Modest Mussorgsky

The Profile

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839–1881) was a Russian composer of the nationalist circle known as The Five. His major works include the opera Boris Godunov, the piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition (later famously orchestrated by Maurice Ravel), the symphonic poem Night on Bald Mountain, and the song cycle Songs and Dances of Death. Several works were edited or completed by colleagues after his death.

The review focuses on Pictures at an Exhibition, contrasting the piano original with Ravel’s orchestration, and highlights movements like The Gnome, Bydlo, Baba Yaga, and The Great Gate of Kiev. It references Rimsky-Korsakov’s editorial role, the Berliner Philharmoniker under Karajan, pianist Lazar Berman, and ELP’s rock version.

One 5-star review celebrates Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, contrasting the stark piano original with Ravel’s orchestral brilliance. It walks through key movements—from The Gnome to The Great Gate of Kiev—spotlighting the Promenade as the work’s spine. Performance notes name Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker, plus a mention of ELP’s rock take. The portrait is of a late-Romantic original whose ideas were sharpened in orchestration.