Borodin - Symphony No. 1 in E-Flat Major

Alexander Borodin (1833-1887) Symphony No. 1 in E-Flat Major Composed in 1862-1867; premiered in 1869 in St. Petersburg Performed by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev (b. 1953) Recorded October 1989 at De Doelen, Rotterdam 0:00 I. Adagio – Allegro 14:10 II. Scherzo: Prestissimo – Trio: Allegro 20:43 III. Andante 28:03 IV. Allegro molto vivace Borodin began composing his Symphony No. 1 in E-flat major in 1862 at the urging of Mily Balakirev (1837-1910), the leader of the nationalist composer circle known as "The Five". Because Borodin maintained a primary career as a professor of chemistry, the five-year process of writing the symphony was frequently interrupted. Completed in 1867, the work premiered in St. Petersburg on January 16, 1869, under Balakirev's baton. While the piece reflects the influences of European romanticism, particularly Robert Schumann (1810-1856) and Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), it established Borodin as a major new voice in Russian orchestral music and paved the way for his celebrated Second Symphony.