Balakirev, Mili Alekseyevich

Balakirev, Mili Alekseyevich

(me`lyĭ əlyĭksyā`yəvĭch bələkē`ryĕf), 1837–1910, Russian composer and conductor, leader of the group called the FiveFive, The,
name of a group of late 19th-century Russian composers. They were Balakirev, the leader, Cui, Moussorgsky, Borodin, and Rimsky-Korsakov. These men, united by a nationalistic fervor, tried to write music of distinctively Russian character, drawing on the history,
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. He founded (1862) the Free School of Music in St. Petersburg and conducted (1867–69) the Russian Music Society and (1883–94) the Imperial Chapel Choir and Imperial Music Society. His works include the symphonic poems Tamara and Russ (or Russia); a piano fantasy, Islamey; incidental music for King Lear; and songs. His music combined romanticism with Russian and Caucasian folk songs.

Bibliography

See study by E. Garden (1967).