338 MUSIC AND LETTERS

at the Conservatoire, at least heard that opera by Rimsky-Korsakov

three years before his first visit to Russia.
Furthermore, according to Schaeffner (to whom I am indebted
for most of the facts and dates in this article), the Paris Con-
servatoire as early as 1874 received a parcel of twenty-seven scores
by Russian composers, including practically the complete works
of Glinka; 'Sadko' and 'The Maid of Pskov' by Rimsky-Korsakov;
Tchaikovsky's 'Oprichnik'; various works by Dargomizhsky, Cui,
Serov, Liadov, etc., and, last but not least Mussorgsky's 'Boris
Godunov',3 (As 'Boris' only had its first performance in St. Peters-
burg in 1874, the Conservatoire was fortunate in acquiring a copy
of the score so promptly.) Can we not, then, assume that Debussy,

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whose curiosity and eagerness to get to know "new" music, especially
as a young man, is vouched for by those who knew him best, almost
certainly had access to the score of 'Boris' in the Conservatoire
Library, which he is known to have frequented in his student days?
According to Robert Godet in his 'En marge de Boris Godounov'
the copy brought home by Saint-Saens after his concert tour in
Russia in 1876 was the only one Debussy could have seen at that
time, but Godet evidently overlooked or was unaware of the fact
that the Conservatoire had had a copy in its possession since 1874,
and that therefore Debussy had very probably at least seen the score
before Godet, in 1885, passed on to him the one he had received
from Saint-Saens via Jules-de Brayer.
With Godet, the Swiss journalist, de Brayer was one of
Mussorgsky's earliest champions in France as well as being closely
associated at one time with Debussy. He had been for some years
organist of Chartres Cathedral and later collaborated with Lamoureux
in the administration of his concerts. He was also in close touch with
Pierre d'Alheim, the author of the first book on Mussorgsky to be
published in France* and dedicated to de Brayer. The latter's
enthusiasm for 'Boris' led him to transcribe for the organ a fragment
from the opera which he played on the Trocadero organ at the close
of the 1878 Exhibition; and this, strangely enough, was actually the
first public performance in France of a work by Mussorgsky. It
would indeed be surprising if Debussy was not present on that
occasion.
1878 was also the year in which Nicolas Rubinstein conducted
four concerts of Russian music in Paris, the composers represented
3 The Conservatoire Library received another hundred scores after the Exhibition of
1889 and fifty more at the end of 1893.
4 Ed. Mercure de France, 1896.