Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was born in Tikhvin, Russia, on March 18, 1844, and died in Lyubensk, Russia, on June 21, 1908. The first performance of Scheherazade took place in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 3, 1888, with the composer conducting. Scheherazade is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes (2nd doubling English horn), two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal, snare drum, triangle, tambourine, tam-tam, harp, and strings. Approximate performance time is forty-two minutes.

The collection of fantastic tales known as The Arabian Nights, or A Thousand and One Nights, has captivated readers for centuries. The ancient stories, mostly of Arabic, Indian, or Persian origin, were first presented to European readers in an early 18th-century French translation by Antoine Galland. In the late 19th century, British explorer Sir Richard Burton created a popular English-language version. To this day, such tales as “The History of Aladdin, or the Wonderful Lamp,” “The History of Sinbad the Sailor,” and “The History of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” continue to weave their magical spell.

Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov created his Scheherazade, Symphonic Suite after “A Thousand and One Nights,” in the summer of 1888. During that same period, Rimsky-Korsakov also completed his Russian Easter Overture, Opus 36. Rimsky-Korsakov was a master of the art of instrumentation. His Principles of Orchestration (1896-1908) remains an important text on that subject. In speaking of Scheherazade, as well as his Capriccio espagnol, Opus 34 (1887) and Russian Easter Overture, Opus 36 (1888), the composer proudly acknowledged: “my orchestration had achieved a considerable degree of virtuosity and bright sonority.” Rimsky-Korsakov’s brilliant deployment of orchestral forces—coupled with his unerring sense of dramatic contrast and impressive melodic gifts—have assured continued affection for Scheherazade by musicians and audiences alike.

In a preface to the score, Rimsky-Korsakov provided the following program for Scheherazade:

The Sultan Schahriar, convinced of the perfidy and faithlessness of women, vowed to execute each of his wives after the first night. But the Sultana Scheherazade saved her own life by interesting him in the tales she told him through 1001 nights. Impelled by curiosity, the Sultan continually put off her execution, and at last entirely abandoned his sanguinary resolve. Many marvels did Scheherazade relate to him, citing the verses of poets and the words of songs, weaving tale into tale and story into story.

The work’s recurring violin solo represents, according to Rimsky-Korsakov, the heroine Scheherazade, “telling her wondrous tales to the stern sultan.”