Portrait of Rimsky-Korsakov in 1898 Photo: Serov, Public Domain
Rimsky-Korsakov came from military and naval family and as a young man intended to become a naval officer like his much older brother. Eventually however, his interest in music took over from his interest in the sea, and he became a member of the Russian nationalist group known as The Mighty Handful or The Five.
Despite his lack of formal musical education, he was appointed as professor of composition and instrumentation at the St Petersburg Conservatory at the age of 27. In this feature, Roger Wilson looks at Rimsky-Korsakov the sailor, the nationalist and the academic.
Music Details
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: The Snow Maiden, Suite - Seattle Symphony/ Gerard Schwarz (Naxos 8.572787)
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: SigCD 320 Scheherazade I TK4 - St Petersburg Phil/ Yuri Temirkanov (Signum SIGCD 320)
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Symphony No 3 in C Op 32 - USSR SO/ Evgeny Svetlanov (Melodiya 74321 40065)
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Overture on Russian Themes Op 28 - Moscow SO/ Igor Golovschin (Naxos 8.553858)
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: The Snow Maiden, Suite - Seattle Symphony/ Gerard Schwarz (Naxos 8.572787)
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Capriccio espagnol, - Cleveland Orch/ Lorin Maazel (Decca 480 6627)
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Song of the Viking - Fedor Chaliapin (bass), unnamed orch/ Albert Coates (EMI CDH 761009)
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, Suite - Moscow SO/ Igor Golovschin (Naxos 8.553513)
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: The Golden Cockerel, Suite - Seattle Symphony/ Gerard Schwarz (Naxos 8.572787)
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: The Golden Cockerel, Suite - Seattle Symphony/ Gerard Schwarz (Naxos 8.572787)
