“The Five”, also known as The Mighty Handful, The Balakirev Circle, and The New Russian School, refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev (the leader), César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky- Korsakov and Alexander Borodin. The group had the aim of producing a specifically Russian kind of art music, rather than one that imitated older European music or relied on European- style conservatory training. In a sense, they were a branch of the Romantic Nationalist movement in Russia, sharing similar artistic goals with the Abramtsevo Colony and Russian Revival.
Rubinstein\’s Western musical orientation brought him into opposition with the nationalistic “The Five”. As Tchaikovsky was Rubinstein\’s best-known pupil, he became a target for the group, especially for César Cui. Cui\’s criticisms began with a blistering review of a cantata Tchaikovsky had written as his graduation exercise from the Conservatory. Calling the piece \”feeble\”, Cui wrote that if Tchaikovsky had any gift for music, \”then at least somewhere or other the cantata, would have broken through the fetters of the Conservatoire\”. The effect of this review on Tchaikovsky was devastating: \”…My vision grew dark, my head spun, and I ran out of the café like a madman…” All day I wandered aimlessly through the city, repeating, \’I\’m sterile, insignificant, nothing will come out of me, I\’m ungifted\’.
When in 1867, Rubinstein resigned as conductor from Saint Petersburg\’s Russian Musical Society orchestra he was replaced by composer Mily Balakirev, leader of The Five. Tchaikovsky, now Professor of Music Theory at the Moscow Conservatory, had already promised his Dances of the Hay Maidens (which he later included in his opera The
Voyevoda, as Characteristic Dances) to the society. In submitting the manuscript (and perhaps mindful of Cui\’s review of the graduation cantata), Tchaikovsky included a note to Balakirev that ended with a request for a word of encouragement: Should the Dances not be performed? Possibly sensing a new disciple in Tchaikovsky, Balakirev wrote \”with complete frankness\” in his reply that he felt that Tchaikovsky was \”a fully fledged artist\”. These letters set the tone for Tchaikovsky\’s relationship with Balakirev over the next two years. In 1869, the two entered into a working relationship, the result being Tchaikovsky\’s first recognized masterpiece, the fantasy-overture Romeo and Juliet, a work that The Five wholeheartedly embraced.
Though, personally, Tchaikovsky remained on friendly terms with most of The Five, professionally, he was usually ambivalent about their music. Despite the collaboration with Balakirev on the Romeo and Juliet fantasy-overture, Tchaikovsky made considerable efforts to ensure his musical independence from the group as well as from the conservative faction at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory.
