Editing Mily Balakirev (section)

===Russian style: The Overtures===
With his [[First Overture on Russian Themes]], Balakirev focused on writing symphonic works with Russian character. He chose his themes from folk song collections available at the time he composed the piece, taking Glinka's ''Kamarinskaya'' as a model in taking a slow song for the introduction, then for the fast section choosing two songs compatible in structure with the [[ostinato]] pattern of the ''Kamarinskaya'' dance song. Balakirev's use of two songs in this section was an important departure from the model, as it allowed him to link the symphonic process of symphonic form with Glinka's variations on an ostinato pattern, and in contrasting them treat the songs symphonically instead of merely decoratively.<ref>Maes, 64–5.</ref>

The [[Second Overture on Russian Themes]] shows an increased sophistication as Balakirev utilizes Beethoven's technique of deriving short motifs from longer themes so that those motifs can be combined into a convincing contrapuntal fabric. As such it can stand on its own as an example of abstract motivic-thematic composition, yet since it uses folk songs in doing so, it can also be looked upon as making a statement about nationality.<ref name="cang2514"/> In this overture he shows how folk songs could be given symphonic dimensions while paying particular attention to the element of ''protyazhnaya'' or [[melisma]]tically elaborated lyric song.  This type of song is characterized by extreme [[rhythm]]ic flexibility, asymmetrical phrase structure and tonal ambiguity. Incorporating these elements meant employing the tonal instability of folk song in larger structures by relying on tonal [[Indeterminacy in music|indeterminacy]]. The structure of this overture departs from the classic tonal relationships of [[Tonic (music)|tonic]] and [[Dominant (music)|dominant]], coming close to the tonal experiments of Liszt and [[Robert Schumann]].<ref>Maes, 65–6.</ref>

Like his contemporaries in The Five, Balakirev believed in the importance of [[program music]]—music written to fulfill a program inspired by a portrait, poem, story or other non-musical source. Unlike his compatriots, the musical form always came first for Balakirev, not the extramusical source, and his technique continued to reflect the Germanic symphonic approach. Nevertheless, Balakirev's overtures played a crucial role in the emergence of Russian symphonic music in that they introduced the musical style now considered "Russian." His style was adapted by his compatriots and others to the point of becoming a national characteristic. The opening of Mussorgsky's ''[[Boris Godunov (opera)|Boris Godunov]]'' bears a close resemblance to the first theme of Balakirev's Second Overture, while Borodin's ''[[In the Steppes of Central Asia]]'' begins with a dominant pedal extending over 90 bars in the upper register of the violins, a device Balakirev used in his First Overture. The opening of Tchaikovsky's [[Symphony No. 2 (Tchaikovsky)|''Little Russian'' Symphony]] in its original form also shows Balakirev's influence.<ref>Maes, 67.</ref>