The Mighty Handful

Question	Answer
The Mighty Handful	A group of Russian composers who sought to establish a Russian style. Only one (Balakirev) was professionally trained. Also called the Mighty Fistful or the Russian five.
Mily Balakirev	(1837 - 1910) Wasn't terribly prolific as a writer but acted as the spokesman for the five.
Nikoli Rimski-Korsakov	(1844 - 1908) Professor at Moscow Conservatory. Strawiski's teacher. "My Musical Life" is a book he wrote portraying the formation of the five. His 15 operas are still played in Russia.
Cesar Cui	(1835 - 1918) One of the most prolific of the group but virtually forgotten outside of Russia today. Music critic and a publicist for the group.
Alexander Borodin	(1834 - 1887) A chemical scientist who composed as a hobby. Wrote 3 symphonies including "Prince Igor" and "In the Steps of Central Asia"
Modest Musorgsky	(1839 - 1881) Greatest member of the group. Employed most progressive compositional techniques of the group. Important influence on later composers. Virtuosic piano player. Composed "Pictures at an exhibition" a programmatic suite for an exhibition by Victor Hartmann. Boris Gordunov was his greatest opera (still survives today). The Song and Dance of Death, St John's Night, Bare Mountain.

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	Created by mtempleton1 almost 11 years ago