Russian composer Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev was the organizer and leader of ‘The Five’ or 'The Mighty Handful' group of Russian composers including Modest Mussorgsky, César Cui, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Borodin. He also helped establish St. Petersburg's Free School of Music.
Balakirev (January 2, 1837-May 29, 1837), was born at Nizhny-Novgorod, Russia, a son of a low-ranking civil servant. Most of what he knew he learned from the music library and private orchestra of the landowner Aleksandr Ulibishev, although his musical education began with his mother’s piano tuition.
He studied mathematics at the university of Kazan, at the same time took music composition seriously. Two years later, at 18, he went to St. Petersburg, met and worked with Mikhail Glinka, considered 'father of Russian music." He began to form the group of nationalist musicians in 1861, and even influenced Piotr Tchaikovsky to some extent.
It was during this period that his contacts widen, including meeting Rimsky-Korsakov and the other 'The Mighty Handful' members. He played the piano before the Tsar, he also established the Free School of Music in St. Petersburg which stressed the nationalism, and formalising the 'The Five' group of talented Russian composers.
In 1871, he had a nervous breakdown and withdrew from private life where he resorted to become a railway official and turned to religious mysticism. However, he continued to teach music. He re-emerged after twelve years, began to compose again, and also became director of the Imperial Court Chapel. He retired with a pension in 1895 and died in St. Petersburg.
He wrote orchestral works including his most famous fantasy Islamey, a compendium of Romantic styles epitomizing the instrumental writing of the Russian nationalists. The fiery piano music of this oriental fantasy evokes exotic and magical worlds taking us to Asia and the Middle East that has fascinated many Russian composers, 'The Five' and all the others who shared there enthusiasm. Mily Balakierv dedicated Islamey to his close friend, the great Russian pianist Nikolai Rubinstein, brother of composer Anton Rubinstein.
Balakirev's Works
- Fantasia for piano, on themes from Glinka's A Life for the Tsar, 1854
- Incidental music to Shakespeare's King Lear, 1858
- Symphonic poem Russia, 1864 (later revised)
- Symphonic poem Tamara, 1867 (later revised)
- Musical picture, '1,000 Years', 1869
- Oriental fantasy for piano, Islamey, 1869
- Symphony No.1, 1897
- Symphony No.2, 1908
- Two piano concertos (the second finished by Lyapunov)
- Piano works including two sonatas
- Songs
Sources
International Masters, Great Composers (1996)
Oxford Concise Dictionary of Music (1994)
The Grove concise Dictionary of Music, edited by Stanley Sadie (1994)
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