In former days, the trips of two hours and a half by car to visit our family , were filled with Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade and Borodín's Polovtsian Dances. The sound volume was quite high and I remember feeling overwhelmed by the great music... Scheherazade keeps impressing me everytime I hear it.
Russian Romanticism
As you will notice in future reviews, I'm very fond of Russian music. I love the severeness and the atmosphere composed of interesting harmonies.
I wrote a thesis on high school about the connection between Romanticism and the piano. In one chapter I mentioned the Russian composers Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, which in my opinion, are principal figures in Romantic classical music. Their works are full of emotions with tendency toward fairytales and misery, characteristics of Romanticism.
Now about Rimsky himself...
Nikolaj Rimsky-Korsakov was born in Tichvin, a city near St. Petersburg, on March 18th 1844. He was raised in a wealthy family. As a 18 years old marine officer. he travelled around the world. Undoubtedly, this experiences had influence on his compositions. (For example the first movement of Scheherazade: 'The sea and Sinbad's ship'.) Back home, a famous director convinced him to study music. He composed symphonies, fifteen opera's, but he is mainly known for 'Scheherazade' and the impressive 'Flight of the Bumblebee'.
Rimsky-Korsakov wrote the following lines as an introduction for his symphonic suite 'Scheherazade':
"The Sultan Schariar, convinced that all women are false and faithless, vowed to put to death each of his wives after the first nuptial night. But the Sultana Sheherazade saved her life by entertaining her lord with fascinating tales, told seriatim, for a thousand and one nights. The Sultan, consumed with curiosity, postponed from day to day the execution of his wife, and finally repudiated his bloody vow entirely." (©Wiki)
Since there are a lot of articles about the technical elements and components, I will focus more on the exhibition of Kirill Kondrashin and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Sadly I do not know where the cassette-tape is with the version I always cherished. By the way, cassette-tapes and L.P.'s are in my opinion better than CD's because they have a much warmer sound.
In general I prefer live performances since they are more dynamic and lively. I tried to review a live performance of Yvan Fischer and the RCO I found of Youtube, but the interpretation was way too slow in my opinion and I switched back to my CD.
1. The sea and Sinbad's ship
(Live version:) The first notes are warm and heartfelt, not violent at all. We get introduced to the first violin solo, one of the motives that will keep returning in the course of the story. On the live version the solo is brilliant and moving and I'm dying to know who plays it. Sadly, the description gives no information about the violin soloist.
After the solo, Rimsky-Korsakov throws us on a ship in rough sea. The tempo is way too slow though. I hoped the director Ivan Fischer would accelerate a bit but since he didn't, I got back to my CD.
(Continuing with the studio version:) These are pretty good waves. I love the tempo and the dynamics, swooping up and off. A short intermezzo: the violin is tense, not peaceful as it was in the beginning. There is a big climax that quickly decreases.
2. The story of the Calendar Prince
The melody is played in a sweet and modest manner, yet beautiful. However, the violinist could have made more of this. I am curious to hear the interpretation on the live version (around 11:00"). After hearing it I can say that I prefer that one, which sounds more brilliant and intense.
Back to the CD. In my opinion Scheherazade lends itself very well for different approaches of the musical elements. I realize again how I love the tempo and interpretation of the Kondrashin version. I don't know the story of the Calendar Prince but Kondrashin makes us believe that he knows it by heart.
3. The young prince and the young princess
The warm sound of the stringed instruments welcomes us in the palace of the young prince and princess. Rimsky-Korsakov inserted Oriental elements: the dreamy musical scales in between for clarinet, then repeated by the strings, and finally played at the same time. It's enchanting and we step right into a fata morgana. The violin motif was peaceful in the first movement, feeling in the second movement, but playful in the third one. A short and intense tutti, then we hear a potpourri of all the previous motives, fading to the end.
4. Festival at Baghdad - The sea - The ship goes to pieces against a rock surmounted by a bronze warrior
There are a lot of dynamical contrasts. We are on the ship again, but the tempo is a lot faster this time. The winding drum represents the festival at Baghdad. We switch between these locations. It is confusing and everything is mixed. When taking a look into the sheet music, we see that Rimsky-Korsakov intended this last movement to sound entangled. The waves are majestic and violent, the wind is strong, leading to the climax: the shipwreck. Then, we hear the violin for the last time. Not peaceful as in the first movement, tender as in the second, or sparkling as in the third movement, but sad and nostalgic, fading to the end...
My opinion of the performance: 8/10 (studio version)
Kondrashin's interpretation was very dynamic and fluent. The only remark I have is the violin solo which could have been better, but the orchestral part was good.
I don't like comparing but I cannot be silent on this: Place the violinist of the 2006 live version in the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of 1963 with Kondrashin, put it on a cassette-tape and I will be perfectly satisfied.
Picture source: wikimedia commons
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