Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Capricci (Kirill Kondrashin)

Information

Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

• Tchaikovsky - Capriccio italien, Op. 45
• Rimsky-Korsakov - Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34

RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra

Kirill Kondrashin, conductor

Date: 1958

Label: RCA/JVC

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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Romantic Russian composer. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular concert and theatrical music in the current classical repertoire, including the ballets Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, the 1812 Overture, his First Piano Concerto, Violin Concerto, the Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, several symphonies, and the opera Eugene Onegin. Despite his many popular successes, Tchaikovsky's life was punctuated by personal crises and depression.

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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.

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Kirill Kondrashin (6 March 1914 – 7 March 1981) was a Soviet and Russian conductor. Born in Moscow to a musical family, he studied conducting at the Moscow Conservatory from 1931 to 1936. He conducted at the Maly Opera Theatre in Leningrad, then the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Kondrashin was chief conductor of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra from 1960 to 1975, in a period of notable achievement. He defected from the Soviet Union in 1978 while touring in the Netherlands, became guest conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in the same year, and remained in that position until his death.

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