Line #18 Music/ModestMussorgsky


1	Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (Russian: Моде́ст Петро́вич Му́соргский, 21 March [9 March in the Julian calendar] 1839 – 28 March [16 March in the Julian calendar] 1881) was a Russian composer of great originality, though almost all of his most popular works are best known in forms created by other composers, notably [[Music/NikolayRimskyKorsakov Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov]]. A member of the "[[Music/TheMightyHandful Russian Five]]" (Or 'The Mighty Handful'), Mussorgsky trained as a soldier, and then became a civil servant, though wasn't particularly successful at either. A decline fuelled by alcohol and penury resulted in his early death at the age of 42.
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3	In his lifetime, Mussorgksy's works were not well received, but the arrangements of his ''Music/PicturesAtAnExhibition'' (by Music/MauriceRavel) and ''A Music/NightOnBaldMountain'' (by the youngest member of the Five, Music/NikolayRimskyKorsakov) established both as popular concert pieces, while the reputations of the original versions are also undergoing much [[VindicatedByHistory re-evaluation]]. His only finished opera, ''Theatre/BorisGodunov'', is among the most popular of all Russian operas.
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5	He is mentioned as being dead in the song "Decomposing Composers" by Creator/MichaelPalin sang on Creator/MontyPython's ''Audioplay/MontyPythonsContractualObligationAlbum''.
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7	!!Mussorgsky's works that have their own page:
8	* ''Music/PicturesAtAnExhibition''
9	* ''Music/NightOnBaldMountain''
10	* ''Theatre/BorisGodunov''
11	* ''Theatre/{{Khovanshchina}}''
12	----
13	!!Tropes concerning the man and the work include:
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15	* TheAlcoholic: Mussorgsky hung out with a group of artists who saw drinking as a way to [[TheManIsKeepingUsDown rebel against the establishment]]. A [[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lnVhvYOjzks/UCbZq5fdFCI/AAAAAAAALyM/YQw13a2QReg/s1600/Repin-portrait-of-the-composer-modest-mussorgsky-1881.jpg famous portrait of the composer]] shows him clearly suffering the symptoms of alcoholism; sadly, he died of its effects a few days after the painting's completion.
16	* AmbiguouslyGay: Mussorgsky never married and never had a romantic relationship with a woman. He formed close attachments to several heterosexual men, most notably the painter Creator/ViktorAlexandrovichHartmann (whose work provided the basis for ''Music/PicturesAtAnExhibition''), but seems not to have had any stable romantic relationships with men, either. He frequently appears on lists of famous gay composers, regardless.
17	* AntiVillain: Boris Godunov, who, as in [[Creator/AlexanderPushkin Pushkin's]] play, is overcome with remorse at his actions.
18	* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: Act 1 of ''Theatre/BorisGodunov'' ends with a spectacular coronation sequence, complete with bells pealing and full choir.
19	* CoveredUp: Many of his compositions are better known in orchestral arrangements by Music/NikolayRimskyKorsakov or Music/MauriceRavel.
20	* MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong: Mussorgsky was a [[PatrioticFervor patriotic Russian]] and this is seen in themes and musical styles of many of his compositions.
21	* PatrioticFervor: He was a firm believer in utilizing authentically Russian subject matter and musical techniques in his works, as were the rest of the "[[Music/TheMightyHandful Russian Five]]," and was in fact the group's most extreme example of this tendency. His music was considered very daring for its time, subverting Western melodic and harmonic conventions and influencing early 20th century composers such as Music/ClaudeDebussy.
22	* PosthumousCollaboration: Mussorgsky left several of his works unfinished or in various states of disrepair. ''Music/PicturesAtAnExhibition'', originally written for solo piano, has been orchestrated many times, most notably by Music/MauriceRavel. Music/NikolayRimskyKorsakov reorchestrated and rearranged ''Music/NightOnBaldMountain'' and ''Theatre/BorisGodunov'' and completed several other works, most notably the opera ''Theatre/{{Khovanshchina}}''.
23	* StandardSnippet: ''Music/NightOnBaldMountain'' for anything relating to dark magic, especially after it was featured in ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}''. The ''Music/PicturesAtAnExhibition'' suite is also used, funnily enough, for art programmes. Although at one exhibition of Russian holograms staged in London, ''Music/PicturesAtAnExhibition'' was about the only well-known piece of Russian classical music that ''wasn't'' used.
24	* UncommonTime: He was an early adopter of unconventional time signatures, such as in the "Promenade" from ''Music/PicturesAtAnExhibition'' which alternates between 5/4 and 6/4.

Context Music / ModestMussorgsky