Biography and Chief Works of 

Alexander Borodin

1833.

• Born in St Petersburg (now Leningrad).  Father a Prince.  Brought up by mother.  

• Given good education at home, and learnt German, French, English and Italian.  

• Equally interested and gifted in science and music.

1850.

• Went to medical school.  Particularly interested in chemistry; but continued to enjoy music and to compose it in his spare time.

1856.

• Finished medical course and served in a military hospital.  Met Moussorgsky.

1859.

• Sent to Western Europe to study chemistry.

1861.

• Met a Russian pianist in Germany, and fell in love with her.  Heard Wagner operas together.  They went on to Italy, where he continued to study chemistry and to compose music in his spare time.

1862.

• Appointed professor of chemistry in St Petersburg, where he continued to work as a chemist for the rest of his life.  Married the pianist, and was very happy with her.

• Met Balakirev, who made him aware of his Russian musical heritage, and stimulated him to compose his first symphony in Eь.  Finished in 1867 and performed in 1868.  Became one of "the five".  From now onwards followed both professions.

 1869.

• Adopted a 7-year-old girl.  Began a second symphony in B minor, and the opera 'Prince Igor'.  Helped to found medical school for women.

1876.

• Second symphony performed, after re-orchestrating two movements of which he had lost the score.  

• Went to visit laboratories in Germany, and met Liszt.  'Prince Igor' still unfinished, and was left entirely untouched from 1881 to 1886.

1880.

• Liszt arranged performance of Eь symphony and 'In the Steppes of Central Asia' in Western Europe, and fame began to spread.  

• Heart trouble and an attack of cholera undermined his health, and left little time for music.

1885.

• Visited Belgium and Paris, and met Liszt again at Weimar.

1886.

• Began a third symphony - never finished.

1887.

• Made further sketches for 'Prince Igor', but never finished it. Had a heart attack at a fancy dress ball, and died immediately.

Handsome, modest and kind.  Trying to follow two professions probably contributed to his early death.  

Had no time to write much music, and what he did write was frequently "improved" by well-meaning friends, such as Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazounov, both before and after his death.  

They finished his third symphony and 'Prince Igor', and changed many of his completed works, usually to their detriment.  Lyrical style, combined with bold Russian coloring and harmonies.

Operas: 

'Prince Igor' (left unfinished); 2 other operas (one being unfinished); and an unfinished act for a ballet.

Three symphonies (third unfinished); tone poem, 'In the Steppes of Central Asia'.

Chamber music, including 2 fine string quartets.

Fourteen songs, some to his own words.

A few piano pieces.