Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Scheherazade' was composed in 1888, following the death of his friend Alexander Borodin and the posthumous publication of Borodin's opera 'Prince Igor'.
Compositional Technique
Ljadow's 'The Enchanted Lake' is described as a 'musical still life' and 'purely impressionistic music' that depicts a Russian forest lake without a mythical storyline.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The Russian tradition, with its mythical and fairy-tale aspects and assimilated oriental elements, is a particular love of conductor Dmitri Kitajenko.
Performer Biography
Dmitri Kitajenko, the conductor, was born in Soviet Leningrad in 1940 and experienced the city's blockade and his father's imprisonment in the Gulag.
Compositional Technique
Rimsky-Korsakov intended 'Scheherazade' to be a 'kaleidoscopic sequence of fairy-tale images of oriental character', unified by common themes and motifs but allowing listeners to imagine details.
Composer Biography
Anatoli Ljadow, a student of Rimsky-Korsakov, was considered a 'slacker' by his teacher due to a perceived lack of discipline, despite his immense talent.
Performer Biography
Dmitri Kitajenko, the conductor, was mentored by Herbert von Karajan and succeeded Kirill Kondraschin as chief conductor of the Moscow Philharmonic in 1976.
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