The so-called “Mighty Handful” (the composition of which was very small) is a union of Russian composers that took shape in the late 50s and early 60s of the 19th century. She was also called the “New Russian Music School” or the Balakirev Circle. The very name was instilled with a light hand by the critic Stasov V.V. and instilled instantly, turning into the generally accepted name of the union. Abroad he was called the "five."
Members of the Mighty Handful
Who was in the "Mighty Handful"? Balakirev M.A., Borodin A.P., Mussorgsky M.P., Cui C.A. and Rimsky-Korsakov N.A. These talented composers sought to find new forms in which they could embody images from Russian modernity and native history, as well as ways to make their music more intimate and understandable to the general public. The embodiment of this approach was the opera Borodin's “Prince Igor”, Rimsky-Korsakov “The Pskovite”, Mussorgsky “Khovanshchina” and “Boris Godunov”. It was folk tales, epics, national history and folk life that became sources of inspiration for symphonic and vocal works of composers.
Community History
So, “Mighty Handful”, its composition and history of creation. In 1855, young Mili Alekseevich Balakirev came from Kazan to the capital , performed with great success as a pianist, loved by the public, met Vladimir Vasilievich Stasov (a famous critic, historian, art historian and archaeologist, was connected with friendship with all the largest Russian artists and musicians, was assistant, adviser and propagandist of their works). A year later, Balakirev met Caesar Antonovich Cui. He studied at the Military Engineering Academy, but he was madly in love with music, and so he became so carried away by the bold looks and proposals of his new acquaintance that he wrote the operas The Prisoner of the Caucasus, The Son of the Mandarin, and a scherzo for piano.
A little later, the “Mighty Handful” (composition: Balakirev, Stasov, Cui) was replenished by the addition of Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky, the guard officer of the Preobrazhensky regiment, who realized that his calling was music. He retires, is engaged in music, literature, philosophy, history, is fond of the views of new friends. In the early 60s, the “Mighty Handful” (composition at that time: Balakirev, Cui, Stasov, Mussorgsky), which Dargomyzhsky also sympathized with, was enriched with the advent of Alexander Porfirevich Borodin and Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. Borodin was self-taught in music, but self-taught was versatile and very diligent. While still studying at the Medical and Surgical Academy, he played in various amateur ensembles on the cello, wrote several chamber compositions. His erudition and bright talent very quickly understood and appreciated Balakirev. Well, Rimsky-Korsakov was already a figure in music, a genius, whose works the audience loved very much.
The main ideas of the "bunch"
It was the life, aspirations and interests of the Russian people that became the main theme in the work of the members of the Balakirev circle. The “mighty bunch” of composers (their composition was not limited to five, because many eminent writers of that time were familiar or friendly with the “Kuchkists”) recorded, studied samples of folk art and folklore, weaved folk songs and tales into “serious” symphonic music and operas . Examples of such masterpieces are “The Snow Maiden”, “Khovanshchina”, “The Tsar’s Bride”, “Boris Godunov”. The eastern element, the melodies of other peoples - Ukrainians, Georgians, Tatars, Spaniards, Czechs and many others, turned out to be important. These are “Islamey”, “Tamara”, “Prince Igor”, “Golden Cockerel”, “Scheherazade”.