I think sheherazade is a finer piece . the recording with gergiev/kirov is spectacular and will blow you out of your seat. if you do not know his piano concerto, try it. the russian easter overture is another magnificent piece of music. note for note there probably was never a greater orchestrator.

 

I agree with both of you, although what makes a piece "finer" is clearly open to debate.

FSince we seem to be reccomending pieces, he has three symphonies as well. No. 2 "Antar" is on Decca Legends, the complete symphonies are on DG with Neeme Jarvi.

 

FSince we seem to be reccomending pieces, he has three symphonies as well. No. 2 "Antar" is on Decca Legends, the complete symphonies are on DG with Neeme Jarvi.

Actually, Antar is not a symphony but a symphonic suite.

 

rimsky was my first classical favorite and i still like his work.
i mostly enjoy 'scheherazade' and the 'russian easter overture', but i also like some parts of the operas.

dj

 

I like Scheherezade. I also like his Fantasy on Serbian Themes.

 

I love Capriccio Espagnol- I might even go as far as saying I like it more than Scheherezade!
There's something about Rimsky-Korsakov's music that I think is very precise and pure, which for me makes it easy to listen to. Even a piece like Flight of the Bumblebee seems to have been thought out very carefully. I also love some of his orchestrations of other works- A Night on Bare Mountain for example.

 

You should investigate his magnificent piano trio and his
lovely string sextet.

 

Capriccio Espagnol is awesome definetly one of my favorites.

Rimsky-Korsakov is such an amzing orchestrator.

But my no. 1 favorite from him is "Russian Easter Overture" such a breathtaking piece.

 

I have played the Capriccio Espagnol, and it is an awesome piece.
The end is kind of difficult though (for the tuba anyway)

the Russian Easter Overture I am playing this year, and is even more awesome I reckon.
compared to Scheherazade, I'm not sure actually, can't make my mind up.

isn't Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestration of A Night on Bare Mountain the only one that is usually heard?

 

isn't Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestration of A Night on Bare Mountain the only one that is usually heard?

Yes, although you can find Mussorgsky's original orchestration on this disc

 

Until Albeniz, Granados and deFalla, it was always said that the best Spanish music was composed either by Russians or Frenchmen, LOL!

Capriccio Espagnol is extremely colorful and exciting and BEAUTIFULLY orchestrated. I've always enjoyed it.

However, I think my favorite Rimsky Korsakov orchestral work is the Russian Easter Overture--it's just fascinating to see what he does with those incredible Orthodox chants. And it still seems to have one of the most absolutely overpowering climaxes of almost any piece of Romantic music I've ever heard.

Tom

 

Capriccio Espagnol

One of Rimsky-Korsakov's best pieces, in my opinion. Such a beautiful arrangement and the solos for the violin are great.

What can I say? few days back I have mentioned this piece as qualifiers for an epic ending in orchestral arrangements.
I remember an interesting anecdote wherein I have read that Tchaikovksy, himself being one of the greatest orchetrators, attended the performance of Capriccio Espagnol and commended Rimsky Korsakov as the greatest orchestrator alive.
It is true! When you hear this and Russian Easter, the flight of the Bumble Bee and Scheherazade, you can hail him as the greatest orchestrator. He had the knack of the right colour and timbre.

 

You bring back the older times for me as Capriccio Espagnol was on one side of the lp and Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Italien on the other side. Both are excellent and impossible to choose from at least for me.

 

Coincidentally I was listening to the Capriccio Espagnol just the other day - an old vinyl recording with Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra on CBS. Beautiful rich sound, and a great performance.
I kind of prefer the 'Russian Easter Overture', but that has a very different feel than the Capriccio. My favourite recording of that one is another oldie - Royal Concertgebouw / Igor Markevich.

 

Both are excellent works and were an introduction to the world of classical music for me when I was 12 years old. My very first album was the Hamlet Fantasy Overture/Tchaikovsky which I still enjoy over 50 years later.

 

For me, Capriccio is middle-of-the-night music. Like Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin, it sounds exquisite after 2 a.m.