Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908) was an outstanding Russian composer, teacher, conductor, and music critic.

His musical works are deeply connected with folk songs. Love and interest in traditional heritage began forming in his childhood, when young Kolya heard Russian songs from his mother and uncle. When he became a composer, Rimsky-Korsakov engaged in detailed research of various genres of musical folklore. He collected and recorded folk songs, studied fairy tales, legends, and folklore, later applying this knowledge in his own works.

Rimsky-Korsakov's legacy is deeply connected with opera. The composer wrote fifteen operas, and in most of them, he turned to folklore in one way or another: by quoting folk songs, stylizing them, or incorporating a specific ritual into his composition.

A good example is his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan.

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Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan: Where classical opera meets Russian folklore (1)

The opera is based on a classic Russian fairy tale The Tale of Tsar Saltan in verse by Alexander Pushkin, written in 1831. It tells the story of Tsar Saltan, who chooses one of three sisters to be his wife, making the other two jealous.

The jealous sisters orchestrate a cruel plot: after the Tsar goes to war, they intercept his messages and replace them with false orders, leading to his wife and their infant son, Prince Guidon, being sealed in a barrel and thrown into the sea.

They eventually wash ashore on a magical island. Prince Guidon grows up quickly, and with the help of a magical Swan-Princess, he becomes the powerful ruler of a glorious city. The tale follows his magical adventures—including the famous "Flight of the Bumblebee" episode where he transforms into an insect—as he seeks to reunite with his father and expose the treachery.

The poem is celebrated for its vibrant rhythm, rich folkloric language, and its enchanting blend of the everyday and the magical, making it one of Pushkin's most beloved fairy tales.

You may enjoy the full text of the tale translated into English here: https://ruverses.com/alexander-pushkin/the-tale-of-tsar-saltan/7696/?ysclid=mgmc3w0wfr5422409

It’s definitely worth it!

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