and finally - in the choice of subjects, mainly from Russian life. Mussorgsky 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 provisions of science, but only a collection of composing techniques of previous eras. Mussorgsky everywhere gave himself up to his ardent fantasy, everywhere he strove for novelty. Humorous music generally succeeded Mussorgsky, and in this genre he is diverse, witty and resourceful; one has only to recall his fairy tale about the "Goat", the story of the "Seminarian" pounding Latin, in love with the priest's daughter, "Picking Mushrooms" (May's text), "Feast".

Mussorgsky rarely dwells on "pure" 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 May); on the other hand, Mussorgsky's work is widely manifested in those cases when he turns to Russian peasant life. The following songs of Mussorgsky are noted for their rich coloring: "Kalistrat", "Lullaby of Eremushka" (words by Nekrasov), "Sleep, sleep, peasant son" (from Ostrovsky's "Voevoda"), "Gopak" (from Shevchenko's "Gaidamaks"), "Svetik Savishna "And" Mischievous "(both the latter - to the words of Mussorgsky himself) and many others. others; Mussorgsky very successfully found here a truthful and deeply dramatic musical expression for that heavy, hopeless grief 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 of the famous painting by V.V. Vereshchagin).

In such a seemingly narrow field of music as "romances and songs", Mussorgsky managed to find completely new, original tasks, and at the same time apply new peculiar techniques for their implementation, which was vividly expressed in his vocal paintings from childhood life, under under the general title "Children's" (text by Mussorgsky himself), in 4 romances under the general title "Songs and Dances of Death" ( -; words by Golenishchev-Kutuzov; "Trepak" - a picture of a tipsy peasant freezing in a forest, in a snowstorm; "Lullaby "draws 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 a male voice with piano accompaniment; text by Mussorgsky himself), in "The Defeat of Sennacherib" ( for choir and orchestra; words by Byron), in Joshua, successfully built on the original. Jewish topics.

Mussorgsky's specialty is vocal music. He is an exemplary reciter, grasping the slightest bends of the word; in his works, he often gives a wide place to the monologue-recitative warehouse of presentation. Akin to Dargomyzhsky in terms of his talent, Mussorgsky shares his views on musical drama inspired by Dargomyzhsky's opera The Stone Guest. However, unlike Dargomyzhsky, in his mature compositions Mussorgsky overcomes the pure "illustrativeness" of the music passively following the text, which is characteristic of this opera.

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

Prejudices of this kind were in many ways characteristic primarily of Rimsky-Korsakov, who claimed that Mussorgsky was inexperienced in instrumentation, although it was sometimes not devoid of color and a successful variety of orchestral colors. This opinion was typical for Soviet textbooks of musical literature. In reality, Mussorgsky's orchestral writing simply did not fit into the canvas that suited Rimsky-Korsakov in the main. Such a 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 unlike the lushly decorative aesthetics of orchestral presentation, characteristic of the second half of the 19th century - and, especially, of Rimsky-Korsakov himself. Unfortunately, the conviction 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 the academic tradition of Russian music.

Even more skeptical attitude of colleagues and contemporaries touched Mussorgsky's next musical drama - the opera "Khovanshchina" on the theme of historical events in Russia at the end of the 17th century (split and streltsy revolt), written by Mussorgsky on his own script and text. He wrote this work with long breaks, and by the time of his death it remained unfinished (among the currently existing editions of the opera, performed by other composers, the orchestration by Shostakovich and the completion of the last act of the opera, made by Stravinsky, can be considered the closest to the original). Unusual and the idea of ​​this work, and its scale. Compared to Boris Godunov, Khovanshchina is not just a drama of one historical person (through which the philosophical themes of power, crime, conscience and retribution are revealed), but already a kind of “impersonal” historiosophical drama in which, in the absence of a pronounced “ central” character (characteristic of the standard operatic dramaturgy of that time), whole layers of folk life are revealed and the theme of the spiritual tragedy of the whole people, which takes place when their traditional historical and way of life is broken, is raised. To emphasize this genre feature of the opera "Khovanshchina", Mussorgsky gave it the subtitle "folk musical drama".

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

Mussorgsky had little inclination towards music in "finished" forms (symphonic, chamber, etc.). Of Mussorgsky's orchestral works, besides those already mentioned, the Intermezzo (composed in, instrumented in) deserves attention, built on a theme reminiscent of the music of the 18th century, and published among Mussorgsky's posthumous works, with Rimsky-Korsakov's instrumentation. The orchestral fantasy Night on Bald Mountain (the material of which was subsequently included in the opera Sorochinskaya Fair) was also completed and instrumented by N. Rimsky-Korsakov and performed with great success in St. Petersburg; this is a brightly colorful picture of the "coven of the spirits of darkness" and "the magnificence of Chernobog."

Another outstanding work of Mussorgsky is 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 “through” suite-rondo with sections soldered together, where the main theme-refrain (“Promenade”) expresses the change of moods when walking from one painting to another, and the episodes between this theme are the very images of the paintings in question. This work has repeatedly 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, Mussorgsky's works were published by the firm V. Bessel and Co. in St. Petersburg; much was also published in Leipzig by the firm of MP Belyaev. In the 20th century, urtext editions of Mussorgsky's works in original versions began to appear, based on a thorough study of the original sources. The pioneer of such activity was the Russian musicologist P. Ya. Lamm, who for the first time published the urtext claviers Boris Godunov and Khovanshchina, the author's editions of all Mussorgsky's vocal and piano works.

The works of Mussorgsky, in many respects anticipating a new era, had a tremendous influence on the composers of the 20th century. The attitude to the musical fabric as an expressive extension of human speech and the coloristic nature of its harmonic language played an important role in the formation of the "impressionistic" style of C. Debussy and M. Ravel (by their own admission), Mussorgsky's style, dramaturgy and imagery greatly influenced creativity L. Janachek, I. Stravinsky, D. Shostakovich (characteristically, they are all composers of Slavic culture), A. Berg (the dramaturgy of his opera "Wozzeck" on the principle of "scene-fragment" 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"
• "Sorochinsky Fair" (1874-80, completed by Ts. A. Cui, 1916),
• satirical romances "Seminarian" and "Classic" (1870)
• vocal cycle "Children's" (1872),
• piano cycle "Pictures at an Exhibition" (1874),
• vocal cycle "Without the Sun" (1874),
• vocal cycle "Songs and Dances of Death" (1877)
• symphonic poem "Night on Bald Mountain"

Memory

Monument at the grave of Mussorgsky

Streets named after Mussorgsky in cities

Monuments to Mussorgsky in cities

• Karevo village

Other objects

• Ural State Conservatory in Yekaterinburg.
• Opera and ballet theater in St. Petersburg.
• Musical school in St. Petersburg.

see also

Bibliography

Antonina Vasilyeva. Russian labyrinth. Biography of M. P. Mussorgsky. Pskov regional printing house, 2008.

