Nikolay Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov

A Research and Information Guide

Gerald Seaman

• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781317646181
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Music

Nikolay Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov: A Research and Information Guide, Second Edition is an annotated bibliography of all substantial, relevant published resources relating to the Russian composer. First published in 1988, this revised and expanded volume incorporates new information about the composer appearing over the last two decades, including literary publications, articles and reviews. Other sections provide a brief biographical sketch, selective discography, chronology and list of Rimsky-Korsakov's works.

1
Rimsky-Korsakov’s Musical Works

Operas

• 1 Pskovityanka [The Maid of Pskov], Op. 4.
  Opera in 4 acts. Libretto by the composer assisted by Stasov, Musorgsky, and Nikol’sky, based on the eponymous drama by L. Mey. Dedicated “To my dear Musical Circle.”
  Version 1: Date of composition: 1868–72. Première: 1 [13] January 1873, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, cond. Nápravník. Published: St. Petersburg: Bessel’, 1872 (vs); Works: Ia, b, 1966 (fs); 29a (reduction for piano solo and duet). Autograph: RNB, TSNB, MMKG.
  Version 2: Date of composition: 1868–77. Not performed.
  Version 3: Date of composition: 1891–92. Final chorus revised 1898. New aria, Act III, 1898. Première: 6 [18] April 1895, Members of the Society of Musical Gatherings, Panaevsky Theater, St. Petersburg, cond. Davidov. Published: St. Petersburg: Bessel’, 1894 (vs); 1895 (fs?); Works: Ic, d, 29b. Autograph: RNB, MMKG.
• 2 Mlada.
  Ballet-opera in 4 acts. Collective work by Cui, Musorgsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Minkus. Libretto by Krylov. Rimsky-Korsakov contributed mainly choruses. Date of composition: 1872. Work not performed in its entirety. Concert performance of Act I (by Cui), February 1917, Petrograd. Published: Leipzig: Belaieff, 1911 (vs).
• 3 Mayskaya noch’. Opera v trëkh deystviyakh po povesti Gogolya [May Night. An opera in three acts after the story by Gogol].
  Libretto by the composer. Dedicated to Nadezhda Ivanovna Rimskaya-Korsakova. Date of composition: 1878–79. Première: 9 [21] January 1880, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, cond. Nápravník. Published: Hamburg: D. Rahter, 1882 (vs in German trans.); Leipzig: Belaieff, 1890 (vs); Leipzig: Belaieff, 1893 (fs); St. Petersburg: E. Goppe, 1879 (libretto); Works: IIa, b; 30. Autograph: SPGK (fs), RNB (vs), TSNB (other materials).
• 4 Snegurochka (Vesennyaya skazka). Syuzhet zaimstvovan iz odnoimennoy p’esy A. N. Ostrovskogo. Opera v 4-kh deystviyakh s prologom [The Snow Maiden (Spring Fairy Tale). Subject borrowed from Ostrovsky’s eponymous play. Opera in 4 acts with a prologue].
  Libretto by the composer.
  Version 1: Date of composition: 1880–81. Première: 29 January [10 February] 1882, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, cond. Nápravník, rôle of Ded-Moroz: F. I. Stravinsky (father of Igor Stravinsky). Published: St. Petersburg: Bessel’, 1881 (fs, vs). Works: not included. Autograph: TSNB (fs), RNB (Rimsky-Korsakov Archive No. 33a) (vs).
  Version 2: Date of composition: c.1895. Première: not known. Published: St. Petersburg: Bessel’, 1898 (fs, vs?); Works: IIIa, b; 31a, b. Autograph: location unknown.
• 5 Mlada. Volshebnaya opera-balet v 4-kh deystviyakh [Mlada. A magical opera-ballet in 4 acts].
  Libretto by the composer based on materials by Gedeonov and Krylov. Date of composition: 1889–90. Première: 20 October [1 November] 1892, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, cond. Nápravník, rôle of Mstivoy: F. I. Stravinsky (father of Igor Stravinsky). Published: Leipzig: Belaieff, 1891 (fs, vs, libretto); Works: IVa, b; 32. Autograph: RNB, SPBGATI (Rimsky-Korsakov Archive).
