10 GREATEST pieces of Russian classical music (you should know!)

1. Mikhail Glinka - The Patriotic Song (1833)

Glinka is considered the founding father of the Russian school of classical music and is often called the ‘musical Pushkin’. His most famous works are the operas ‘Ruslan and Lyudmila’ and ‘Life for the Tsar’ (‘Ivan Susanin’). ‘The Patriotic Song’ is the quintessence of Glinka’s creative quest to reveal the Russian character. The composition was conceived as the first national anthem of Russia, but it was not accepted in tsarist times. Instead, it was this music, set to new lyrics, that was the anthem of Russia from 1990 to 2000. 

2. Pyotr Tchaikovsky - Dance of the Little Swans from the ‘Swan Lake’ ballet (1876)

It’s hard to choose just one work by Tchaikovsky - his music is so well-known and recognizable that it needs no further introduction. And the ‘Swan Lake’ ballet has become a part of world culture - and is performed all over the world. But, one tune from the saga of Odette and her insidious alter ego Odile will be unmistakably identified even by any Russian kid - it is, of course, the ‘Dance of the Little Swans’. 

3. Pyotr Tchaikovsky - Russian Dance from the ‘Nutcracker’ ballet (1892)

‘The Nutcracker’, another of Tchaikovsky’s world-famous ballets, has become a real symbol of the New Year and Christmas holidays. Many of the melodies from the ballet are highly recognizable. Especially the playful Russian Dance from the divertissement, when Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian dolls dance in front of Marie and the Nutcracker Prince in gratitude for saving him from the Mouse King. 

4. Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Piano Concerto No. 1 (1875)

Tchaikovsky intended his work to be performed by virtuoso pianist Nikolai Rubinstein, who, however, suddenly declined. The concerto premiered in the U.S. with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Hans von Bülow playing the leading role. After its tremendous success, Rubinstein himself changed his mind and played the concerto several times. It is one of the most recognizable symphonic melodies. Moreover, it was played instead of the national anthem when Russian athletes climbed the podium at the 2020 Winter Olympics in Tokyo and 2022 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Read more about how this happened here.

5. Alexander Borodin - ‘Fly away on the wings of the wind’ from the ‘Prince Igor’ opera (1890)

The opera ‘Prince Igor’ is based on the old Russian ‘Tale of Igor’s Campaign’. Of the symphonic works, it is one of the most Russian in spirit and atmosphere. There is a powerful sound of the folk chorus and folk instruments and piercing arias and lamentations in the Russian way.

In the story, Prince Igor goes on a military campaign against the Polovtsians. A great fragment of the ballet is Polovtsian Dances in the camp of the Khan, who has conquered the Russian lands. The chorus of slave maidens sings a piercing song ‘Fly away on the wings of the wind’ (‘Uletai na krylyakh vetra’ in Russian), one of the most memorable Russian melodies. 

6. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ from ‘The Tale of Tsar Saltan’ opera (1899)

Rimsky-Korsakov composed 15 operas and in many he interpreted folklore and Russian culture. One of them, ‘The Tale of Tsar Saltan’, is based on Alexander Pushkin’s work of the same name, in which much magic occurs, including Prince Guidon meeting the beautiful Princess Swan. One of the opera’s most famous melodies is the virtuoso orchestral interlude ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’. This is the musical accompaniment to the scene when Guidon turns around as a bumblebee to fly secretly to his father. 

7. Sergei Prokofiev - Dance of the Knights from ‘Romeo and Juliet’ ballet (1935)

This ballet became not only Prokofiev’s most popular work, but one of the most popular productions of the 20th century, in general. It premiered in 1940 at the Mariinsky Theater in Leningrad. The most recognizable melody from the ballet is the Dance of the Knights from the ‘Montagues and Capulets’ part of Suite No. 2. You’ve definitely heard it (for example, it’s used in Robbie Williams’ hit song ‘Party Like a Russian’).

8. Dmitri Shostakovich - The ‘Leningrad’ Symphony No. 7  (1941)

Dmitri Shostakovich is one of the most talented composers of the 20th century. He was nominated for an Oscar for his adaptation of Modest Mussorgsky’s music for the big screen adaptation of the ‘Khovanshchina’ opera. In the USSR, however, Shostakovich’s music was often frowned upon, seen as excessively “rambling” and complicated. Shostakovich was in Leningrad when World War II broke out - he was teaching at the Conservatoire and wanted to volunteer for the front. But, he was not taken to the war and he continued to teach music to his students. He began working on the symphony during the siege of Leningrad while it was being bombarded by German aircraft and he completed it when he was already in evacuation. The symphony consists of four movements and it is dedicated to Lenin, the October Revolution and Leningrad. It premiered in the city already in 1942. 

9. Aram Khachaturian - Saber Dance from the ‘Gayane’ ballet (1942)

Soviet composer Khachaturian was awarded the Stalin Prize for his ‘Gayane’ ballet, in which he portrayed his native Armenia and local atmosphere, as well as the Soviet government and collective farms. The Saber Dance is performed during the main characters’ wedding scene at the very end of the ballet and it became a real worldwide hit. It was played by literally every jukebox in the United States, performed by American orchestras and topped the music charts. There is also an amusing legend associated with the work: Salvador Dali supposedly invited Khachaturian, who was touring Spain, to visit him. The composer waited several hours for the eccentric artist in the lobby of his house, after which Dali ran out completely naked to the loud sound of the Saber Dance, danced in front of the author and left without saying a word. 

10. Georgy Sviridov - Time, Forward! (1965)

This suite was dedicated to the construction of the first stage of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works in the USSR. But it eventually became a real soundtrack of the Soviet time - a cheerful melody with tinkling drums perfectly reflects the progress, industrialization and energy of the new country. The suite became known to all Russians after it became the musical headliner for the main news TV program ‘Vremya’ (‘Time’).