Numbers

The Five

• Balakirev, Mily, (1837-1910)
• Cui, César, (1835-1918)
• Moussorgsky, Modest, (1839-1881)
• Borodin, Alexander, (1833-1887)
• Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai, (1844-1908)

"The Five" were a group of nineteenth-century Russian composers, who wrote music of with Russian themes and influences as opposed to European musical styles used by other Russian composers.

How It's Used

"Under the above title, Michael Tilson Thomas and the London Symphony are honouring the Russian 'Five' and their descendants in four concerts. The first, on Sunday, had Peter Ustinov (jolly and a bit distracted) setting the scene by reading what Rimsky-Korsakov had to say in his memoirs about each of his four colleagues and his student Glazunov. We heard a piece by each of those, and also Prokofiev's aggressively Futurist 'Scythian' Suite. More from the Five will be heard in the rest of the series, with Stravinsky's complete Firebird at the end."

Also Known As (AKA)

The Immortal Five, The Mighty Handful

Links