Alexander Borodin
Russian Romantic chemist-composer famed for opera and orchestral tone poems
1833
1887
Russian
Romantic
Prince Igor, In the Steppes of Central Asia
Early life
Alexander Borodin was born on 12 November 1833 in Saint Petersburg, the illegitimate son of a Georgian prince, Luka Gedevanishvili, who registered the boy as the son of one of his serfs. Borodin showed early aptitude for both music and science, learning the piano, flute, and cello as a child while simultaneously excelling in chemistry. He studied at the Medico-Surgical Academy in Saint Petersburg, graduating in 1856, and subsequently spent three years in Western Europe on a research fellowship, during which he encountered the music of Schumann and Mendelssohn.
Career and major works
Upon his return to Russia in 1862, Borodin was appointed professor of chemistry at the Medico-Surgical Academy, a post he held for the rest of his life. That same year he met Mily Balakirev, who recognised his compositional talent and drew him into the circle of nationalist composers known as 'The Mighty Handful' (or 'The Five'), alongside Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Cui. Borodin's major works include his Symphony No. 2 in B minor (1876), a powerful and richly orchestrated piece that Liszt championed in Western Europe; the tone poem In the Steppes of Central Asia (1880); and his unfinished opera Prince Igor, which contains the celebrated Polovtsian Dances. His two completed string quartets, particularly the Second in D major with its famous Nocturne, are cornerstones of the chamber repertoire.
Musical style and legacy
Borodin's music is characterised by sweeping, lyrical melodies, bold harmonic colours, and a distinctive blend of Russian and Central Asian flavours that reflect his fascination with the vast landscapes of the Russian Empire. His orchestration is vivid and assured, belying his status as a part-time composer. Because chemistry consumed the majority of his working hours, his musical output was small but remarkably concentrated in quality. He died suddenly on 27 February 1887 at a faculty ball in Saint Petersburg. Prince Igor was completed posthumously by Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov, ensuring that Borodin's operatic masterpiece reached the stage.