Mussorgsky / Khachaturian / Dvořák / Borodin
During the 19th century, 'beyond the grave' inspirations began to be attractive; the demonic fantasy Night on Lysa Mountain Musorgsky's **Modesty Mussorgsky is in the front rank of these works. With his Musical Concerto, Aram Khachaturian offered a title oscillating along the lines of the legacy of the traditional 'great' concerto and a work drawing on the strong 'genetic' basis of the fascinating music of Transcaucasia. The Symphonic Variations by Antonín Dvořák were written at the suggestion of one of the composer's friends. The expressive theme with 28 variations initially met with a lukewarm reception, but after the Viennese performance they shone. Alexander Borodin was not a very productive composer; he worked on Prince Igor for many years and still did not complete the opera. The Cop dances, however, are a sought-after title for symphony concerts.
