Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (March 18, 1844 – June 21, 1908) was a Russian composer, a member of the group of composers known as The Five. He was a master of orchestration. His best-known orchestral compositions—Capriccio Espagnol, the Russian Easter Festival Overture, and the symphonic suite Scheherazade—are staples of the classical music repertoire, along with suites and excerpts from some of his 15 operas. Scheherazade is an example of his frequent use of fairy-tale and folk subjects.

Rimsky-Korsakov believed in developing a nationalistic style of classical music, as did his fellow composer Mily Balakirev and the critic Vladimir Stasov. This style employed Russian folk song and lore along with exotic harmonic, melodic and rhythmic elements in a practice known as musical orientalism, and eschewed traditional Western compositional methods. Rimsky-Korsakov appreciated Western musical techniques after he became a professor of musical composition, harmony, and orchestration at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in 1871.

Rimsky-Korsakov was born in Tikhvin, Russia, into a wealthy and cultured family. He began studying music at a young age, and by the time he was 15 he was composing his own pieces. In 1862 he graduated from the Naval Academy in St. Petersburg, and he served in the Russian Navy for the next two years. However, he soon realized that his true passion was music, and he resigned from the Navy in order to pursue a career in composition.

In 1865 Rimsky-Korsakov met Balakirev, who became his mentor and teacher. Balakirev introduced Rimsky-Korsakov to the other members of The Five, and the group began to work together to create a new style of Russian music that was based on folk music and national themes. Rimsky-Korsakov's first major work, the opera The Snow Maiden, was premiered in 1873. The opera was a success, and it helped to establish Rimsky-Korsakov as one of the leading composers of his generation.

Over the next 30 years, Rimsky-Korsakov composed a large body of work, including 15 operas, 3 symphonies, 5 concertos, and numerous orchestral suites, songs, and chamber music pieces. He also wrote a number of books on music, including a famous treatise on orchestration.

Rimsky-Korsakov was a highly influential figure in Russian music. He was a master of orchestration, and his music is known for its rich and colorful sound. He was also a gifted teacher, and he taught many of the leading composers of the next generation, including Igor Stravinsky.

Rimsky-Korsakov died in 1908 at the age of 64. He is considered one of the most important composers of Russian music, and his work continues to be performed and enjoyed by audiences around the world.