Alexander Borodin (1833 – 1887) was a Russian chemist and musical composer from the Romantic era. He wrote this string quartet during 1881. A string quartet is a musical ensemble consisting of four string players – two violin players, a viola player and a cellist. A viola is a string instrument, larger than a violin and with a thicker and darker tone.
Today’s piece is the 3rd movement of the string quartet and is called Notturno (Nocturne). A nocturne is a musical composition that reflects the moods and feelings of night time.
Hayes Music blog 