Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky 1839 1839
Life Story Modest Mussorgsky was born on March 21, 1839 in the village of Karevo, Toropetsky district, on the estate of his father, a poor landowner Pyotr Alekseevich. He spent his childhood in the Pskov region, in the wilderness, among forests and lakes. He was the youngest, fourth son in the family. The two elders died one after the other in infancy. All the tenderness of the mother, Yulia Ivanovna, was given to the two remaining, and especially to him, the younger one, Modinka. It was she who first began to teach him to play the old piano, which stood in the hall of their wooden manor house. Modest Mussorgsky was born on March 21, 1839 in the village of Karevo, Toropetsky district, on the estate of his father, a poor landowner Pyotr Alekseevich. He spent his childhood in the Pskov region, in the wilderness, among forests and lakes. He was the youngest, fourth son in the family. The two elders died one after the other in infancy. All the tenderness of the mother, Yulia Ivanovna, was given to the two remaining, and especially to him, the younger one, Modinka. It was she who first began to teach him to play the old piano, which stood in the hall of their wooden manor house. But the future of Mussorgsky was a foregone conclusion. At the age of ten, he and his older brother arrived in St. Petersburg. Here he was supposed to enter the privileged military school, the School of Guards ensigns. But Mussorgsky's future was a foregone conclusion. At the age of ten, he and his older brother came to St. Petersburg. Here he was supposed to enter the privileged military school, the School of Guards ensigns. At the end of the School, Mussorgsky was assigned to the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment. Modest was seventeen years old. His duties were not onerous. But unexpectedly for everyone, Mussorgsky resigns and turns away from the path he had so successfully begun. At the end of the School, Mussorgsky was assigned to the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment. Modest was seventeen years old. His duties were not onerous. But unexpectedly for everyone, Mussorgsky resigns and turns away from the path he had so successfully begun. Not long before that, one of the Transfiguration comrades, familiar with Dargomyzhsky, brought Mussorgsky to him. The young man immediately conquered the musician not only with his piano playing, but also with free improvisations. Dargomyzhsky highly appreciated his outstanding musical abilities and introduced him to Balakirev and Cui. So a new life began for the young musician, in which Balakirev and the Mighty Handful circle took the main place. Shortly before that, one of the Transfiguration comrades, who was familiar with Dargomyzhsky, brought Mussorgsky to him. The young man immediately conquered the musician not only with his piano playing, but also with free improvisations. Dargomyzhsky highly appreciated his outstanding musical abilities and introduced him to Balakirev and Cui. So a new life began for the young musician, in which Balakirev and the Mighty Handful circle took the main place.
Creative activity The creative activity of Mussorgsky began violently. Each piece opened up new horizons, even if it was not completed. So the operas King Oedipus and Salammbo remained unfinished, where for the first time the composer tried to embody the most complex interweaving of the fate of the people and a strong domineering personality. Mussorgsky's creative activity began violently. Each piece opened up new horizons, even if it was not completed. So the operas King Oedipus and Salammbo remained unfinished, where for the first time the composer tried to embody the most complex interweaving of the fate of the people and a strong domineering personality. An extremely important role for Mussorgsky's work was played by the unfinished opera Marriage (Act 1, 1868), in which he used the almost unchanged text of N. Gogol's play, setting himself the task of musical reproduction of human speech in all its subtlest bends. Fascinated by the idea of programmaticity, Mussorgsky creates a number of symphonic works, including Night on Bald Mountain (1867). An extremely important role for Mussorgsky's work was played by the unfinished opera Marriage (Act 1, 1868), in which he used the almost unchanged text of the play by N. Gogol, setting himself the task of musical reproduction of human speech in all its subtlest bends. Fascinated by the idea of programmaticity, Mussorgsky creates a number of symphonic works, including Night on Bald Mountain (1867). But the most striking artistic discoveries were made in the 60s. in vocal music. Songs appeared, where for the first time in music a gallery of folk types, humiliated and insulted people appeared: Kalistrat, Hopak, Svetik Savishna, Lullaby to Eremushka, Orphan, Po mushrooms. Mussorgsky's ability to accurately and accurately recreate living nature in music, to reproduce a vividly characteristic speech, to give the plot a stage visibility is amazing. And most importantly, the songs are imbued with such a force of compassion for a disadvantaged person that in each of them an everyday fact rises to the level of tragic generalization, to socially accusatory pathos. It is no coincidence that the song Seminarist was banned by the censorship! But the most striking artistic discoveries were made in the 60s. in vocal music. Songs appeared, where for the first time in music a gallery of folk types, humiliated and insulted people appeared: Kalistrat, Hopak, Svetik Savishna, Lullaby to Eremushka, Orphan, Po mushrooms. Mussorgsky's ability to accurately and accurately recreate living nature in music, to reproduce a vividly characteristic speech, to give the plot a stage visibility is amazing. And most importantly, the songs are imbued with such a force of compassion for a disadvantaged person that in each of them an everyday fact rises to the level of tragic generalization, to socially accusatory pathos. It is no coincidence that the song Seminarist was banned by the censorship!
