Glinka was determined to create a distinctly Russian classical music, and had great success with his first opera, "A Life for the Tzar" (1836). Glinka's work established him as the father of modern Russian music, and he served as a gathering point for generations of Russian composers. His polka in D minor (1849) is typical of Glinka's national romantic music, using the form of a peasant dance in the same way that Grieg and Bartok created their national romantic music by using folk music as source material. Grade 3-4.