18th January – Cesar Cui

Cesar Cui began his career in the military, and professionally he was an expert on military fortifications. Composing was a sideline for him, albeit one that he took very seriously. Cui’s name is known as one of the “Five”, which was a group of Russian nationalistic composers who dominated the musical scene in the 19th century. Other members of the “Five”, such as Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Borodin, achieved considerable fame which continues today, but Cui has been mostly forgotten.

Cui was moderately successful in his own lifetime. He wrote several operas and much vocal music, which is generally considered to be his best output. His chamber music was less popular. Cui was a music critic as well as a composer, and was infamous for writing scathing reviews of his peers’ music. When his own compositions were premiered, it is possible that some of the negative reviews received in the press were perhaps a retaliation against things he had previously written about others.

Cui’s opera for children “Puss in Boots” is perhaps one his his most well-known works that is still played today.

Here are three piano preludes by Cui:

Listen to more music by Cui – click the box!