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Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)
Scheherazade, Op. 35
Composed: 1888
Premiered: 1888, St. Petersburg
Duration: 42 minutes

Our programme continues in the grand tradition of the Russian Romantics. Of the group of composers called “The Five” (Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Balakirev, and Cui, all of them ardently keen to develop a uniquely Russian musical idiom), Rimsky-Korsakov was the most technically accomplished. The others turned to him for advice, particularly when it came to orchestration, of which he was the acknowledged master.

Scheherazade, composed in 1888, is a superb example of Rimsky-Korsakov’s imaginative use of orchestral colour, which has served as an inspiration and resource for many later composers, both in Russia and in western Europe and America. The title comes from “Tales from the Arabian Nights”. The Sultan Shahriar, convinced of the faithlessness of women, has each of his wives put to death after the wedding night until it is Scheherazade’s turn. The wily and seductive Sultana tells her husband a story but leaves theend unresolved. He is so fascinated by the tale that he has to postpone the execution for a day so that he can hear the outcome. Thereupon she starts another tale, and the process continues for a thousand and one nights. The violin solo which opens each movement is clearly a portrait of the Sultana herself, introducing the marvellous stories. But the composer felt that the programme should not be taken too seriously. His original titles for the four movements were quite non-committal: Prelude, Ballade, Adagio, and Finale. The tunes are there for musical development, not specifically linked to persons or events in the tales. 

In Rimsky-Korsakov’s own words, Scheherazade is “an orchestral suite in four movements, closely knit by the commonality of its themes and motives, yet presenting, as it were, a kaleidoscope of fairytale images...” To the audiences who first heard it, Scheherazade seemed outrageous and confused, but it has since become a staple of the orchestral repertoire. Orchestras cherish the opportunities it presents for displaying their skills, and audiences revel in its exotic light and shade. 

Program note by the late Dr. C.W. Helleiner.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)
Scheherazade, Op. 35
Composed: 1888
Premiered: 1888, St. Petersburg
Duration: 42 minutes

Our programme continues in the grand tradition of the Russian Romantics. Of the group of composers called “The Five” (Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Balakirev, and Cui, all of them ardently keen to develop a uniquely Russian musical idiom), Rimsky-Korsakov was the most technically accomplished. The others turned to him for advice, particularly when it came to orchestration, of which he was the acknowledged master.

Scheherazade, composed in 1888, is a superb example of Rimsky-Korsakov’s imaginative use of orchestral colour, which has served as an inspiration and resource for many later composers, both in Russia and in western Europe and America. The title comes from “Tales from the Arabian Nights”. The Sultan Shahriar, convinced of the faithlessness of women, has each of his wives put to death after the wedding night until it is Scheherazade’s turn. The wily and seductive Sultana tells her husband a story but leaves theend unresolved. He is so fascinated by the tale that he has to postpone the execution for a day so that he can hear the outcome. Thereupon she starts another tale, and the process continues for a thousand and one nights. The violin solo which opens each movement is clearly a portrait of the Sultana herself, introducing the marvellous stories. But the composer felt that the programme should not be taken too seriously. His original titles for the four movements were quite non-committal: Prelude, Ballade, Adagio, and Finale. The tunes are there for musical development, not specifically linked to persons or events in the tales. 

In Rimsky-Korsakov’s own words, Scheherazade is “an orchestral suite in four movements, closely knit by the commonality of its themes and motives, yet presenting, as it were, a kaleidoscope of fairytale images...” To the audiences who first heard it, Scheherazade seemed outrageous and confused, but it has since become a staple of the orchestral repertoire. Orchestras cherish the opportunities it presents for displaying their skills, and audiences revel in its exotic light and shade. 

Program note by the late Dr. C.W. Helleiner.