IDAGIO | Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade - Capriccio espagnol

Featuring

Carlo Ponti
Tatiana Porshneva
Alexei Bruni
Russian National Orchestra
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

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Composer Biography

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, the composer, first encountered music while training to become a navy cadet, attending his first opera in 1857.

Performer Biography

Carlo Ponti, the conductor, was appointed Associate Conductor of the Russian National Orchestra in 2000 after a critically praised debut with the ensemble.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestral works often drew from Russian folk music, which he saw as a source of untapped compositional and orchestration possibilities.

Compositional Technique

Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol is a sparkling showpiece known for its unprecedented use of instrumental timbres, which the composer described as 'breath-taking orchestral tones'.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Rimsky-Korsakov preferred listeners to experience his symphonic suite Scheherazade as 'absolute music', rather than focusing on specific programmatic titles for its movements.

Critical Reception

During the first rehearsal of Capriccio Espagnol, the orchestral musicians were so overwhelmed they burst into spontaneous applause, and the conductor had to repeat the work at its premiere.

Compositional Technique

The musical cohesion in Scheherazade is provided by solo violin passages, sometimes accompanied by harp, which represent the character of Scheherazade.