Hey, careful there. I like the other guy. And, as far as I know, Tchaikovsky didn't claim any particular Russian-ness in his music. Of the others, IMHO, only Borodin is halfway listenable on the whole.

Truth to tell, CapK, I like Tchaikovsky too. However, I believe that Mussorgsky was brilliantly inventive, Borodin was T-sky's equal as a melodist, and R-K was a fine all-around composer. As for the other two, well, er, um, which half of what (w)hole were you thinking of? I do admire Mussorgsky for perceiving the connection between music and spoken language, and attempting to incorporate it into his paltry sum of musical work. That, of course, is the subject of this thread, so he ought to be celebrated here for his efforts.