Borodin, Aleksandr

(1833-1887)

Russian composer and chemist, one of the first Russian composers to gain an international reputation.

Born in St Petersburg, he studied medicine and chemistry at the Medico-Surgical Academy in the city and was appointed to the chair of chemistry. Borodin published several important research papers on aldehydes and amarines.

In 1872 he helped found a medical school for women. Borodin found time for musical composition as a recreation. His musical studies had begun early, and at the age of 13 he wrote a flute concerto. Later he joined the circle of the Russian composer Mily Balakirev and became known as one of The Five (with Balakirev, Cui, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov), a group of nationally conscious Russian composers. He composed the first work for which he is well known, the First Symphony in E Flat, in 1862-1867.

 In 1869 he began the opera Prince Igor, working with a libretto based on the epic The Story of Igor's Army, but soon left the opera and incorporated some of the finished sections in his Second Symphony in B Minor (1869-1876). He then resumed work on the opera; still unfinished at his death, it was orchestrated and completed by the Russian composers Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov and Aleksandr Glazunov.

 Borodin's other major works include the opera The Bogatirs (1867); a musical picture, On the Steppes of Central Asia (1880); two string quartets (1874-1879; 1881); and a score of songs.