Symphony No. 2

Description

Alexander Borodin was not only a great musician, but also an eminent physician, chemist and ardent defender of women’s rights. Borodin also was the founder of the first medical school for women.

He was a “total” Russian, and with the exception of several concert tours, spent his entire lifetime in his native land. At age 28, he accepted a position at the St. Petersburg Medical Academy. His salary from employment at the academy allowed him the freedom to pursue his musical talents.

The first movement of the second symphony was completed in 1871, and upon hearing the work, Rimsky-Korsakov called this symphony the “Heroic”. With the heavy use of brass instruments, his impression was that it depicted the Russian Knights in all their grandeur and splendor.

As Borodin was hard at work composing his opera “Prince Igor” at the same time as writing his Second Symphony, the character and the national spirit of the opera are reflected in the symphony.

The symphony opens with a forceful and energetic theme for strings, quickly followed by the woodwinds in a lighter mood and tempo. The second theme, slower and more lvrical, appears in the strings and woodwinds. The movement closes with the heroic character of the first theme in a powerful and dramatic climax.

Published by: Dorabet Music Company