Biography
The leader of The Five (the Russian nationalist group that also included Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Cui, and Borodin), Balakirev composed Islamey (1869), one of the most technically demanding piano pieces of the 19th century. Its orientalist fantasy and extreme virtuosity made it a showpiece for Liszt himself. Balakirev's influence on Russian music far exceeded his relatively small compositional output.
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Works (43)
Mazurkas
- Mazurka No. 1 in A♭ major No. 1 Key A♭ major Difficulty
- Mazurka No. 2 in C♯ minor No. 2 Key C♯ minor Difficulty
- Mazurka No. 3 in B minor No. 3 Key B minor Difficulty
- Mazurka No. 4 in G♭ major No. 4 Key G♭ major Difficulty
- Mazurka No. 5 in D major No. 5 Key D major Difficulty
- Mazurka No. 6 in A♭ major No. 6 Key A♭ major Difficulty
- Mazurka No. 7 in E♭ minor No. 7 Key E♭ minor Difficulty
Nocturnes
- Nocturne No. 1 in B♭ minor No. 1 Key B♭ minor Difficulty
- Nocturne No. 2 in B minor No. 2 Key B minor Difficulty
- Nocturne No. 3 in D minor No. 3 Key D minor Difficulty
Piano Sonatas
- Piano Sonata No. 1 in B♭ minor, Op. 5 No. 1 Key B♭ minor Difficulty
- Piano Sonata No. 2 in B♭ minor, Op. 102 No. 2 Key B♭ minor Difficulty
Scherzos
- Scherzo No. 1 in B minor No. 1 Key B minor Difficulty
- Scherzo No. 2 in B♭ minor No. 2 Key B♭ minor Difficulty
- Scherzo No. 3 in F♯ major No. 3 Key F♯ major Difficulty
Waltzes
- Waltz No. 1 in G major, 'Valse di bravura' No. 1 Key G major Difficulty
- Waltz No. 2 in F minor, 'Valse mélancolique' No. 2 Key F minor Difficulty
- Waltz No. 3 in D major, 'Valse-impromptu' No. 3 Key D major Difficulty
- Waltz No. 4 in B♭ major, 'Valse de concert' No. 4 Key B♭ major Difficulty
- Waltz No. 5 in D♭ major No. 5 Key D♭ major Difficulty
- Waltz No. 6 in F♯ minor No. 6 Key F♯ minor Difficulty
- Waltz No. 7 in G♯ minor No. 7 Key G♯ minor Difficulty
Character Piece
- Spanish Serenade Difficulty
- Polka in F♯ minor Key F♯ minor Difficulty
- On the Volga Difficulty
- The Lark (after Glinka) Difficulty
- Dumka in E♭ minor Key E♭ minor Difficulty
- Berceuse in D♭ major Key D♭ major Difficulty
- Gondellied in A minor Key A minor Difficulty
- Tarantella in B major Key B major Difficulty
- Humoresque in D major Key D major Difficulty
- Phantasiestück in D♭ major Key D♭ major Difficulty
- Rêverie in F major Key F major Difficulty
- La fileuse in D♭ major Key D♭ major Difficulty
- Novelette in A major Key A major Difficulty
- Impromptu on Chopin's Preludes Difficulty
Fantasia
- Fantasy on Themes from Glinka's 'A Life for the Tsar' Difficulty
- Islamey, Op. 18 (Oriental Fantasy) Key D♭ major Difficulty
Nocturne
- Nocturne in G♯ minor (early version) Key G♯ minor Difficulty
Étude
- Au jardin (étude-idylle) in D♭ major Key D♭ major Difficulty
Capriccio
- Capriccio in D major Key D major Difficulty
Toccata
- Toccata in C♯ minor Key C♯ minor Difficulty
Sonatina
- Esquisses (Sonatina) in G major Key G major Difficulty