A masterpiece by Alexander Borodin. Popular classical music.

Here is an introduction to Alexander Borodin, a composer known as one of the “Mighty Handful” (the Russian Five) in the world of classical music.

While many classical composers are full-time musicians who make their living performing or composing, Borodin was an exceptional figure: he entered the medical faculty at the University of St.

Petersburg, graduated at the top of his class, and went on to serve as an assistant professor and then professor of biochemistry at his alma mater—his primary profession was that of a chemist.

He even called himself a “Sunday composer,” and because he composed in the intervals between his scientific work, his output is not large.

Nevertheless, he left many remarkable works, including the Polovtsian Dances and his String Quartet No.

2.

Here, we present Borodin’s masterpieces, movement by movement, paired with outstanding performances.

Please enjoy these superb works that you’d never guess were written by someone whose day job was chemistry!