Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Famous Works

Scheherazade 1909 cover Rimsky-Korsakov oriental influence

The 1909 cover of Scheherazade, reflecting the Eastern and exotic influences that permeate Rimsky-Korsakov’s orchestral imagination.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908) was one of the leading figures of the Russian nationalist school and a member of “The Five.” His music is especially renowned for its brilliant orchestration, vivid color, and incorporation of folk and exotic elements.

His output ranges from opera to symphonic and orchestral works, many of which remain central to the concert repertoire. The following is a representative selection of his most significant compositions.

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Orchestral Works

Symphony No. 1 in E-flat minor, Op. 1
Antar (Symphony No. 2), Op. 9
Skazka (Fairy Tale), Op. 29
Piano Concerto in C-sharp minor, Op. 30
Sinfonietta on Russian Themes, Op. 31
Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34
Scheherazade, Op. 35
Russian Easter Festival Overture, Op. 36
Flight of the Bumblebee

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Concertos

Piano Concerto in C-sharp minor, Op. 30
Concerto for Trombone and Military Band in B-flat major

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Operas

The Maid of Pskov
The Snow Maiden
Mlada
Sadko
Mozart and Salieri, Op. 48
The Tale of Tsar Saltan, Op. 57
The Golden Cockerel

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Chamber Music

String Quartet in F major, Op. 12
String Sextet in A major
Piano Quintet in B-flat major
Allegro in B-flat major for String Quartet

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Vocal Music

Alexei, the Man of God, Op. 20
The Song of the Wise Oleg, Op. 58
From Homer, Op. 60

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Songs

In Spring, Op. 43
By the Sea, Op. 46

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🔎 Work Analyses of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov on MusiLLection

You can explore detailed analyses of selected works below:

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Niccolò Paganini - Caprice No. 24 in A minor, Op. 1 (Analysis)

ℹ️ Work Information Composer: Niccolò Paganini Title: Caprice No. 24 in A minor, Op. 1 Year of Composition: c. 1802–1817 First Publication: Milan, 1820 (as part of the 24 Caprices, Op. 1 ) Form: Caprice for solo violin Structure: Theme and 11 Variations with Finale Duration: Approximately 4–6 minutes Instrumentation: Solo violin _____________________________ When Niccolò Paganini appeared on stage, audiences often felt that they were witnessing something beyond the ordinary limits of performance. His extreme virtuosity, his striking physical presence, and the astonishing freedom with which he handled the violin gave rise to the enduring legend of the “violinist of the devil.” Behind that legend, however, stood a composer of exceptional intelligence, with a profound understanding of both musical form and instrumental possibility.

Antonio Vivaldi – "Winter" (L’Inverno) from "The Four Seasons" (Analysis)

Nicolas Poussin’s depiction of winter reflects the harshness and instability of nature — an atmosphere vividly mirrored in Vivaldi’s Winter concerto. ℹ️ Work Information Composer: Antonio Vivaldi Title: Winter (L’Inverno), RV 297 Cycle: The Four Seasons , Op. 8 Date of composition: c. 1723 Publication: 1725, Amsterdam Genre: Violin Concerto Structure: Three movements (fast – slow – fast) Duration: approx. 8–9 minutes Instrumentation: Solo violin, strings, and basso continuo ____________________________ Winter is the fourth and final concerto of The Four Seasons , and arguably the most dramatically concentrated of the four. Where Autumn centers on human activity, Winter places the human body in direct confrontation with nature. The environment is no longer festive or communal—it is hostile, unstable, and physically demanding . The human figure does not celebrate or observe. It reacts, endures, and struggles. As in the other concertos, the music is paired with...

Robert Schumann - Träumerei, from Kinderszenen, Op. 15 No. 7 (Analysis)

The Woodman’s Child by Arthur Hughes — an image reflecting the quiet innocence and dreamlike atmosphere of Schumann’s Träumerei ℹ️ Work Information Composer: Robert Schumann Work Title: Träumerei from Kinderszenen , Op. 15, No. 7 Year of Composition: 1838 Collection: Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood) Duration: approximately 2–3 minutes Form: Short piano miniature Instrumentation: piano _________________________ Few piano works have managed to capture, with such simplicity and sensitivity, the world of memory as Schumann’s Träumerei . Among the thirteen pieces of Kinderszenen (1838), the seventh stands out not only for its popularity, but for its enduring poetic resonance. For Schumann, music was never merely form; it was an inner language. Kinderszenen does not depict childhood — it reflects upon it. It is the gaze of the adult toward a lost world of innocence. As Schumann himself suggested, these pieces are “recollections of a grown-up for the y...

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