Milii Balakirev, His Orient, and the Mighty Five

This chapter focuses on Milii Balakirev’s role in the formation of the Russian musical Orient. It discusses how the leader of the Mighty Five and other members of his circle approached and incorporated folk melodies of Russia’s inorodtsy into their music and how some elements previously associated with the East became an inherent part of Russian musical identity. Multiple examples of musical appropriation or syncretism of Russian and eastern styles demonstrate this transition. Deep respect for the peoples living in the Caucasus, combined with Balakirev’s desire to learn about their culture and music, not only had a stimulating effect on his originality but also inspired a large number of works written by the members of his circle, which transcended the “otherness.” Toward the end of his life, Balakirev’s approach to the Orient became more complex: through his settings of oriental poems he criticized Russia’s official policies in the East and expressed his disapproval of the empire’s expansionist wars in the Caucasus.