Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade

Scheherazade has to rank as one of Rimsky-Korsakov’s most colorful orchestral suites. Composed in 1888, it was inspired by the stories of One Thousand and One Nights. The King has a distressing habit of executing his wives after a single night, but Scheherazade tells him a series of stories so intriguing that he keeps postponing her demise and bringing her back for another tale.

Rimsky-Korsakov dives into the exotic elements of the stories with oriental melodies, sensuous imagery, and vivid depictions of the sea. His experience as a naval officer seems to have given him a special ability to compose seascapes. We provided more biographical information on Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) in a prior Friday Performance Pick featuring his Capriccio Espagnol.

Scheherazade is comprised of four movements, each representing a different story from the Arabian Nights. The first movement, “The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship,” depicts the tale of Sinbad the Sailor and his voyages across the sea. The second movement, “The Kalendar Prince,” tells the story of a prince who falls in love with a princess, but is forced to undergo a series of trials to prove his worthiness. The third movement, “The Young Prince and the Young Princess,” portrays a romantic story of two lovers who come from different backgrounds, and their journey towards happiness. Finally, the fourth movement, “Festival at Baghdad – The Sea – The Shipwreck,” culminates in a celebration in Baghdad, but also features a violent storm at sea and a shipwreck.

Professor Carol talked about Scheherazade in a podcast some years ago: Slavic, Exotic, Romantic (Part 1). The discussion of Scheherazade begins at 6:33, and it begins with her audio tour of Smetena’s Moldau.