Modest Mussorgski

Selections from Boris Godunov

Composer Modest Moussorgsky (1839-1881) came from the prosperous environment of Russian nobility. In 1865, after his officer's education, he joined the guard's regiment in St. Petersburg. Here he met a number of well-known colleague-composers, including Balakirev, Cui, Rimsky- Korsakov and Borodin. They strived to develop a 'classical style' of composing while at the same time retaining a strong Russian influence. His opera Boris Godunov tells the tale of Boris, who with the support of the people, declared himself Tsar, but totally fell short of the role. The opera became popular in the re-orchestrated version produced by Rimsky-Korsakov in 1896. Tohru Takahashi has usedthe beautiful musical themes of this opera in Selections from Boris Godunov - a captivating work for concert band.