• Roerich N. K. Mussorgsky // Artists of Life. - Moscow: International Center of the Roerichs, 1993. - 88 p.
• V. V. Stasov, article in Vestnik Evropy (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 ("Histor. Vestn.", 1886, March); his own, "In Memory of M." (St. Petersburg, 1885);
• V. Baskin, “M. P. M. Biographical. essay "(" Russ. 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” (“Vestn. Evropy”, 1893, Dec.).
• Tumanina N., M. P. Mussorgsky, M. - L., 1939;
• Asafiev B.V., Izbr. works, vol. 3, M., 1954;
• Orlova A., Works and days of MP Mussorgsky. Chronicle of life and creativity, M., 1963
• Khubov G., Mussorgsky, M., 1969.
• Shlifshtein S. Mussorgsky. Painter. Time. Fate. M., 1975
• Rakhmanova M. Mussorgsky and his time. - Soviet music, 1980, No. 9-10
• MP Mussorgsky in the memoirs of his contemporaries. M., 1989

Links

• Mussorgsky Modest A site about Mussorgsky.
• Mussorgsky Modest A site about the life and work of the Russian composer.
• Mussorgsky Modest Creative portrait at Belcanto.Ru.
• Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky: Sheet music at the International Music Score Library Project
• Mussorgsky Modest Photo of Mussorgsky's grave.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

On March 21, 1839, a boy was born in the family of a poor landowner Peter Mussorgsky, who received the name Modest. His mother, Yulia Ivanovna, doted on her youngest child. Perhaps the reason for this was the death of the first two sons, and she gave all the tenderness to the two surviving boys. Modest spent his childhood on an estate in the Pskov region, among lakes and dense forests. Only the perseverance of the mother and his innate talent helped not to remain uneducated - the mother was engaged in reading, foreign languages ​​​​and music with the children. Although there was only an old piano in the manor house, it was well tuned, and by the age of seven Modest was playing Liszt's works of a small volume on it. And at the age of nine, he performed Field's concerto for the first time.

Pyotr Mussorgsky also loved music and was very pleased with the obvious talent of his son. But could the parents have imagined that their boy would not only become a musician and composer, but would glorify Russia all over the world with his music? Modest was prepared for a completely different fate - after all, all the Mussorgskys came from an ancient noble family and always served in military units. Only Modest's father escaped this by devoting himself to agriculture.

As soon as Modest was ten years old, he and his older brother were taken to St. Petersburg, where the boys were to study at the School of Guards Ensigns, a very privileged military school. After graduating from this school, seventeen-year-old Modest Mussorgsky is determined to serve in the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment. He had a brilliant military career ahead of him, but quite unexpectedly, the young man resigned and entered the main engineering department. He later worked in the Investigation Division of the Forest Department.

Shortly before making such a surprising decision, one of his comrades in the regiment introduced Modest to the composer Dargomyzhsky. A few minutes were enough for the venerable musician to appreciate the freedom with which Modest played the piano, and most importantly, his unique improvisations and outstanding talent. Dargomyzhsky decided to reinforce his first impression and brought the young man together with Cui and Balakirev. So for Mussorgsky a completely new life, full of music and friends in spirit, began - in Balakirev's circle "The Mighty Handful".

For Mussorgsky, this was real happiness - after all, the art of war did not interest him at all. Another thing is literature, history and philosophy, he always devoted a lot of time to these subjects even at the school. But the main thing for him has always been music. And the character of the future composer was in no way suitable for a military career. Modest Petrovich was distinguished by tolerance for others and democratic actions and views. When the peasant reform was announced in 1861, his kindness to people manifested itself especially brightly - in order to save his own serfs from the hardships of redemption payments, Mussorgsky decided to give up his part of the inheritance in favor of his brother.

The accumulation of new knowledge in the field of music could not but result in a genius period of powerful creative activity. Mussorgsky decided to write a classical opera, but with the obligatory inclusion in it of the embodiment of his addictions to large folk scenes and a central personality - strong and strong-willed. He decided to draw the plot for his opera from Flaubert's novel Salammbo, which sends the reader back to the history of ancient Carthage. Expressive and beautiful musical themes were born in the head of the young composer, and he even recorded some of them. Mass episodes were especially successful for him. But at some point, Mussorgsky suddenly realized that the images already created by his imagination were exceptionally far from the real Carthage described by Flaubert. This discovery made him lose interest in his work and abandon it.

Another of his plans was an opera based on Gogol's Marriage. The idea suggested by Dargomyzhsky corresponded to the utmost with Mussorgsky's character - with his mockery, humor and ability to show complex processes with simple methods. But for that time, the task set - the creation of an opera based on a prose text - looked not only impossible, but simply too revolutionary. Work on The Marriage captured Mussorgsky, and his comrades considered this work a vivid manifestation of the composer's talent in comedy. This talent was especially evident in creating interesting musical characteristics of the characters. And yet it soon became clear that the opera based on The Marriage itself was only a bold experiment, and work on it was interrupted. Mussorgsky, in order to create a serious, real opera, had to follow a completely different path.

Often visiting the house of Glinka's sister, Lyudmila Ivanovna Shestakova, Mussorgsky met Nikolsky Vladimir Vasilyevich. A brilliant literary critic and philologist, a recognized specialist in the field of Russian literature, Nikolsky advised the musician to pay attention to Pushkin's tragedy Boris Godunov. The philologist was no stranger to music and believed that "Boris Godunov" could be an excellent material for creating an opera libretto. The grain thrown by Nikolsky fell on fertile ground - Mussorgsky thought about it and began to read the tragedy. Even while reading, entire fragments of magnificent solemn music began to sound in his head. The composer literally felt with his whole body: an opera based on this material would become a surprisingly voluminous and multifaceted work.

The opera Boris Godunov was fully completed at the end of 1869. And in 1970, Mussorgsky received a reply from Gedeonov, director of the imperial theatres. From the letter, the composer learned that the committee of seven people categorically rejected Boris Godunov. Within a year, Mussorgsky created the second edition of the opera - seven of her paintings turned into four acts with a prologue. In the dedication to this work, Mussorgsky wrote that it was only thanks to his comrades in the Mighty Handful that he was able to complete this difficult work. But even in the second edition, the opera was refused by the theatrical committee. The situation was saved by the prima donna of the Mariinsky Theater Platonova - it was only at her request that the opera Boris Godunov was accepted for production.

Mussorgsky did not find a place for himself in anticipation of the premiere, fearing that society would not accept his opera. But the composer's fears were unfounded. The day of the premiere of "Boris Godunov" turned into a triumph and a true celebration of the composer. The news of the wonderful opera spread through the city with lightning speed, and every single subsequent performance was sold out. Mussorgsky could be perfectly happy, but...

The composer did not at all expect an unexpected and exceptionally heavy blow that fell upon him from the critics. "Sankt-Peterburgskiye Vedomosti" in February 1974 published a devastating review of "Boris Godunov" signed by Cui, one of the composer's closest friends. Mussorgsky took his friend's act as a stab in the back.

But both the triumph of the opera and the disappointments gradually faded into the background - life went on. The public's interest in Boris Godunov did not fade away, but the critics still considered the opera "wrong" - Mussorgsky's music did not correspond to the romantic stereotypes then accepted in the opera. The transfer of Mussorgsky to the investigative unit of the Forest Department burdened him with a lot of boring work, and there was practically no time to build creative plans. He did not quit, of course, composing music, but he did not find peace.

A particularly dark period in the life of the great composer began. The "Mighty Handful" broke up. And the point was not only in the vile blow of Cui, but also in the overdue internal contradictions among the members of the circle. Mussorgsky himself considered this event a betrayal of the people he loved dearly - a betrayal not to him personally, but to the old ideals that rallied them. Soon one of his friends, the artist Hartmann, died. Following him, the woman passionately and secretly loved by Mussorgsky passed away, whose name the composer did not name anyone - the only memory of love was the "Tombstone Letter", found only after Mussorgsky's death, and numerous works dedicated to this mysterious stranger.

Old friends were replaced by new ones. Mussorgsky closely converges with Count A. A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, a young poet, and becomes attached to him. Perhaps it was this friendship that kept the composer on the edge of despair and breathed new life into him. The best of Mussorgsky's works of that period were written to the verses of Count Arseny. However, even here the composer was in for a bitter disappointment - after one and a half of such a bright friendship, Golenishchev-Kutuzov got married and moved away from his friends.