The pinnacle of Mussorgsky's creativity in the 60s. became the opera Boris Godunov. The democratic-minded public greeted Mussorgsky's new work with true enthusiasm. The pinnacle of Mussorgsky's creativity in the 60s. became the opera Boris Godunov. The democratic-minded public greeted Mussorgsky's new work with true enthusiasm. However, the future fate of the opera was difficult, because this work in the most decisive way destroyed the usual ideas about the opera performance. Everything here was new: the acute social idea of the irreconcilability of the interests of the people and the tsarist power, and the depth of disclosure of passions and characters, and the psychological complexity of the image of the tsar as a child-killer. However, the future fate of the opera was difficult, because this work in the most decisive way destroyed the usual ideas about the opera performance. Everything here was new: the acute social idea of the irreconcilability of the interests of the people and the tsarist power, and the depth of disclosure of passions and characters, and the psychological complexity of the image of the tsar-infanticide.
The work on Khovanshchina was difficult - Mussorgsky turned to material that went far beyond the scope of an opera performance. At this time, Mussorgsky was deeply upset by the collapse of the Balakirev circle, the cooling of relations with Cui and Rimsky-Korsakov, and Balakirev's departure from musical and social activities. However, in spite of everything, the creative power of the composer during this period is striking in strength and richness of artistic ideas. In parallel with the tragic Khovanshchina, since 1875 Mussorgsky has been working on the comic opera Sorochinskaya Fair (after Gogol). In the summer of 1874, he created one of the outstanding works of piano literature - the Pictures at an Exhibition cycle, dedicated to Stasov, to whom Mussorgsky was infinitely grateful for his participation and support. The work on Khovanshchina was difficult - Mussorgsky turned to material that went far beyond the scope of an opera performance. At this time, Mussorgsky was seriously upset by the collapse of the Balakirev circle, the cooling of relations with Cui and Rimsky-Korsakov, and Balakirev's departure from musical and social activities. However, in spite of everything, the creative power of the composer during this period is striking in strength and richness of artistic ideas. In parallel with the tragic Khovanshchina, since 1875 Mussorgsky has been working on the comic opera Sorochinskaya Fair (after Gogol). In the summer of 1874, he created one of the outstanding works of piano literature - the Pictures at an Exhibition cycle, dedicated to Stasov, to whom Mussorgsky was infinitely grateful for his participation and support.
The idea to write a cycle of Pictures at an Exhibition was inspired by the posthumous exhibition of works by the artist V. Hartmann in February 1874. He was a close friend of Mussorgsky, and his sudden death deeply shocked the composer. The work proceeded violently, intensively: Sounds and thoughts hung in the air, I swallow and overeat, barely having time to scratch on paper. And in parallel, one after the other, 3 vocal cycles appear: Children's (1872, on own poetry), Without the Sun (1874) and Songs and Dances of Death (both at A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov's station). They become the result of all the chamber-vocal creativity of the composer. The idea to write a cycle Pictures at an Exhibition was inspired by the posthumous exhibition of works by the artist V. Hartmann in February 1874. He was a close friend of Mussorgsky, and his sudden death deeply shocked the composer. The work proceeded violently, intensively: Sounds and thoughts hung in the air, I swallow and overeat, barely having time to scratch on paper. And in parallel, one after the other, 3 vocal cycles appear: Children's (1872, on own poetry), Without the Sun (1874) and Songs and Dances of Death (both at A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov's station). They become the result of all the chamber-vocal creativity of the composer.
Severely ill, severely suffering from want, loneliness, rejection, Mussorgsky stubbornly insists that he will fight to the last drop of blood. Shortly before his death, in the summer of 1879, together with the singer D. Leonova, he made a big concert trip to the south of Russia and Ukraine, performed music by Glinka, Kuchkists, Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, excerpts from his opera Sorochinskaya Fair and wrote significant words: Life calls to a new musical work, a wide musical work ... to new shores of the still boundless art! Severely ill, severely suffering from want, loneliness, rejection, Mussorgsky stubbornly insists that he will fight to the last drop of blood. Shortly before his death, in the summer of 1879, together with the singer D. Leonova, he made a big concert trip to the south of Russia and Ukraine, performed music by Glinka, Kuchkists, Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, excerpts from his opera Sorochinskaya Fair and wrote significant words: Life calls to a new musical work, a wide musical work ... to new shores of the still boundless art!
Fate decreed otherwise. Mussorgsky's health deteriorated sharply. In February 1881 there was a stroke. Mussorgsky was placed in the Nikolaev military-land hospital, where he died, and did not manage to complete the Khovanshchina and Sorochinskaya fair. Fate decreed otherwise. Mussorgsky's health deteriorated sharply. In February 1881 there was a stroke. Mussorgsky was placed in the Nikolaev military-land hospital, where he died, and did not have time to complete the Khovanshchina and Sorochinskaya fair. The entire archive of the composer after his death fell to Rimsky-Korsakov. He graduated from Khovanshchina, carried out a new version of Boris Godunov and achieved their staging on the imperial opera stage. A. Lyadov finished Sorochinskaya fair. The entire archive of the composer after his death fell to Rimsky-Korsakov. He graduated from Khovanshchina, carried out a new version of Boris Godunov and achieved their staging on the imperial opera stage. A. Lyadov finished Sorochinskaya fair.
