Alexander Borodin, 1833–1887

 

Chamber Music

 

CD 1 65’37

String Quartet No.1 in A

Piano Quintet in C minor

 

CD 2 60’17

String Quartet No.2 in D

String Quintet in F minor

Alexander Mndoiantz, piano  

Alexander Gotthelf, cello

Moscow String Quartet

Alexander Detisov /Alexander Gelfat, violins

Igor Suliga, viola

Alexander Osokin, cello

 

CD 3 56’24

Sextet in D minor

Alexander Detisov / Alexander Polonsky, violins

Igor Suliga /Alexander Bobrovsky, violas

Alexander Osokin / Alexander Gotthelf, cellos

Trio in G minor for two violins and cello on a Russian song 7’04

‘What have I done to hurt you?’

Trio in G for two violins and cello

Alexander Detisov / Alexander Polonsky, violins

Alexander Osokin, cello

Piano Trio in D

Moscow Trio

Alexander Bonduriansky, piano

Vladimir Ivanov, violin

Mikhail Utkin, cello

 

Alexander Mndoiantz, piano

Alexander Gotthelf, cello

Moscow String Quartet

 

Comprehensive booklet notes

 

Recording made in 1995

 

All Russian players who are steeped in experience of this repertoire.

 

Very few collections of the Borodin chamber works are available.

 

Alexander Borodin (1833–87) was one of those composers who did something else for a living. He was a highly respected research chemist who published over 40 scientific works  and composed in his spare time. Borodin met Balakirev in 1862, and became part of the collective of Russian composers called ‘The Mighty Handful’ – with Balakirev, Cui, Mussorgsky and Rimsky Korsakov. Out of the five, Borodin was the most disposed to chamber music, and had composed quite a significant body of work before his meeting with Balakirev. These works are of an astonishing quality, and it is remarkable to consider that he was almost self taught. He studied the works of Spohr, Onslow, and Boccherini as a youngster, and as a keen cellist, the chamber works of these composers no doubt provided the inspiration for his String Quintet – probably the first by a Russian composer.

 

The undoubted masterpiece though is his Second String Quartet, one of the most famous and best loved works in the genre. The famous third movement Notturno was used for the song ‘And this is my Beloved’ from the 1953 Broadway musical Kismet, based entirely on Borodin’s music. For those who know only his Second Symphony, and the dances from his opera Prince Igor, this set provides a fascinating opportunity to explore another aspect of this fabulously gifted composer, containing many lesser known works that deserve to be better known.

 

Brilliant Classics 3 cds 93973