Essential Borodin
The illegitimate son of a Russian prince and a chemist by training, Alexander Borodin (1833-1887) became one of the leading members of 'The Five', a group of Russian nationalist composers active towards the end of the 19th century.
Read more…Like fellow members of 'The Five' (aka 'The Mighty Handful'), Borodin spiced his own memorable melodies with folk tunes – and orchestrated with arresting brilliance. His interest in folk music also led to famous depictions of the exotic, not least in the Polovtsian Dances from his unfinished opera 'Prince Igor'. But Borodin was also the composer of fine symphonies, as well as a string quartet whose slow movement provided the tune for one of the most famous songs from the hit musical 'Kismet', which borrowed melodic material from some eleven Borodin scores.