Cesar Cui born in on January, 18 1835 in Vilno.  He was the son a French officer who stayed in Russia after Napoleon’s retreat.  Cui received piano and music theory lessons when he was a child. However he entered St. Petersburg’s School of Military Engineering and became an military engineer who profession was specific to fortifications. When Balakirev met Cui he learned that he was knowledgeable about operas. The meeting with Balakirev and shortly after that with the other members of the soon to be Mighty Handful made Cui reinterested in music. Cui was a prolific composer but he had very little success.  Cui did not have nearly as much success with his compositions as the others of the group did. Nationalisms was not a main theme is his music as it was for the other members of the group. He took on the role of the critic in the circle.  Cui died on March 26, 1918 in St. Petersburg and is now buried in the Tikhvin Cemetery.

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