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 peopl...