IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom, 2275 Platt Road
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakoff (1844-1908) is usually known as the composer of the colorful tone poem Scheherazade. In fact, he accomplished much more than that and is now recognized as the most important composer of late 19th Century Russia. Largely self-taught during a career in the Russian Navy, Rimsky-Korsakoff wrote numerous colorful operas, tone poems, and chamber works. He helped fellow composers such as Borodin and Mussorgsky finish work, and taught a later generation of musicians including Stravinsky, Prokofieff, and Glazunov. In this presentation we will consider his brilliant career and play excerpts from operas and orchestral works. During the second hour, we will show a video of the Ballet Russes production of Scheherazade. Henry Aldridge is an EMU Professor Emeritus of Electronic Media and Film Studies and an avid music lover. He has served for many years as one of the organists at the Michigan Theater.
