Modest Petrovitch Moussorgsky was born March 16th, 1839, in the village
of Karevo in the government of Pskow, Russia. His parents were members
of the lesser nobility. His mother gave him his first piano lessons. At
the age of ten he was sent to the School of St. Peter and St. Paul in
Petrograd. His piano-studies were continued with a certain Professor
Herke. At the age of twelve he played in public a _Rondo de concert_ by
Herz. In 1852 he matriculated at the school for ensigns, and the same
year had his first composition, a polka, published. In 1856, while
serving as an officer in the Preobrajensky Guards, he made the
acquaintance of Borodin. Soon after, he met Dargomyjski. It was with
him that, in his own words, "he for the first time lived the musical
life." Later, he became acquainted also with Cui, Balakirew and
Rimsky-Korsakoff. He took lessons in composition of Balakirew, and
finally realized what his direction really was. A nervous malady
prevented him from working in 1859. But directly after his
convalescence, he resigned from the guards, and set to work in earnest.
In order to support himself, he accepted a position in the government
service. He lived in Petrograd with five friends. In 1865 he was once
more attacked by his malady, and had to retire to the country for three
years. In 1869 he returned to Petrograd, living with his friends the
Opotchinines. His moment of success came in 1874, with the performance
of "Boris." Directly after, his health commenced to fail. In 1879 he
resigned his office, and sought to support himself by playing
accompaniments. He died in 1881 in a military hospital.
The dates of composition of his principal works are:
"Boris Godounow," 1868-71; "Khovanchtchina," 1872-81; "The Marriage"
(one act), 1868; "The Fair at Sorotchinsk" (fragment), 1877-81; "The
Defeat of Sennacherib," 1867-74; "Jesus Navine," 1877; "Sans Soleil,"
1874; "La Chambre d'Enfants," 1874; "Chants et Danses de la Mort," 1875;
"Marcia all Turka," 1880; "La Nuit sur le Mont-Chauve," 1867-75;
"Tableaux d'une Exposition," 1874; "Hopak," 1877.