05/10/2026
In the upcoming weekend, we will be playing Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade." Rimsky-Korsakov wrote a brief introduction that he intended for use with the score as well as the program for the premiere:
"The Sultan Schakhriar, convinced that all women are false and faithless, vowed to put to death each of his wives after the first nuptial night. But the Sultana Scheherazade saved her life by entertaining her lord with fascinating tales, told seriatim, for a thousand and one nights. The Sultan, consumed with curiosity, postponed from day to day the ex*****on of his wife, and finally repudiated his bloody vow entirely."
Initially, Rimsky-Korsakov intended to name the respective movements in Scheherazade "Prelude, Ballade, Adagio and Finale." However, after weighing the opinions of Anatoly Lyadov and others, as well as his own aversion to a too-definitive program, he settled upon thematic headings, based upon the tales from The Arabian Nights. The movements are
I. The Sea and Sinbad's Ship
II. The Story of the Kalendar Prince
III. The Young Prince and the Young Princess
IV. Festival at Baghdad. The Sea. The Ship Breaks against a Cliff Surmounted by a Bronze Horseman
Sat, May 16 at 2pm
Family Concert (Abridged)
Aurora Community Church
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sat
Sun, May 17 at 2pm
Full Concert
Town Hall Seattle
https://ticketstripe.com/fables-and-fanfares-sun
More info at sforch.org
This project was supported, in part, by 4Culture and ArtsFund.
