The Five

12 November

November 12th

Thomas Pitts Asia, Europe, Music, Russia Borodin, November, String Quartet No. 2, The Five

Alexander Borodin 12 November 1833 - 27 February 1887

String Quartet No. 2 III. Notturno

Alexander Borodin
By Unknown author – http://www.rsc.org/diversity/175-faces/all-faces/alexander-borodin/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79624560

Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin was born on 12 November 1833 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He was both a composer and a chemist. Borodin is best known for his music, especially his opera Prince Igor and the symphonic poem In the Steppes of Central Asia. He was part of a group of composers known as “The Five,” who aimed to create distinctly Russian classical music.

Although he loved music, Borodin’s main profession was in medicine and science. He contributed significantly to organic chemistry and even founded the School of Medicine for Women in Saint Petersburg. He taught there until 1885. Unfortunately, the demands of his career and his health issues meant he had little time for composing later in life. Borodin died suddenly on 27 February 1887 while attending a ball.

In addition to his scientific achievements, Borodin’s music remains influential today. His works have been performed widely and have inspired many modern composers.

21 March

March 21st

Thomas Pitts Asia, Europe, Music, Russia March, Mussorgsky, The Five

Modest Mussorgsky 21 March [O.S. * 9 March] 1839 – 28 March [O.S. 16 March] 1881

Pictures at an Exhibition

Modest Mussorgsky
By Self-scanned, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4050848

Modest Mussorgsky was a Russian composer known for his bold, innovative style and works deeply rooted in Russian history and folklore. A member of the nationalist group known as The Five, he sought to create a distinctly Russian musical identity, rejecting Western European influences.

Born into an aristocratic family, Mussorgsky initially pursued a military career before dedicating himself fully to music. His compositions often featured unconventional harmonies, vivid orchestration, and dramatic storytelling. His most famous works include Pictures at an Exhibition, originally written for piano and later orchestrated by Maurice Ravel, Night on Bald Mountain, and the opera Boris Godunov, which remains a cornerstone of Russian opera.

Despite his talent, Mussorgsky struggled with financial instability and alcoholism, which led to an erratic career and an untimely death at 42. Many of his works were left incomplete or revised by other composers, particularly Rimsky-Korsakov, who edited and orchestrated several of Mussorgsky’s compositions. Despite this, his music had a lasting impact, influencing later Russian composers such as Stravinsky and Shostakovich. Today, Mussorgsky is celebrated for his ability to capture Russian history, folk traditions, and psychological depth in music, making him one of the most distinctive composers of the 19th century.

*Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, they refer to the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries between 1582 and 1923.

18 March

March 18th

Thomas Pitts Asia, Europe, Music, Russia March, Rimsky-Korsakov, The Five

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov 18 March 1844 – 21 June 1908

Sadko Chanson Hindu

Scheherezade Op.35 Lento - Adagio

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
By Valentin Serov – The Yorck Project (2002) 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM), distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. ISBN: 3936122202., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156413980

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer famous for his colourful and imaginative music. He was part of a group called The Five, who wanted to create a unique Russian style of classical music.

Although he started his career in the navy, music was his true passion. He became a professor at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, where he taught many future famous composers.

Rimsky-Korsakov is best known for pieces like Scheherazade, Flight of the Bumblebee, and Capriccio Espagnol. His music often told stories and used rich orchestral sounds, making it exciting and magical to listen to.

18 January

January 18th

Thomas Pitts Asia, Europe, Music, Russia Cui, January, The Five

César Cui 18 January [O.S. * 6 January] 1835 – 26 March 1918

À Argenteau, collection of 9 characteristic pieces, Op. 40 5 selections orchestrated as Suite No. 4

César Cui
by Unknown author – Published on p. 118 of What We Hear in Music in 1913[1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=137059

César Cui was a Russian composer, music critic, and part of The Five, a group that worked to create music with a Russian style. He also had a successful career in the army, becoming a high-ranking officer and writing books about military fortifications.

Cui wrote many types of music, including songs, music for small groups of instruments, and operas. He is best known for his art songs like The Statue at Tsarskoye Selo and The Burnt Letter, based on poems by Pushkin. He also wrote operas, such as Puss in Boots and The Captain’s Daughter, which mix Russian and European styles.

Although not as famous as some of his peers in The Five, Cui’s music is praised for its beautiful melodies and ability to capture emotion, especially in his songs and piano pieces. His work shows a different side of Russian music in the 19th century.