A noted Russian composer, Mily Balakirev was the major force in the spirit of a group of Russian nationalist composers called the ‘Mighty Five’ which also included Cui, Mussorgsky, Borodin and Rimsky-Korsakov. Balakirev was the only composer of the group to study as a professional musician. Balakirev's success as a composer was not great, mainly due to his unpredictable personality.