Modest Mussorgsky

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky was born 21 March 1839 and became one of "The Five," a group driving Russian music toward its own identity during the Romantic period. He drew from Russian history and folklore for works like the opera Boris Godunov, the orchestral Night on Bald Mountain, and the piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition. He died 28 March 1881, and for many years his pieces were known mainly in versions revised or completed by others. Posthumously, his original scores have come into their own, and a complete academic edition is now being published in Moscow — six volumes issued as of 20…