The group Glinka, Borodin, Balakirev, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov is associated with which classification?

• A. Russian 5
• B. Soviet Academy
• C. Tsarist Circle
• D. Romantic Circle

Answer: (A)

This group is known as the Russian Five, a collective dedicated to creating a distinctly Russian musical language in the 19th century. They pursued national expression by drawing on Russian folk tunes, legends, and native themes, rather than imitating Western European styles. This labeling—often called The Mighty Handful as well—captures their purpose and identity as a self‑conscious nationalist circle within Tsarist Russia. The other labels don’t fit because they refer to broader or unrelated groups or eras (Soviet institutions, generic Romantic labeling, or a vague “circle” idea) rather than the specific, well-known collective that pushed Russian music toward its own idiom.