Rimsky-Korsakov: Mlada

Advantages: Gorgeous Melodies, Exciting, Storytelling Piece and all around Beautiful Music
Disadvantages: None

...********************************** The Composer (briefly) of Sheherazade ********************************** Originally, Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov was not going to pursue music, instead leaning towards a naval career. While he did indeed go on to work in the Navy, first going to the Navel Cadet College in St. Petersburg and then sailing as a midshipman on a 2 and a half year long cruise starting in 1862, music was a major force in his life. He had shown some musical ability even as a very small child. Just before he set out on the cruise in 1862 he met a man named Balakirev who was a great influence on him (and many other famous musicians of that time), this influence increased upon his return. He found that on shore there was more time for music and he started writing some of his early compositions. Rimsky-Korsakov took... Read review

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Advantages: A great recording of popular and familiar works with excellent sound and performance values
Disadvantages: Absolutely none whatsoever

...GENERAL HISTORY OF COMPOSER Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky was born in 1839 to a family of land-owners. In 1856 he joined the army where he met Alexander Borodin and César Cui, who introduced him to Mily Balakirev, the teacher of Cui and the future, self-appointed head of the Mighty Five. He resigned in 1858 to pursue a musical career, but the emancipation of the serfs in 1861 forced Mussorgsky to join the civil service, while continuing to composing in his spare time. Mussorgsky was soon linked with the Nationalist Russian School of composers of the "Mighty Five" that included Mily Balakirev following Mihail Glinka, the grandfather of Russian national music, as the "leader" of the group. Others were Cesar Cui, Alexander Borodin and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. During this time Mussorgsky developed his own realistic style, abandoning Western... Read review

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Advantages: A classic recording of a popular classical piece
Disadvantages: None that I can hear

...--Ottorino Respighi-- Respighi (1879-1936) was one of the great orchestra composers of Italy (a nation whose composers are more often associated with opera). Born into a family of professional musicians, Respighi was educated with greats such as Rimsky-Korsakov and Max Bruch. Deriving inspiration from the likes of Richard Strauss as well as ancient and medieval musical styles, Respighi showed great talent as a composer as well as an arranger and synthesiser of new presentations for old music. Such is the case with the pieces in this recording, Ancient Airs and Dances. --Ancient Airs and Dances-- This has become one of the more popular pieces of Respighi in the late twentieth century; many know Respighi only through these works, and others have heard this music without knowing the origin or Respighi's role in their presentation. Largely... Read review

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