• 6 Noch’ pered Rozhdestvom. Byl’-kolyadka iz povesti N.V. Gogolya. Opera v 4-kh deystviyakh [The Night Before Christmas. A Christmas tale after the story by N. V. Gogol. Opera in 4 acts].
  Date of composition: 1894–95. Première: 28 November [10 December] 1895, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, cond. Nápravník, rôle of Panas: F. I. Stravinsky (father of Igor Stravinsky). Published: Leipzig: Belaieff, 1895 (fs, vs, libretto); Works: Va, b; 33. Autograph: RNB (Rimsky-Korsakov Archive and Yastrebtsëv Archive); other materials: MMKG, RGALI, SPBGATI.
• 7 Bagdadsky borodobrey [The Barber of Baghdad].
  Opera in 1 Act. Libretto by the composer. Music exists only in sketches. Date of composition: 1895. Autograph: RNB.
• 8 Sadko. Opera-bylina v semi kartinakh [Sadko. Opera-bylina in seven scenes].
  Libretto by the composer and Bel’sky, with assistance from Stasov, Yastrebtsëv, Shtrup, and Findeyzen, based on the epic ballad Sadko the Rich Merchant and other materials. Date of composition: 1895–96. Première: 26 December 1897 [7 January 1898], Artists of the Russian Private Opera, Solodovnikov’s Theater, Moscow, cond. Esposito. Published: Leipzig: Belaieff, 1897 (fs, vs); Works: VIa, b, c; 34. Autograph: RNB, SPBGATI (other materials). Bylina: a traditional Russian heroic poem.
• 9 Motsart i Sal’eri. Dramaticheskie stseny A. S. Pushkina [Mozart and Salieri. Dramatic scenes from A. S. Pushkin], Op. 48.
  Opera in 1 act, 2 scenes, based almost verbatim on the eponymous play by Pushkin. The scenes were to have been connected by a fugal intermezzo, left uncompleted. Date of composition: 1897. Première: 25 November [7 December] 1898, Artists of the Private Russian Opera, Solodovnikov’s Theater, Moscow, cond. Iosif Truffi, rôle of Salieri: Shalyapin. Published: Leipzig: Belaieff, 1898 (fs, vs); Works: VII and 35 (incl. surviving 57 bars of the intermezzo). Autograph: RNB.
• 10 Boyarynya Vera Sheloga. Muzykal’no-dramatichesky prolog k drame L. Meya “Pskovityanka” [Boyarynya Vera Sheloga. A Musical-dramatic prologue to L. Mey’s drama “The Maid of Pskov”], Op. 54.
  Originally composed as a prologue to the second version of The Maid of Pskov. Libretto by the composer after Mey. Date of composition: 1898. Première: 15 [27] December 1898, Solodovnikov’s Theater, Moscow, cond. Al’tani. Published: St. Petersburg-Moscow: Bessel’, 1898 (vs, libretto); Works: VIII, 36. Autograph: Formerly in Moscow. M. Shteynberg’s possession; present location unknown.
• 11 Tsarskaya nevesta. Opera v 4-kh deystviyakh. Soderzhanie zaimstvovano iz dramy L. Meya. Dopolnitel’nye stseny napisany I. Tyumenevym [The Tsar’s Bride. Opera in 4 acts. Content borrowed from the drama by L. Mey. Extra scenes written by I. Tyumenev].
  Libretto by Rimsky-Korsakov and Tyumenev. Date of composition: 1898; new aria for Act III, 1899. Première: 22 October [3 November] 1899, Artists of the Russian Private Opera, Solodovnikov’s Theater, Moscow, cond. Ippolitov-Ivanov. Published: Leipzig: Belaieff, 1899 (fs, vs, libretto); Works: IXa, b; 37. Autograph: RNB (Sobr. M. P. Belyaeva No. i/23); other materials: SPGK, RNB (Rimsky-Korsakov Archive, No. 8.g).
• 12 Skazka o Tsare Saltane, o syne ego slavnom i moguchem bogatyre knyaze Gvidone Saltanoviche i o prekrasnoy Tsarevne Lebedi [The Tale of Tsar Saltan, of his son the renowned and mighty Bogatyr Prince Gvidon Saltanovich and the beautiful Swan Princess].
  Opera in 4 acts with a prologue. Libretto by Bel’sky, based on the eponymous poem by Pushkin. Date of composition: 1899–90. Première: 21 October [3 November] 1900, Artists of the Russian Private Opera, Solodovnikov’s Theater, Moscow, cond. Ippolitov-Ivanov. Published: St. Petersburg: Bessel’, 1900 (vs); 1901 (fs); Works: Xa, b; 38. Autograph: RNB, SPBGATI.
