Mussorgskys

Mussorgskys is the anglicized plural or possessive form used to refer to people bearing the Russian surname Mussorgsky. The name is most closely associated with Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839–1881), a Russian composer whose works helped inaugurate the Russian nationalist style in the late 19th century. The surname in Cyrillic is Муссоргский, and transliterations include Mussorgsky, Mussorgskiy, and Moussorgsky.

Modest Mussorgsky studied at the Imperial Naval Cadet School in Saint Petersburg before dedicating himself to music. He became associated with The Five, a circle devoted to creating a distinctly Russian musical language. His notable works include the opera Boris Godunov (completed 1874), the piano cycle Pictures at an Exhibition (1874), and the orchestral piece Night on Bald Mountain (original version 1867; later revised by other composers). He died at age 42 after a prolonged illness, leaving a compact yet influential body of work that was expanded and refined by colleagues after his death.

Because of his prominence, the surname Mussorgsky appears in English-language texts in various transliterations. The standard form in most scholarly writing is Mussorgsky, with Mussorgskys used when referring to multiple bearers of the name. In possessive constructions, Mussorgsky’s is common. Beyond the composer, the term Mussorgskys may be encountered in genealogical or biographical discussions of people bearing the surname, though it does not denote a distinct organization or concept.