The Five, often known as The Mighty Handful, are a group of five Russian composers who met regularly in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the mid-19th century. The Russian name for the group: Moguchaya kuchka (The Mighty Handful) was given to them by Vladimir Stasov, the famous music critic. The five composers were: Mily Balakirev, César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Borodin. The group all wanted to write music in a Russian style, rather than imitating European composers. They were part of the movement known in music as Nationalism. They were five of the most important composers of the time. Note that Tchaikovsky was not one of the group. His music is more European-based, but he, too, often wrote very Russian music based on folk tunes.
The Five
See also
- Piano Music of the Russian Five
- Russalka (Dargomyschski)
- Groupe des Six - A group of six French composers of the early 20th century
Questions and Answers
Q: Who are The Five?
A: The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful, are a group of five Russian composers who met regularly in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the mid-19th century.
Q: Who gave them the name "The Mighty Handful"?
A: The famous music critic, Vladimir Stasov, gave the group of composers the name "The Mighty Handful".
Q: Which composers were part of The Mighty Handful?
A: The five composers who were part of The Mighty Handful were Mily Balakirev, César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Alexander Borodin.
Q: What was their goal when it came to creating music?
A: The group of composers wanted to write music in a Russian style, rather than imitating European composers. They were part of the movement known in music as Nationalism.
Q: Who was not part of The Mighty Handful?
A: Tchaikovsky was not part of The Mighty Handful, as his music is more European-based.
Q: Did Tchaikovsky ever write Russian music?
A: Yes, Tchaikovsky often wrote very Russian music based on folk tunes, despite not being part of The Mighty Handful.
Q: Was The Mighty Handful a significant group of composers?
A: Yes, The Mighty Handful were five of the most important composers of their time.