Aleksander Borodin (1833-1887) was a full-time chemist and therefore was not able to leave behind a tremendously large musical output. What he left us, however, was enough not only to prove his melodic gift and experimental insight as a composer, but to make the world richer in musical wealth than it was before. His chamber music, symphonic works, opera, and even solo piano music reflect very flatteringly on humanity, and specifically pre-revolution Russia. There’s probably something about the curiosity of a scientist that may overlap with musical insight. It’s been said that wonder is the beginning of philosophy (which was the old word for science). Borodin’s music arouses a kind of wonder in me, I’ll confess, that confirms the value of life in this universe. Even when there’s suffering, sadness, adversity, there’s hope, and there’s the occasion for facing those things with a spirit that refuses to be conquered. That’s what his Symphony in B minor is all about (which I had the privilege of hearing the Mesa Community College orchestra perform live last Spring). Other pieces—like the Petite Suite for solo piano, the Polovtsian Dances (from Prince Igor), the symphonic poem In the Steppes of Central Asia, and the A major String Quartet (with the famous middle movement “Notturno”)—all these tell of everything that is right in the world, or of a world in which everything in right. Borodin’s music harmonizes with what English mystic Julian of Norwich (1343-1416) uttered: “All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” (T.S. Elliot quotes this mantra in his poem, “Little Gidding”). Such a revelation is of a different kind than what chemistry or any of the sciences can reveal. Some may say that it lacks the certainty that physics and chemistry can offer. But the music is the proof, if there is any. Hope is justified and beauty matters is the information I receive when listening to Borodin. This message (so to speak) is not unique to any one composer’s voice. It’s a perennial message, and Borodin echoed it.
If you use Apple Music, you’ll be able to stream the following playlist; if you use another streaming service, I recommend that you look up on of the pieces cited above. Specifically, I would invite you to set seven minutes aside and listen to In the Steppes of Central Asia; and notice how the two main themes appear separately at first, and then do something different in end.