Round table «Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Mysterious Power»

On Wednesday, May 22, at the Green Hall, 11.00 a.m. Russian Institute for the History of Arts was hold a round table «Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Mysterious Power», dedicated to the 175th anniversary of the famous Russian composer.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov – one of the key heroes of Russian music, who played a decisive role in the development of national culture. A man of exceptional diligence and strictest discipline, incredibly demanding of himself and his colleagues, Rimsky-Korsakov laid the foundation of the St. Petersburg school of composition, becoming one of the pillars of professional music education in Russia. Practically all the main figures of Russian music of the second half of the XIX – beginning of the XX century got into the circle of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov’s acquaintances. A. S. Dargomyzhsky, M. P. Mussorgsky, A. P. Borodin, P. I. Tchaikovsky, A. K. Glazunov, A. K. Lyadov, F. I. Shalyapin, I. F. Stravinsky, S. V. Rakhmaninov, S. S. Prokofiev were somehow connected with Nikolai Andreevich or experienced his influence.
In nowadays perception, Rimsky-Korsakov, with all his undoubted achievements, is a rather contradictory figure. On the one hand, his most interesting discoveries in the field of harmony and instrumentation significantly influenced the music of the 20th century. On the other – the composer’s guarding position, his commitment to academic settings, strict rules and unshakable self-righteousness led to a lack of understanding and non-acceptance of the achievements made by his contemporaries.
The discussion at the round table will focus on various aspects of the life and work of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, his relations with the West and the East, his role in the development of Russian opera, his functions in the development of the national musical culture.
A series of messages will be made as part of the round table:
Arkadii Klimovitsky. Beethoven of Rimsky-Korsakov
Anna Porfireva. Rhymes and assonansy: Wagner and Rimsky-Korsakov
Georgii Kovalevsky. Multi-genre nature of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov’ operas: epic, drama, melodrama