Lovely classics

Mussorgsky’s masterpiece. Popular classical music.

Representative, Elysion Philharmonic Orchestrasai-kisaragi
Heisei College of Music, Composition Course. Studied composition and conducting under Keizo Ideta, piano under Chinami Kira, and arts management under Takuma Konishi. With a focus on community and music, I work to revitalize my hometown of Saga Prefecture. While performing as a double bassist with wind ensembles and orchestras across Kyushu, I participated on double bass in the “Orchestra Without Borders” orchestra camp of the professional game and anime music ensemble Eminence Orchestra, held in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture in September 2012. During CAPCOM’s Kyushu Tour in 2016, I not only performed as an orchestra member but also served on the production staff. I currently serve as the managing representative for the game and anime performance groups Elysion Philharmonic Orchestra (Saga Prefecture) and Fukuoka Game Music Wind Orchestra (Fukuoka Prefecture), and handle conducting, arranging, and public relations.

We’ll introduce masterpieces by Modest Mussorgsky, famous for Pictures at an Exhibition and Night on Bald Mountain (St.

John’s Eve on the Bare Mountain).

Isn’t Pictures at an Exhibition by Ravel?

Many people may say they’ve heard Night on Bald Mountain, but the original is of course by Mussorgsky; it became famous through performances of various arrangements.

Contrary to what you might expect, Mussorgsky actually wrote relatively few standalone orchestral pieces, leaving many songs and piano works instead.

I want you to get to know Mussorgsky’s original music, so this time I’ll be introducing some of his masterworks.

Mussorgsky’s masterpieces: Popular classical music (61–70)

Boris’s monologue from the opera Boris GodunovModest Petrovich Mussorgsky

Vladimir Baykov – Mussorgsky, Boris Godunov’s Monologue

Boris’s monologue from the opera Boris GodunovModest Petrovich Mussorgsky

Watch “Boris’s monologue from the opera Boris Godunov — Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky” on YouTube

From the opera Boris Godunov, Boris’s monologue “I have attained supreme power.” In the opera, it appears in Act II.

Performed by bass Vladimir Veykov, conducted by Mark Sustro, with the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie Symphony Orchestra in Brussels, Belgium.

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In conclusion

How was it? Of course, the famous Pictures at an Exhibition stands out, but you can see that there are masterpieces among his songs and piano pieces as well.

Night on Bald Mountain was originally composed as St.

John’s Eve on Bald Mountain, yet it was never performed during Modest Mussorgsky’s lifetime; it became famous through later arrangements and performances.

Although he wrote many piano pieces, he was not a virtuoso pianist, so his works often gained recognition through arranged versions or other performers’ interpretations.

Even Pictures at an Exhibition—and operatic subjects he received from figures like the Russian art critic Vladimir Stasov, who organized the memorial exhibition of Hartmann’s works that inspired it—reflect how he won renown with the help of others.

Naturally, the original compositions themselves are wonderful, and I would be delighted if this list leads you to delve into the true allure of Mussorgsky’s music.