A Meeting of Unequals

The Mighty Handful, who collaborated between 1856 and 1881, changed the direction of Russian music, permanently freeing it from Germanic influences and setting the scene for the country’s ground-breaking music in the 20th century.

Who were these five composers? What was the dynamic between them, and what conditions fomented their musical iconoclasm?

In this episode, Donald Macleod tells the story of the concert which gave the group their name, attended by the critic Vladimir Stassov. We meet the leader of The Five, Mili Balakirev, as he encounters the composer/writer Cesar Cui, whose music would turn out to be the least enduring of the group: “The poorest composer – the loudest talker”.

And we meet the young Mussorgsky, who was still serving in the Russian military. Balakirev’s composition lessons did not help the fledgling composer – his teacher’s in-at-the-deep-end approach overwhelmed him.

Balakirev’s authority derived largely from having met and studied with Glinka, seen as the key figure in modern Russian music. We hear the story of their meetings and the impact they would have on Balakirev’s life.

Balakirev lacked formal training and regarded this as a strength – he wanted to throw off the influence of Western musical imperialism to show how vibrant Russia’s musical culture was. Stassov was a kindred spirit. Balakirev travelled the Caucasus to collect folk songs, which found their way into a number of his works.

Balakirev - La Fileuse (The Girl at the Spinning Wheel)
Irina Eicher, piano

Balakirev - In Bohemia, Symphonic Poem
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Vassily Sinaisky, conductor

Glinka - A Life for the Tsar - Overture
Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra
Mark Ermler, conductor

Mussorgsky: A Night on the Bare Mountain
London Symphony Orchestra
Antal Dorati, conductor

Balakirev: Overture on Russian Themes No.1
Norwegian Radio Orchestra
Ari Rasilainen, conductor