The following is a partial list of compositions by the composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908).
Operas The Maid of Pskov (Псковитянка = Pskovitjanka) (sometimes referred to as Ivan the Terrible), 1868–1872 (1st version), 1876–1877 (2nd version), 1891–1892 (3rd version) Mlada (Млада), 1872 (portions of acts 2 and 3 from project composed collectively by Borodin, Cui, Minkus, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov) May Night (Майская ночь = Majskaja noch’), 1878–1879 The Snow Maiden (Снегурочка = Sneguročka), 1880–1881 (1st version), ca. 1895 (2nd version) Mlada (Млада), 1889–1890 (complete setting of unstaged collaborative project from 1872) Christmas Eve (Ночь перед Рождеством = Noč' pered Roždestvom), 1894–1895 Sadko (Садко), 1895–1896 Mozart and Salieri (Моцарт и Сальери = Mocart i Sal'eri), Op. 48, 1897 The Noblewoman Vera Sheloga (Боярыня Вера Шелога = Bojarynja Vera Šeloga), Op. 54, 1898 The Tsar's Bride (Царская невеста = Carskaja nevesta), 1898 The Tale of Tsar Saltan, of His Son, the Famous and Mighty Bogatyr Prince Gvidon Saltanovich, and of the Beautiful Princess Swan (Сказка о царе Салтане, о сыне его, славном и могучем богатыре князе Гвидоне Салтановиче и о прекрасной Царевне Лебеди = Skazka o care Saltane, o syne ego, slavnom i mogučem bogatyre knjaze Gvidone Saltanoviče i o prekrasnoj Carevne Lebedi), 1899–1900 Servilia (Сервилия = Servilija), 1900–1901 Kashchey the Immortal (Кащей бессмертный = Kaščej bessmertnyj), 1901–1902 Pan Voyevoda (Пан воевода = Pan vojevoda; literally, The Gentleman Provincial Governor), 1902–1903 The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya (Сказание о невидимом граде Китеже и деве Февронии = Skazanie o nevidimom grade Kiteže i deve Fevronii), 1903–1904 The Golden Cockerel (Золотой петушок = Zolotoj petušok), 1906–1907
Choral music
Sacred choral (all a cappella) "Thee, O God, We Praise" ("Тебе Бога хвалим"), for double chorus, 1883 Collection of Sacred Musical Compositions by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Used at the Imperial Court. Four-Voice Compositions from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 22, 1883; contains 8 pieces Collection of Sacred Musical Arrangements by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Used at the Imperial Court, Op. 22b, 1884; contains 6 hymns based on chant melodies Collection of Sacred Musical Compositions and Arrangements by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov for Mixed Chorus, 1883–1884; contains 23 pieces, published posthumously in 1913
Secular choral (a cappella unless otherwise indicated) Two Choruses, Op. 13, for three women's parts, 1874 Four Variations and a Fughetta on the Russian Folksong "Надоели ночи", Op. 14, for four women's parts with piano or harmonium ad lib. 1874 Six Choruses, Op. 16, variously for mixed, women's, and men's voices, 1875–1876 Two Choruses, Op. 18/22, for mixed voices, 1876 Four Choruses, Op. 23, for three men's parts with piano ad lib., 1876 Poem about Alexei, Man of God, Op. 20, for altos, tenors, and bass with orchestra, 1878 Fifteen Russian Folksongs, Op. 19, for mixed voices, 1879 "Glory" ("Слава" = "Slava"), Op. 21, for mixed voices with orchestra, 1879–1890 Two Choruses, for children's voices, 1884 Switezianka, Op. 44, cantata for soprano and tenor soloists and mixed voices with orchestra, 1897 Song of Oleg the Wise, Op. 58, cantata for tenor and bass soloists and men's voices with orchestra, 1899 From Homer, Op. 60, prelude-cantata for soprano, mezzo-soprano, and alto soloists and women's voices with orchestra, 1901
Orchestral and band music
