Schedule
HostsWays to Give
HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsEventsOn DemandOur StoryOur TeamWays to Give Become a Sponsor
How to ListenVisit Help CenterContact Us

Find Us on Social Media:

Logo image

Find Us on Social Media:

Download Our Mobile App:

google play icon

About

HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsOn DemandOur StoryOur Team

Community

EventsWays to Give Become a SponsorPressDiversity StatementCareersAnnual EEO ReportDigital Accessibility

Help

Visit Help CenterContact UsHow to Listen

©2025 Classical California

Sweepstakes RulesFCC ComplianceLocal Public FilesCPB ComplianceAnnual EEO ReportPrivacy PolicyCode of Integrity

articles / Classical California Ultimate Playlist

Alexander Borodin Goes to Broadway

Classical California Ultimate Playlist TheaterRussian MusicMusic History


Alexander Borodin

We’re celebrating the Classical California Ultimate Playlist with a series of fun and informative blogs about the music you love.

The Polovtsian Dances from Alexander Borodin’s unfinished opera Prince Igor (along with Borodin’s Serenade, his Second String Quartet, and a couple of other works) have a special place in music history. Classical tunes had been adapted into pop songs before, but this was the first time any had made it to Broadway–and won awards for it.

Robert Wright and George Forrest had adapted classical music for shows and pop songs before (Grieg for Song of Norway and Rimsky-Korsakov for the film Balalaika), but Borodin was actually their third choice for Kismet. And, fortunately for them, by the time they finished writing, Borodin’s music had come into the public domain so they wouldn’t have to pay royalties. As it turned out, they filed their copyright on Kismet the very day that the copyright on Borodin’s music expired.

The musical opened in December 1953 and went on to run for almost 600 performances on Broadway, and even more in London’s West End. It won the Tony Award in 1954 for Best Musical, as well as for Best Leading Actor in a Musical (Alfred Drake) and Best Conductor/Music Director (Louis Adrian). Borodin was awarded a posthumous Tony, 68 years after his death.

Classical California Ultimate Playlist TheaterRussian MusicMusic History
Written by:
Rik Malone
Rik Malone
Published on 09.16.2024
Loading...

MORE LIKE THIS

Clara Schumann Returns to the Limelight

Clara Schumann Returns to the Limelight

Explore the life of Clara Schumann, a leading pianist of the Romantic era, who defied norms, balanced family and career, and whose work is gaining recognition.

03/07/2025
An Obsessive Love that Mirrored Life

An Obsessive Love that Mirrored Life

Explore the dramatic tale of Hector Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, an autobiographical piece reflecting his obsessive love for actress Harriet Smithson and his descent into madness.

09/30/2024
Waltzing from the Blue Danube to Outer Space

Waltzing from the Blue Danube to Outer Space

Explore the history of Johann Strauss II's Blue Danube Waltz, from its initial reception as a choral piece to its iconic use in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

09/16/2024
The Inspiration for Vaughan Williams’s “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis”

The Inspiration for Vaughan Williams’s “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis”

Explore the origins of Ralph Vaughan Williams's Fantasia, inspired by Thomas Tallis's melody from the 1567 psalm settings for Archbishop Parker's Psalter.

09/15/2021
Caroline Shaw: Re-Imagining the Potential of the Human Voice

Caroline Shaw: Re-Imagining the Potential of the Human Voice

Celebrating the Classical California Ultimate Playlist, this article highlights the talents of Caroline Shaw, a NYC-based violinist, singer, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer known for her unique vocal compositions.

09/13/2021
A Modern Music Playlist to Inspire You

A Modern Music Playlist to Inspire You

Explore Alan Chapman's playlist for the Classical California Ultimate Playlist vote, featuring works from modern composers like Tan Dun, Arvo Pärt, and Jennifer Higdon.

09/04/2020