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The great Russian composer M.P. Mussorgsky was born on March 9 (21), 1839 on the estate of his parents in the small village of Karevo, Toropetsky district, Pskov province. Here he spent his early childhood, here he returned several times. The Mussorgsky family has been known in the Pskov Territory since ancient times. The ancestor of the family, Roman Vasilyevich Monastyrev, nicknamed Musorga, came from the princes of Smolensk and considered himself a descendant of Rurik. He was the grandson of Andrei Yuryevich Monastyr, Rurikovich of the sixteenth generation. However, the princely dignity of the Musorgskys was lost in the 15th century. 175th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian composer MP Mussorgsky "The time of writing at leisure has passed: give yourself all to people - that is now what is needed in art." M. Mussorgsky
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The first teacher of the future composer was his mother - Yulia Ivanovna Musorgskaya (Chirikova), a smart and well-educated woman. Under her leadership, the boy made great strides in playing the piano. But no one imagined that the boy would become a musician. A different fate was being prepared for him. All Mussorgskys served in the military unit. The impressions of his childhood spent in the countryside determined the direction and character of Mussorgsky's work. The nanny told him Russian folk tales, and under their influence he improvised on the piano. "The nanny," Mussorgsky wrote in his Autobiographical Note, "introduced me closely to Russian fairy tales, and sometimes I did not sleep from them at night. They were also the main impetus for musical improvisations on the piano at a time when I still had no idea about the most elementary rules of playing the piano ".
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In 1856 he began serving in the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment. At the same time he took piano lessons from the pianist A. A. Gerke. Then he met AS Dargomyzhsky and MA Balakirev, with the help of whom he studied the theory of music and composition. Soon Mussorgsky became a regular participant in the meetings of the "Mighty Handful" musical group. In 1858 he retired with the rank of ensign to devote himself entirely to music. In 1867, the symphonic painting "Night on Bald Mountain" was written. By 1868 Mussorgsky created romances to the poems of N. A. Nekrasov and A. N. Ostrovsky, as well as to his own texts. On the advice of the literary critic V. V. Nikolsky, the composer began work on an opera based on the plot of Alexander Pushkin's poem "Boris Godunov" according to his own libretto.
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In 1874 the premiere of Boris Godunov took place at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg; the opera was a great success. It was a triumph for the entire "Mighty Handful", it was in this opera that Mussorgsky especially vividly embodied the main ideas of the members of the circle. The central part of Boris was a favorite in the repertoire of F.I. Shalyapin. In 1872 Mussorgsky wrote his first vocal cycle "Children's", for which he himself composed a text. In 1873 he began work on the "folk musical drama" "Khovanshchina" on a plot proposed by the critic V.V. Stasov. The opera was roughly completed in the summer of 1880, but only after Mussorgsky's death was it finally completed and instrumented by N.A.Rimsky-Korsakov. In 1874 Mussorgsky wrote ten musical illustrations for water-color drawings by the artist V. Ye. Hartman "Pictures at an Exhibition" - virtuoso pieces for the piano. A year later, he began work on the vocal cycle Songs and Dances of Death (lyrics by A. A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov), which he completed in 1877.
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In 1876 Mussorgsky conceived a new lyrical and comedy opera Sorochinskaya Yarmarka based on the story of Nikolai Gogol. He worked on it until the end of his life, but did not manage to finish it (the opera was completed by Ts. A. Cui). In 1879, the difficult financial situation forced Mussorgsky to re-enter the service in the audit commission of the State Control, where he served until his death. He died on March 28, 1881 in St. Petersburg, being in complete poverty.
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THE ART LITERATURE DEPARTMENT PRESENTS BOOKS ABOUT THE LIFE AND WORK OF THE COMPOSER
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Orlova A. “Works and days of M. P. Mussorgsky. Chronicle of life and work ”. - Moscow: State Music Publishing House, 1963. - 702s.
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ORLOVA A. A. MUSORGSKY IN PETERSBURG (SERIES "OUTSTANDING WORKERS OF LITERATURE, ART AND SCIENCE IN PETERSBURG - PETROGRAD - LENINGRAD"). L., LENIZDAT, 1974.
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Novikov N. S. At the origins of great music: Searches and finds in the homeland of M. P. Mussorgsky. - L .: Lenizdat, 1989.
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Novikov NS Mussorgsky's Prayer: Searches and Findings. Ed. 2nd., Add. - Velikie Luki, 2009.
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The finest features of human nature and human masses, annoying tinkering in these
little-known countries and the conquest of them - this is the real vocation of the artist ”.
From M. Mussorgsky's letter to V. Stasov
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (slide 1) is one of the most daring innovators of the 19th century, a brilliant composer who anticipated the art of the 20th century and had a huge impact on the development of Russian and European musical art.
His aesthetic views were formed under the influence of democratic and people's liberation ideas of the 60s - a time of high spiritual uplift and acute social conflicts. The composer saw the goal of his art in a true reflection of the life of the people, in the psychological reliability of images, in love and compassion for disadvantaged people, which brought his music closer to many works of modern literature and painting. His main creative principle - “life, wherever it affects, the truth, no matter how salty” - he embodied in various works.
