Nikolai Rimski-Korsakow

Scheherazade, Op. 35

The Sultan Schariar, convinced of the falseness and faithlessness of women, vowed to kill each of his wives after their bridal night. The Sultana Scheherazade, however, saved her life by interested the Sultan in the stories she told him during 1001 nights. In his curiosity for the sequels to her stories, the Sultan postponed Scheherazade's execution from day to day until he finally abandoned his sanquinary resolution altogether. In her stories, Scheherazade frequently included the verses and songs of the poets, and interlaced her narratives of marvels and adventures so as to link them together. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) wrote this work in 1888, and it premiered in Saint Petersburg on October 28 of that year with the composer conducting. The work has remained a popular staple of the repertoire ever since. Instrumentation in set: 2(2nd dPicc)+Picc.2(2nd dEH).2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(5): Hp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set). Edited by Clinton Nieweg and Drew Holmes.