I’ve written here a few times about some of the Russians I like, but I don’t think I’ve touched on this one yet.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was a 19th century Russian composer who wrote what I believe is one of the greatest classical compositions of all times, Scheherazade. I’ve loved it since I was a kid, and the more I listen to it, the more I believe it’s the one piece that deserves it’s own fantasy movie. Nothing but the beautiful imagery it invokes on the backdrop of the story of One Thousand and One Nights set to its music. That would be pretty cool.
The piece still brings tears to my eyes in some spots, and the whole thing is pretty fantastic. I wouldn’t expect anyone to actually watch the whole 50-plus minute video here, but please do take the time to listen to it someday. I don’t think you’ll like it nearly as much as me, but if you like it half as much, it’ll be worth it.
There are a couple of live performances on YouTube. I’ve chosen this one because I also love the youth and expression of the players. They really put in the work…