To say that I didn’t enjoy my undergraduate years at Temple University would be an understatement, but I do appreciate the fact that, at the much longed-for commencement ceremony, I got to march to Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Procession of the Nobles.” In fact, the only thing that would have made me happier is if the orchestra had launched into something from “The Sea Hawk.”
“Procession of the Nobles” is all that most people know of Rimsky’s opera “Mlada,” an exploration of ancient Slavic paganism that somehow manages to assimilate Cleopatra. The work benefits from the composer’s visit to Paris, during the World Exhibition of 1889, and the eclectic musical influences he absorbed there. “Mlada” encompasses treachery, murder, a supernatural love triangle, a midsummer festival, a witches’ sabbath, Cleopatra, and, in the last act, revenge, widescale destruction, and an apotheosis in which bride and groom are reunited in the Great Beyond. The opera was not a success.
Rimsky embarked on the work in 1889, after an earlier, collaborative effort, undertaken with his colleagues of the Mighty Handful in 1872, was not completed. Interestingly, Act III of this earlier project included one of several versions of Mussorgsky’s “A Night on Bald Mountain,” then titled “Glorification of Chernobog.” It was at this point that Mussorgsky added vocal soloists and chorus. It was later adapted again for use in his opera, “Sorochinsky Fair.”
Be that as it may, Rimsky’s suite for his solo outing contains some characteristically transporting music.
Rimsky also arranged Act III into a purely orchestral work, “Night on Mt. Triglav.” That’s the act with the witches’ sabbath and the vision of Cleopatra.
In all, the composer wrote 15 operas. Performances in the West are rare, though I’ve managed to collect most of them on record.
Temple University can go to the devil, as far as I’m concerned, but I will always consider myself lucky to have actually processed with the nobles.
Happy birthday, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov!