Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Mastermind of Orchestration [The Mighty Handful, Pt. 6/6]

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This was requested by Sean Ramsdell, torram28, and Krzysztof Q. See all requests at lentovivace.com...
📚 Sources/further reading:
“My Musical Life” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
“Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Use of the ‘Byliny’ (Russian Oral Epic Narratives) in his Opera ‘Sadko’” by Brian Reeve (PhD Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2005): eprints.notting...
“Rimsky-Korsakov’s ‘Antar’ Symphony: A Biographical and Analytical Study” by Nicolas Krusek (MA Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2014)
“Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov and His Orient” by Adalyat Issiyeva
“An operatic premonition in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Musical Tableau ‘Sadko,’ Op. 5” by Mark Biggins: www.markbiggins...
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Classical Nerd is a video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
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Music:
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade (1888), performed by the University of Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Barbara Schubert and available on IMSLP: tinyurl.com/CN...
Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
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[@ClassicalNerd]

*A few notes:* 1) This is the last in the series on the Mighty Handful that I filmed before quarantine-and I literally filmed this the day before driving 800 miles across the country to ride out the pandemic with my parents. Given the distractions involved with packing before and after filming this, I had a few of what I like to call "verbal typos," most of which I could edit around-but if you notice any strange or unusual editing (or slips of the tongue), that's why. 2) Because of this rushed production, I'd like to welcome new patron *Andres Abarca,* who joined after this episode was produced.

[@VallaMusic]

hehe - love Nikolai's predicament of being a composer who was faced with a teaching position without academic knowledge of music

[@StanleyGrill]

His PRINCIPLES OF ORCHESTRATION is a must read for composers.

[@dennispearson9287]

Maannnn.........This Guy Has Really Done His HOMEWORK !!!......I'm Now An INSTANT FAN !!!.....I Can't Get Enough of The Classical Nerd !!!......Not Since The Scholarly And Exciting Presentations of Leonard Bernstein And Glenn Gould , Have Composers Been So BRILLIANTLY Brought To Life !!!.....

[@ClassicalNerd]

Thank you so much!

[@ClarissaBrown-e9b]

Oh, thank you! This wonderful composer was born 180 years ago today. How I loved wondering around his apartment museum in St Petersburg some years ago. I must expand my knowledge of his compositions - I've never listened to Antar. Thanks again

[@skeptical_Inquirer200]

One thing that might have helped Rimsky-Korsakov learn so fast when he decided to apply himself is that he had perfect pitch. He tells us all about it on page 4 of "My Musical Life" . "The first indications of musical talent appeared in me at a very early age. I was not fully two years old when I clearly distinguished all the tunes that my mother sang to me. Later, when three or four years of age, I beat a toy drum in perfect time, while my father played the piano. Often my father would suddenly change the tempo and rhythm on purpose, and I at once followed suit. Soon afterward I began to sing quite correctly whatever my father played, and often I sang along with him. Later on I myself began to pick out on the piano the pieces and accompaniments I had heard him perform and, having learned the names of the notes, I could, from an adjoining room, recognize and name any note of the piano".

[@BorisovSergey]

i'm currently reading his orchestration textbook and deciphering first movement of Antar bit by bit. Seems he grows to be my personal hero. Knowing he didn't knew a lot of theory for quite a time makes it super-relatable.

[@DrMarianus]

If it's his 'Principles of Orchestration', I read that in my undergrad years.

[@alicewyan]

Before your series on the Mighty Handful I barely knew anything about the group, or most of its components - the series has been super interesting and educational! Looking forward to whatever comes up next, and Bravo!

[@archanabiswas4077]

Same for me

[@karlseminaro7824]

You give so much details. I got to say, you a very good historian composer! Very good! Continue the good work.👍

[@Herfinnur]

This was very, very interesting, thank you! I'm going to have to dig into his operas now.

[@lyleneff]

This is a late response, but a few years ago I compiled a playlist of KZbin videos of the operas. As I recall, most of the videos in the list represent staged or film versions, the remainder being audio recordings made into audio-only videos. kzbin.info/aero/PLUoO2e9So20fL9gGFWhX8XDEzLNZSWGCM

[@thomasjoyce7870]

Wow! Great lecture. Thank you.

[@anajuliafinezcarro3187]

These videos are so helpful and amazing!! Could you do Alfred Schnittke?? Thank you

[@ClassicalNerd]

The video is over three years old so it's not as in-depth as what I do now, but I did indeed do a video on him: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hprXnWuBocShmJo

[@anajuliafinezcarro3187]

@@ClassicalNerd thank you!!

[@1972Diogenes]

Just got familiar with Kashei the immortal and wanted to learn something more about its composer whose orchestral works I absolutely adore. Man, phenomenal video. Thank you so much for your efforts. Be well.

[@medlaw5283]

I am thrilled to have found your channel! Thank you!

