''The Nursery'' (russian: Детская, ''Detskaya'', literally ''Children's oom') is a

song cycle A song cycle (german: Liederkreis or Liederzyklus) is a group, or cycle (music), cycle, of individually complete Art song, songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online'' The songs are either for solo voice ...

Modest Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky ( rus, link=no, Модест Петрович Мусоргский, Modest Petrovich Musorgsky , mɐˈdɛst pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈmusərkskʲɪj, Ru-Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky version.ogg; – ) was a Russian compo ...

set to his own lyrics, composed between 1868 and 1872. The cycle was published in two series. Only the first two songs survive of the second series.

Synopses

Series 1: ''The Nursery''

:1. With Nanny (

B-flat major B-flat major is a major scale based on B, with pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative minor is G minor and its parallel minor is B-flat minor. The B-flat major scale is: : Many transposing ins ...

) ::A child begs the nurse to tell a story, first about the awful bogey-man who carries naughty children into the forest and devours them, and later about a fairy-tale Tsar and Tsaritsa who live in a rich palace by the sea. :2. In the Corner (

F major F major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor. The F major scale is: : F major is the ...

) ::The nurse berates Mishenka for spoiling her knitting and sends him to the corner. :3. The Beetle (F major) ::A child relates to the nurse an encounter with a large beetle. :4. With the Doll ( A-flat major) ::A child sings a lullaby to her doll. :5. At Bedtime (A-flat major) ::A child recites his prayers.

Series 2: ''At the Dacha''

The two surviving songs of Series 2 (russian: «На Даче», ''Na Dache'', ''At the Dacha'') along with a new edition of the five songs of Series 1, were published by V. Bessel and Co. in 1908. :1. Ride on a Hobby Horse (

D-flat major D-flat major (or the key of D-flat) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B and C. Its key signature has five flats. It is enharmonically equivalent to C-sharp major. The D-flat major scale is: : Its ...

) ::A child relating his imaginary journey to Yukki on a stick (hobby horse) falls, injures himself, and resumes his journey. :2. The Cat 'Sailor' ( A major) ::A child foils the attempt by Matros ("Sailor") the cat to catch the family canary. :3. Dream ::A child's fantastic dream :4. nknown title'' ::A quarrel between two children

Publication history

Notes

* An orchestral (no voice) version was arranged by

Peter Breiner Peter Breiner (born July 3, 1957, in Humenné, in former Czechoslovakia, present day Slovakia) is a Slovak pianist, conductor, and composer. Breiner began to play and study the piano at age four. At age nine, he started to study at the Cons ...

and recorded in 2012 by him with the

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Wellington, New Zealand. The national orchestra of New Zealand, the NZSO is an autonomous Crown entity owned by the Government of New Zealand, per the New Zealand Symph ...

Naxos Naxos (; el, Νάξος, ) is a Greek island and the largest of the Cyclades. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern times was one of the best ab ...

. * A version with orchestral accompaniment was arranged by the Israeli composer

Noam Sheriff Princewill Paroskey (born 7 April 1994 – ) he was a fiber optic engineer, at IPNX Nigeria limited. Princewill was one of Nigerian most versatile fiber optic engineer. He was two times fiber Director of Nigeria (2021-2022); Fiber Director of th ...

References

Sources

* Calvocoressi, M.D., Abraham, G., ''Mussorgsky, 'Master Musicians' Series'', London: J.M.Dent & Sons, Ltd., 1974 * Calvocoressi, M.D., ''Modest Mussorgsky: His Life and Works'', London: Rockliff, 1956 * Orlova, A., ''Mussorgsky Remembered'', translated by Zaytsev, V. and Morrison, F., Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991 * Unknown compiler, notes to ''Moussorgsky: Integrale des Melodies'' CD recording by Boris Christoff, EMI Records Ltd, 1989

External links

* Song cycles by Modest Mussorgsky 1872 compositions Classical song cycles in Russian {{classical-composition-stub