• 13 Serviliya. Opera v 5 deystviyakh [Servilia. Opera in 5 acts].
  Libretto by the composer, based on the drama by Mey, to whom the work is dedicated. Date of composition: 1900–01. Première: 1 [14] October 1902, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, cond. Blumenfel’d. Published: St. Petersburg: Bessel’, 1901 (vs); 1902 (fs); Works: XIa, b; 39. Autograph: Only partly preserved; Acts I, II, and first 4 scenes of Act V missing; other materials: RNB, SPBGATI.
• 14 Kashchey bessmertny. Osennyaya skazochka. Opera v 1 deystvii (v trëkh kartinakh, bez pereryva muzyki) [Kashchey the Immortal. An Autumn Fairy Tale. Opera in 1 act (in three scenes, without a break in the music)].
  Libretto by the composer, assisted by Sofiya Nikolaevna Rimskaya-Korsakova, based on a plan by Petrovsky. Date of composition: 1901–02; conclusion rewritten 1906 (included in Works XII and 40). Première: 12 [25] December 1902, Association of Russian Private Opera (formerly Solodovnikov’s Theater, Moscow), cond. Ippolitov-Ivanov. Published: St. Petersburg: Bessel’, 1902 (fs, vs); Works: XII; 40. Autograph: RNB; SPBGATI.
• 15 Pan Voevoda. Opera v 4-kh deystviyakh [Pan Voevoda. Opera in 4 acts].
  Libretto by Tyumenev “In memory of Frederic Chopin.” Date of composition: 1902–03. Première: 3 [16] October 1904, Prince Tseretelli’s Private Opera, St. Petersburg Conservatory, cond. Suk. Published: St. Petersburg: Bessel’, 1904 (fs, vs); Works: XIIIa, b; 41. Autograph: RNB.
• 16 Skazanie o nevidimom grade Kitezhe i deve Fevronii. Opera v 4-kh deystviyakh (v 6-ti kartinakh) [The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya. Opera in 4 acts (in 6 scenes)].
  Libretto by Bel’sky, based on old Russian legends. Date of composition: 1903–05. Première: 7 [20] February 1907, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, cond. Blumenfel’d. Published: Leipzig: Belaieff, 1906 (fs, vs); Works: XIVa, b, supp.; 42. [Supplementary Vol. contains a number of variants, the first group consisting of notes and appendices to the final version of the score, the second composed of miscellaneous materials.] Autograph: RNB (Rimsky-Korsakov Archive, No. 10); other materials: RGALI, SPGK, SPBGATI, MMKG.
• 17 Sten’ka Razin.
  Projected opera. Libretto by Bel’sky. Music in sketches only. Date of composition: 1906. Autograph: RNB.
• 18 Zemlya i nebo [Earth and Sky].
  Projected opera. Libretto based on Byron’s Mystery “Heaven and Earth” (Genesis, Chapter VI). Music in sketches only. Date of composition: 1906. Autograph: RNB. A work of this title by M. Steinberg [Shteynberg], partly based on Rimsky-Korsakov’s sketches, can be found in BL.
• 19 Zolotoy petushok. Nebylitsa v litsakh. Opera v trëkh deystviyakh po skazke A. S. Pushkina [The Golden Cockerel. A Dramatised Fairy Tale. Opera in 3 acts based on the fairy tale by A. S. Pushkin].
  Libretto by Bel’sky. Date of composition: ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Acronyms
• Institutions named after N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov
• Frequently Cited Works
• Transliteration of Russian Names
• List of Abbreviations
• Rimsky-Korsakov: Genealogy
• Rimsky-Korsakov: Chronology
• Rimsky-Korsakov: Sonnet by Henri Allorge
• 1. Rimsky-Korsakov’s Musical Works
• 2. Rimsky-Korsakov’s Literary Works
• 3. Bibliography: Musical Works
• 4. Bibliography: General
• Index of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Musical Works
• Index of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Literary Works
• Index of Authors, Editors, Compilers, Translators, and Librettists
• Index of Composers and Conductors
• Index of Names
• Index of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, Life and Creativity
• Subject Index