Rimsky-Korsakow, Nicolai

Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov  – Sextet in A-major

(b. Tikhvin nr. Novgorod, 18 March 1844 – d. St. Petersburg, 21 June 1908)

for two violins, two violas and two cellos
(1876)
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov worked on compositions for chamber ensembles mainly from 1870-1880s. During these years he created  String Quartet op. 12, highly demanded among performers, a quintet, Variations for String Quartet and chamber miniatures.
1871 was to become a turning point in Rimsky-Korsakov’s life. Mikhail Azanchevsky, a director of the newly formed St. Petersburg  Conservatory, invited him to take on a teaching position for composition, conducting and orchestration. What should be added here is that the acceptance of this offer was not as straightforward as it might appear. The composer found himself in a situation of conflict, caught between the lure of academic discipline on the one hand, and Russian originality as represented by “The Five” (“Mighty handful”) on the other. By siding with the former he was able to work on the shortcomings of his own training, often staying behind after the lessons to practice counterpoint. As a result it was between 1873–1875 that Rimsky-Korsakov systematically learned harmony and polyphony. …

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