Borodin - String Quartet No. 2 in A major - III. Nocturne Andante

The String Quartet No. 2, written in 1881, by Alexander Borodin is a work in four movements:
1. Allegro moderato in D major and 2/2 time, with 304 bars;
2.Scherzo. Allegro in F major and 3/4 time, with 299 bars;
3.Notturno (Nocturne): Andante in A major and 3/4 time, with 180 bars;
4. Finale: Andante — Vivace in D major and 2/4 time, with 671 bars.

The main theme of the third movement Nocturne, performed in string orchestra arrangements and perhaps the most famous in the quartet, also appears in the musical Kismet, as And This is My Beloved. An agitated middle section lasting from bars 47-110 of the movement interrupts this theme's otherwise peaceful mood. Of particular note is Borodin's masterful statement of the main theme after the middle section in canon (first cello and the first violin, then two violins).

Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin (12 November 1833 -- 27 February 1887) was a Russian Romantic composer and chemist of Georgian--Russian parentage. He was a member of the group of composers called The Five (or "The Mighty Handful"), who were dedicated to producing a specifically Russian kind of art music. He is best known for his symphonies, his two string quartets, and his opera Prince Igor. Music from Prince Igor and his string quartets was later adapted for the US musical Kismet.

Creative Commons license: Public Domain.