Opera and chamber vocal music have always been the main genres for Mussorgsky. It was in them that the composer was constantly looking for new means of musical expression. Boldly experimenting, he came to a synthesis of Russian peasant song and characteristic declamation, which absorbed the lively intonations of colloquial speech, and his innovative harmonies, timbre richness, free play of tonalities anticipated many discoveries of Russian and European composers of the 20th century.
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (slide 2) was born on March 9, 1839 in the village of Karevo, Pskov province, on the estate of his father - Peter Alekseevich, a poor landowner, a representative of the old noble family of Rurikovich. The first ten years of his life passed in the picturesque estate. The beauty and poetry of nature, the simple and unhurried rural life of an old Russian family, peasant labor, folk customs and holidays, songs and legends left a deep imprint on the soul of the future composer. Subsequently, he recalled that, under the direct influence of the nanny, he very early became acquainted with Russian fairy tales.
He was the youngest, fourth son in the family. The two elders died one after the other in infancy, and Modest was raised with his brother Filaret. All the tenderness of the mother, Yulia Ivanovna, a kind and gentle woman, was given to the two who remained, and especially to him, the younger one, Modinka. It was she who first began to teach him to play the old piano, which stood in the hall of their wooden manor house. Under her leadership, the boy made great strides in playing the piano. Already at the age of seven, he played small compositions by Liszt, and at the age of 9 (slide 3) he performed a large concerto by J. Field. Mussorgsky's parents on that memorable evening for them heard from the invitees a lot of enthusiastic compliments about the boy's unconditional talent. We can say that this children's performance predetermined the further biography of Mussorgsky. At the family council, it was decided to make every effort to develop the creative inclinations of Modest. But no one imagined that the boy would become a musician. A different fate was being prepared for him. All the Musorgskys, who came from a noble family, served in the military, with the exception of the composer's father.
Until 1849, Modest was educated at home, and then (slide 4), together with his brother, he entered the Peter and Paul School in St. Petersburg, which was known for its thoughtful humanitarian program. Here, among other things, he studied German and Latin, and also became seriously interested in literature. His music teacher was a well-known St. Petersburg pianist and teacher, a student of the renowned John Field Anton Gerke (slide 5). In 1852, with the assistance of the teacher, the first piano piece by Mussorgsky polka "Ensign" was published.
Without graduating from college, the future composer entered (slide 6) at the St. Petersburg School of Guards ensigns (1852-1856). The school was dominated by the spirit of military drill, and the desire for knowledge and work was not particularly welcomed. Mussorgsky's spiritual maturation in this situation proceeded in a very contradictory manner. An internal craving for serious development prompted him to study foreign languages, history, literature, art, take piano lessons, attend opera performances, despite the dissatisfaction of the military commanders. On the one hand, he excelled in the military sciences, for which he was awarded the especially kind attention of the emperor; his skillful playing and improvisation on the piano, as well as singing arias from fashionable Italian operas, attracted everyone's attention and were loved by his comrades. On the other hand, he was a welcome participant in parties with card games, where he played polkas and squares all night long.
After graduating from school in 1856 (slide 7) Mussorgsky was enlisted as an officer in the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment; before him opened a brilliant military career. At the same time, in 1856, Mussorgsky met A.P. Borodin, who became his close friend.
In the winter of 1857, another important event took place in Mussorgsky's life: he was invited (slide 8) to an evening at the house of A.S. Dargomyzhsky. The owner himself, the atmosphere of the musical meeting, the works of Glinka and Dargomyzhsky that sounded there made an indelible impression on the young musician. He began to visit Dargomyzhsky often, who fell in love with a gifted young man. Under the influence of Russian music, new to him, Mussorgsky composes his first romance "Where are you, starlet?" (to the words of N. Grekov) in the character of a Russian lingering song. In the house of Dargomyzhsky in the same year he met (slide 9) with his future musical friends and associates - Ts. A. Cui and MA. Balakirev, and art critic V.V. Stasov. Soon Mussorgsky became a member of The Mighty Handful.
Although Balakirev was only twenty years old, he was already a recognized musician - composer, concert pianist. Balakirev had the right taste, critical instinct and immediately recognized Mussorgsky's outstanding talent. He began to study composition with him, to play joint compositions of Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Berlioz, Liszt and, using their example, to explain the peculiarities of form, orchestration, and texture. Modest Petrovich eagerly studied the works of classical and modern authors, attended concerts and performances. A thirst for creativity, a desire for improvement in the art of music, which became the goal of his life, awakened in him. Mussorgsky reached out to Balakirev from the first meetings. He began to show him his first experiments, despite the fact that Balakirev was harsh and merciless in criticism. He dreamed that Balakirev would give him composition lessons, and he agreed. Young Musorgsky, musically gifted, but poorly educated, lessons with Balakirev, undoubtedly, were of great benefit. Sometimes Caesar Antonovich Cui came to music lessons with him, V.V. Stasov.
The young officer in the company of Stasov and Balakirev felt like an ignoramus. Coming home, he hurried to "catch up" with them - all night long he sat over books. And in the afternoon - reviews, divorces, stupid army life. I drew music, books, I wanted to see friends, but I didn't have enough strength or time. And then the decision came - to leave the service. Friends were alarmed - is it worth the risk when the musician's career is so bleak and shaky? But the young man was firm in his decision. The result of the struggle between a passionate craving for creativity and the inability to combine their true vocation with military service is a letter of resignation, which took place in the summer of 1858. Music called him.
He began with romances, with small orchestral pieces. Whatever he wrote, he saw living people, scenes from folk life, funny, sad, sometimes bitter to tears.
Mussorgsky begins to work on the music for the tragedy of the ancient playwright Sophocles
Having retired, Mussorgsky seriously reflects on the structure of his fate, does a lot of self-education, studies Russian and European literature, as well as the works of Glinka, Mozart, Beethoven and contemporary composers. He is interested in both the most diverse problems - philosophical and religious, as well as questions of psychology and even natural science, geology.
Distinguished Mussorgsky and democratic views, actions. This was especially evident after the peasant reform of 1861. For two years after the liberation of the peasants, he was forced to participate in the management of the family estate. To save his serfs from redemption payments, Modest Petrovich gave up his share of the inheritance in favor of his brother (slide 10). Due to financial difficulties, he has to constantly work in the civil service: in the Main Engineering Directorate, the forestry department of the Ministry of State Property, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Audit Commission of the State Audit Office. He also earned his performances.
He was fascinated by the ideas of the Russian People's Democrats. At one time (slide 11) Mussorgsky lived in a “commune”, of which many appeared among the progressive intelligentsia of the sixties after the publication in 1863 of Chernyshevsky’s novel “What is to be done?”. V.V. Stasov, in a biographical sketch about Mussorgsky of that time, said: “... In the fall of 1863, returning from the village, he settled, together with several young comrades, in a common apartment, which they jokingly called a“ commune ”, perhaps out of imitation of that the theory of living together, which was preached by the then famous novel "What is to be done?" Each of the comrades had their own separate room ... and then there was one common large room, where everyone converged in the evenings, when they were free from their studies, to read, listen to reading, talk, argue, finally, just talk or listen Mussorgsky, playing the piano or singing romances and excerpts from operas. There were many such small comradely "cohabitations" then in St. Petersburg, and perhaps in the rest of Russia. There were six comrades in this circle ... All of them were very intelligent and educated people; each of them was engaged in some favorite scientific or artistic occupation, despite the fact that many of them were serving in the Senate or ministries; none of them wanted to be intellectually celebrated, and each looked with contempt at the life of sybarism, emptiness and nothingness, which the majority of Russian youth had been leading for so long until that time ”.
Soon the period of accumulation of knowledge gave way to a period of active creative activity. The composer decided to write an opera in which his passion for big folk scenes and for the depiction of a strong-willed personality would be embodied. Musorgsky's creative activity proceeded violently. The work went on feverishly, each piece opened up new horizons, even if it was not completed. So the opera "Oedipus the King" (Sophocles) remained unfinished (slide 12) and “Salammbo” (Flaubert), where for the first time the composer tried to embody the most complex interweaving of the fate of the people and a strong domineering personality.
In the early 1860s, Mussorgsky often and for a long time lived in the village, dealing with the affairs of the estate that was upset after the death of his father. It was during these years that he, gazing intently at the difficult, bitter life of the peasants, noticed in them the peculiarities of character, natural intelligence and talent. He strengthened faith in the wisdom of the people, their steadfastness and kindness, the will to fight against evil and injustice. These observations, comprehension of peasant images, listening to the intonation of folk speech and songs were then embodied in the best works: “I notice typical women and typical men - both can be useful. ! And how juicy, glorious. " Mussorgsky expressed these impressions in romances of the 60s, (slide 13) in which the most striking artistic discoveries were made: "Svetik Savishna" - which, according to Stasov, is a sketch from life, "Eremushka's Lullaby" (words by N. Nekrasov), "Hopak" (words by T. Shevchenko), "Seminarist", "Orphan", "Mischievous" (words by M. Musorgsky). All of them are a kind of "folk pictures" imbued with compassion for disadvantaged people. Mussorgsky's ability to accurately and accurately recreate living nature in music (“I’ll notice some peoples, and then, on occasion, emboss”), to reproduce a brightly characteristic speech, to give the plot a stage visibility is amazing. And most importantly, the songs are imbued with such a force of compassion for a disadvantaged person that in each of them an everyday fact rises to the level of tragic generalization, to socially accusatory pathos. It is no coincidence that the song "Seminarist" was banned by the censorship!
An extremely important role for Mussorgsky's work was played (slide 14) by the unfinished opera "The Marriage" (Act 1, 1868). In it, under the influence of Dargomyzhsky's opera “ Stone Guest " he used the almost unchanged text of the play by N. Gogol. The composer set himself the task of musical reproduction of “human speech in all its subtle bends ”. The originality of the concept and the boldness of the experiment in creating "musical prose" made "Marriage" a kind of creative laboratory in which the search for "musical truth" was carried out and the expressive means for "Boris Godunov" and "Khovanshchina" were perfected. In the words of the author, starting the composition of "Marriage", he put himself in the "cage of experience." After the end of the first act, the experience ended, enriching the composer with new facets of skill.
