Off the Cuff: Scheherazade
{ program notes
Scheherazade
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Born in Tikhvin, Russia, March 18, 1844; died in Lyubensk, near St. Petersburg, June 21, 1908
Rimsky-Korsakov’ s Scheherazade is as intoxicating and seductive as the alluring storyteller for whom it is named. A joy for both audiences and musicians, it is music to make one fall in love with the symphony orchestra itself— its power, its delicacy and its limitless palette of instrumental colors. What Rimsky wrote of its companion piece Capriccio espagnol applies equally well here:“ The opinion formed by both critics and public that … [ it ] is a magnificently orchestrated piece— is wrong. [ It ] is a brilliant composition for the orchestra. The change of timbres, the felicitous choice of melodic designs and figuration patterns, exactly suiting each kind of instrument, brief virtuoso cadenzas for solo instruments … constitute here the very essence of the composition and not its garb or instrumentation.”
Despite his disclaimer, this St. Petersburg composer— a leader among the St. Petersburg-based“ Mighty Handful” of Russian nationalist composers— was indeed one of the greatest orchestrators in history and a major influence on orchestration in the 20 th century. Not only did he inspire his pupils Glazunov, Prokofiev and, above all, Stravinsky( without Rimsky we would never have had the instrumental brilliance of Firebird, Petrushka or Rite of Spring), but also Ravel, Debussy and Respighi.
Rimsky’ s three most popular works— the Capriccio, Scheherazade and the Russian Easter Overture— were all composed within a year of each other. Created during the summer of 1888, Scheherazade was inspired by the Persian legend of the cruel Sultan who ordered all his wives put to death after their wedding night, and of Scheherazade who so beguiled him with her 1001 tales that he kept postponing her execution until finally she won his love. But Rimsky does not tell any of her stories in detail. And he urged audiences not to take his movement titles too literally:“ I meant these hints to direct slightly the hearer’ s imagination on the path which my own fancy had traveled,
Off the Cuff: Scheherazade
Music Center At Strathmore Friday, March 31, 2017— 8:15pm
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall Saturday, April 1, 2017— 7pm
Presenting Sponsor:
Marin Alsop, conductor
nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade, opus 35 Largo e maestoso – Allegro non troppo Lento – Allegro molto Andantino quasi allegretto Allegro molto
April 1: Join us for an after-party in the Meyerhoff lobby featuring live entertainment, food and drink specials.
The concert will end at approximately 9:20pm on Friday, and 8pm on Saturday.
Made possible by The Wallace Foundation.
and to leave more … particular conceptions to the … mood of each [ listener ].”
Rimsky used only a few exotic melodies to build this lengthy work, and, depending on their context, tempo and orchestral guise, they play different roles in different movements. He did, however, set a framework around the work. At the beginning, we hear the Sultan gruffly ordering Scheherazade to begin her first story in a loud, harsh orchestral unison. After“ once-upona-time” chords in the woodwinds, the solo violin enters as the voice of Scheherazade. Rimsky again returns to the violinist / heroine to open the second movement, and, as he begins the final one, we hear the Sultan’ s voice, now rapid and impatient, begging for another story. At work’ s end, the Sultan’ s theme has been transformed: he is putty in Scheherazade’ s hands as she floats a harmonic high E at the top of the violin’ s range( a glorious but perilous moment for all fiddlers!).
The four movements are essentially self-explanatory. In the first, after Scheherazade’ s introduction come surging arpeggios in the cellos and violas: we are on the high seas with Sinbad the Sailor. The second movement,“ The Story of the Kalander Prince,” is built around an exotic Middle Eastern-style melody introduced by the solo bassoon; kalanders were magicians in Middle Eastern courts. The fourth movement is the most complex: it begins with the riotous color and swirling activity of“ The Festival of Baghdad,” and then, at the festival’ s height, sends us suddenly back to Sinbad’ s seas, as the low strings billow and a fierce storm screams overhead in the woodwinds. With a huge timpani crash, the ship is wrecked, and we return to the Sultan ready to live happily ever after with Scheherazade and her marvelous stories.
Instrumentation: Three flutes including piccolos, two oboes including English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, strings.
Notes by Janet E. Bedell, Copyright © 2017
March – APRIL 2017 | Overture 29