Editing Alexander Borodin (section)

====Opera and orchestral works====
{{Listen|type=music
|filename=Alexander_Borodin_-_In_The_Steppes_Of_Central_Asia.ogg
|title=''In the Steppes of Central Asia''
|description=
|filename2=Aria_of_Galitsky_from_Prince_Igor.ogg
|title2=Aria of Galitsky from the 1890 opera ''Prince Igor''
|description2=Recorded during a live performance in 1970; performed by Georgi Petrov (bass-baritone)}}
[[File:Borodin by Repin.jpg|thumb|upright|Portrait of Borodin by [[Ilya Repin]], 1888]]
Borodin met [[Mily Balakirev]] during 1862. While under Balakirev's tutelage in composition he began his Symphony No. 1 in E-flat major; it was first performed during 1869, with Balakirev conducting. During that same year Borodin started on his [[Symphony No. 2 (Borodin)|Symphony No. 2]] in B minor, which was not particularly successful at its premiere during 1877 under [[Eduard Nápravník]], but with some minor re-orchestration received a successful performance during 1879 by the Free Music School under [[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov]]'s direction. During 1880 he composed the popular [[symphonic poem]] ''[[In the Steppes of Central Asia]]''. Two years later he began composing a third symphony, but left it unfinished at his death; two movements of it were later completed and orchestrated by [[Alexander Glazunov]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Borodin, A.P.: Symphonies Nos. 1-3 (Seattle Sympho.. - 8.572786 {{!}} Discover more releases from Naxos |url=https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.572786 |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=www.naxos.com}}</ref>

During 1868, Borodin became distracted from initial work on the second symphony by preoccupation with the [[opera]] ''[[Prince Igor]]'', which is considered by some to be his most significant work and one of the most important historical Russian operas. It contains the ''[[Polovtsian Dances]]'', often performed as a stand-alone concert work forming what is probably Borodin's best-known composition. Borodin left the opera (and a few other works) incomplete at his death.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alexander Borodin: Prince Igor |url=https://www.classicfm.com/composers/borodin/music/alexander-borodin-prince-igor/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Classic FM |language=en}}</ref>

''[[Prince Igor]]'' was completed posthumously by Rimsky-Korsakov and [[Alexander Glazunov]]. It is set in the 12th century, when the Russians, commanded by Prince Igor of Seversk, determined to conquer the barbarous [[Kipchaks|Polovtsians]] by travelling eastward across the Steppes. The Polovtsians were apparently a nomadic tribe originally of Turkic origin who habitually attacked southern Russia. A full [[solar eclipse]] early during the first act foreshadows an ominous outcome to the invasion. Prince Igor's troops are defeated. The story tells of the capture of Prince Igor, and his son, Vladimir, of Russia by Polovtsian chief Khan Konchak, who entertains his prisoners lavishly and orders his slaves to perform the famous 'Polovtsian Dances', which provide a thrilling climax to the second act. The second half of the opera finds Prince Igor returning to his homeland, but rather than finding himself in disgrace, he is welcomed home by the townspeople and by his wife, Yaroslavna. Although for a while rarely performed in its entirety outside of Russia, this opera has received two notable new productions recently, one at the Bolshoi State Opera and Ballet Company in Russia during 2013, and one at the Metropolitan Opera Company of New York City during 2014.<ref>''New Penguin Opera Guide'', [[Amanda Holden (writer)|Amanda Holden]], 1993; Penguin Books Ltd.</ref><ref name=Abraham />