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Alexander Borodin

A chemistry professor who wrote the steppes and the Polovtsian Dances

RomanticSymphonyString Quartet

Who he was

Alexander Borodin (1833–1887) was born in St Petersburg, the illegitimate son of a Georgian prince, and took his surname from one of his father's household serfs. His main profession was chemistry: he studied medicine, earned a doctorate and taught chemistry at the Medico-Surgical Academy, composing only in his spare time. He belonged to Balakirev's circle, later called the Mighty Handful. Prince Igor remained unfinished after eighteen years and was completed by Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov.

His place

He is one of the central figures of the Russian national school. Unlike a professional composer, his music carries a laboratory patience and an amateur's freedom: nothing is rushed, yet the phrases are often extraordinarily beautiful. His Second Symphony is nicknamed the Bogatyr, and In the Steppes of Central Asia draws a landscape in sound.

What to hear

Listen first for oriental melody: the women's tune in the Polovtsian Dances is broad and decorated, the steppe as Russia imagined it. Then static harmony: In the Steppes hardly develops themes at all, creating distance through pedal notes and shifting colour. Next, irregular accents: the dances contain passages that refuse to stay in four. Finally, chamber lyricism: the slow movement of the Second Quartet was later arranged for solo instruments, so long is its line.

Key works

Influence

His harmony and scoring shaped Rimsky-Korsakov and the French school, and the Polovtsian Dances remain among the most memorable Russian tunes in the concert hall. He proved that an amateur's status need not stand in the way of professional music.

Listen in the library

Polovtsian DancesC12:26《波罗维茨舞曲》——《伊戈尔王》里的草原舞会，听女声旋律怎样在粗犷的合唱之间浮起（C1）DetailsPolovtsian DancesC11:33《波罗维茨舞曲》的另一份改编——同一首舞曲换了织体，可对照听配器怎样改变气味（C1）DetailsIn the Steppes of Central AsiaC16:56《在中亚细亚草原上》——不靠主题发展，而靠持续音与色彩变化画出距离，像一幅慢慢展开的地图（C1）DetailsScherzoC12:59钢琴谐谑曲——短小的键盘作品，听俄罗斯式的重音与突然的转调怎样在几页纸里出现（C1）Details

All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).

Sources

  • 鲍罗丁生平、化学教职与五人团关系，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Borodin, Aleksandr"；本文为原创表述
  • 《伊戈尔王》的续完过程与《在中亚细亚草原上》的背景，参通行鲍罗丁研究；实例 why 为本站听辨提示

Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.