AllMovie

The Great Glinka is the life story of the famed 19th-century Russian composer. Acclaimed as the first of his breed to incorporate authentic Russian folk songs in his compositions, Glinka, aka Mikkail Ivanovitch, is herein depicted as a "musician of the people." Despite his friendships with such stellar literary figures as Pushkin and his recognition by the Czar, Glinka never forgets his humble origins. Most of the film is taken up by a reenactment of the events leading to the debut of Glinka's first opera, Ivan Susanin. Soviet singing star Boris Chirkov plays Glinka, while members of the Bolshoi Theatre appear in secondary roles.