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The tale of Boris Godunov -- tsar, usurper, tsarecide -- dating from the early seventeenth-century Time of Troubles, inspired three major nineteenth-century Russian cultural expressions: in history by Nikolai Karamzin, in drama by Alexander Pushkin, and in opera by Modest Musorgsky. Each of these famous creations was a vehicle for generic innovation, in which a specifically Russian concept of genre was asserted in opposition to the reigning European models: German historiography, French melodrama, and Italian opera. Within a Bakhtinian framework, Caryl Emerson explores these three versions of the Boris Tale, the context of their genesis, and their complex interrelationships.

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"It is [a] fully illuminated story that Richard Taruskin, in the path-breaking essays collected here, unfolds around Modest Musorgsky, Russia's greatest national composer.... [Taruskin's] tour de force comes with a frontal attack on all the Soviet-bred truisms that for a century have refashioned Musorgsky from what the evidence suggests he was--an aristocrat with an early clinical interest in true-to-life musical portraiture and a later penchant for drinking partners who were both folklore buffs and political reactionaries democrat."--From the foreword

Incorporating both new and now-classic essays, this book for the first time sets the vocal works of Modest Musorgsky in a fully detailed cultural, political, and historical context. From this perspective Richard Taruskin revises fundamentally the composer's historical and artistic image, in particular debunking the century-old dogmas of Vladimir Stasov, Musorgsky's first biographer. Here the author offers the most complete explanation of the revision of the opera Boris Godunov, compares it to contemporaneous operas by Chaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, advances a revisionary characterization of Khovanshchina as an aristocratic tragedy informed by a pessimistic view of history, discusses Musorgsky's use of folklore, and, focusing on Sorochintsi Fair, brings to a climax his refutation of Musorgsky as a protorevolutionary populist. The epilogue is a survey of revisionary productions of Musorgsky's works at home during the Gorbachev era. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Mighty Musorgsky
Before I'll make some critical notions on this book I have to confess how much I enjoyed reading this book. This book, like the other books by Taruskin is academic literature at its best. Not only profound, detailled and knowledgable but also driven by curiosity and passionate interest in his subject. And I wouldn't even consider my objections against many of his assumptions as something to be put against this book. I prefer being confronted with some controversial theories to boring middle of the road literature.

Already the title of the introduction "Who Speaks for Musorgsky?" made me a little resentful and is somehow symptomatic for the case Musorgsky. Why is it that everybody feels invited to either speak for him or school him like a dependent boy? Balakirev, Cui and Rimsky did, and even his friends and supporters Stasov and Kutuzov loved to do it. Taruskin decided that Kutuzov speaks more for Musorgsky than Stasov since this fits better to his revisionist thesis. The truth is that they all first speak for themselves. Stasov projects his revolutionary ideas on him like Kutuzov his reactionary aristocratic ideals. Cui wants to demonstrate his intellectual and Rinsky his technical superiority. And of course the soviet propaganda used him for their prposesas well. I would say that even the Musorgsky of the letters is not always speaking for Musorgsky since his hypersensitive and conflict avoiding character often made him write rather what his addresser wanted to hear than what he really thought. The only thing that speaks truthfully for Musorgsky is his music.

The underlying thesis of this book or at least some chapters (the book is a selection of essays written at different times and occasions) is, as already hinted in the introduction, that Musorgsky was only a revolutionary in the early years of the "Marriage" and the "Ur-Boris" but became more and more conventional not to say reactionary already with the revision of Boris. I completely agree with the observation that there is this change from a more recitative dialogue style to more coherent musical entities. But to say one thing is the right way the other the false (compromising) way is a little bit too simple for my taste.

Not only that other composers made this experience as well that the recitative style has its limiations. Wagner turned back after the "Rheingold" which represents his theory of Leitmotivtechnik in the purest form. Debussy wanted to overcome his loose Pelleas style in his planned (but unfortunately never realized) later opera projects. And also Ravels two small operas reflect this experience.

The Ur-Boris definitely has its merits and is by no means defective. However, the additions of the revision process, mainly the "Polish act" and the "Kromy scene", may not be necessary for the plot, but are much more than just giving in to opera conventions. They add new dimensions to the epic feel of the opera. Besides that I would not want to miss the fountain scene, with its burst of emotions one of the magic moments of all opera history.

Especially when it comes to Khovanshchina Taruskin's thesis becomes awkward. There might be more pieces in this opera that look like an aria or a conventional choir scene than in Boris, but if you don't look at this opera with the eyes of a musicologist but experience it as a musical drama you must realize that it is much more radical and experimental (and therefore also much less popular) than Boris Godunov. Its atmosphere is completely different. Boris has this young hero and the element of upheaval and despite some pessimistic undertones it shows (especially in the second act) a relatively intact world while Khovanshchina lacks all idealistic appeal. It is a dark, rotten, pessimistic world close to Shakespeare's late plays (I always felt a strong connection especially to Macbeth). It speaks for Musorgsky's instinkt that he couldn't just continue composing in the good old Boris style. To consider this opera as a work of a reactionary only because there are princes as main characters is not convincing at all, as if the personnel would say anything about quality.