Another experience led the composer to guilt, and he even changed outwardly - flabby, stopped taking care of himself, dressed haphazardly ... In addition, troubles began in the service. Mussorgsky was fired more than once, and he constantly experienced financial difficulties. The problems reached the point that once the composer was kicked out of a rented apartment for non-payment. The health of the musical genius was gradually deteriorating.

Nevertheless, it was at that time that Mussorgsky's genius was recognized abroad. Franz Liszt, as they called him then, "the great old man", received from the publisher notes of works by Russian composers and was literally shocked by the talent and novelty of Mussorgsky's works. The stormy enthusiasm of Liszt especially touched the cycle of Mussorgsky's songs under the general title "Children's". In this cycle, the composer vividly and juicy painted the complex and bright world of children's souls.

Mussorgsky himself, despite the terrible conditions of his life, experienced a true creative take-off during these years. Unfortunately, many of the composer's ideas remained unfinished or unfinished by his talent. However, everything created shows that the composer was able to ascend to a new level in his work. The first work to follow "Boris Godunov" was the suite called "Pictures at an Exhibition", the most significant and largest work for the piano. Mussorgsky was able to discover new nuances in the sound of the instrument and reveal its new possibilities. He also thought about working with Pushkin's multifaceted dramaturgy. He saw an opera, the content of which would include the life of an entire country with many episodes and paintings. But Mussorgsky did not find the basis for the libretto of such an opera in literature and decided to write the plot himself.

According to music critics, Mussorgsky's opera Khovanshchina has become a new, higher stage in the development of the composer's musical language. He still considered speech to be the main means of expressing the characters and feelings of people, but the musical arrangement itself now received from him a new, broader and deeper meaning. While working on the opera Khovanshchina, Mussorgsky also composed another opera - The Sorochinskaya Fair based on Gogol's work. In this opera, the composer's love for life and simple human joys is clearly visible, despite the blows of fate and mental suffering. The composer also planned to work on a musical folk drama about the Pugachev uprising. Together with Khovanshchina and Boris Godunov, this opera could form a single trilogy of musical descriptions of Russian history.

In the last years of his life, Mussorgsky left the service, and in order for him not to starve to death, a group of admirers pooled money to pay the composer a small pension. A little money was given by his performances as a pianist-accompanist, and in 1879 Mussorgsky decided to go on a tour of the Crimea and Ukraine with concerts. This journey was for the composer the last bright spot in a series of gray days.

On February 12, 1881, Mussorgsky suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. But before his death, he had to survive several more such blows. Only on March 28, 1881, his body stopped resisting, and the great composer died - at the age of forty-two.

Mussorgsky was interred at the Tikhvin cemetery at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Almost a hundred years later, in 1972, his museum was opened in the village of Naumovo, not far from the family estate that has not survived.

Like many great people, fame came to the Russian composer Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky posthumously. Rimsky-Korsakov undertook to complete his Khovanshchina and put the late composer's music archive in order. It was in his edition that the opera "Khovanshchina" was staged, which, like other works of Mussorgsky, went around the whole world.

1839 - 1881

Life story

Modest Mussorgsky was born on March 21, 1839 in the village of Karevo, Toropetsky district, on the estate of his father, a poor landowner Peter Alekseevich. He spent his childhood in the Pskov region, in the wilderness, among forests and lakes. He was the youngest, the fourth son in the family. The two elders died one after the other in infancy. All the tenderness of the mother, Yulia Ivanovna, was given to the two remaining, and especially to him, the favorite, the smaller, Modinka. It was she who first began to teach him to play the old piano that stood in the hall of their wooden manor house.

But Mussorgsky's future was sealed. At the age of ten, he and his older brother came to St. Petersburg. Here he was supposed to enter a privileged military school - the School of Guards Ensigns.

After graduating from the School, Mussorgsky was assigned to the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment. Modest was seventeen years old. His duties were not burdensome. But unexpectedly for everyone, Mussorgsky resigns and turns off the path that was so successfully begun.

Shortly before that, one of the fellow Transfigurators, who knew Dargomyzhsky, brought Mussorgsky to him. The young man immediately captivated the musician not only with his piano playing, but also with free improvisations. Dargomyzhsky highly appreciated his outstanding musical abilities and introduced him to Balakirev and Cui. Thus began a new life for the young musician, in which Balakirev and the Mighty Handful circle occupied the main place.

Creative activity

Mussorgsky's creative activity began stormily. Each work opened up new horizons, even if it was not brought to an end. So the operas Oedipus Rex and Salammbo remained unfinished, where for the first time the composer tried to embody the most complex interweaving of the destinies of the people and a strong imperious personality.

An exceptionally important role for Mussorgsky's work was played by the unfinished opera The Marriage (act 1, 1868), in which he used the almost unchanged text of N. Gogol's play, setting himself the task of musically reproducing human speech in all its subtlest bends. Fascinated by the idea of ​​programmability, Mussorgsky creates a number of symphonic works, among which is Night on Bald Mountain (1867).

But the most striking artistic discoveries were made in the 60s. in vocal music. Songs appeared, where for the first time in music a gallery of folk types appeared, people humiliated and insulted: Kalistrat, Gopak, Svetik Savishna, Lullaby to Eremushka, Orphan, Po mushrooms. Mussorgsky's ability to aptly and accurately recreate living nature in music, to reproduce vividly characteristic speech, to give the plot visibility on the stage is amazing. And most importantly, the songs are imbued with such a power of compassion for the destitute person that in each of them an ordinary fact rises to the level of a tragic generalization, to a socially accusatory pathos. It is no coincidence that the song Seminarist was banned by censors!

The pinnacle of Mussorgsky's work in the 60s. was the opera Boris Godunov. The democratically minded public greeted Mussorgsky's new work with true enthusiasm.

Work on Khovanshchina was difficult - Mussorgsky turned to material far beyond the scope of an opera performance. At this time, Mussorgsky was going through the disintegration of the Balakirev circle, the cooling of relations with Cui and Rimsky-Korsakov, Balakirev's departure from musical and social activities. However, in spite of everything, the composer's creative power during this period is striking in its strength and richness of artistic ideas. In parallel with the tragic Khovanshchina, since 1875 Mussorgsky has been working on the comic opera Sorochinskaya Fair (after Gogol). In the summer of 1874, he created one of the outstanding works of piano literature - the cycle Pictures at an Exhibition, dedicated to Stasov, to whom Mussorgsky was infinitely grateful for his participation and support.

The idea to write a cycle of Pictures from an Exhibition was inspired by the posthumous exhibition of works by the artist V. Hartmann in February 1874. He was a close friend of Mussorgsky, and his sudden death deeply shocked the composer. The work proceeded rapidly, intensely: Sounds and thought hung in the air, I swallow and overeat, barely managing to scratch on paper. And in parallel, one after another, 3 vocal cycles appear: Children's (1872, on own poems), Without the Sun (1874) and Songs and Dances of Death (1875-77 - both on the station of A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov). They become the result of the entire chamber-vocal creativity of the composer.

Seriously ill, severely suffering from want, loneliness, and non-recognition, Mussorgsky stubbornly insists that he will fight to the last drop of blood. Shortly before his death, in the summer of 1879, together with the singer D. Leonova, he makes a big concert trip to the south of Russia and Ukraine, performs the music of Glinka, the Kuchkists, Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, excerpts from his opera Sorochinskaya Fair and writes significant words: Life is calling to a new musical work, to a broad musical work... to new shores of yet boundless art!

Fate decreed otherwise. Mussorgsky's health deteriorated sharply. In February 1881 there was a stroke. Mussorgsky was placed in the Nikolaevsky military land hospital, where he died before he could complete the Khovanshchina and the Sorochinskaya Fair.

