Brilliant scientist though he may have been, Alexander Borodin’s first love was music. As a recognized master of melodies, Borodin does not disappoint in his suite of Polovtsian dances, from Prince Igor.
The casual listener may recall having heard some of the themes in this work before, in different settings. Indeed, the compelling second theme is stolen wholesale by the delightful song Stranger in Paradise, found originally in the musical Kismet, and propagated by the great Tony Bennett.
Borodin’s great strength was in his mastery of melodies. Uniquely memorable, each of the melodies debuted in the dances resurfaces later, and in a quintessentially Borodin-ian display, several of them are intertwined in the glorious finale.
Once Borodin’s masterpiece has had every last drop of deliciousness squeezed from it, indulge in Bennett’s stirring rendition.
All the Feels 