Modest Mussorgsky (moo-SORG-skee) was the most daring and creative member of the group of composers known as the "Russian Five" or the "Mighty Five." The other members were Borodin, Cui (Kwee), Rimsky-Korsakov, and Balakirev. They agreed to disregard the Italian and German models for music and to use Russian folk melodies and tales in their compositions.

Mussorgsky had little musical training other than some piano lessons. He wrote one powerful opera, Boris Godunov, based on Russian history. He wrote no symphonies, sonatas or concertos. His instrumental works are primarily tone poems, musical paintings. Night on Bald Mountain was written for orchestra, and Pictures at an Exhibition for piano. The piano work was later orchestrated by other musicians. These compositions were unlike any other music written at the time. The listener can almost "see" what he is hearing.

Mussorgsky's lack of musical training made him very inventive in his writing, but he was also unsure of himself in his work. Perhaps this led to his becoming an alcoholic, which was undoubtedly a factor in his early death.

Pictures at an Exhibition was written to honor Victor Hartmann, Mussorgsky's artist friend. Ten of Hartmann's paintings are represented in musical paintings, called tone poems or symphonic poems. They are connected by a theme called Promenade. The finale, The Great Gate of Kiev, (KEE-yef) was based on Hartmann's sketches for a new entrance to the city of Kiev. Kiev is an ancient Russian city called the "Mother of Cities." It was an early seat of Russian Christianity. It is on the banks of the Dnepr (NEE-per) River.