The entire archive of the composer after his death came to Rimsky-Korsakov. He finished the Khovanshchina, carried out a new version of Boris Godunov and achieved their staging on the imperial opera stage. The Sorochinskaya fair was completed by A. Lyadov.

Choirs

"Jesus Nun", choir for soloists, choir and piano;; cit.: 1866 (1st ed.), 1877 (2nd ed.); dedicated to: Nadezhda Nikolaevna Rimskaya-Korsakova; ed.: 1883 (edited and arranged by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov).

"March of Shamil", for tenor, bass, choir and orchestra; cit.: 1859; dedicated to: Alexander Petrovich Arseniev.

"The Defeat of Sennacherib" for choir and orchestra to words by J. N. G. Byron from "Jewish Melodies"; cit.: 1867 (1st ed.), 1874 (2nd ed.; Mussorgsky's postscript: "The second exposition, improved according to the remarks of Vladimir Vasilyevich Stasov"); dedicated to: Mily Alekseevich Balakirev (1st ed.); Vladimir Vasilyevich Stasov (2nd ed.); ed.; 1871 (1st edition for choir and piano).

“Oh, you, drunken black grouse” (From the adventures of Pakhomych), a song to the words of the composer; cit.: 1866; dedicated to: Vladimir Vasilyevich Nikolsky; ed.: 1926 (edited by A. N. Rimsky-Korsakov).
“Without the Sun”, a vocal cycle to the words of A. A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov (1. “Within the Four Walls”; 2. “You didn’t recognize me in the crowd”; 3. “The idle noisy day is over”; 4. “Miss me” ; 5. "Elegy"; 6. "Over the river"); cit.: 1874; dedicated to: A. A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov; ed.: 1874.
"Merry Hour", a drinking song to the words of A.V., Koltsov; cit.: 1858; dedicated<: Василию Васильевичу Захарьину; изд.: 1923.
"Evening song" to the words of A. N. Pleshcheev; cit.: 1871; Dedicated to: Sofia Vladimirovna Serbina (Fortunato); ed.: 1912 (in the free edition of V. G. Karatygin), 1929 (ed.).
"Vision", a romance to the words of A. A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov; cit.: 1877; dedicated to: Elizaveta Andreevna Gulevich; ed.: 1882 (edited by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov), 1934 (ed.).
“Where are you, little star”, song to the words of N.P. Grekov; cit.: 1858; dedicated: I, L. Grunberg; ed.: 1909 (only with French text), 1911 (with Russian and German text, edited by V. G. Karatygin).
"Gopak", a song to the words from the poem "Gaidamaki" by T. G. Shevchenko in the lane. L. A. Meya; cit.: 1866; Dedicated to: Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov; ed.: 1933.
“The Soul Quietly Flew Up the Heavens”, a romance to the words of A. K. Tolstoy; cit.: 1877; ed.: 1882 (edited by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov), 1934 (ed.).
“Children’s” (Episodes from a Child’s Life), a vocal cycle to the words of the composer (1. “With the Nanny”; op.: 1868; dedicated: A. S. Dargomyzhsky; 2. “In the Corner”, op.: 1870; dedicated .: V. A. Hartman, 3. "Beetle", op.: 1870, dedicated: V. V. Stasov, 4. "With a doll", lullaby, op.: 1870, dedicated: Tanya and Goge Mussorgsky; 5. “For the dream to come”, op.: 1870, dedicated to Sasha Cui); ed.: 1871 (No. 2, 3, 4), 1872 (in full) and 1907 (with the addition of the songs "Cat Sailor" and "I rode on a stick").
"Children's Song" to the words of L. A. May from "Russian Songs" (No. 2 "Nana") op.: 1868; ed.: 1871.
“The winds are blowing, violent winds”, a song to the words of A. V. Koltsov; cit.: 1864; Dedicated to: Vyacheslav Alekseevich Loginov; ed.: 1909 (Paris; only with French text), 1911 (edited by V. G. Karatygin), 1931 (ed.).
"Jewish Song" to the words of L. A. May (from "Song of Songs"); cit.: 1867;
dedicated to: Filaret Petrovich and Tatyana Pavlovna Mussorgsky; ed.: 1868

"Desire", a romance to the words of G. Heine in the lane. M. I. Mikhailova; cit.: 1866; dedicated to: Nadezhda Petrovna Opochinina (“in memory of her trial against me”); ed.: 1911 (edited by V. G. Karatygin), 1933 (ed.).
"Forgotten", vocal ballad to the words of A. A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov "from Vereshchagin"; cit.: 1874; dedicated to: V. V. Vereshchagin; ed.: 1874 (not allowed to be published) and 1877.
"Evil Death", grave letter for voice with piano. to the words of the composer; cit.: 1874 (under the impression of the death of N. P. Opochinina); ed.: 1912 (edited by V. G. Karatygin, who completed the last 12 measures).
“Many have grown out of my tears”, a romance to the words of G. Heine (translated by M. I. Mikhailov); cit.: 1866; dedicated to: Vladimir Petrovich Opochinin; ed.: 1933.
"Kalistrat", a song to the words of N. A. Nekrasov (slightly modified); cit.: 1864; dedicated to: Alexander Petrovich Opochinin; ed.: 1883 (edited by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov), 1931 (ed.).
"Classic", music. a pamphlet on the words of the composer; cit.: 1867; dedicated to: Nadezhda Petrovna Opochinina; ed.: 1870.
"Goat", a secular fairy tale to the words of the composer; cit.: 1867; dedicated to: Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin; ed.: 1868.
"Lullaby of Eremushki", a song to the words of N. A. Nekrasov; cit.: 1868; dedicated: "To the great teacher of musical truth Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky"; ed.: 1871.

"Cat Sailor", a song to the words of the composer for the cycle "Children's" (see), No. 6; cit.: 1872; ed.: 1882 (edited by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, together with the song “I went on a stick” under the general title “At the Dacha”) and 1907 (as No. 6 of the “Children's” cycle).
“Leaves rustled sadly”, music. story to the words of A. N. Pleshcheev; cit.: 1859; dedicated to: Mikhail Osipovich Mikeshin; ed.: 1909 (Paris, with one French text), 1911 (with Russian text, edited by V. G. Karatygin), 1931 (ed.).
"Baby", a romance to the words of A. N. Pleshcheev; cit.: 1866; dedicated: L. V. Azaryeva, ed.: 1923.
“I have many houses and gardens”, a romance to the words of A. V. Koltsov; cit.: 1863; dedicated to: Platon Timofeevich Borispolts; ed.: 1923.

"Prayer", a romance to the words of M. Yu. Lermontov; cit.: 1865; dedicated to: Yulia Ivanovna Mussorgskaya; ed.: 1923.
"Incomprehensible", a romance to the words of the composer; cit.: 1875; dedicated to: Maria Izmailovna Kostyurina; ed.: 1911 (edited by V. G. Karatygin), 1931 (ed.).
“But if I could meet you”, romance to the words of V. S. Kurochkin; cit.: 1863; dedicated to: Nadezhda Petrovna Opochinina; ed.: 1923, 1931 (ed.).

"Night", fantasy on the words of A. S. Pushkin; cit.: 1864 (1st ed.), 1871
(2nd edition with a free presentation of Pushkin's poem); dedicated to: Nadezhda Petrovna Opochinina; ed.: 1871 (2nd ed.), 1923 (1st ed.), 1931 (author's ed.). "Mischievous", a song to the words of the composer; cit.: 1867; Dedicated to: Vladimir Vasilyevich Stasov; ed.: 1871.
“Oh, is it an honor for a young man to spin flax”, a song to the words of A. K. Tolstoy;
cit.: 1877; ed.: 1882 (edited by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov), 1934 (ed.).

"Les Miserable", the experience of recitative to the words of Eve. G. M.; cit.: 1865; ed.: 1923.

