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Glite Dictionary
Modest Mussorgsky

Modest Mussorgsky

1 8.1
A Russian composer of the 19th century who wrote works such as Pictures at an Exhibition and Boris Godunov
  • proper noun
  • /ˈmoʊdɛst ˈmʌsɔrɡski/
: Modest Mussorgski
  • The opera 'Boris Godunov' was composed by Modest Mussorgsky and remains a masterpiece of Russian music.

Examples

  • Many critics rank Modest Mussorgsky among the most innovative composers of the 19th century.

  • Have you heard Modest Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition'?

  • In his lifetime, Modest Mussorgsky struggled financially but left a lasting impact on classical music.

  • The famous composer Modest Mussorgsky created remarkable music.

  • Many critics rank Modest Mussorgsky among the most innovative composers of the 19th century.

  • The opera 'Boris Godunov' was composed by Modest Mussorgsky and remains a masterpiece of Russian music.

  • In his lifetime, Modest Mussorgsky struggled financially but left a lasting impact on classical music.

Synonyms

Mussorgsky
vsModest Mussorgsky
1 9.1

A Russian composer from the 1800s who is known for operas and music for orchestra

is the same person but may appear in variant written forms
Moussorgsky
vsModest Mussorgsky
1 9.9

A Russian composer in the 1800s famous for operas and orchestral works

is the same person but usually written in the modern standard form

Surface Forms

Modest Mussorgsky main

Morphology

Modest + Mussorgsky

This is a full personal name rather than a compositional phrase: knowing the adjective 'modest' and the surname 'Mussorgsky' does not let a learner infer the referential meaning 'a nineteenth-century Russian composer' or any biographical information. Proper names are arbitrary labels (and language-/culture-specific), so the specific identity and profession are not derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Modest Mussorgsky has a first name, Modest, that is the English word for 'humble', so you can imagine a quiet, modest man writing bold, dramatic music. That's why his name is easy to remember as a Russian composer of famous works like 'Pictures at an Exhibition' and 'Boris Godunov'.