[@titicoqui]

so so well done it is impossible to find a decent biography in Russian his name means Roman and Corsican hence his distant Italian roots

[@murrayaronson3753]

In Russia Rimsky-Korsakov’s operas are in the active repertory. I’ve only seen live Le Coq d’Or twice nearly 60 years ago at the New York City Opera, once with Beverly Sills and Norman Treigle. It ought to be revived along with his other works like Sadko and The Snow Maiden.

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

I find it very difficult to put into words this absolutely iconic series of uploads. The amount of information you have given out is immeasurable on the grand scale of things. I have personally learnt so much, so much. These videos should be included in the syllabus of music in every school in Great Britain. People of all ages will benefit beyond belief listening to this series. If there was a You Tube Oscar - You would win it. Very, very well done.

[@ClassicalNerd]

Thank you for your kind words and ongoing support!

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

@@ClassicalNerd Remember, when travelling is permitted again, a table awaits you in Simpson's-In-The-Strand in London, serving traditional British Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding , Horseradish Sauce etc etc. (on my account) Oh..... Maybe you're going to tell me your a veggie!!!! - re-think necessary :-)

[@ClassicalNerd]

I look forward to it! And I'm not a particularly picky eater; raw celery is practically the only thing I don't like.

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

@@ClassicalNerd Not served in Simpson's :-) :-)

[@paeffill9428]

Great upload!

[@PositunesMusic]

Awesome work you did here. Bravo!

[@peterc.7841]

I haven't finished watching yet but this is excellent, thanks very much!

[@Rom14DH]

I love your videos so much. Well presented, a lot of important context and very interesting fun facts

[@AmbientSpaceMusic2020]

Thank you!

[@walterbenjamin1386]

I love R-K's operas. They are gorgeous.

[@TheJayObrain]

Brilliant. Would love insights or analyses of RK's operas from you. Please!

[@DrMarianus]

I read that the conductor Neeme Jarvi owns ALL original RK opera scores and has offered to direct them anywhere in the world if a company is willing to mount them. Where to begin with so many operas?

[@xanchongzhuxu1686]

I would like to see classical nerd make a video on the composer Xian xinghai,your videos had always been interesting to me and thanks for dedicating good introductions to composers for us on youtube!!!!

[@ClassicalNerd]

Duly noted: lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

[@WilliamAhlert]

Hi love your stuff. Im wanting to look for myself at the lives of the great composers i admire, but so many biographies seem to read like romanticised novels that dont give such an in depth look at the lives and contexts of these composers. Given that gorgeous backdrop full of books and tomes, what would you recommend as good composer biographies? Im interested in Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Liszt, and Chopin. Great content :)

[@ClassicalNerd]

I have a old bookshelf tour from waaaaaay back when [ kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3_PhIBvf7yXobs ] which covers _some_ of these, but certainly not all! What I've found is that the literature on any given figure varies wildly, both in objective quality and in what a reader is looking for. The Rachmaninoff book on my shelf (Sergei Rachmaninoff: A Lifetime in Music) is pretty good, if occasionally dry in spots. Stravinsky is very hit-or-miss and the literature I have on him doesn't pretend to be thorough. Liszt biographies have a hard time balancing the life with the music; the one I have (Franz Liszt: Musician, Celebrity, Superstar) is super neat to read but doesn't give a good sense of his importance to music, so if you're after that, I would suggest perhaps that book along with something that's a little more analytically/musicologically oriented. As for Chopin, I've yet to come across one singular volume that touches on both life and music in a more objective way; the one slim volume I have (James Huneker's Chopin: the Man and His Music) is ... an interesting read, but it's very clearly written from the perspective of a less-than-perfectly-informed fan.

[@doricdream498]

e minor being blue?? oh dear, to me thats very weird...to me, E keys are bright green and F keys are blue...its very interesting to see the differences between synesthetics and how it can impact the interpretation of each others music!

[@ClassicalNerd]

I would love to eventually do an episode on synesthesia-comparing and contrasting the sense-relationships of different synesthetic composers, as well as picking the brain of actual synesthetes. Feel free to e-mail me any time about this because I'd love to learn more about how synesthesia affects your musicianship!

[@mobtek]

Hah I was actually searching for my copy of Principles of Orchestration today (which I discovered in a sale in 1986 for the grand sum of $5) which I couldn't find so I went looking for a good biography instead but lo and behold it's on IMSLP :) Maybe the gods were trying to tell me something back then at 15 but I didn't start composing until I was 49.

[@mcbill7352]

Rimsky korsakov's orchestration is unparalleled. I would say the only others on the same tier are Ravel, Debussy, stravinsky, Mahler and Berlioz

[@Rhino873]

These are wonderful! ever consider doing Gustav Holsts?

[@ClassicalNerd]

It's not so much who I would consider doing as much as who's gotten more requests over the years: lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

[@Rhino873]

Sweet. Thank you for your services.

