Talk:Modest Mussorgsky

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[edit] Intro revisions

Cleanup of name and dates to conform with other wiki bios (e.g. strike verbose "also spelled...")
Refer to "The Mighty Handful" and their "mission" since (1) Intro long claimed him an "innovator" without hinting why, (2) Readers, presumably here to broaden their horizons, should have an immediate reference to his contemporaries, and (3) gravitas
Added reference to folklore influence
The previous notion that only his works with lyrics ("songs and operas") had historical or nationalistic bases is false
Strengthened tone as a nationalist and in general. He's one of the most important figures in Russian music and of significant importance in the whole of musical history.

I'm not sure what to make of or do with that "For many years..." text. I don't think it quite fit the flow of the old text either.

These are fairly significant revisions to what I viewed as a stale introduction. I'm particularly interested in feedback from previous editors. CleffedUp 12:44, 2 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Portrait

Should we rather use the full portrait in this article? [1]? --Irpen 06:41, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

Good question. I like the detail (current version) as it highlights his face. --Viriditas | Talk 11:16, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

It is not fair to put a portrait of ill composer (painted in the hospital a few days before his death), even if created by a great master, to the beginning of the article. There are a lot of pictures of real Mussorgsky showing him in various periods of his life. It would be better to find another portrait or photo, and move this one to the middle or end of the article. --Yms 18:51, 10 June 2006 (UTC)

Took a cue from Yms. Added portrait of composer in his prime. Moved the invaluable (but not necessarily representative) portrait by Repin to the corresponding biographical section of the article. Hope this meets with collective approval. Ivan Velikii 22:18, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

I think that is an *excellent* decision. I hope people will stick with it. Pfistermeister

I am disappointed the decision was made to revert the main graphic for this article to the Repin portrait. Yes, as Yms pointed out, it is a great portrait by a master. It is colorful, and is used by many other reference works. But is that the way to introduce people to the great composer? Although M's alcoholic addiction is an unavoidable and necessary topic in his biography and the history of his musical output, remembering him primarily as a dishevelled drunk is unfair and overshadows his years of productivity and contibutions to music and art. Please reconsider. Ivan Velikii 17:10, 30 November 2006 (UTC)