of the medieval ages. Based on
Russian history of about the middle of the seventeenth century, when
an adventurous regent ascends the throne and when the court is full of
intrigues, its theme stands apart from all other operas. The music is
more or less, like many of Moussorgsky's songs, written in imitation
of the old folk-songs, folk dances, ceremonial chants, and festival
tunes. Foreign critics have considered the opera as a piece
constructed of folk melodies. But this is not the case. There is not a
single folk melody in Boris Godounoff, every phrase is the original
creation of Moussorgsky."[323]

[Footnote 323: Quoted from the _Art of Music_, Vol. III.]

In concluding this account of Russian music let the statement be
repeated that only by a thorough knowledge of the life and character
of this strange yet gifted people can their music be understood. It is
necessary therefore to become acquainted with Russian literature and
pictorial art--with the works of Gogol, Tolstoi and Dostoyevsky and
the paintings of Perov and Veretschagin. In this way only will be made
clear what is otherwise inexplicable--the depth and sincerity of the
Russian soul.

The other two prominent national schools in modern times are the
Bohemian and Scandinavian. Although from neither of these have we
products at all comparable in breadth; or depth of meaning with those
of the Russian school, yet each has its note of exotic individuality
and hence deserves recognition. The Bohemian School centres about the
achievements of Fibich, Smetana[324] and Dvo[vr]ak, and its prevalent
characteristics are the variety of dance rhythms (Bohemia having no
less than forty national dances) together with the peculiarly novel
harmonic and modulatory scheme. The dances best known outside of
Bohemia are the _Polka_[325] and the _Furiant_; the former being used
so frequently by Smetana and Dvo[vr]ak that it has attained an
international status. The first of the above group, Fibich
(1850-1900), was a composer of marked versatility--there being extant
over seven hundred works in every form--and no little originality.
Many of his pianoforte pieces have distinct charm and atmosphere and
should be better known. Fibich was strongly influenced by Schumann,
and there is found in his music the same note of fantastic freedom
prominent in the German master. But the first impression of Bohemian
music upon the world in general was made by Smetana (1824-1884). An
ardent follo