The pinnacle of Mussorgsky's creativity in the 60s. became (slide 15) opera “ Boris Godunov "(on the plot of the drama by A. Pushkin). Mussorgsky began writing it in 1868 and in the first edition (without the Polish act) presented it in the summer of 1870 to the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters, which rejected the opera allegedly due to the lack of a female part and the complexity of the recitative. "The novelty and uniqueness of music," recalled Rimsky-Korsakov in "The Chronicle of My Musical Life," "puzzled the venerable committee." Grieved and offended Mussorgsky took his score back, but, on reflection, decided to subject it to fundamental alterations and additions ”. After revision (one of the results of which was the famous scene near Kromy) in 1873, with the assistance of the singer Y. Platonova, 3 scenes from the opera were staged, and on February 8, 1874 - the entire opera (albeit with large cuts).
All innovations (slide 16) by Mussorgsky were warmly approved by his fellow members of the “Mighty Handful”. At that time, the composer had the closest relationship (slide 17) with Rimsky-Korsakov - they even lived together for some time: “Our life with Modest,” Rimsky-Korsakov recalled, “was, I believe, the only example of two composers living together. How could we not interfere with each other? That's how. From the morning until 12 o'clock, Mussorgsky used the piano, and I either rewrote or orchestrated something that was already well thought out. By 12 o'clock he was leaving for the ministry, and I was using the piano. In the evenings, it was a matter of mutual agreement ... In this autumn and winter, we both worked a lot, constantly exchanging thoughts and intentions ”.
The support of friends, among whom were (slide 18) and outstanding opera artists - D. Leonova, Y. Platonova, F. Komissarzhevsky, G. Kondratyev, helped the composer survive the hard blow of the theater committee's secondary refusal, and then achieve the production of Boris Godunov on stage “The Mariinsky Theater - at first only three scenes, and on January 27, 1874 - the entire opera.
The premiere (slide 19) was a great success, according to V.V. Stasov, “it was a great celebration for Mussorgsky”. However, the future fate of the opera was difficult, because this work in the most decisive way destroyed the usual ideas about the opera performance. Everything here was new: the acute social idea of the irreconcilability of the interests of the people and the tsarist power, and the depth of disclosure of passions and characters, and the psychological complexity of the image of the tsar-infanticide. The musical language turned out to be unusual, about which Mussorgsky himself wrote: “By working on human dialects, I got to the melody created by this dialect, I got to the embodiment of recitative in melody”.
The admiration of the public was contrasted with the hostility of critics: Mussorgsky's work was so innovative, so much destroyed the usual ideas about opera and stood out with an unusual musical language that the reviewers reproached the author for ignorance, striving for "originality", lack of melody, monotony of recitations, distortion of Pushkin and others " sins ”.
During the years of his work on Boris Godunov (1868-1872), the composer became close and really made friends with V.V. Stasov, often visited his St. Petersburg apartment and in the summer at his dacha. He had sincere love (slide 20) for Stasov's younger brother, Dmitry Vasilyevich, and his children, who responded to “Musoryanin” with delight and adoration.
Mussorgsky expressed his warm and tender attitude to them, to the poetic world of their feelings, sorrows and joys in the vocal cycle "Children's". Friendship with V.V. Stasov meant a lot to him: the composer was in dire need of support and cordiality, since Mussorgsky did not have his own family, and his fellow composers gradually moved away from each other.
While working on Boris Godunov, Mussorgsky was hatching an idea. Khovanshchyna " (slide 21) and soon begins to collect materials. All this was carried out with the active participation of V. Stasov, who in the 70s. became close to Mussorgsky and was one of the few who truly understood the seriousness of the composer's creative intentions. V.V. Stasov became the inspiration and closest assistant to Mussorgsky in the creation of this opera, on which he worked from 1872 almost until the end of his life. “I devote to you the entire period of my life when Khovanshchina will be created ... you have given it a beginning,” Musorgsky wrote to Stasov on July 15, 1872.
The composer was again attracted by the fate of the Russian people at a turning point in Russian history. The rebellious events of the late 17th century, the sharp struggle between the old boyar Russia and the new young Russia of Peter I, the riots of the archers and the movement of schismatics gave Mussorgsky the opportunity to create a new folk musical drama. The author dedicated “Khovanshchina” to VV Stasov.
Work on " Khovanshchina ” proceeded difficult - Mussorgsky turned to material that went far beyond the scope of an opera performance. However, he wrote intensively (“ Work is in full swing! ”), Albeit with long interruptions for many reasons. At this time, Mussorgsky was seriously upset by the collapse of the Balakirev circle, the cooling of relations with Cui and Rimsky-Korsakov, and Balakirev's departure from musical and social activities. He felt that each of them had become an independent artist and had already followed their own path. The bureaucratic service left only evening and night hours for composing music, and this led to severe overwork and more and more prolonged depression. However, in spite of everything, the creative power of the composer during this period is striking in strength and richness of artistic ideas.
In the summer of 1874 he created one of the outstanding works of piano literature - (slide 22) cycle “Pictures at an Exhibition ” dedicated to Stasov, to whom Mussorgsky was infinitely grateful for his participation and support: “ No one warmed me hotter than you in all respects ... no one showed me the path more clearly ”...
