The real work of Boris Solomonovich Steinpress (1908-1986) is devoted to the biography of the remarkable Russian composer Alexander Alexandrovich Alyabyev (1787-1851). The main chapters of the book cover forty years of his life - from birth to exile. They describe the early years of the composer's life, the maturation of his artistic personality, participation in the Patriotic War and a foreign campaign, subsequent officer service and the resumption of composition, intensive creative activity for the theater and the beginning of the heyday of vocal lyrics - the most important area of ​ ​ his work. conclusion caused by a grave and unfair accusation.