Moussorgsky by M. Montagu-Nathan
"Moussorgsky" by M. Montagu-Nathan is a biographical and critical study written in the early 20th century. It examines the life, aesthetics, and output of the Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky, arguing for his stature as a radical, truth-seeking innovator in opera, song, and piano music within the nationalist movement. The opening of the book frames Mussorgsky’s art around three principles—Truth, Freedom, and Progress—contrasting his sincerity and realism with prevailing formalism and noting how
Rimsky-Korsakov’s later emendations complicated judgments of his technique. A compact biography follows: rural childhood and early pianistic talent; military schooling and Guards service; decisive encounters with Dargomyzhsky, Balakirev, Cui, and Borodin; withdrawal from the army; immersion in progressive circles; and first serious projects (the abandoned Salammbô, the groundbreaking but unfinished Matchmaker, orchestral and choral pieces, and distinctive songs). It recounts the rapid creation, revision, and 1874 staging of Boris Godunov—popularly embraced yet attacked by critics—and highlights satirical songs (The Classicist, The Peepshow), the intimate cycle The Nursery, and the piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition. It then traces the start of Khovanshchina, the fragmentary Sorochinsk Fair, the darker cycles Without Sunlight and Songs and Dances of Death, a financially driven tour as pianist-accompanist, decline through intemperance, and death, with posthumous editing by Rimsky-Korsakov. The text next sets out Mussorgsky’s operatic creed: the people (chorus) as protagonist, historical realism over legend, and speech-inflected melody. Brief work-by-work sections sketch Salammbô’s intentions, The Matchmaker’s musicalized prose, Sorochinsk Fair’s surviving numbers, Boris Godunov’s people-centered drama and spare use of motives (with a weaker Polish act), and the historical background and early acts of Khovanshchina up to the court and street conflicts that culminate in Prince Khovansky’s murder. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Montagu-Nathan, M. (Montagu), 1877-1958 |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 17021122 |
| Title | Moussorgsky |
| Original Publication | London: Constable and Company Limited, 1916. |
| Series Title | Masters of Russian music |
| Credits | Carol Brown, Tim Miller and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | ML: Music: Literature of music |
| Subject | Composers -- Russia -- Biography |
| Subject | Mussorgsky, Modest Petrovich, 1839-1881 |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 77855 |
| Release Date | Feb 3, 2026 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 246 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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