The idea to write a piano cycle arose under the impression (slide 23) of the posthumous exhibition of works by the artist V. Hartmann in February 1874. He was a close friend of Mussorgsky, and his sudden death deeply shocked the composer. The work arose as a warm response and proceeded violently, intensively (only 3 weeks): “Sounds and thoughts hung in the air, I swallow and overeat, barely having time to scratch on paper”. The suite consists of ten plays, the prototypes of which are (slide 24) various works of Hartmann: his watercolors ("Catacombs"), drawings ("Hut on chicken legs"), architectural projects ("Heroic Gates"), sketches of toys ("Gnome" ) and costumes for a ballet performance (“Ballet of Unhatched Chicks”), and finally, picturesque portraits (“Two Jews - Rich and Poor”) and genre sketches (“Tuileries Garden”). But the pieces in the suite are not just musical illustrations, but the free fantasies of the composer's creative thought. They are interconnected by the constant return of the initial theme of the work - "Walks", which has become a kind of self-portrait of the author himself, moving from one exhibit to another. All facets of Mussorgsky's brilliant pianism found their full embodiment in Pictures at an Exhibition - from spectacular virtuoso pictoriality and timbre color to exquisite sound recording of psychological characteristics (Already in the 20th century, the French composer Maurice Ravel, conquered by the beauty and rich orchestration of the suite).
In parallel with the tragic "Khovanshchina" since 1875, Mussorgsky has been working (slide 25) on the comic opera " Sorochinskaya fair ” (according to Gogol). “ This is good as a saving of creative forces, - wrote Mussorgsky. “Two pudoviks:“ Boris ”and“ Khovanshchina ”can press down next to each other.” In subsequent years, the composer occasionally composed separate scenes for her, but the opera remained unfinished.
Another, but already vocal (slide 26) "picture from an exhibition" dramatic ballad "Forgotten" - Mussorgsky wrote under the impression of the picture of the same name by V. Vereshchagin to the text by A. Golenishchev-Kutuzov. The composer and the poet became friends. As a result of their creative union, the vocal cycles "Without the Sun" and "Songs and Dances of Death" also appeared, reflecting the difficult state of mind of Mussorgsky. If the cycle "Without the Sun" has become a lyrical confession of the composer, imbued with deep longing and loneliness! then "Songs and Dances of Death" was one of the most tragic works. The vocal cycles “Without the Sun” (1874) and “Songs and Dances of Death” (1875-77) are the result of the composer's entire chamber-vocal work.
In the last years of his life, Mussorgsky continued to distance himself from his Kuchkist comrades. He was deeply worried about the cooling of friendship with them, only with Borodin he maintained warm and cordial relations. Severely ill, severely suffering from want, loneliness, non-recognition, Mussorgsky stubbornly insists that "he will fight to the last drop of blood."
Shortly before his death, in the summer of 1879, he made (slide 27), together with the famous singer D. Leonova, as an accompanist, a large concert tour across the south of Russia and Ukraine. The tour brought him fresh impressions and artistic success. In concerts he also performed as a solo pianist, performing his piano pieces and transcriptions of fragments from operas. But on his return to St. Petersburg (slide 28), life hardships again flooded Mussorgsky. His health continued to deteriorate; in February 1881, he suffered a stroke. Through the efforts of friends, Mussorgsky was placed in the Nikolaev military hospital, where a month later, on March 16, 1881, he died.
After the death (slide 29) of Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov completed “Khovanshchina” and, wishing to return “Boris Godunov” to the stage, made a new version of the opera. In the 1920s, the Russian musicologist P.A. Lamm did a tremendous job of restoring the author's text of the opera from autographs. The last revision of Boris Godunov concerning instrumentation belongs to D. D. Shostakovich. Shostakovich also re-edited Khovanshchina, returning the episodes abbreviated by Rimsky-Korsakov, and instrumentation of the opera. But it was in Rimsky-Korsakov's editorial office that Boris Godunov became world famous; the consummate performer of the part of Boris was the great Russian singer F.I. Chaliapin. In 1917, Cui finished and orchestrated the Sorochinskaya Yarmarka. Later, another version of the editing was carried out by the composer V.Ya. Shebalin.
Municipal budgetary educational institution additional education for children "Petrovskaya Children's Art School". Presentation on the topic: "Satirical songs of M.P. Mussorgsky" The work was carried out by Anna Petrosyan, a 5th grade student of the piano department. Head: Elena Vasilievna Mirkina.
S. Petrovskoe
Tambov region.
A little about creativity.
MP Mussorgsky composed chamber vocal music throughout his life.
He created about 70 works, varied in content and form.
These are lyrics, and vivid realistic sketches from folk life - "folk pictures" and musical portraits.
Developing the traditions of Dargomyzhsky, the composer uses the genres of a monologue-scene, monologue-story, ballad, dramatic song.
But Mussorgsky's comic talent was especially vividly manifested when composing satirical songs.
Kalistrat
In May 1864. a kind of vocal song from peasant life to the words of Nekrasov "Kalistrat" was created. Mussorgsky described it as "the first attempt at comic" in his work. “… You are still laughing at the simpleton, but your laughter is already diluted with bitterness,” wrote Belinsky.
The images of the vocal play show irony, a smile, the images shine with tart folk humor, the meaning is tragic. "Kalistratushka" is a song-parable about the dismal lot of the poor man, told by himself with a comedy that evokes a bitter smile.
