Presents
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
String Sextet in A Major
Rimsky-Korsakov's String Sextet in A Major was written for a competition held by the Russian Musical Society in 1876. While he did not win the first prize, he did receive an honorable mention for a work which the chamber music critic Leonid Sabaneiev described as a " youthful, entertaining piece that is full of gaiety." Korsakov himself would have been the first to have told you that not all of his chamber music was very good. He readily admitted that he did not have the same gift for chamber music as he did for orchestration and symphonic writing.
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) needs no introduction. He is justifiably famous for Scheherazade and many other orchestral works. He tried his hand at chamber music with mixed results. This Sextet, as Sabaneiev points out, is one of his happier efforts
In five movements, the Sextet begins with an Allegro, the main theme to which is particularly fetching. The second subject is no less charming. Next comes a Rondo fugato to be played as scherzando. Korsakov in his biography noted that he was particularly proud of the technique he used to create a complicated six part fugue. Surprisingly, a slow movement does not come next, but a second Scherzo, vivace alla saltarello. Its pulsating rhythm gives it an energetic and lively aura. Perhaps, the high point of the Sextet comes in the Andante espressivo, the only slow movement. The main theme, presented by the first cello alone, is extraordinarily lovely. The finale, Allegro molto, provides a suitable denouement.
The Sextet was not published until four years after Korsakov's death in 1912. That edition disappeared after the Russian Revolution. A second edition was subsequently published by the Soviet State Music Publishers. Our edition is a reprint of that long out of print edition. This Sextet is a welcome and attractive addition to the literature which we hope will win friends among both amateurs and professionals.
Parts: $39.95
Parts & Score: $49.95
