Alexander Porfireyevich Borodin was the illegitimate son of a prince and his mistress, educated at home in St Petersburg by his mother. Although music was an early passion, he discovered his avocation once he matriculated at the city's Medical-Surgical Academy. A chemist he became, and a good one, though not without his extra-curricular enthusiasms: the head of department once admonished him thus, mid-lecture: 'Mr Borodin, busy yourself a little less with songs. I'm putting all my hopes in you as my successor, but all you think of is music: you can't hunt two hares at the same time.' This release contains a selection of chamber music, great performances by the Moscow Trio and the Moscow String Quartet.