How Borodin managed to find time for music remains a mystery, but in 1864 he met Balakirev, and through him César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov. In this way he became a member of 'The   more...Five' who were also sometimes called 'The Mighty Handful', who took over and developed the ideas and methods of the two founders of Russian music, Glinka and Dargomïzhsky. They started the Free Music Academy, advocating music education for everyone, in opposition to the "official" Academy of Music in St. Petersburg, founded by Anton Rubenstein and supported by the imperial government. As nationalism swept across the European continent and elsewhere, the Mighty Five, along with artists and musicians all over Russia, wanted to create art and music that was distinctly Russian, turning away from the influences of Western Europe. While many composers at the time, like Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, drew on Russian folk melodies for inspiration, Borodin did not; but he related his music to images of Russian places and themes.  less

Like many Russian composers of the late 19th century, Alexander Borodin was not a professional musician. He was trained as a doctor and chemist, and was appointed a professor of chemistry in the St. Petersburg   more...Medical School at the age of 31. While there he published important research papers on the group of organic chemicals called aldehydes, and helped found a medical school for women.

He was slow to write music, since he had to squeeze it into the gaps between his working schedule and looking after his family, which comprised an ill wife, several other relatives, and a large number of cats. His second symphony took so long to write (7 years) that his friends gave him an ashtray in the shape of a tortoise.

His opera Prince Igor was left unfinished at his death, when it was completed by Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov. But the exciting Polovtsian Dances were all his own work. The Prince, having been captured by the Mongol chief Khan Konchak, is entertained by his musicians and dancing girls in a series of brilliant and exciting dances.  less

Son Of Denechek - Aleksandr.(See: Baby being held in music video...) Exotic Russian Hip Hop video. Cheapoair: Air Tickets

The son of Dr. Denechek born of war and strife... Beware ALEKSANDR...