“Why, tell me, soul-maiden”, a song to the words of an unknown author; cit.: 1858; Dedicated to: Zinaida Afanasyevna Burtseva; ed.: 1867. “Songs and Dances of Death”, a vocal cycle to the words of A. A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov (1. “Lullaby”; op.: 1875; dedicated: Anna Yakovlevna Petrova-Vorobyeva; 2. “Serenade”; cit.: 1875; dedicated: Lyudmila Ivanovna Shestakova; 3. "Trepak"; cit.: 1875; dedicated: Osip Afanasyevich Petrov; 4. "Commander"; cit.: 1877; dedicated: Arseny Arkadyevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov) ; ed.: 1882 (edited by I. A. Rimsky-Korsakov), 1928 (ed.).
"Song of the Elder" to the words of J. V. Goethe (from "Wilhelm Meister"); cit.: 1863; dedicated to: Alexander Petrovich Opochinin; ed.: 1909 (Paris, with one French text), 1911 (with Russian text, edited by V. G. Karatygin), 1931 (ed.). "The Song of Mephistopheles" to the words of J. V. Goethe (from "Faust" in the lane, A. N. Strugovshikov); cit.: 1879; Dedicated to: Daria Mikhailovna Leonova; ed.: 1883 (edited by I. A. Rimsky-Korsakov), 1934 (ed.). "Feast", a story for voice and piano. to the words of A. V. Koltsov; op.:
1867; Dedicated to: Lyudmila Ivanovna Shestakova; ed.: 1868. “For Mushrooms”, a song to the words of L. A. May; cit.: 1867; dedicated to: Vladimir Vasilyevich Nikolsky; ed.: 1868. “I rode on a stick”, a song to the words of the composer for the cycle “Children's” (see), No. 7; cit.: 1872; dedicated to: Dmitry Vasilyevich and Poliksena Stepanovna Stasov; ed.: 1882 (as edited by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, together with the song "Cat Sailor" under the general title "In the Country") and 1907 (as No. 7 of the "Children's" cycle). “Across the Don, the garden is blooming”, a song to the words of A. V. Koltsov; cit.: 1867;
ed.: 1883 (edited by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov), 1929 (ed.). "Rayok", music, joke for voice with piano. to the words of the composer; op.:
1870; Dedicated to: Vladimir Vasilyevich Stasov; ed.: 1871. “Disperses, Parts”, a song to the words of A. K. Tolstoy; cit.: 1877; dedicated to: Olga Andreevna Golenishcheva-Kutuzova; ed.: 1882 (edited by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov), 1934 (ed.). "Svetik Savishna", a song to the words of the composer; cit.: 1866; dedicated:
Caesar Antonovich Cui; ed.: 1867. "Seminarian", a song to the words of the composer; cit.: 1866; Dedicated to: Lyudmila Ivanovna Shestakova; ed.: 1870.
"Orphan", a song to the words of the composer; cit.: 1868; dedicated to: Ekaterina Sergeevna Protopopova; ed.: 1871,
"Arrogance", a song to the words of A. K. Tolstoy; cit.: 1877; dedicated to: Anatoly Evgrafovich Palchikov; ed.: 1882 (edited by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov).
“Sleep, sleep, peasant son”, a lullaby to the words of A. N. Ostrovsky (from the comedy “Voevoda”); cit.: 1865; dedicated: In memory of Yulia Ivanovna Mussorgskaya; ed.: 1871 (2nd ed.), 1922 (1st ed.).
"Wanderer", a romance to the words of A. N. Pleshcheev; cit.: 1878; ed.: 1883 (edited by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov), 1934 (ed.).
"White-flanked Chatter", a joke for voice with piano. to the words of A. S. Pushkin (from the poems “White-flanked Chatter” and “The Bells Are Ringing” - with slight changes); cit.: 1867; dedicated to: Alexander Petrovich and Nadezhda Petrovna Opochinin; ed.: 1871.
"King Saul", Hebrew melody to words by J. N. G. Byron in trans.
P. A. Kozlova; cit.: 1863 (1st and 2nd ed.); dedicated to: Alexander Petrovich Opochinin (1st ed.); ed.: 1871 (2nd ed.), 1923 (1st ed.).
“What are the words of love to you”, romance to the words of A. N. Ammosov; cit.: 1860; dedicated to: Maria Vasilievna Shilovskaya; ed.: 1923.
“Meines Herzens Sehnsuchb (“The Desire of the Heart”), a romance on a German text by an unknown author; cit.: 1858; dedicated to: Malvina Bamberg; ed.: 1907.

MUSSORGSKY MODEST PETROVICH - Russian pianist.

From an old noble family. Father Pyotr Alek-see-vich (1798-1853) - house-maker, collegiate secretary in retirement; mother Julia Ivanov-na (in de-vi-che-st-ve Chi-ri-ko-va; 1807-1865) - daughter of the provincial sec-re-ta-rya. Fa-mi-li-ey Mu-sor-sky com-po-zi-tor under-pi-sy-val de-lo-boo-ma-gi, boo-to-woo "g" introduced in the 1860s years in a part-pe-re-pis-ke. Mussorgsky played the piano for 6 years, im-pro-vi-zi-ro-val. From 1849 he lived in St. Peterburg, studied at the Peter and Paul School, in 1852-1886 at the School of the Guards under-great-por-shchi- cov. Took piano lessons from Ant. A. Ger-ke (teacher J. Field). In 1852, from yes, the first co-chi-non-nie of Mussorgsky was the pol-ka “Under-great-por-shchik” (“Porte-enseigne Polka”). At the end of the school, pro-from-ve-den in the great-por-shchi-ki Pre-ob-ra-women-th-half-ka (in 1856 on the in the 2nd su-ho-put-nom gos-pi-ta-le is familiar with A.P. Bo-ro-di-ny).

A significant influence on the musical development of Mussorgsky had an acquaintance with M.A. Ba-la-ki-re-vym (under his leadership Mussorgsky on -chal seriously-ez-but for-no-mother-xia-by-zi-qi-her, studied the music of M. I. Glinka, Western European com-by-zi-to-ditch ), as well as with A. S. Dar-go-myzh-sky, V. V. Sta-so-vym, L. I. Shes-ta-ko-howl (se-st-roy Glin-ki) . Since 1857, a member of the Ba-la-ki-rev-ko-ko-kruzh-ka (“Mo-gu-tea bunch-ka”). In 1860, in the concert of the RMO under the direction of A. G. Rub-bin-shtei-on the is-pol-not-but Scher-tso B-dur, in 1861 cho-rum and op-ke-st- rum Ma-ri-in-sko-go te-at-ra under the direction of K.N. (mu-zy-ka later went into the unfinished opera “Sa-lam-bo” and the collective opera-shirt-let “Mla -Yes"). In 1860, 1861, Mussorgsky traveled to Mo-sk-vu, in-se-til No-vo-Ie-ru-sa-lim-sky monastery

In 1863-1865, Mussorgsky lived in “com-mu-ne” with a group of young friends (under the influence of the ro-man-on “What to do?” N. G. Cher-ny-shev-sko-th); because of ma-te-ri-al-nyh labor-no-stay, you-well-zh-den-to-drink in the public service (In-zhe-ner-noe administration, 1863 -1867; Forest Department of the Ministry of State Property and Re-vi-zi-on-naya commission of the State Control, 1868-1880). You-stepped in concerts as a pianist (mainly as an ac-com-pa-nia-tor). In 1879, he co-made with singer D. M. Le-o-no-howl a concert ride in the south of Russia (Pol-ta-va, Eli-sa -vet-grad, Kher-son, Odessa-sa, Se-va-sto-pol, Yal-ta, Ros-tov-na-Do-nu, But-vo-cher-kask, Vo-ro-nezh, There -bov), since 1880 he was ak-com-pa-nia-to-rum in the open Le-o-no-how school (kur-sakh) singing.

