A distinguished scientific career (as a doctor and professor of chemistry) didn't stop Borodin from writing music that dug deep into the Russian soul. The Polovtsian Dances (from the opera Prince Igor) and the languid, faintly oriental In the Steppes of Central Asia have long been orchestral staples, and his Second Symphony (1877), his masterpiece, never fails to thrill. Pungent melodies and muscular string writing are his trademark, and he is definitely one of music's originals. Try the Second String Quartet for its gorgeous melodies and really assured writing. No wonder that his best tunes were borrowed for the musical Kismet.