A Naval Officer and Composer - The Sea and the Music - Scheherazade - Sadko....

The Composer in 1893

.

Music is a part of my life and many magnificent nights has been spent at the opera houses during the years - lovely memories of old Europe -lively discussions and many stories has been told to me - one of my very close friends was the producer of one of Europe's most famous modern ballet companies, tell me about....Nureyev, Carolyn Carlson... well...today - let us have a look into a great composers life.

.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)- He wrote over 100 Russian songs, Operas like the Snow-Maiden, Sadko and the Czar's Bride etc. - Rimsky-Korsakov a nationalist composer. He would tell the story about himself in his autobiography "The Story of my Musical Life". He was only 12 years old when his father had him enrolled in the Naval Academy in St. Petersburg (from 1856 to 1862.) He did not show much interest in his studies and less in the studies of music.

The Composer in 1898

It was not until 1861 when his music teacher took him to visit Balakirev. Balakirev was a magnificent pianist who could easily play anything from memory - this come to impress the young Rimsky-Korsakov and he got to be one of Balakirev most ardent students. Rimsky-Korsakov taught, conducted, composed and ended up as one of the best Russian music theorists of his era.

Scheherazade - Russian Orientalism......

.