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Modest Petrovich '''Mussorgsky''' (or, variously, Musorgsky, Mussougsky, Moussougsky etc.) (1839-1881), [[Russian]] [[composer]] and [[pianist]] is known for immensely colourful music inspired by the history and folk lore of his homeland. He was a child prodigy on the piano, but became an officer in the guards and, later, a bureaucrat. He tended to be lazy and he drank, and much of his music has been arranged, edited, orchestrated and generally tidied up by others, mainly [[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov|Rimsky-Korsakov]].

Modest Petrovich '''Mussorgsky''' (or, variously, Musorgsky, Mussougsky, Moussougsky etc.) (1839-1881), [[Russia]]n [[composer]] and [[pianist]] is known for immensely colourful music inspired by the history and folk lore of his homeland. He was a child prodigy on the piano, but became an officer in the guards and, later, a bureaucrat. He tended to be lazy and he drank, and much of his music has been arranged, edited, orchestrated and generally tidied up by others, mainly [[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov|Rimsky-Korsakov]].

He is admired for his operas, all on national themes, all written with dramatic flair and a sense of realism. The best known ''“Boris Godunov”'' is in the repertoire of most major opera companies with ''“Khovanshchina”'' also frequently performed. (The prelude to ''“Khovanshchina”'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHpvRiC1lH4]] is a favourite orchestral “filler” piece and appears in many CD anthologies of Russian music.)

He is admired for his operas, all on national themes, all written with dramatic flair and a sense of realism. The best known ''“Boris Godunov”'' is in the repertoire of most major opera companies with ''“Khovanshchina”'' also frequently performed. (The prelude to ''“Khovanshchina”'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHpvRiC1lH4]] is a favourite orchestral “filler” piece and appears in many CD anthologies of Russian music.)