If you wanted to find Alexander Borodin (1833-1887) during the day, you’d fine him lecturing on chemistry at the Imperial Medical Academy in St. Petersburg. Alex, along with such figures as Ehrlenmeyer and Kekule, was among the greatest organic chemists of his era. If he had never composed a note, his reputation would rest solidly on that.
At night and on weekends, you’d find him sitting in his music room at home composing. His best known piece is the ballet suite from his opera “Prince Igor”
Borodin: “Polovtsian Dances” from “Prince Igor”
His Quintet for Piano and Strings in C minor is rarely performed, but it’s quintessentially Russian. Borodin was one of “The Five”, a group of major Russian composers who moved their music away from its German and Italian roots to something nationalistically Russian.
The first movement, marked andante, starts out a lot like Rachmaninov, who came two generations later, with the sound of church bells on the piano. It has a fine little first subject in C minor which leads into a second subject in E-flat Major. The bell effects return for the development in block chords.
Borodin: Piano Quintet in C minor, first movement
The second movement is a Russian dance movement, a scherzo marked allegro non troppo, set up with a lot of counterpoint. The translation is “quick, but not too much”. It’s a lot of fun.
Borodin: Piano Quintet in C minor, second movement
The finale, marked allegro moderato, is enjoyable. You think it’s going to end heroically, but he fools you at the end.
Easy listening while I do homework. Thanks, Publius.