Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857) is considered to be the father of modern Russian music, and was the first Russian to have his work performed in the West. His influence is clearly seen in the work of Mily Balakirev (1837-1910), who played a leading role in the Russian Nationalistic movement of the late 1800s, and notably inspired Borodin, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and to a lesser extent, Tchaikovsky.
A brilliantly lyrical work, The Lark was first written by Glinka in 1840, as one of the 12 songs that comprised . Balakirev later transcribed the song for solo Piano, and the genius of both composers can be seen in the arrangement.
