About M. Mussorgsky, creator of Fair at the Sorotchintsi

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839–1881) was one of the greatest Russian composers, a member of the "Mighty Handful", also known as "Mighty  Five", a group of composers who sought to create a distinctively Russian style of classical music, inspired by folk music and national themes.

Early Years

Mussorgsky's biography is very interesting; his life was filled with more than just creativity: he knew many prominent figures of his time. Mussorgsky came from an ancient noble family. He was born on March 9 (21), 1839, in the village of Karevo in the Pskov Province.He spent the first ten years of his life at home, receiving an education and learning to play the piano.He was then sent to St. Petersburg to study at a German school, from where he was transferred to the Guards Ensign School. It was at this school that he became interested in church music.From 1852, Mussorgsky began composing, and his compositions were performed on the stages of 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 the Ministry of State Property.

Musical Career

In a short biography of Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky, written for children, it is mentioned that in 1859, Modest Petrovich met Balakirev, who insisted on the need to deepen his musical knowledge.In 1861, he began work on operas such as "Oedipus" (based on Sophocles), "Salambô" (based on Flaubert), and "The Marriage" (based on Gogol's play). None of these operas were completed by the composer.In 1870, the composer began work on his most important and famous work, the opera "Boris Godunov" (based on the tragedy of the same name by Alexander Pushkin). In 1871, he presented his work to music critics, who suggested that the composer work further and introduce a certain "feminine element" into the opera. It was not staged until 1874 at the Mariinsky Theatre.In 1872, work began on two works simultaneously: the dramatic opera "Khovanshchina" and "Fair at the Sorochintsi" (based on a short story by Nikolai Gogol).The maestro never completed either of these works.Mussorgsky wrote many short musical pieces based on poems and plays by N. Nekrasov and N. Ostrovsky, and poems by T. Shevchenko. Some of them were influenced by Russian artists (for example, V. Vereshchagin).

Last Years

In his final years, Mussorgsky was deeply affected by the dissolution of the "Mighty Handful," the misunderstanding and criticism he received from music officials and colleagues (Cui, Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov). Against this backdrop, he developed severe depression and developed an addiction to alcohol. His music writing slowed, and he quit his job, losing his small but steady income. In his final years, he received only the support of his friends.His last public appearance was at a memorial evening for 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's music is very innovative and was very much ahead of its time. More and more recognition and appreciation came over time. Mussorgsky was loved and admired by Debussy, Ravel, Prokofiev and Shostakovich, among many others.