"Oh, you drunken aunt"
V. Nikolsky
In the fall of 1866, Mussorgsky wrote a song-scene "Oh, you drunken grouse!" (From the adventures of Pakhomych), in his own words. This song remained unknown for a long time and only in 1906 was it published by Rimsky-Korsakov. However, this song was not even intended to be published. This is a kind of "home parody". The play is dedicated to V. Nikolsky, a well-known historian, teacher and linguist in his time. The close friendship between Mussorgsky and Nikolsky played an important role in the composer's work. It was Nikolsky who suggested that Musorgsky write an opera based on the plot of Pushkin’s Boris Godunov, and took part in the development of the musical drama plan.
Oh you drunken grouse
Unusually vividly conveyed in the music is a scene of the hectic speech of "Pakhomych's wife", now scolding, now pleading, or reasoning. Pakhomych himself in the scene is a passive person. He treads on the spot, not even trying to justify himself and having waited for a convenient moment, sympathetically joins the lamentations of his wife, which completely pisses her off. This unsuccessful duet is incomparable in the comic display of the characters in the scene.
Seminarian
Five days after the comic scene "from the adventures of Pakhomych" appeared "Seminarist" (September 27, 1866) "I did this in the morning, waking up in 1966, starting only with the rhythm," says Mussorgsky's inscription on the copy given to Golenishchev- Kutuzov.
The rhythm of the scene is the impulse of the figurative movement. In the rhythm is found the "whining" intonation of the punished seminarian; from the rhythm arises a melodic recollection of the seminarian about the ruddy Stosha, the priest's daughter, and about how he "had a chance to receive temptation from the devil in the temple of God,"
For which he is now forced to hammer out the hated Latin words.
The scene is imbued with caustic sarcasm and sad irony. In the ridiculous guise of an unlucky seminarian, the rude, but innocent nature of an uncouth guy can be seen.
Naughty
In December 1867 Mussorgsky wrote 3 more vocal pieces "Mischievous", "Secular fairy tale" ("Goat") on his own words; and “A garden blooms over the Don” on the verses of A. Koltsov.
"Mischievous" is one of those pictures where the comic is truly tragic. The boy pursues a hunchbacked old woman, mocking her squalor.
“Oh, baushka, oh, dear, coloring girl, turn around! With a pointed nose, silver-plated, goggle-eyed, kiss! ... "The old woman beats him, he screams with pain -" Oh, don't hit! "- and teases more and more angrily and mercilessly. He is sophisticated in mischievous antics, and the funnier they are, the more tragic the scene sounds. The figurative development of musical speech is based on a short topic.
Ts. Cui said that Mussorgsky's "Mischievous" is a painful scherzo, full of strength and novelty.
"Mischievous" evoked a bitter smile of compassion in the audience.
If "Mischievous" evoked a bitter smile of compassion in the audience, then "Goat" was a funny laugh. This play, called by the composer "a secular fairy tale", was written in the genre of a fable, the meaning of which is revealed in an amusing allegory: the girl was walking, she met a goat - "an old, dirty, bearded, terrible, evil and all hairy, living devil", frightened the girl and ran away a little alive. So she got married, the young lady met another, high society Goat - "Old and hunchbacked, bald, angry and bearded, a real devil", but she was not at all afraid of him - "she fondled her husband, assuring that she was faithful ...".
A witty juxtaposition of irony in the characteristics of a young lady and a goat, an original piano accompaniment with imperturbable humor, commenting on the meaning of the tale - all this led to the huge success of the fable about the goat.
White-sided chimer.
Mussorgsky composed this work on August 26, 1867, when he was in St. Petersburg. This is a vocal scherzo, in which the composer wittily combines two small poems by Pushkin: "White-sided chimer" and "Bells are ringing". The music sparkles with ingenuous humor and ingenuity.
This incredible humoresque arose, probably impromptu, in the circle of close friends of Alexandra and Nadezhda Opochinin. It is dedicated to them.
The “unprecedented bell” of the frisky chirping magpie unexpectedly echoes the bells of the dancing gypsy songstress, “the master of fortune-telling”.
At the same time, a lyric song "For mushrooms" was written to the words of L. Mey. Dedicated to V. Nikolsky.
In the summer of 1870, a vocal pamphlet “Paradise” was written. Stasov presents this work as follows: "The story and jokes of a man under the booths at Shrovetide, showing" honest gentlemen the miracle of the sea in a round glass of his house "
"Paradise" begins with the cheerful peals of the rayoshnik ("I myself" as Musorgsky called it.)
The composer puts musical masks on his heroes.
“Rajok is a folk theater of pictures, consisting of a small box with two magnifying glasses in front. Inside it, pictures are rearranged or a paper strip with home-grown images of different cities of great people and events is rewound from one skating rink to another. Raeshnik moves pictures and tells sayings and jokes for each new storyline.
Song of Mephistopheles in Auerbach's cellar about a flea.
During the concert trip, Mussorgsky managed to engage in creative work.
In 1879 he composed the song that became famous "Song of Mephistopheles in Auerbach's cellar about a flea", to the words of Goethe. This is the composer's last satirical song.