The traits of Mussorgsky’s most-worthy style were previously all about-on-ru-living in songs and romances: “But if it were with that battle ... "(1863) to the words of V. S. Kuroch-ki-na, "Night" (fan-ta-ziya; 1864; text - re-re-li-tsov-ka of the poem by A. S Push-ki-na, as amended in 1871 - his pro-za-ic ob-ra-bot-ka), “Je-la-nie” (“I would like to in a single word ...”) on the verses of G. Gey-ne in the translation of L. A. May (1866) and “Mo-lit-va” on the words of M. Yu. Ler-mon-to-va (1865). A special group of pe-sen pre-va-rya-et operas: “Song of the old man” to the words of I. V. Goe-te (from “Wil-gel-ma Mei-ste -ra", 1863) - a realistic portrait-ret-mo-no-log, "The winds are blowing, the winds are violent" to the words of A. V. Kol-tso-va (1864). “Ka-li-st-rat” to the poem by N. A. Ne-kra-so-va (1864) opens-kry-va-et ga-le-ray “kar-ti-nok” from folk life and at the same time, a group-poo of unusually-trak-van-nyh co-ly-bel-nyh (“Sleep, sleep, kre-st-yan-sky son” on the words from the pied -sy “Voe-vo-da” by A.N. . “Sve-tik Sa-vish-na” (“Pe-sen-ka du-rach-ka”) - from-ra-zhe-re-al-noy scene, seen by Mussorgsky in de- roar-not in the summer of 1865: the juro-di-vy declared in love, ashamed of his not-happiness-st-no-go-of-the-same. “Si-rot-ka” (“Ba-rin my mi-lazy-cue ...”) - a scene, not us-tu-paying “Sve-tik Sa-vish-ne” dos-to-ver- no-stu dek-la-ma-tion, rich-gat-st-vom psi-ho-logic nu-an-owls.

Sa-ti-ri-ko-humo-ristic line, which is very important in Mussorgsky’s work, is represented by “Se-mi-na-rist” ( “Kar-tin-ka from na-tu-ry”, 1866), “Ozor-nik” (1867). In “Class-si-ke” (1867), Mussorgsky os-me-yal blu-sti-te-la musical rules of cri-ti-ka A. S. Fa-min-tsy-na; in “Ray-ke” (“Mu-zy-kal-naya joke”, 1870) in the spirit of yar-ma-roch-no-go presentation of you-ve-de-ny di -Rector of the St. Petersburg Conservatory N. I. Za-rem-ba, ardent clone-nick ko-lo-ra-tour A. Pat-ti - critic F. M. Tol- stand, formidable “ti-tan” A. N. Se-rov and Ev-ter-pa - Grand Duchess Yele-na Pav-lov-na.

In 1866, Mussorgsky's friendship with N. A. Rim-skim-Kor-sa-ko-vym began (know-st-st-st-stand-in-elk back in 1861); especially ben-but in-ten-siv-ny was their creative community in 1868-1872 - the years of Mussorgsky’s one-time work on “Bo-ri -som Go-du-no-vym" and Rim-sko-go-Kor-sa-ko-va over "Psko-vi-tyan-koy". The first over-the-top-shyon-naya large-staff par-ti-tu-ra is a symphonic card-ti-on “Iva-no-va night on Ly-soy mountain” (“ After all, we”, 1867). Skeptical assessment and tre-bo-va-nie pe-re-de-lok on the part of M.A. -nie from-but-she-ni after 10 years of friendship. The play during Mussorgsky's life never sounded-cha-la and included in the unfinished opera-ru-ba-let "Mla-da" as "Cher-no-bo-ga holiday", then in "So-ro-chin-sky yar-mar-ku" as "Dream-noe vi-de-nie pa-ro-bka"). In the center of Mussorgsky's creative works there was an opera. A bold experience of a declamation opera in the development of the ideas of A.S. me-nyon-ny text by N. V. Go-gol, not windows-che-on).

Para-ral-lel-but, living with old friends A.P. and N.P. Opo-chi-ni-nyh, Mussorgsky created one of his led-tea-shih tvo-re-ny - the opera “Bo-ris Go-du-nov” (libretto by Mussorgsky after A. S. Push-ki-nu and N. M. Ka-ram-zi-nu, 1868-1869, 2nd edition - 1872). The choice of this story was influenced by the historian of literature V.V. Nikolsky, with whom Mussorgsky was familiar in 1868. The musical ma-te-ri-al “Bo-ri-sa Go-du-no-wa” was largely for-im-st-vo-van from the non-window-chen-noy opera "Sa-lam-bo" (according to G. Flo-be-ru, 1863-1866), which in many ways provided-pe-chi-lo would-st-ro-tu-creation of the 1st re -dac-tion. The first show of the opera was co-sto-yal-sya in the house of K. E. Makov-sko-go (1870). After that, as the Opera Committee of Ma-ri-in-sko-go te-at-ra for-bra-ko-val the 1st edition of "Bo-ri-sa Go-du-no-va" (the main pre-ten-zia is from-sut-st-vie of female roles), Mussorgsky sub-verg opera-ru re-re-ra-bot-ke: do-ba-vil two car-ti- we are so-called. Polish act (cla-vir - spring and summer of 1871, par-ti-tu-ra - beginning of 1872) and “Scene under Kro-ma-mi” (par- ti-tu-ra - June 1872), ko-to-para, vo-pre-ki re-ko-men-da-qi-yam ko-mi-te-ta, uk-rup-ni-la mas-so -vuyu, on-rod-but-ho-ro-vuyu line.

So there were two different, quite self-standing editions of “Bo-ri-sa Go-du-no-va” (1869 and 1872). Among the principals-qi-pi-al-but important of me-not-ny - the new plan "Scenes in te-re-me" (introduced the ringing of ku-ran-tov, giving a special ex-press to the scene-not gal-lu-qi-na-tsy; mo-no-log "Dos-tig I'm the highest power" fak-ti-che-ski na-pi-san for-no-vo; the story of Fe-do-ra Go-du-no-va “about in-pin-ke”, pre-roaring gloomy thoughts of Bo- ri-sa, brightly con-tra-sti-ru-et with a da-len-ny standing with a tsar and a dialogue with Shui-sky, dramatic on-string-wife-ness of someone-ro-go sharply ob-st-re-on). In the "Stage-not in the cell" mo-lit-ven-nye choirs of mo-on-hov appeared behind the scene, -gu-ru Pi-me-na and confusion Gri-go-riya. Increase the scale of the bov you-well-di-lo av-to-ra-cut part of the former text-hundred: you-pa-la car-ti-na " At Va-si-liya Bla-zhen-no-go ”(song Yuro-di-vo-go re-re-not-se-na in the final “Scenes under Kro-ma-mi”) , iz-i-you in-ve-st-in-va-nie Pi-me-on about the corner-lich-murder-st-ve, reading the tsarist decree-for Shchel-ka-lo -vym (“Gra-no-vi-taya pa-la-ta”); first car-ti-na Pro-lo-ha ob-ry-va-et-sya on ho-re ka-lik pe-re-ho-zhih. The second edition was to-la-stave-le-on (with significant abbreviations) at the insistence of the singer Yu.F. Pla-to-no-howl (1874, Ma-ri-in-sky theater). “Bo-ris Go-du-nov” caused a fierce controversy, moreover, I didn’t just de-li-lis-to me-du de-mo- kra-tich. and kon-ser-va-tiv-no-oh-ra-ni-tel-ny-mi kru-ha-mi (first hot-rya-cho with-vet-st-vo-va-li opera-ru , the second meeting of her vra-zh-deb-but), but also in a close com-po-zi-to-ru group-ne mu-zy-kan-tov. Especially-ben-but ra-ni-la Mussorgsky full of petty at-di-rock re-cen-zia Ts.A. Cui.

