The Polovtsian Dances from Borodin's opera Prince Igor consist of two numbers from the opera's second act. The first (no.8 in the opera) is the 'Dance of Polovtsian Maidens' while the remaining dances are taken from the second act finale (no.17). Borodin worked sporadically for almost 18 years on Prince Igor but it was left in an incomplete chaotic state upon his death in 1887. The dances here were selected and partially orchestrated by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov for an 1879 concert performance and subsequently revised by him after the opera's publication in 1888.

This newly engraved edition by Clinton F. Nieweg and Nancy M. Bradburd has been meticulously researched from authoritative sources so that Borodin's masterful dances are available for the enjoyment of professionals and amateurs alike. This edition differs from the one by Richard W. Sargeant in that it is drawn directly from the opera and includes the parts for chorus, while Sargeant's is for orchestra alone. The large conductor's score and orchestral parts are also now available from Serenissima Music - the only authorized publisher of Nieweg's editions.