[@classicalmusic3334]

I'm not sure if I've already reached my "suggestion limit", but if possible I would like to upvote Nikolai Myaskovsky. So far I'm not aware of any Russian composers who wrote more symphonies than Myaskovsky did.

[@ClassicalNerd]

Unfortunately, you have reached the limit (with active requests for Vítězslav Novák, Josef Matthias Hauer, Reinhold Glière, Heinrich Marschner, and Alexander von Zemlinsky). I do suspect, however, that there may be an influx of requests for Myaskovsky (and perhaps even Glière as well) after my video on Khachaturian comes out.

[@classicalmusic3334]

Ah, I see! When will the Khachaturian video come out?

[@ClassicalNerd]

It's the next in the queue, so I'm planning on filming it very soon and hopefully it'll be up by next week. Fingers crossed.

[@seanramsdell4117]

Ever seen The Thief and the Cobbler? That film introduced me to Rimsky's magnum opus for the first time

[@ClassicalNerd]

I've not seen that one.

[@marcopoloignacio]

"The" Boss of Orchestrators

[@MrLanceDaily]

Could you do a video on composer Tony Makarome?

[@mitodrumisra8972]

Hey there Mr.Nerd. Can you please please please make a video on the Polish Composer Henryk Wieniawski? From, a 15-year old Indian. P.S. - I REALLY LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!!!!!!!

[@ClassicalNerd]

Duly noted: lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

[@mitodrumisra8972]

@@ClassicalNerd THANKS A LOT. SINCE HIS BIRTHDAY IS NEARBY (10TH JULY) THAT'S WHY I THOUGHT...

[@ClassicalNerd]

I did not realize that he and I nearly share a birthday! Regardless, it'll still be a while before I can get around to making one on him (see the request pool).

[@mitodrumisra8972]

If you make one on him (in the future), i request you to specially mention his well-known pieces, like his polonaise in D-major, Scherzo Tarantelle, his devilishly brilliant Etude-Caprices - to name a few..... P.S. - Have you ever considered doing a video on Penderecki?

[@ClassicalNerd]

People use the word "consider" a lot in requests, and it's not so much that I consider making this video or that so much as what's in the request pool. Your request for Penderecki has been noted there.

[@archanabiswas4077]

Stravinsky is not a minor composer but one of the greatest maestro of Russia. Excellent video though.

[@ClassicalNerd]

Sarcasm, sadly, is sometimes hard to communicate.

[@nxcbwo6756]

Love your videos. Could you do Luigi Nono?

[@ClassicalNerd]

Duly noted: lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

[@itamarbar9580]

Is it only me, or does @ClassicalNerd look like young Glazunov?

[@wctrain]

Can you do Ysaye?

[@ClassicalNerd]

Duly noted: lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

[@dhu2056]

Can you do Nikolai Kapustin

[@ClassicalNerd]

Duly noted: lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

[@themajor2072]

Part of me has to wonder if a lot of Rimsky-Korsakov’s neglected works are so obscure as a result of a bias in the opera house. I think it is clear that in quantity, and I suspect that those most familiar with his whole body of work would also argue in quality, that his most substantial achievements have been in the world of opera, and yet they are neglected in favor of 3 orchestral works recycled ad nauseam. For most of the 20th century the Russian contribution to opera was largely ignored, even today only a handful of the most celebrated Russian operas have truly begun to thrive in the repertoire. Take away Onegin, Queen of Spades, and Boris Godunov and there really isn’t much an operatic audience could be expected to know. What I mean to say is the reasons that works like Mlada or The Golden Cockerel are as obscure as they are could be the same reasons why more people haven’t heard works like Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, or The Love for Three Oranges, or Francesca da Rimini, or Ruslan and Lyudmila.

[@ClassicalNerd]

Opera is definitely worse than even standard classical music circles for only having an elite upper echelon and repeating that core group of works. If it's not known, it's not played, and if it's not played, it's not known ...

[@soumilbiswas5231]

Stravinsky!! A minor and little-known Russian composer!!!!!

[@ClassicalNerd]

Have you heard of sarcasm?

[@soumilbiswas5231]

​@@ClassicalNerd Oh! 😂😂😂! Sorry!

[@Narragorth]

Первая симфония 14:28 16:30

[@Narragorth]

20:25

[@Narragorth]

23:30

[@Narragorth]

26:30

[@Narragorth]

11:02

[@danielgonzalezjr8350]

When César Cui, gets a longer video than Stravinsky

[@ClassicalNerd]

The Stravinsky video came out _three years ago,_ when a nine-minute video was on the long side of things. My channel has evolved over the years to fit the depth of my research techniques. This is exactly why I'm going to be doing remakes of older videos.

[@danielgonzalezjr8350]

Classical Nerd okay

[@ArsentiyKharitonov]

I am willing to help you pronounce Russian names correctly

[@dueva28]

Not "nationalist", but "national" russian school. 'sound like to much politically correct ...

[@jackrobinson5671]

What's a skeherazard