“Bo-ris Go-du-nov” is a new type of historical opera. Com-po-zi-tor pro-led re-form-mu, according to ra-di-kal-no-sti, not us-tu-pay-shchu vag-not-rov-sky, while syn-te- zi-ro-val is-con-but Russian musical traditions. For the first time, the opera "became" a psycho-logical drama. Psi-ho-logical and epi-ko-tra-he-diy-naya lines are not-times-del-us, re-re-play-ta-yut-sya with li-ni-she-something -pi-sa-tel-noy, co-me-diy-us-mi ele-men-ta-mi. Con-tra-sty, con-tra-points and re-key-che-niya create a special dramatic multiplicity. So-kra-tiv (in comparison with the drama of A. S. Push-ki-na) showing boy-yar-sky in-trigs, Mussorgsky did a lot of extra-ba-vil from se- bya, including the scene-well, gall-lu-qi-na-tsy and yes, the whole 5th act. Kha-rak-ter-nye for the Russian opera, qi-ta-you folk songs meet-cha-yut-sya in “Bo-ri-se Go-du-no-ve”, although Mussorgsky, how right-vi-lo, pre-chi-tal to take not me-lo-dia, but words. Jean-ro-vaya op-re-de-lyon-ness of the text served as a “com-pass” in the process of co-chi-non-niya of one’s own music, meter and rhythm sti-ha for-da-va-li structural-tour-can-woo me-lo-dia, and for-hour-mu-zy-ka almost not-from-li-chi-ma from under- lin-nikov (song of Shin-kar-ki). Folk-lore-ny-mi in-to-na-tion-mi on-sy-sche-ny many learning-st-ki or-ke-st-ro-howling fabrics and salt parties (crying Kse-nii, song Yuro-di-vo-go, in some sort of alloy-le-ny of the genre of pla-cha-pri-chi-ta-nia and co-ly-bel-noy).

The su-sche-st-vein role belongs to the church and “pa-ra-li-tour-gi-che-skim” plastam in-to-on-tsi-on -but-sti. Singing a ka-lik of pe-re-ho-ho, on-ve-yan-noe personal hearing experience (according to I. E. Re-pi -na, Mussorgsky pri-po-mi-nal and sang “many cho-ditch of the poor”), - not-about-ho-di-may part of a lot-of-a-coy, tone-ko dif-fe-ren-ci-ditch. ha-rak-te-ri-sti-ki of the masses of the people. With the ob-ra-zom of Di-mit-riy, a single-st-ven-ny hour is connected with a second leit-mo-tiv in “Bo-ri-se Go-du-no-ve "- dra-ma-tour-gi-che-ski many-meaningful, sim-in-li-zi-rue-ing and not-selling-sya-folk on-de-zh-dy on" good-ro-go "right-vi-te-la, and blatantly avan-tu-ri-hundred Ot-rep-e-va; his pro-femininity and expressive ok-ra-ska me-nya-yut-sya in-vi-si-mo-sti from si-tua-tion (whether we are talking about ubi-en -nom tsa-re-vi-che or about Sa-mo-zvan-tse).

The psycho-logical tension of the party of Bo-ri-sa ob-slo-vi-la its structure in the form of tse-pi ari-oz-no-dec- la-ma-qi-on-nyh mo-no-log-gov, having their own fund of cross-cutting, developing leit topics. The principle of ha-rak-te-ri-stich-no-sti gar-mo-ny and in-ter-va-lov, on-marked still in “Zhe-thread-be”, dos-tig you-with-coy step-pe-no generalization-shchen-no-sti. Completion of the opera “Stage under Kro-ma-mi” (under-ska-for-but by V.V. Ni-kol-sky) - a step of great importance sti. A spontaneous rebellion, re-re-dissolving into confusion, in-cor-nost but-in-jav-len-no-mu go-su-da-ryu - all this is breathing-sha -lo ost-ro ak-tu-al-noy right is-to-rii.

Having reached creative maturity in “Bo-ri-se Go-du-no-ve”, Mussorgsky in the 1870s turned to new significant ideas -lam. Large-on-the-neck of his pro-of-ve-de-nie of this-th-per-rio-yes - the opera “Ho-van-schi-na” (on the plot from -those revolts in Moscow at the end of the 17th century, pre-la-female V.V. Sta-so-vym, libretto by Mussorgsky, 1872-1880, not in-st-ru-men -to-va-na). Already in 1870, Mussorgsky began to shtu-di-ro-vat historical ma-te-ria-ly, de-lal numerous excerpts from the Is-to-rii of Russia these "S. M. So-lov-yo-va, pub-li-ka-tsy is-toch-no-kov (I. A. Zhe-la-buzh-sko-go, D. Mat-vee-va , co-b-ra-niya N. S. Ti-ho-nra-vo-va) and special works on race-to-lu (I. E. Tro-its-ko-go, A. P. Scha-po-va, etc.). About-doo-we-way plan “Ho-van-shchi-ny”, sfor-mo-li-ro-val de-vis “Pro-passed-neck in the present-scheme - that's my for-da-cha ”(from a letter to Sta-so-vu 1872). In real-is-for-tion labor-ne-shey goals - sa-mo-standing-tel-but kon-st-rui-ro-vat plot, dra-ma-tour-gi-che-ski op-rav-give mutually-mo-from-no-she-niya dei-st-vuyu-shchih persons - he could-gal Sta-ovs; pri-nya his energy and participation, Mussorgsky pri-no-small yes-le-ko not all the Sta-sov-sky co-ve-you.

Fa-boo-la ro-zh-da-was together with the incarnation of her musical ideas until the end something (his chi-to-vic was for-pi-san Mussorgsky at one of the later stages of work); separate episodes, almost finished, you-bra-sy-va-lis, for example, car-ti-na in the German-coy slo-bo-de. A number of pages of the opera were composed before August 1873: Mar-fa’s “love-from-pe-va-nie”, the uni-sleep choir of races-kol-ni-kov, zna -me-no-thing or-ke-st-ro-voe intro-p-le-tion “Dawn on Mo-sk-ve-re-ke”. Pe-re-tired-le-nie, pe-re-zhi-va-nia due to offensive re-censions on "Bo-ri-sa Go-du-no-va", the death of a friend -zey - V. A. Gart-ma-na (1873), N. P. Opo-chi-ni-noy (1874), O. A. Pet-ro-va (1878) - an hour and a long from-vle-ka-whether someone-po-zi-to-ra from "Ho-van-schi-ny". Associated with the in-degree-pe-ny raz-wa-scrap "Mo-gu-whose bunch-ki" painful feeling-of-not-at-recognition-no-sti and “not-under-understand-o-sti” (“It can’t be that I would be wrong in my strivings, it can’t be. But do- sad-but, what with mu-zy-ku-sa-mi once-va-liv-she-sya "heaps" come-ho-dit-sya tol-to-vat through the "barrier-ba-um ", for some-eye they stayed," - pi-sal M. A. A. Go-le-ni-sche-woo-Ku-tu-zo-woo, 1877) -ra-same in usi-liv-shey-sya in the second half of the 1870s "nervous li-ho-rad-ke" and as a consequence - in passion for al- who-ho-lu.

