There was a renewed interest in the Russian composer of "The Five" during the late 20th century.
(The Mighty Handful - also known as The Five, The Balakirev Circle, and The New Russian School, refers to a group of prominent 19th century composers active in Saint Petersburg, Russia who strived to produce a specifically Russian kind of classical music, rather than one that imitated older European music or relied on European-style conservatory training. The group met from 1856 to 1870 and consisted of Mily Balakirev (the leader), César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Borodin.)Born in Vilnius in 1835, from a French officer father (who decided to stay in Russia during Napoleon's disastrous retreat from Moscow) and a Lithuanian mother. Dad taught French in Vilnius to make some rubles to feed his family.
After some piano lessons as a child, he entered the Engineering School at St Petersburg in 1851, and later studied at the Academy of Military Engineering (1855–7); eventually became a professor there after graduating. He was an acknowledged expert on fortifications, and his writings on the subject were widely acclaimed.
See biography at allmusic ---> http://www.allmusic.com/artist/c%C3%A9sar-cui-mn0001205582/biography Chamber music
===========================Op. Work— Andante and Allegro, for string quartet, c1858,
84 Sonata, D, violin, piano, c1860–70, pubd 1911
14 Petite suite, violin, piano, 1879; no.3 (Scherzino) also for solo piano
20 Douze miniatures, (violin, piano), solo piano, 1882; nos.5 and 8 also for violin, orch
24 Deux morceaux, violin, piano/orch, 1884
25 Suite concertante, violin, piano/orch, 1884
36 Deux morceaux, cello, piano/orch, 1886
39 Sept miniatures, (violin, piano), solo piano, 1886
45 String Quartet no.1, c, 1890
50 Kaleidoscope, 24 morceaux, violin, piano, 1893 [no.17 orig. Petit prélude no.1, piano, 1888]
— Tarantelle, c, violin, piano, 1893
51 Six Bagatelles, violin, piano, ?1893–5
— Quasi mazurka, violin, piano, 1894,
56 Cinq petits duos, fl, violin, piano, 1897
68 String Quartet no.2, D, 1907
81 Barcarolle, cello, piano, 1910
91 String Quartet no.3, E, 1913
— Scherzetto, D, flute, piano, ?1916
orchestral
============================================Op. Work— Overture, c1856, unpubd
1 Scherzo, F, 1857 [orch of pf work]
2 Scherzo, g, 1857 [orch of pf work]
12 Tarantella, g, 1858
— Symphonic allegro, E, 1862; unfinished, some material used in William Ratcliff, unpubd
18 Marche solonnelle, E, 1881
20 Suite miniature no.1, 1882 [orch of 12 Miniatures, pf, nos.10, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12]
24 Deux morceaux, vn, orch/pf, 1884
25 Suite concertante, vn, orch/pf, 1884
36 Deux morceaux, vc, orch/pf, 1886
— Orchestral March, c1886, not orchd, unpubd
38 Suite no.2, E, 1887
40 Suite no.4, 1887 [orch by Glazunov of A Argenteau, pf, nos.1, 5, 4, 8 and 9]
— Fanfari [Fanfares], wind, perc, 1889, ?unpubd [with Glazunov, in honour of M.P. Belyayev]
43 In modo populari [Suite no.3], g, small orch, 1890
65 Valse, 1904
82 Three Scherzos, C, F, c, 1910
— Slava, march, military band, 1916
Piano music
======================================Op. Work• Three Pieces, Op. 8 (1877)
• Twelve Miniatures, Op. 20 (1882); also arranged for violin and piano,
• Suite, Op. 21 (1883); (dedicated to Liszt)
• Four Pieces, Op. 22 (1883)
• Valse-Caprice, Op. 26 (1883)
• Deux Bluettes, Op. 29 (1886)
• Two Polonaises, Op. 30 (1886)
• Three Waltzes, Op. 31 (1886)
• Three Impromptus, Op. 35 (1886)
• Six/Seven Miniatures, Op. 39 (1886)
• Petite prélude no. 2 (1889)
• Five Pieces, Op. 52 (1895)
• Impromptu-caprice (1896?).
• Four Pieces, Op. 60 (1901)
• Theme and Variations, Op. 61 (1901)
• Twenty-Five Preludes, Op. 64 (1904)
• Two Mazurkas, Op. 70 (1907)
• Three Mazurkas, Op. 79 (1909)
• Five Pieces, Op. 83 (1911); includes:
• 5. Rêverie d'un faune, après la lecture de son journal
• Trois esquisses mélodiques, Op. 92 (1913)
• Trois mouvements de danse, Op. 94 (1914)
• Five Pieces, Op. 95 (1914)
• Eighteen Variations, Op. 100 (1916)
Many more pieces for solo and four-hands
