Research on Rimsky-korsakov Compositional Style

Many music scholars believe that Russians are among the best national music composers...

Abstract

Many music scholars believe that Russians are among the best national music composers. National music began in Russia around1830 and it was characterized by emergence of folk rhythms, folk dances and folk songs. Before then, Russians mainly listened to French and Italian Opera. However, Russian national music was not truly appreciated until 1865 when Rimsky-Korsakov produced his first composition because Russian operas that composed in the native motifs from 1830’s did not do well enough to compete with the European artists. Therefore, I intended to explore how Rimsky-Korsakov promoted Nationalism in his compositional style in his four pieces of work, The Golden Cockerel Suite, Scheherazade, The Snow Maiden Suite and Capriccio Espagnole.

I approached this investigation using the following methodology:

1. I used both primary biographical data and secondary sources to understand Rimsky-Korsakov’s cultural background and compositional style he employed in the four main symphonies in terms of the inspiration behind his style and the socio-political setting in which he did his work.
2. I conducted analysis, investigation, discussion and evaluation of the artiste’s actual music to gain an understanding of the methods Rimsky-Korsakov used in the selected compositions. Eventually, I also looked at the role the artist played in influencing music compositional techniques, being that he was a musical trainer and editor.
3. I reached a definite conclusion based on the outcome of the investigation. The investigation demonstrated that Rimsky-Korsakov’s compositional style was mainly influenced by his family background that made him familiar with both the Russian military culture and music. He was such a patriotic citizen of his country that he chose to use his great music talent in the army instead of venturing in performance. This is the same spirit that informed his nationalism portrayed in his compositions. The aspect of culture portrayed in his compositions is the ancient Russian paganism and established social strata. Lastly, Rimsky-Korsakov influenced the work of more than 250 artists who attended his classes and he is acknowledged as the father of nationalistic music in Russia.

Introduction

Musical nationalism began in the 19th century when political movements were being formed in different parts of the world to fight for independence from colonialism...

The Early Life of Rimsky-Korsakov

Rimsky-Korsakov was born in 1844 in Tikhvin, Russia. Rimsky-Korsakov is especially knownfor vivid orchestrations that both descriptively painted the scene and suggested the mood. Besides being one of the most celebrated Russian composers of the 19th Century, he was also an editor and a teacher. His interest in music can be attributed to his background, given that his mother was a piano player. He began to take tutorials on composition rudiments and the piano by the age of 15 at the naval academy in St. Petersburg.

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