Works for symphony orchestra Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 1, 1861–1865 (1st version), 1884 (2nd version) Overture on Three Russian Themes, Op. 28, 1866 (1st version), 1879–1880 (2nd version) Fantasy on Serbian Themes, Op. 6 1867 (1st version), 1886–1887 (2nd version); also called Serbian Fantasy Sadko, Op. 5, musical tableau, 1867 (1st version), 1869 (2nd version), 1891–1892 (3rd version) Antar, Op. 9, 1868 (1st version), 1875 (2nd version), 1897 (3rd version), 1903 (amended 2nd version published by Bessel). Originally designated "Symphony No. 2," he later reclassified it a "symphonic suite." (See Rimsky-Korsakov, My Musical Life, 92.) Symphony No. 3 in C, Op. 32, 1866–1873 (1st version), 1886 (2nd version) Music to Mei's drama The Maid of Pskov, suite of five numbers, 1877 (adapted from the opera as incidental music) Fairytale [Сказка = Skazka], Op. 29, 1879–1880 Sinfonietta on Russian Themes in A minor, Op. 31, 1879–1884; adaptation of first three movements from string quartet of 1878–1879 Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34, 1887, (Based mainly on Asturian traditional folk music themes) Scheherazade, Op. 35, symphonic suite, 1888 Russian Easter Festival Overture (Светлый праздник), Op. 36, 1888 Theme and Variation No. 4, 1903, from collective set of variations on a Russian theme, with Artsybushev, Vitols, Lyadov, Sokolov, and Glazunov On the Tomb, Op. 61, prelude, 1904, in memory of M.P. Belaieff "Dubinushka", Op. 62, 1905 (1st version), 1906 (2nd version with choral parts ad lib.) "Greeting" ["Здравица"], 1907, for Glazunov Neapolitan Song [i.e., "Funiculi, funicula"], Op. 63, 1907
Opera excerpts for orchestral concerts The Snow Maiden – Suite; includes "Dance of the Skomorokhi" (act 3) (also known as "Dance of the Clowns" or "Dance of the Tumblers") Mlada Suite; includes "Procession of the Nobles" Night on Mount Triglav, 1899–1901; purely orchestral adaptation of act 3 Christmas Eve Suite Includes "Polonaise" (from Christmas Eve, act 3, tableaux no. 7) The Tale of Tsar Saltan Suite: Three Musical Pictures, Op. 57 (1903) (The excerpts are the introductions to act 1; act 2; and act 4, tableau 2) "Flight of the Bumblebee" (from act 3, tableau 1) Pan Voyevoda Suite Op. 59 The Golden Cockerel Introduction and Cortège de Noces (Wedding March) Suite (prepared by Glazunov and M. Steinberg) The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya, suite (prepared by Glazunov and M. Steinberg) Suite; includes "Wedding Procession" (from act 2 "Little Kitezh on the Volga") & "The Battle of Kershenets" (from act 3, scene 1 "Great Kitezh")
Solo instrumental music with orchestra or band Concerto in B, for trombone and military band, 1877 Variations in G minor on a theme by Glinka, for oboe and military band, 1878 Konzertstück in E, for clarinet and military band, 1878 Piano Concerto in C minor, Op. 30, 1882–1883 Fantasy on Two Russian Themes, for violin and orchestra, Op. 33, 1886–1887 Mazurka on [Three] Polish Folk Themes, for violin and orchestra, 1888; also called Souvenir de trois chants polonais Serenade for cello and orchestra, Op. 37, orchestrated in 1903 from cello/piano original
Songs
Romances, other art songs and duets (For solo voice with piano accompaniment unless otherwise indicated.) "Butterfly" [Бабочка = Babochka], duet, 1855 "Come out to me, signora" [Выходи ко мне, синьора = Vykhodi ko mne, sin'ora], 1861 "In the blood burns the fire of desire" [В крови горит огонь любви = V krovi gorit ogon' ljubvi], 1865 (current provenance unknown) Four Songs, Op. 2, 1865–1866 (often called Four Romances) Lean Thy Cheek to Mine The Nightingale and the Rose (based on Persian poetry) Lullaby (from Lev Mei's verse drama that was the basis for the opera The Maid of Pskov; incorporated later into the opera The Noblewoman Vera Sheloga) From My Tears Four Songs, Op. 3, 1866 Jel' i pal'ma Juzhnaja noch' Nochevala tuchka zolotaja Na kholmakh Gruziji (On the hills of Georgia) Four Songs, Op. 4, 1866 Four Songs, Op. 7, 1867 Six Songs, Op. 8, 1868–1870 Two Songs, Op. 25, 1870 Four Songs, Op. 26, 1882 Four Songs, Op. 27, 1883 Four Songs, Op. 39, 1897 Four Songs, Op. 40, 1897 Four Songs, Op. 41, 1897 Four Songs, Op. 42, 1897 In Spring [Весной], Op. 43, 1897 (four songs) To the Poet [Поэту], Op. 45, 1897–1899 (five songs) By the Sea [У моря], Op. 46, 1897 (five songs) Two Duets, Op. 47, for mezzo-soprano and baritone or soprano and tenor, 1897 Two Songs, Op. 49, for bass, 1882–1897 Four Songs, Op. 50, 1897–1898 Five Songs, Op. 51, 1898 Two Duets, Op. 52, 1897–1898 Dragonflies [Стрекозы], Op. 53, for three sopranos, 1897 Four Songs, Op. 55, for tenor, 1897–1898 Two Songs, Op. 56, for soprano, 1898
