A close friend of both Tchaikovsky and Tolstoy (and the object of unrequited infatuation from Mrs. Tolstoy), Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev is notable among Russian composers for his refusal to follow the nationalist traditions of the "Mighty Five." Initially known only as a performer - he premiered most of Tchaikovsky's piano concerti - Taneyev kept his composing a secret from even his closest friends for many years. His works, which include the massive opera Oresteya, are notable for their structural complexities and extended contrapuntal passages.
