It was only in the late 1820s, after the Napoleonic Wars and around the time that Beethoven and Schubert died, that Glinka, the first great Russian composer, invented what we now think of as the "sound of Russian music". read more
Russian orthodox liturgical music; Russian folk music; Stravinsky absorbed this all and jacked it up harmonically and rhythmically. Of course, young Stravinsky and old Stravinsky are very different styles. And if all else fails, use sleigh bells. read more
Russian music has a hypnotic effect - the listener is deliberately put under a spell and taken places - one senses this was the mission of the composer, the impetus for creation. Listen to the music and one's soul can travel there, even if the body cannot. read more
Generally, I've found the best way of writing Russian sounding music is to treat the V of a minor key as the I. Insisting the V7 as the home sound, and then travelling around using a bunch of syncopated rhythms, flattened 6ths and extended phrases mixed helps to make music sound Russian. read more