Alexander Borodin

Short biography Alexander Porfyryevich Borodin was born on 12 November 1833 in St Petersburg, the illegitimate son of the Georgian prince Luka Stepanovich Gedianov. He displayed exceptional gifts from an early age, both in music and in the natural sciences, and ultimately pursued a career as a chemist: from 1856 he taught at the Medico-Surgical Academy in St Petersburg, where he later became a professor. He deepened his musical training from 1862 under Mily Balakirev, after which he devoted himself seriously to composition. Since Borodin consistently gave priority to his scientific career, his compositional output grew comparatively slowly and remained in part unfinished; he died on 27 February 1887 in St Petersburg.

Historical placement Borodin belongs to the Romantic era and is one of the central figures of Russian nationalism in nineteenth-century music. As a member of the group known as 'The Mighty Handful' (Moguchaya kuchka), he joined Balakirev, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and César Cui in striving for a distinctively Russian musical language beyond the academic conventions of Western Europe. Stylistically, his work is characterised by incisive rhythms, modal melodic material with Oriental influences, and a distinctive harmonic richness. His contribution to music history lies above all in his fusion of Russian-national and Orientalising soundscapes, which exerted a lasting influence on subsequent composers.

Personal connections Mily Balakirev was Borodin's most important compositional mentor and introduced him to the circle of nationalist Russian composers. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was a close friend and fellow member of 'The Mighty Handful'; after Borodin's death he completed the unfinished opera *Fürst Igor* together with Alexander Glazunov. Alexander Glazunov likewise contributed to the posthumous completion and publication of Borodin's unfinished works. César Cui was a further colleague and member of 'The Mighty Handful', with whom Borodin maintained a close professional exchange.

Important works
Sinfonie Nr. 1 e-Moll – Symphony (1867)
Sinfonie Nr. 2 h-Moll – Symphony (1876)
Sinfonie Nr. 3 a-Moll (unfinished) – Symphony (posthumous)
Streichquartett Nr. 1 A-Dur – Chamber music (1879)
Streichquartett Nr. 2 D-Dur – Chamber music (1881)
Fürst Igor (Knjaz Igor, unfinished) – Opera (posthumous 1890)
In den Steppen Zentralasiens (V srednej Asii) – Symphonic picture (1880)
Petite Suite – Piano music (1885)
Streichsextett d-Moll (Fragment) – Chamber music (not reliably complete)