Rimsky-Korsakov, N.A.: The Snow Maiden Suite / Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh / Night on Mount Triglav

Featuring

Mikhail Pletnev
Russian National Orchestra
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

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Composer Biography

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, a member of the 'Mighty Five' group of Russian composers, was the only one professionally active in music, having been sent to naval cadet college at age 12.

Recording & Production

Polyhymnia, the recording company for this album, specializes in high-end acoustic music recordings and is a leader in producing high-resolution surround sound recordings for SA-CD and DVD-Audio.

Performer Biography

The Russian National Orchestra, founded in 1990 by Mikhail Pletnev, was the first Russian orchestra to perform at the Vatican and in Israel.

Cultural Impact

The Russian National Orchestra's recording of Prokofiev's 'Peter and the Wolf' and Beintus's 'Wolf Tracks' received a 2004 Grammy Award, making them the first Russian orchestra to win this honor.

Composition History

Rimsky-Korsakov's acceptance of a professorship in St Petersburg in 1871 marked his emancipation from Balakirev's philosophy, allowing him to acquire the technical foundations for his new profession.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Mili Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov's teacher and leader of the 'Mighty Five', strongly rejected Western music and academic syntax, believing great works could be written without technical qualifications.

Compositional Technique

The music on this album, particularly 'Night on Mount Triglav', carries echoes of Wagnerian music dramas in its harmonic changes and instrumentation, such as brass movement and string interweaving.