Dargomyzhsky was educated in St. Petersburg. He was already referred to as the gifted musical amateur when in 1833 he met Glinka and was encouraged to devote himself to composition. His weak opera Esmeralda was written in 1839, & his Rusalka was performed within 1856, however he got however microscopic profits or even even recognition either home or overseas, except in Belgium, until the sixties, while he became one of Balakirev's circle. His opera The Stone Guest then became famous among a progressive Russian school, though it was non performed until 1872. Dargomyzhsky died around January 1869. His compositions include the total of songs, & occasionally orchestral pieces.