Modest Mussorgsky

The Profile

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839–1881) was a Russian composer associated with the group known as The Five. He is best known for Pictures at an Exhibition (originally for piano), the opera Boris Godunov, and orchestral works such as Night On The Bare Mountain.

Member of The Five (Mighty Handful); important 19th-century Russian nationalist composer; original composer of Pictures at an Exhibition (piano), later famously orchestrated by Maurice Ravel; lived 1839–1881.

A close, appreciative reading of Pictures at an Exhibition that recommends comparing Mussorgsky's original piano writing with Ravel's orchestration. The review vividly describes many movements and notes notable recordings and performers.