Composer

:

Modest Mussorgsky

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song: Art Song

Compose Date

:

1868 - 1872

Average_duration

:

15:57

Movement_count

:

7

Movement ....

Modest Mussorgsky's 'The Nursery' is a song cycle composed in 1868-1869. It was premiered in 1872, after the composer's death, by his friend and fellow composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The cycle consists of ten songs, each of which depicts a different scene from a child's nursery. The first song, 'With Nanny', is a lullaby sung by a nanny to a child. The second song, 'The Beetle', is a playful and humorous depiction of a child's fascination with a beetle. The third song, 'With the Doll', is a tender and melancholic portrayal of a child's relationship with a doll. The fourth song, 'The Hobby-Horse', is a lively and energetic depiction of a child riding a hobby-horse. The fifth song, 'The Sick Doll', is a poignant and emotional portrayal of a child's sadness over a sick doll. The sixth song, 'The New Doll', is a joyful and excited depiction of a child receiving a new doll. The seventh song, 'The Peasant's Song', is a rustic and earthy portrayal of a child's fascination with a peasant's song. The eighth song, 'The Cat and the Mouse', is a playful and mischievous depiction of a cat chasing a mouse. The ninth song, 'The Little Bird', is a tender and delicate portrayal of a child's fascination with a little bird. The final song, 'On the Hobby-Horse', is a reprise of the fourth song, but with a more subdued and melancholic tone. Overall, 'The Nursery' is characterized by its simple and direct melodies, its vivid and evocative depictions of childhood scenes, and its emotional depth and sensitivity. It is a masterpiece of Russian art song, and a testament to Mussorgsky's unique and innovative musical style.

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