Alexander Borodin
A chemist by day and a composer by passion, he wove the vastness of the Russian steppe into lush, timeless symphonies and operas.
1833–1887 (age 54)·Russian Romantic composer and chemist·Birthday: November 12
Biography
Alexander Borodin lived a double life of extraordinary achievement. By profession, he was a respected chemist and professor, a founder of medical courses for women in St. Petersburg. By obsession, he was a self-taught musical genius. As a key member of 'The Mighty Handful'—a group dedicated to creating a distinctly Russian sound—Borodin composed not for a living, but for love. His output was slow, squeezed between lectures and lab work, yet it was monumental. His symphonies thrum with epic grandeur, while 'In the Steppes of Central Asia' paints a vivid, nomadic soundscape. His unfinished opera 'Prince Igor', completed after his death by Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov, contains the thrillingly rhythmic 'Polovtsian Dances'. Borodin's music feels both ancient and immediate, a bridge between European classical forms and the soul of the Eurasian plains, all created in the stolen hours of a scientific mind.
#1 When Alexander Was Born
The biggest hits of 1833
Alexander's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1833Born
1838Started school
1846Became a teenager
1849Could drive
1851Could vote
1854Turned 21
1863Turned 30
President: Abraham Lincoln
1873Turned 40
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1883Turned 50
President: Chester A. Arthur
1887Died at 54
President: Grover Cleveland
Key Achievements
- Composed the symphonic sketch 'In the Steppes of Central Asia', a staple of the Romantic orchestral repertoire.
- Was a principal member of 'The Five', a group defining a nationalistic Russian school of classical composition.
- Wrote two symphonies and two string quartets celebrated for their melodic richness and harmonic innovation.
- His opera 'Prince Igor', featuring the 'Polovtsian Dances', was posthumously completed and staged to great acclaim.
Did You Know?
He was a legitimate chemist and published notable research on aldehydes.
He was an advocate for women's education and helped establish the School of Medicine for Women in St. Petersburg.
The Broadway musical 'Kismet' is almost entirely based on melodies from Borodin's compositions.
He died suddenly at a costume ball, collapsing from a heart attack while dancing.
“I am a composer in my spare time, between my experiments and my lectures.”