“Ho-van-schi-na” - its own kind of is-that-rio-sophic drama, in some swarm, in the day-st-vie brightly you-ra -female-no-go central lane-with-on-zh, spread-roofs-va-yut-sya whole layers of folk life and under-no-ma-et-sya those-ma spirits -noy tragedy of all-on-ro-yes with the breakdown of his traditional uk-la-yes. In comparison with “Bo-ri-s Go-du-no-vym”, the action “on-the-native-mu-zy-kal-noy drama” (as op-re-de - Lil the genre of his new opera, Mussorgsky himself) but sit more times-branch-flax-ny ha-rak-ter: more-shoe-whether-che-st-in separate sa-mo -one hundred threads weave into one knot. In the opera, there are many actors, in-the-re-sy and aspirations-of-someone became-ki-wa-yut-sya me-zh-du co-fight. Different so-qi-al-nye groups (archers, "new people-di mo-s-kov-skys", races-kol-ni-ki, cre-po-st-nye -vush-ki of prince Ho-van-sko-go) in-lu-cha-yut in-di-vi-du-al-nuyu ha-rak-te-ri-sti-ku.

A special place for-no-ma-et is the lyrical drama of Mar-fa, connected only indirectly with the political struggle. All this is op-re-de-li-lo especially-ben-no-sti of the dramatic structure of “Ho-van-schi-ny”, from the known of her “race-medium-to-something -chen-ness", a big role from-no-si-tel-but sa-mo-standing-tel-nyh, for-round-linen-nyh-cal-nyh epi-zo-dov pe-sen- no-go and ari-oz-no-go ti-pa. The growing role of the pe-sen-no-me-lo-dic na-cha-la ha-rak-ter-na and for li-ri-ko-ko-medi-noy opera " So-ro-chin-skaya yar-mark-ka ”(according to the weight of N.V. Go-go-la), Mussorgsky worked on someone from 1874 che-on; for-top-she-on Ts. A. Cui in 1916, staged 1917, Theater of Musical Drama, Petr-ro-grad; later became edited by P A. Lam-ma and V. Ya. She-ba-li-na). Here, the inherent Mussorgsky master-st-in-co-media-characteristics, based on pre-tvo-re- nii re-che-y in-to-on-tsy, sometimes pa-ro-diy-but ok-ra-shen-nyh (par-tiya Po-po-vi-cha).

Ver-shi-nu-ka-mer-no-go in-kal-no-go creation-che-st-va Mussorgsky compose "Children's" in their own words (1868-1872) and 2 late cycles on the words of A. A. Go-le-ni-shche-va-Ku-tu-zo-va: “Without the sun” (1874) and “Songs and dances ski of death "(1875-1877). According to the "Children's" K. De-bus-si for-me-til, that "no one turned to the best that we have, with greater tenderness and depth-by-noy. In the mu-zy-ke of this cycle-la sharp-paradise kha-rak-te-ri-stich-ness with-che-ta-et-sya with not-usual-tea-but subtle in-to- on-chi-on-but-you-expressive nu-an-si-ditch. The same richness from-ten-kov, a bit-bone to the smallest of me-not-no-yam emotional ok-ra-ski of words at- su-shchi in-cal-noy dek-la-ma-tion in the cycle "Without the sun". Raz-vi-vay not-something-ry hundred-ro-ny-li-ri-ki A.S. -vy ob-time so-qi-al-but obez-do-len-no-go, one-but-ko-go and ob-ma-well-that-go in their-them-de-zh-dakh che-lo-ve-ka, genus-st-vein-ny world-ru "uni-feminine and os-korb-lyon-ny" in Russian literature of the 19th century. If “Without the Sun” is its own kind of lyrical art, after all, it’s com-po-zi-to-ra, then in “Songs and Dances of Death” those -ma che-lo-ve-che-sko-go-stra-da-niya dos-ti-ha-et tra-ge-diy-noy si-ly. Ob-ra-zy cycle-la from-whether-cha-yut-sya life-nen-noy real-stitch. con-kret-no-stu and op-re-de-lyon-no-stu so-qi-al-noy ha-rak-te-ri-sti-ki, what-mu-so-be-st-vu-et use-to-va-nie by-thuyu-shchih muses. forms and in-to-na-tions (“Ko-ly-bel-naya”, “Se-re-na-da”, “Tre-pak”, march in “Pol-ko-vod-tse”).

In-st-ru-men-tal-noe creation-che-st-in Mussorgsky compare-no-tel-but not-ve-li-ko in terms of volume. One of the peaks of the Russian program-no-go sim-fo-niz-ma yav-la-et-sya sym-phonic car-ty-on “Iva-no-va night on Ly-soy go-re ”(1867), with the same swarm they serve old folk beliefs. “For-ma and ha-rak-ter my-go co-chi-non-niya Russian-si-ski and sa-mo-byt-na”, - pi-sal com-po-zi-tor, decrees -vaya, in part, on the use of the ti-pich-but Russian by him, we accept free “raz-bro-san-ny variations”. The same sa-mo-life-no-stay from-whether-cha-et-sya piano suite “Car-tin-ki from you-sta-ki” (created in 1874 under not - in a mediocre im-chat-le-ni-em from the after-death you-rate of the ra-bot V. A. Gart-man), in some swarm yes-on ha-le -a ray of different-ha-rak-ter-nyh images of jean-ro-vo-go, fabulous-but-fan-ta-stic and epic plans, volume-e-di-nyon -nyh in one-but many-beautiful-juicy-noe sound in a lot-but. The timbre richness, the “or-ke-st-rality” of the piano sound prompts a number of mu-zy-kan-tov the idea of ​​​​or -ke-st-ro-howl about-ra-bot-ke this-th co-chi-non-niya (the most-most-popularity for-how-va-la in-st-ru -men-tov-ka M. Ra-ve-la, 1922).

But the va-tor-sky value of the work of Mussorgsky was only not-many-e-evaluated during his lifetime. V.V. Sta-sov was the first to declare that Mussorgsky “adds-over-le-lives to the number of people who, in-that way, puts mo-nu-men -you". Mussorgsky's operas were firmly established on the stage, not only at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. “Bo-ris Go-du-nov” after a long-term re-re-ry-va was executed in the editorial office of N. A. Rim-sko-go-Kor -sa-ko-va in 1896 (on the stage Bol-sho-go for-la St. Petersburg Con-ser-va-to-rii), world-wide recognition of I-chil after the fact that F. I. Sha-la-pin (1898) took the lead in the main party. A sub-linear author's re-dac-tion of the opera-ry would-la-sta-nov-le-na in 1928 (Leningrad theater of opera and ba-le-ta) . "Ho-van-schi-na", in-st-ru-men-to-van-naya by Rim-skim-Kor-sa-ko-vym and executed in 1886 in St. Pe- ter-burg-ge si-la-mi lu-bi-te-lei, then would-la-stay-le-at the Moscow Part-Russian opera-swarm S. I. Ma-mon -to-va (1897), and on the imperial stage - not only in 1911 according to ini-tsia-ti-ve Sha-la-pi-na. Mussorgsky's creative moves in the field of musical deck-la-ma-tion and harmonic co-lo-ri-ta you-zy-va-li in-te-res K. De- bus-si, M. Ra-ve-la, L. Yana-che-ka and other com-po-zi-to-ditches. Big-shay for-servant in the de-le-restoration of the original author's editions of the pro-from-ve-de-nii of the Mussorgsky pri-nad- lies B. V. Asaf-e-vu and P. A. Lam-mu. Tra-di-tions of Mussorgsky in a lu-chi-li sa-mo-stoyatelnoe, re-new-lyon-noe development in the creative-che-st-ve D. D. Shos-ta-ko -vi-cha (he is given an or-kest-ditch-ka row-yes co-chi-not-niy M.), G.V. Svirido-va and other domestic com-po- zi-to-ditch. In 1970, the House-Museum of Mu-sorg-sko-go was founded in the village of Nau-mo-vo.