November 12, 2018.Borodin.Russian composer Alexander Borodin was born on this day in 1833.He was the illegitimate son of a Georgian Prince Luka Gedianov and his mistress, Avdotya Antonova.Alexander was registered as a son of one of Gedianov’s serfs, Porfiry Borodin, a common practice in those days.Borodin was thus officially born a serf, so the prince had to formally free him, which he did when Alexander was seven.The prince also arranged Avdotya’s marriage to a retired army physician who died two years later.Alexander was educated by private tutors at home; when he was 13, his mother took on a boarder, Mikhail Shchiglev, and the boys became good friends. Both liked music and took piano lessons.Around that time Alexander started composing, and even had three pieces published to good reviews.He never thought of becoming a professional musician – he was interested in chemistry and at the age of 17 entered the St Petersburg Medical-Surgical Academy.Soon after graduating, he was sent to Heidelberg for advanced studies (the famous Russian chemist Dmitry Mendeleyev lived there at the time).In Heidelberg he found a thriving musical community and played regularly in cello duets and quartets.He continued composing, mostly for himself.Borodin’s scientific research brought him to many European cities; these travels broadened his musical horizons as well: in Mannheim, for example, he became acquainted with the music of Wagner, for the first time listening to Der fliegende Holländer, Tannhäuser and Lohengrin.While in Heidelberg, he met a 29-year-old Russian pianist, Yekaterina Protopopova.They fell in love and Borodin proposed.Protopopova was ill with tuberculosis, and doctors suggested that she go to Pisa, Italy.Borodin went with her and arranged for some scientific work in the city in order to stay with his fiancée.A year later, in 1862, they returned to St.-Petersburg where Borodin received a position at the Medical-Surgical Academy and married.They stayed together for the rest of his life: Borodin was first to die, at the age of 53.
While working, very successfully, as a research chemist and publishing scientific papers, Borodin met Mily Balakirev and through him César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky and the young Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.Balakirev encouraged Borodin to compose, which he did, starting on a symphony, eventually Symphony no. 1.It took Borodin six year to complete, his main preoccupation still being chemistry. Balakirev premiered the symphony in 1869; while the public liked it, many critics did not.
That year Borodin started working on his Second symphony which, after major modifications, was completed ten years later.During that time, he started, and then abandoned, working on several pieces, including the opera The Tsar’s Bride.In 1869 he began composing another opera, called Prince Igor, based on the anonymous Russian epic The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, an account of a failed raid of Prince Igor Svyatoslavich of Kievan Rus against the Polovtsians.After working on the opera for about three years, during which time he composed several sections, including the famous Polovtsian Dances, he dropped the project in 1872 to work on the Second symphony but returned to the opera two years later.He would continue working on it on and off till his death in 1887, leaving it incomplete.Later, Glazunov and Rimsky-Korsakov completed the opera: some parts were composed anew by Rimsky, some parts were reconstructed by Glazunov from memory, based on Borodin’s piano renditions which he performed for his friends.
Here’s Borodin’s Petite Suite.It was originally written for the piano, but Glazunov orchestrated it after Borodin’s death, incorporating a Scherzo, a separate piece by Borodin, as a final movement. Neeme Järvi is conducting the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
Borodin 2018
November 12, 2018. Borodin. Russian composer Alexander Borodin was born on this day in 1833. He was the illegitimate son of a Georgian Prince Luka Gedianov and his mistress, Avdotya
Antonova. Alexander was registered as a son of one of Gedianov’s serfs, Porfiry Borodin, a common practice in those days. Borodin was thus officially born a serf, so the prince had to formally free him, which he did when Alexander was seven. The prince also arranged Avdotya’s marriage to a retired army physician who died two years later. Alexander was educated by private tutors at home; when he was 13, his mother took on a boarder, Mikhail Shchiglev, and the boys became good friends. Both liked music and took piano lessons. Around that time Alexander started composing, and even had three pieces published to good reviews. He never thought of becoming a professional musician – he was interested in chemistry and at the age of 17 entered the St Petersburg Medical-Surgical Academy. Soon after graduating, he was sent to Heidelberg for advanced studies (the famous Russian chemist Dmitry Mendeleyev lived there at the time). In Heidelberg he found a thriving musical community and played regularly in cello duets and quartets. He continued composing, mostly for himself. Borodin’s scientific research brought him to many European cities; these travels broadened his musical horizons as well: in Mannheim, for example, he became acquainted with the music of Wagner, for the first time listening to Der fliegende Holländer, Tannhäuser and Lohengrin. While in Heidelberg, he met a 29-year-old Russian pianist, Yekaterina Protopopova. They fell in love and Borodin proposed. Protopopova was ill with tuberculosis, and doctors suggested that she go to Pisa, Italy. Borodin went with her and arranged for some scientific work in the city in order to stay with his fiancée. A year later, in 1862, they returned to St.-Petersburg where Borodin received a position at the Medical-Surgical Academy and married. They stayed together for the rest of his life: Borodin was first to die, at the age of 53.
While working, very successfully, as a research chemist and publishing scientific papers, Borodin met Mily Balakirev and through him César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky and the young Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Balakirev encouraged Borodin to compose, which he did, starting on a symphony, eventually Symphony no. 1. It took Borodin six year to complete, his main preoccupation still being chemistry. Balakirev premiered the symphony in 1869; while the public liked it, many critics did not.
That year Borodin started working on his Second symphony which, after major modifications, was completed ten years later. During that time, he started, and then abandoned, working on several pieces, including the opera The Tsar’s Bride. In 1869 he began composing another opera, called Prince Igor, based on the anonymous Russian epic The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, an account of a failed raid of Prince Igor Svyatoslavich of Kievan Rus against the Polovtsians. After working on the opera for about three years, during which time he composed several sections, including the famous Polovtsian Dances, he dropped the project in 1872 to work on the Second symphony but returned to the opera two years later. He would continue working on it on and off till his death in 1887, leaving it incomplete. Later, Glazunov and Rimsky-Korsakov completed the opera: some parts were composed anew by Rimsky, some parts were reconstructed by Glazunov from memory, based on Borodin’s piano renditions which he performed for his friends.
Here’s Borodin’s Petite Suite. It was originally written for the piano, but Glazunov orchestrated it after Borodin’s death, incorporating a Scherzo, a separate piece by Borodin, as a final movement. Neeme Järvi is conducting the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.