The trombones roar out the “sea” motive against the billowy “wave” motive in the strings, Allegro non troppo e maestoso, C major, 6-4; and there is a modulation to the tonic, E major, as the tempest rages. The storm dies. Clarinets and trumpets scream one more cry on the march theme of the second movement. There is a quiet ending with development of the “sea” and “wave” motives. The tales are told. Scheherazade, the narrator, who lives with Shahryar “in all pleasance and solace of life and its delights till there took them the Destroyer of delights and the Severer of societies, the Desolator of dwelling places and Garnerer of graveyards, and they were translated to the ruth of Almighty Allah,” fades with the vision and the final note of her violin.
CAPRICE ON SPANISH THEMES, OP. 34
I. Alborada II. Variations III. Alborada IV. Scene and Gypsy Song V. Fandango of the Asturias (Played without pause)
Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol was performed for the first time in St. Petersburg at a Russian Symphony concert, October 31, 1887. The composer conducted. The caprice was published in 1887, yet we find Tchaikovsky writing to Rimsky-Korsakov in 1886 (November 11): “I must add that your Spanish Caprice is a colossal masterpiece of instrumentation, and you may regard yourself as the greatest master of the present day.” Rimsky-Korsakov wrote in his Autobiography: “The opinion formed by both critics and public, that the capriccio is a magnificently orchestrated piece, is wrong. The capriccio is a brilliant composition for the orchestra. The change of timbres, the felicitous choice of melodic designs and figuration patterns, exactly suiting each instrument, brief virtuoso cadenzas for instrument solo, the rhythm of the percussion instruments, etc., constitute here the very essence of the composition and not its garb or orchestration. All in all, the capriccio is a purely external piece, but vividly brilliant for all that.”
The caprice is dedicated to the artists of the orchestra of the Imperial Russian Opera House of St. Petersburg. The names, beginning with M. Koehler and R. Kaminsky, are given, sixty-seven in all, on the title-page of the score. The caprice is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes (and English horn), two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, side drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, castanets, harp, and strings.
It was in the summer of 1887 that Rimsky-Korsakov, purposing at first to use Spanish dance themes for a virtuoso violin piece, sketched instead this caprice. He thought the third section, the “Alborada” in B flat major, to be a little less successful than the other sections, on account of the brass somewhat drowning the melodic designs of the wood-wind, but this fault could be remedied by a careful conductor. Rimsky-Korsakov tells how, at the rehearsal in St. Petersburg, the orchestra applauded vigorously after the first movement, and in fact after those succeeding, and the composer was so pleased that he dedicated the capriccio to the players. He also says that the first performance was extraordinarily brilliant, more so than when it was later led by others, even by Arthur Nikisch.
The movements, according to the direction of the composer, are to be played without intervening pauses.
I. Alborada. Vivo e strepitoso. This serenade opens with the wild, tempestuous chief theme, which is given to the full orchestra. There is a subsidiary theme for the wood-wind instruments. Both themes are repeated twice by solo clarinet, accompanied by horns and bassoons, and strings pizzicato. A delicate cadenza for solo violin brings the close, pianissimo.
II. Variations. Andante con moto, F major, 3-8. The horns give out the theme with a rocking accompaniment for strings. Before this theme is ended, the strings have the first variation. The second variation, poco meno mosso, is a dialogue between English horn and horn. The third variation is for full orchestra. The fourth, tempo primo, E major, organ-point on B, is for wood-wind, two horns, and two violoncellos, accompanied by sixteenth notes for clarinet and violins. The fifth, F major, is for full orchestra. A cadenza for solo flute brings the end.
III. Alborada. Vivo e strepitoso, B flat major, 2-4. This movement is a repetition of the first, transposed to B flat major and with different orchestration. Clarinets and violins have now exchanged their parts. The solo that was originally for clarinet is now for solo violin; the cadenza that was originally for the solo violin is now for the solo clarinet.