Taruskin sees a conflict in Musorgsky's personality between the progressive "democratic" side influenced by Stasov and the reactionist aristocratic side claimed by Kutusov. I don't really believe that this played a big role sinceMusorgsky didn't think in this kind of political categories. There are some interesting biographical similarities to Lev Tolstoi which might help understand some aspects of Musorgskys character. Like Tolstoi he was of aristocratic origins and had a happy previleged childhood. Like Tolsoi in his early novels also Musorgsky remembers this time with nostalgic fondness, namely in the song cycle "Nursery" and the second Boris act. Both welcomed the end of serfdom in Russia and went through a phase of idealizing the simple folks but then lost pretty much all illusions. Apart from that they were rather antipodes. Tolstoi was driven by a idealistic spirit and all of his works have some kind of message (although I think that the messages are rather a byproduct and not what makes his novels so great). Musorgsky was a sensualist and explorer of truth. He looks at the bottom of people's souls and created figures with complex characters. He was interested in people no matter of which rank and origin. The song cycle "Without sun" for example, deeply admired by Debussy, which Taruskin considers as self centered aristocratic whiny stuff, are psychograms of depression and decline (here another interesting link to some of Shakespeare's sonnets) and as such first of all human. There is a deep compassion for everybody, not only for the guilt marked Boris but also for the holy fool and even for characters like Andrej and Ivan Chovansky.

With such gifts Musorgsky was a born music dramatist and as a music dramatist he is a genius of the hightest rank. None of the operas by Rimsky and Tchaikovsky can compare with the dramatic power of Musorgsky. I would even go so far to estimate him as a dramatist (not as a composer) higher than Wagner. And even work like "Pictures of an exhibition" I would consider in nuce as a music dramatic work. I don't share the popular belief that if Musorgsky would have achieved more technical skills he would have been a even more important artist. People who think like that don't understand the dynamics of creativity. It might sound strange but Musorgsky's neglect of technical aspects and his tremendous expressive power are undividable.

Musorgsky Done Right
Musorgsky has been the subject of a variety of interpretations for so long through many cultural regimes.Taruskin sets the record straight.The essays are all excellent in spite of the technical analysis at times, whichis not a hindrance to the lay person.Most enjoyable is his essay on theorigin and spelling of Musorgsky's name, another cultural puzzle solved. Now, how about a comprehensive overview of Russian musical history? ... Read more

Product Description
This informative and wide-ranging guide places the original piano work in the context of Russian cultural life, considering in particular the work of the artist Victor Hartman, creator of the pictures that inspired Musorgsky's composition. A detailed synopsis takes the reader through each piece in turn, and subsequent chapters consider the musical language and structure. Michael Russ also describes the fate of the work in the hands of editors and performers and closes by surveying the best of the orchestrations, particularly Ravel's. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Must Have
If you want any information about about Mussorgsky's masterpiecem you must have buy this book. Historical, cultural, tecnical, personal and critical information are here.

Excelent book!

All you wanted to know about Pictures at an Exhibition
An excellent work on "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Modest Musorgsky. In a few pages you will find the most important historical facts around this music, comments about different editions of the music score, both about the original manuscript for piano and orchestrations, and an easy to follow musical analysis of this masterpiece. Highly recommended for both music lovers and piano performers of "Pictures at an Exhibition". ... Read more

Product Description
CD of Pictures at an Exhibition included. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

No CDs included
I've just got my TWO ordered hardcover copies (one of the copies is supposed to be a gift to a friend). For now I give this item only 1 star, because both books come WITHOUT CDs!Both copies though have stickers on them saying the CD comes with the book.

So I guess I will only be able to review the item after I get the set completed...

From an Elementary Music Teacher
I bought this book planning to use it as part of a literacy through music appreciation unit.In most ways I like the book, but it devotes four pages of text to the death of Victor Hartmann and the guilt that Mussorgsky felt over his death.This is something that can be easily handled in a one on one "read to me" situation at home, but in a classroom like mine, there are always children who are coping with the recent loss of a close friend or family member and do not handle the subject of death well.Guilt just adds to the burden.

Otherwise it is a great book and will make an excellent classroom unit.I might have to edit it a bit.

Pictures At an Exhibition - for children
This is a beautifully illustrated story of how Pictures At An Exhibition came to be written. The pictures are colourful, detailed and captivating. The story is sensitively written at a level for children between the ages of 8 - 12 or so.

A mixed blessing 4.5
Pictures at an ExhibitionI liked the book very much, as well as the colorful illustrations.I bought it for my elementary school students.Most third graders could stay with the story without more pictures breaking up the text.(I wouldn't recommend going lower.)My main disapppointment was with the accompanying CD.It was a recording of the piano music, all good and well, but there was only one band so hearing the different musical "picures" was difficult.My students cannot stay focused on a thirty-minute piece. I purchased an orchestral recording (on it each section had a separate band) for my students to hear much of the music. Other than this, I would recommend the book highly.I'd give it a FIVE if the piano recording had the bands separating the selections.

Pictures at an Exhibition
The paperback version does NOT come with the CD.I returned my paperback copy that was missing the CD and Amazon sent me another paperback copy with NO CD...DO NOT buy the paperback if you want the CD!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Caryl Emerson, a literary specialist, and Robert William Oldani, a music historian, take a new and comprehensive look at the most famous Russian opera, Musorgsky's Boris Godunov.The result is both a historical study of a famous work and an interpretative piece of scholarship.The topics discussed include: the "Boris Tale" in history, the strange story of the opera's composition and revision, its first productions at home and abroad, and an in-depth musical analysis. In the process, several frequent errors in Musorgsky scholarship are clarified and corrected.The volume contains a selection of classic texts in criticism, numerous production photographs, a bibliography and discography. ... Read more