Composer of the Month: Borodin
In February 2020 we’re focussing on a Russian. For aristocrat and advocate of women’s rights Alexander Borodin (1833-1987) composing was something he did alongside his normal work as a chemist. It explains his modest output, much of it chamber music, intended for performance privately. But Borodin was anything but a hobbyist: he was inspired by the leading composers of the day , travelled all over Europe and became friends with Frans Liszt. He was one of Borodin’s first fans: Liszt brought his symphonic poem In the Steppes of Central Asia into the repertoire .