Folksong collections Collection of One Hundred Russian Folksongs, Op. 24, 1875–1876 Forty Folksongs, 1875–1882
Chamber music String Quartet in F, Op. 12, 1875 String Sextet in A, for pairs of violins, violas, and violoncellos, 1876 Quintet in B-flat, for flute, clarinet, horn, bassoon, and piano, 1876 String Quartet on Russian Themes, 1878–1879 The first three movements were later adapted for a Sinfonietta, Op. 31 The remaining fourth movement has the title "In a Monastery" ["В монастыре"]. (A version for piano four-hands is called "In a Church") Four Variations on a Chorale in G minor, for string quartet, 1885 String Quartet "B-la-F", 1st movement, 1886; other movements by Lyadov, Glazunov, and Borodin String Quartet Jour de fête [Именины], finale ("Round-Dance" ["Хоровод"]), 1887; other movements by Glazunov and Lyadov Nocturne in F, for four horns, ca. 1888 Two Duets in F, for two horns, 1883?–1894? Canzonetta and Tarantella, for two clarinets, 1883?–1894? Serenade, for violoncello and piano, 1893; also orchestrated as Op. 37 String Quartet in G, 1897 Trio in C minor, for violin, violoncello, and piano, 1897; completed by his son-in-law Maximilian Steinberg in 1939 Theme and Variation No. 4 in G major, for string quartet, 1898; for collaborative Variations on a Russian Theme ("Надоели ночи надоскучили"), with Artsybushev, Skriabin, Glazunov, Lyadov, Vitols, Blumenfeld, Ewald, Winkler, and Sokolov Allegro in B-flat, for string quartet, 1899, for the collaborative set of string quartet pieces entitled Les vendredis, with Glazunov, Artsybushev, Sokolov, Lyadov, Vitols, Osten-Sacken, Blumenfeld, Borodin, and Kopylov
Piano music Six Variations on the theme BACH, Op. 10, 1878 (Waltz, Intermezzo, Scherzo, Nocturne, Prelude and Fugue) Four Pieces, Op. 11, 1876–1877 (Impromptus, Novelette, Scherzino, Etude) Three Pieces, Op. 15, 1875–1876 (Waltz, Romance, Fugue) Six Fugues, Op. 17, 1875 Two Pieces, Op. 38, 1894–1897 (Prelude-Impromptu, Mazurka) Variations (Nos. 1, 2, 6, 11, 3, 16 and 19) and Pieces (Lullaby, Little Fugue on the theme BACH, Tarantella, Minuet, Bells [Трезвон – Trezvon], Comic Fugue) from a collaborative paraphrase to the constant theme, 1878 (without opus no) Fugues and Fughettas, 1875–1876 (without opus no) Allegretto in C major, 1895 (without opus no) Prelude in G major, 1896 (without opus no) Theme and 1st variation from collaborative variations to the Russian theme, 1899 (without opus no) Fugue in C major for 4 hands (also: transcription in 2 hands), 1875 (without opus no) Variations to the theme by Misha, c.1878–1879 (without opus no) Song [Песенка = Pesenka] (Andantino) from the army collection Arzunkner, 1901 (without opus no) Finale of the collective Joke-Quadrille for 4 hands, 1890 (without opus no)
Editing or completion of works by others
Alexander Borodin Prince Igor (completed with Glazunov)
César Cui William Ratcliff (orchestrated several passages for first performance in 1869)
Alexander Dargomyzhsky The Stone Guest (orchestration only; composition finished by César Cui)
Mikhail Glinka A Life for the Tsar (edited with Mily Balakirev and Anatoly Lyadov) Ruslan and Lyudmila (edited with Balakirev and Lyadov) Complete Orchestral Works (edited with Balakirev and Lyadov)
Modest Mussorgsky Boris Godunov Khovanshchina Songs and Dances of Death (orchestration only) Night on Bald Mountain
Bibliography Rimsky-Korsakov, N.A. The Complete Sacred Choral Works. Monuments of Russian Sacred Music, Series III. Madison, CT: Musica Russica, 1999. _______. Полное собрание сочинений [Complete [sic] Collection of Works]. Москва, 1946–1970. (Reprinted by Kalmus/Belwin Mills.) Walker, Marina Frolova, "'Rimsky-Korsakov: (1) Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov", Grove Music Online (subscription required), (Accessed 8 December 2005)
External links