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Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev 1837–1910

Mili Alexiewitch Balakirew, the famous Russian composer, which took place at St. Petersburg on May 30, in his seventy-fourth year. Born at Nijni-Novgorod, he received his first musical instruction from his mother, and later became a pupil of the highly-cultured musical amateur, Oulibischeff (author of well-known biographies of Mozart and Beethoven), at whose house he made the acquaintance of the best examples of western classical music. When he came to St. Petersburg, at the age of eighteen, he aroused the interest of Glinka, the originator of the national Russian School, who saw in him his natural successor. Balakirew’s ideas exercised great influence upon the younger Russian musicians, and among his pupils were César Cui, Moussorgsky, Borodine and Rimsky-Korsakoff. He was a fine pianist and conductor, and among his published works are a number of interesting compositions, including two Symphonies, the Symphonic poems ‘Russ’ and ‘Tamara,’ the Overtures on Spanish and Russian themes and to Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear,’ and a number of pianoforte compositions, including the famous Oriental fantasia ‘Islamey’ (one of the most difficult pieces in existence). He also edited several collections of Russian folk-songs. Balakirew’s works are generally distinguished by considerable melodic invention, no doubt largely founded on Russian and Oriental folk-music. His orchestration is very brilliant and original, as is also his writing for the pianoforte. In the last years of his life he devoted himself to religious mysticism, and seldom appeared in public.

Musical Times, July 1910