To introduce Russian Composers Week, I thought I’d start by talking a little bit about Alexander Borodin. While he is considered one of the more important figures in Russian music at the least, he is also remembered for being an esteemed chemist and doctor, most notably is his co-discovery of aldol reactions. And honestly I am not smart enough to understand what that means. Also, Borodin was well known for being a woman’s rights activist. So, a very talented and smart man who worked in different outlets through his life. And while he was a part of “The Mighty Five”, a group of composers Balakirev brought together to work toward Russian aesthetics and develop specifically Russian music styles, this string quartet from 1881 is a bit of a deviation. First, the string quartet was a “German” form. And while the Russian composers were working with program music on Russian subjects, this was an absolute form. So an absolute piece of music in a German chamber music form sounds like it doesn’t belong, on paper. But listening to the music, you realize that the form is only secondary. The melodies here are very lyrical, and instead of developing in snippets like the Germans, the melodies are repeated with variations and elaborations over them, developing the color and mood. It opens with the main melody playing over subtle counterpoint, the melody shifting from one instrument range to the next giving a deep full sound. The “B” melody is a bit more lively, and the two play around until a serene coda fades away. The next movement is a playful scherzo that [as cliche as this sounds] makes me think of fluffy snowfall, with the plucking strings and scratchy figurations. The third movement is the most famous of the work, a lovely nocturne that is a love letter to his wife, Ekaterina. The middle section becomes more dramatic and restless with a pulse underneath the melody, but it soon drifts back to the opening. After a calm meditative introduction, the vivace finale breaks out into a rapid and jagged dance.
