The Borodin Quartet is not just an outstanding ensemble but also a significant artistic tradition of 20th-century music. It was founded in 1944 as a student ensemble in the class of Professor Mikhail Teryan, a distinguished violist and conductor at the Moscow Conservatory. At the time of the Borodin Quartet's inception, Russian quartet art was experiencing a period of flourishing. The founders of the Quartet were Rostislav Dubinsky (first violin), Nina Barshai (second violin), Rudolf Barshai (viola), and Mstislav Rostropovich (cello). Rostropovich soon brought in another cellist, Valentin Berlinsky, whose name today embodies the continuity of the ensemble's artistic tradition. Berlinsky played in all its line-ups.
Chamber music is a vital part of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's creative legacy. As the composer of three quartets, the Piano Trio "In Memory of a Great Artist," the String Sextet "Souvenir de Florence," as well as various pieces for violin and cello with piano, Tchaikovsky addressed the same dramaturgical challenges in his chamber-instrumental works as he did in his symphonic and theatrical music. Chamber music reflects the evolution of Tchaikovsky's compositional style; each work is directly connected with the orchestral and stage concepts of the corresponding period.
The Borodin Quartet:
Additionally:
