Borodin

Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin (1833–1887) was a Russian composer and chemist known for his role in the nationalist movement of 19th‑century Russian music. He was a member of The Five, a circle of composers who pursued a distinctly Russian musical idiom rather than imitating Western European styles.

Borodin also pursued an academic career in chemistry. He studied medicine and chemistry and spent much of his professional life teaching at the Medico-Chirurgical Academy in Saint Petersburg, where he conducted research in organic chemistry. His dual careers meant he wrote music steadily but often alongside his scientific work.

His best‑known works include the opera Prince Igor, the orchestral piece In the Steppes of Central Asia, and the Polovtsian Dances, which from Prince Igor have entered the orchestral repertoire. His music commonly uses folk tunes and modal scales, blending Western craft with Russian folk influences and themes.

Borodin died in Saint Petersburg in 1887. Prince Igor was left unfinished at his death and was completed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for the first production in 1890. Borodin’s contributions to both science and music helped shape late 19th‑century Russian culture, and his works continued to influence later composers in the nationalist tradition.