Born in a landowner family, Modest Mussorgsky learned his first lessons in piano from his mother. When he turned nine, Mussorgsky had already started performing for family and friends. The very next year, he was admitted to St. Peter's School and then went ahead to publish a piano piece called Porte-enseigne Polka, which was funded by his father. The family tradition of military service was carried on by Mussorgsky, as he joined the Cadet School of the Guards at age of 13. There he continued to take piano lessons with the General's daughter. He graduated from the school in 1856. While in service, he developed friendship with Alexander Borodin and Alexander Dargomyzhsky, the famous Russian composers who had a deep impact on his musical career.  Mussorgsky decided to devote his life to music in 1858, he joined Mikhail Glinka's opera A Life for the Tsar. He produced a four-hand piano sonata  in 1860 which was his only movement in sonata form. By this time, he had finished his studies. In the same year, he began to work on an opera called Salammbo on which he spent three years of his life. But, his musical career came to a standstill after his mother died in 1865. This led him into alcoholism. In 1867, he finished Night on Bald Mountain which was his most famous composition. During 1868-1869, he composed an opera describing the life of the Tsars which was rejected by Mariinsky Theatre. Later, he made a few changes to the opera and the new version was accepted in May, 1872.  His alcoholism made him drift away from his circle of friends and worsened his situation in later life. His later year's compositions include Sunless and Khovanschina. Though his physical condition improved for some weeks, he soon passed away on March 28, 1881, a week after his 42nd birthday. What happened in Mussorgsky's later life?
He gave up his musical career. His physical condition improved a lot. He lost many friends He made his greatest achievements