 Evgeny SvetlanovN. Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade, Sadko, Fantasia on Serbian Themes, At the Tomb
Contents:
N. Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 – 1908)
Scheherazade, suite after "Arabian Nights", Op. 35
1. 1. Largo maestoso. Allegro non troppo
2. 2. Lento. Andantino
3. 3. Andantino quasi allegretto
4. 4. Allegro molto. Allegro molto e frenetico.
Allegro non troppo e maestoso. Lento
5. Sadko, musical picture, Op. 5
6. Fantasia on Serbian Themes, Op. 6
7. At the Tomb, prelude to the memory
of M. Belyaev, Op. 61
Total time: 67.18
The USSR Symphony Orchestra
Conductor Evgeny Svetlanov
Heinrich Friedheim, violin (1)
Recorded in 1969 (1), 1965 (2 – 4)
Catalogue number: MEL CD 10 00180
Where to buy: Shops addresses
In 1888 N. Rimsky Korsakov created the largest and one of his best symphonic compositions – "Scheherazade" suite. It was performed for the first time on October 22 of the same year by the orchestra directed by the author.
From the first edition of "Scheherazade", from the talks of the composer with his friends we know what episodes of the "Arabian Nights" inspired Rimsky-Korsakov. In the first part it is the sea and the ship of Sinbad the Sailor. The second part is the tale of Prince Kalendar about the wonders he saw during his travellings. The third part is a lyrical scene (The Young Prince and Princess). In the forth part there are two independent pictures: the festival at Bagdad and the ship founders on the rock of the bronze horseman. Four parts of the suite are connected not only with the proggramme but with several musical ideas, common themes.
The symphonic picture "Sadko" was composed in 1867 . With it the composer enters the world of the Russian folk epic and it had in many ways presaged the appearance many years later of his opera "Sadko".
The programme of the picture is based on a Novgorod by Una (Russian epic). Sadko's boat is halted in the midst of a limitless ocean. The Sea King demands a human sacrifice and the lot falls upon Sadko, who descends into the ocean's depths. A wedding feast is in full swing there and the Sea King orders Sadko to play his psaltery. Carried away by his music, the underwater inhabitants begin to dance, while a storm breaks out on the sea. But Sadko breaks the strings of the instrument, the dancing stops and the sea calms down.
At the end of 1866 Rimsky Korsakov wrote his Fantasia on Serbian Themes for symphony orchestra. Fantasia is based on several folk themes, it causes joy by the beautiful melodies and subtlety of their developing. The piece was first presented on May 5, 1867.
The prelude "At the Tomb", composed in 1904, is dedicated to the memory of the then recently deceased Mitrofan Belyaev. a great friend of Russian composers. Rimsky-Korsakov noted that in this brief piece he used themes from the burial service.
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