| Russian Easter Festival Overture | |
|---|---|
| Overture on Liturgical Themes | |
| byNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov | |
 The composer in 1893, portrayed byIlya Repin | |
| Native name | Russian:Светлый праздник |
| Opus | 36 |
| Composed | 1887 (1887)–88 |
| Dedication | memories ofModest Mussorgsky andAlexander Borodin |
| Scoring | orchestra |
| Premiere | |
| Date | 15 Dec 1888 |
Russian Easter Festival Overture: Overture on Liturgical Themes (Russian:Светлый праздник,romanized: Svetly prazdnik,lit. 'Bright festival'),Op. 36, also known as theGreat Russian Easter Overture, is aconcert overture written by the Russian composerNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov between August 1887 and April 1888. It was dedicated to the memories ofModest Mussorgsky andAlexander Borodin, two members of the group of composers known in English as "The Five". It is the last of what many call his three most exceptionally brilliant orchestral works, preceded byCapriccio Espagnol andScheherazade. The work received its premiere at a Russian symphony concert in St. Petersburg on 15 December [O.S. 3 December] 1888.[1]
The overture is scored for aRomantic period-sized orchestra, consisting of 3flutes (1 doublingpiccolo), 2oboes, 2clarinets in C, 2bassoons, 4horns in F, 2trumpets in B♭, 3trombones,tuba, 3timpani tuned to A, D and G, percussion (glockenspiel,triangle,cymbals,bass drum,tam-tam),harp, andstrings.
The score is prefaced by two quotations from theOld andNew Testaments and a third, written by the composer; these correspond to each of the overture's three parts. The first part is prefaced by two verses fromPsalm 68:1–2; the second from theGospel of Mark 16:1–6; and a third by a description of the Easter celebration written by the composer.
The melodies in the overture are largely from theRussian Orthodoxliturgy, based on a collection of old Russian Orthodox liturgical chants called theObikhod.
Rimsky-Korsakov said in his autobiography that he was eager to reproduce "the legendary and heathen side of the holiday, the transition from the gloomy and mysterious evening of Passion Saturday to the unbridled pagan-religious merrymaking on Easter Sunday morning".[2] He had always been interested in – and enjoyed – liturgical themes and music, though he was not a believer.
American musicologistMiloš Velimirović explains, "The Obikhod was like the Russian'sLiber usualis...In 1848 it became mandatory for all of the Churches in Russia."[This quote needs a citation] Thus the Obikhod became associated with nationalism in Russia. The tunes that Rimsky chose from the Obikhod would carry a certain nationalistic and religious weight, and Russians would absolutely know them. The piece also appealed to the emotions of Russians because of its expression of the Easter Holiday, the high point of the liturgical calendar.
ProfessorRobert Greenberg describes theRussian Easter Festival Overture as, "A narrative story of a Russian Easter day from dawn until dusk."[This quote needs a citation] In Russian, Easter is known as the "Bright Holiday".
TheRussian Easter Festival Overture is mainly insonata allegro form, with a lengthy introduction at the beginning. Throughout the piece, there are a number of prominent solo sections, featuring violin, cello, trombone, clarinet, and flute.
The opening section is written in5
2 time, and is one of the more famous works for orchestra inquintuple meter. The final section of the piece is notated in2
1 time, making occasional use of3
1, and is one of very few orchestral works to use either of these time signatures.
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