Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was a founder of the 'Young Russian School' alongside Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev, which aimed to create a national Russian music free from Western European influence.
Compositional Technique
In 'Scheherazade', the solo violin represents Scheherazade herself, telling her wondrous tales to the strict Sultan, and serves as a connecting thread throughout the suite.
Performer Biography
Lika Yakupova, a soloist on this album, is a prize-winning violinist who has performed in major venues across Russia and Europe and is now a member of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
Recording & Production
This recording by the Cologne New Philharmonic Orchestra under Volker Hartung was made in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, known for its grand acoustics.
Cultural Impact
A ballet adaptation of Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Scheherazade' premiered on June 4, 1910, at the Opéra Garnier in Paris by the 'Ballets Russes', with choreography by Michel Fokine.
Composer Biography
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, the composer, was a Russian naval officer and is perhaps the only great composer to have circumnavigated the world (1862-65).
Composer's Artistic Vision
Rimsky-Korsakov intended his work 'Scheherazade' to be a 'kaleidoscope of fairy-tale images of oriental character' rather than a literal depiction of stories from '1001 Nights'.
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