Nicolai Rimsky-Korasakov - Fantasy on 'Scheherazade'
for Chamber Ensemble
The legendary character of Scheherazade has inspired numerous works of art, literature and music, across many centuries. She features in the ancient Middle Eastern collection of folktales 'One Thousand and One Nights', and provides the framework for various stories and adventures. Scheherazade tells numerous tales night after night to her brutal husband the Sultan, who has vowed to put to death each of his wives after one night. Through her storytelling and guile, he postpones her execution until finally giving in, relinquishing his vow.
One of the most famous musical settings of the legend is Rimsky-Korsakov's four-movement orchestral work Scheherazade, from 1888. It is a highly evocative, sweeping and glittering work, brilliantly combining alluring melodies with dramatic excitement and emotional fervour. As a large-scale orchestral showpiece, it creates a bold technicolour experience, one that requires a full symphonic force to be effective.
This new chamber Fantasy is not simply a reduced version of the original, which would feel underpowered and merely a pale imitation. Instead, it is a reworking of the material, using new harmonies, adding countermelodies, and condensing the structure into a single movement. This is in the tradition of the many 19th century Fantasies based on operas, especially those for piano. Rimsky's use of 'Eastern'-influenced melodies is heightened with a richer harmonic palette, taking in Arabic scales as well as the evocative sound-world of later composers such as Ravel. The aim is to create a greater sense of mystery, intimacy and surprise around this familiar music, as well as a different perspective on the figure of Scheherazade herself.
Commissioned by the La Jolla SummerFest 2026 for a concert on August 7th 2026
Scoring: flute, clarinet, horn, harp, violin 1. violin 2, viola, cello, double bass (9 players)
Duration: c. 21 minutes
for Chamber Ensemble
The legendary character of Scheherazade has inspired numerous works of art, literature and music, across many centuries. She features in the ancient Middle Eastern collection of folktales 'One Thousand and One Nights', and provides the framework for various stories and adventures. Scheherazade tells numerous tales night after night to her brutal husband the Sultan, who has vowed to put to death each of his wives after one night. Through her storytelling and guile, he postpones her execution until finally giving in, relinquishing his vow.
One of the most famous musical settings of the legend is Rimsky-Korsakov's four-movement orchestral work Scheherazade, from 1888. It is a highly evocative, sweeping and glittering work, brilliantly combining alluring melodies with dramatic excitement and emotional fervour. As a large-scale orchestral showpiece, it creates a bold technicolour experience, one that requires a full symphonic force to be effective.
This new chamber Fantasy is not simply a reduced version of the original, which would feel underpowered and merely a pale imitation. Instead, it is a reworking of the material, using new harmonies, adding countermelodies, and condensing the structure into a single movement. This is in the tradition of the many 19th century Fantasies based on operas, especially those for piano. Rimsky's use of 'Eastern'-influenced melodies is heightened with a richer harmonic palette, taking in Arabic scales as well as the evocative sound-world of later composers such as Ravel. The aim is to create a greater sense of mystery, intimacy and surprise around this familiar music, as well as a different perspective on the figure of Scheherazade herself.
Commissioned by the La Jolla SummerFest 2026 for a concert on August 7th 2026
Scoring: flute, clarinet, horn, harp, violin 1. violin 2, viola, cello, double bass (9 players)
Duration: c. 21 minutes