Rimsky-Korsakov N. Mozart and Salieri. Piano score, Compozitor Publishing House

Description:

979-0-3522-0329-7 Rimsky-Korsakov N. Mozart and Salieri. Dramatic scenes by A. Pushkin. Piano score, Compozitor Publishing House Saint-Petersburg

In early 1897, Rimsky-Korsakov set to music a small scene from Pushkin's "little tragedy" Mozart and Salieri. In the summer, the composer wrote two more scenes, and in August of the same year he completed the opera.
Pushkin's drama, a masterpiece of high poetry, completed in 1830 (the first drafts, apparently, date back to 1826), was repeatedly staged (premiered in St. Petersburg in 1832).
Rimsky-Korsakov greatly appreciated Pushkin. He was especially captivated by the poet's wisdom in glorifying the optimistic, ethically perfect principle in human activity. The composer himself sought to reflect the bright sides of life in his music. It is not surprising, therefore, that he was attracted by the radiant appearance of Mozart. At the same time, one of the leading themes of Rimsky-Korsakov's work was the glorification of the mighty creative power of art. This is how the image of the noble Levko appeared in "May Night", or the shepherd Lel in "The Snow Maiden", or the guslar Sadko in the opera of the same name. Pushkin's "little tragedy" is also devoted to the development of this theme. Turning to her, the composer also wanted to solve another, this time specifically musical problem.
During these years, Rimsky-Korsakov paid special attention to melodic expressiveness, which resulted in the creation of about 50 romances. The opera was conceived in the same manner. "This composition," the composer pointed out, "was really purely vocal; the melodic fabric, following the bends of the text, was composed ahead of everything; the accompaniment, rather complex, was formed after, and its initial outline was very different from the final form of the orchestral accompaniment."

Pages: 78.
Soft cover.
Compozitor Publishing House – Saint-Petersburg.
ISBN/ISMN: 979-0-3522-0329-7