In the Steppes of Central Asia - A. Borodin (1833-1887)

The SCM Symphony Orchestra conducted by Associate Professor Roger Benedict perform Alexander Borodin's In the Steppes of Central Asia.
Alexander Borodin was a major Russian composer of the nineteenth century. A doctor by profession, Borodin maintained a strong passion for music throughout his life. As part of ‘The Five,’ he promoted Russian music alongside Balakirev, Cui, Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. Soon after the group dispersed in the 1870s, Borodin composed the symphonic poem In the Steppes of Central Asia. Originally written as a set of 12 musical tableaus to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Tsar Alexander II of Russia’s reign, it is primarily concerned with the encounter between Russia and Central Asia - a fitting topic given the Tsar’s expansion into the territory. This is reflected by the interaction of two simple themes, which gradually overlap throughout the work. Through this deceptively simple material, Borodin crafts a sophisticated orchestral work that exemplifies his Russian style.
The symphonic poem is set in the wide expanse of the titular steppes, conveyed through sustained high string harmonics. The desert contains the Russian army, represented by a quintessentially Russian melody played by the clarinet and the French horn. The low strings enter with pizzicato octaves that depict their horses and camels travelling through the desert. The army is escorting a caravan of Central Asians through the desert, represented by a long, winding Cor Anglais melody filled with minor second turns and ornamentation: stereotypical markers for ‘oriental’ music. As this music ceases, the Russian melody repeats itself and culminates in a full orchestral statement of the Russian army’s might. The oriental melody returns on the strings before magically appearing alongside the Russian melody, now played by the oboe. This contrapuntal moment is the climax of the symphonic poem, as the groups’ melodies seamlessly flow together. The music fades, leaving only the lingering Russian melody as the work ends where it began: in the steppes of Central Asia.
Program notes © Rafael Echevarria
13 March, 2020
Verbrugghen Hall

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De cette musique s'il vous plaît

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4C

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