Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Sinfonietta; Russian Easter Overture (Evgeny Svetlanov)

Information

Composer: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

• Sinfonietta on Russian themes in A minor, Op. 31
• Overture on Russian themes, Op. 28
• Russian Easter Festival Overture, Op. 36
• From Homer, prelude-cantata, Op. 60

USSR State Symphony Orchestra

Evgeny Svetlanov, conductor

Date: 1985; 1971

Label: Melodiya

-----------------------------------------------------------

Review

Does anyone remember Russian nationalism? The Russians do: but then, they are the people who revere Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and even Josef Stalin, the people whose music of the late Imperial period embodied Russian nationalism. In this disc of music by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov by Evgeny Svetlanov and the USSR Symphony Orchestra, the music of the late Imperial age vividly comes to life. Three of the four works are Russian works: the Sinfonietta on Russian Themes and the Overture on Russian Themes both take music familiar to anyone who knows Russian folk songs while the Russian Easter Overture takes a whole time of year and sets it to music. In these powerful and persuasive performances, the soulful beauty and the fearsome strength of Russian nationalism are made audible. Even the rare fourth piece, Rimsky-Korsakov's prelude and cantata Iz Gomera, his homage to Homer, still sounds decidedly Russian for all its pseudo-Wagnerian sonorities and sensuality. Svetlanov and the USSR Symphony perform all the music with barbaric power coupled with a soupçon of civilized polish and the result is as fine a Russian nationalist disc as there is. Moscow Studio Archives' recordings from 1971 (in Iz Gomera) and 1985 (in everything else) is as real, honest, and true as anything from the USSR could ever be.

-- James Leonard

-----------------------------------------------------------

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (18 March 1844 – 21 June 1908) was a prominent Russian composer and a key figure in the development of Russian classical music. He was a member of the group of composers known as "The Five" which dedicated to creating a distinctively Russian sound. Rimsky-Korsakov is best known for his orchestral works, including Scheherazade, Capriccio Espagnol, and Russian Easter Overture. His compositions often feature vibrant orchestration, exotic themes, and rich harmonic textures. He also contributed to the development of Russian opera, with notable works such as The Snow Maiden and Sadko. 

***

Evgeny Svetlanov (6 September 1928 – 3 May 2002) was a Soviet and Russian conductor, composer and pianist. Born in Moscow, he studied conducting with Alexander Gauk at the Moscow Conservatory. From 1965 to 2000 he was principal conductor of the USSR State Symphony Orchestra (now the Russian State Symphony Orchestra). Svetlanov was also music director of the Residentie Orchestra (The Hague) from 1992 to 2000 and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1997 to 1999. He was particularly noted for his interpretations of Russian works, from Mikhail Glinka to the present day.

-----------------------------------------------------------