Borodin was a member of the Russian nationalist "Mighty Handful" (or "The Five"), inheriting the spirit of Glinka's Russian nationalism. He was a composer who actively engaged in the field of symphony, a genre that the other four (Balakirev, Mussorgsky, Cui, and Rimsky-Korsakov) did not extensively pursue. For this reason, he is sometimes regarded, along with Tchaikovsky as a founder of the symphony in Russia. Born as an illegitimate child of a nobleman, Borodin studied piano, cello, and flute, in addition to medicine and science. It is believed that a turning point in his compositional activity occurred particularly during his time in Italy and Switzerland, where he was sent for chemical research, and where he encountered and gradually became drawn to the works of leading 19th-century Romantic composers. He is known as a rare musician who balanced his activities as a chemist and a composer until his death.

The Work

This work was composed in 1885, at the age of 52, during the mature period of his late compositional activity. It was published in Saint Petersburg in the same year. Originally conceived as an orchestral work, Borodin himself arranged it for piano solo. After Borodin's death, when Glazunov (1865–1936) orchestrated Petite Suite, Op. 1, he also orchestrated this work and placed it as the finale of the suite. The music proceeds in Allegro vivace, in 12/8 time, and takes the form of a ternary structure. Furthermore, changes in key signatures are observed, showing no bias towards either flat or sharp keys. It is also said that Liszt was very fond of this work.