Nikolai Andreyevitch Rimsky-Korsakoff was born March 6th, 1844, at
Tikhvin, in the government of Novgorod, Russia. His father was a civil
governor and landed proprietor. He began to study the pianoforte at the
age of six. He was destined for a career in the navy, and, in 1856, he
was sent to study at the Petrograd Naval College. In 1861 he made the
acquaintance of Balakirew and of the group about him. After a two-year
cruise in the navy, Rimsky returned to Petrograd in 1865. In 1866 he was
installed in furnished rooms, having decided upon becoming a composer.
He began work on "Antar" in 1868. It was performed the following year.
In 1871 he became professor of composition and orchestration at the
Petrograd Conservatory. In 1872 his opera "The Maid of Pskof" was
produced. Rimsky married, on June 30th of that year, Nadejeda Pourgold.
Moussorgsky was best man at the ceremony. In 1873 he became Inspector of
Naval Bands. In 1874 he toured the Crimea. In 1883 he was called upon to
reorganize the Imperial chapel. In 1889 he conducted two Russian
concerts at the Paris Exposition. In the following year he conducted two
Russian concerts in Brussels. He resigned his position as conductor of
the Russian Symphony concerts and the inspectorship of the Imperial
chapel in 1894. In 1900 he was in Brussels again. In 1904, due to his
political views, he was called upon to vacate his post of Director of
the Conservatory. He attended the Russian festival in Paris in the
spring of 1907. The French Society of Composers, however, refused to
admit him to membership. He died in April, 1908, at his property at
Lioubensk.
The titles of his operas are: "The Maid of Pskof," 1872; "A Night in
May," 1880; "Sniegouroschka," 1882; "Mlada," 1892; "Christmas Eve
Revels," 1895; "Sadko," 1897; "Mozart and Salieri," 1898; "Boyarina Vera
Sheloga," 1898; "The Tsar's Bride," 1899; "The Tale of Tsar Saltan,"
1900; "Servilia," 1902; "Kashchei the Immortal," 1902; "Pan Voyevoda,"
1902; "Kitj," 1907; "Le Coq d'or," 1907.
Among his orchestral compositions are: Symphony No. 1, "Serbian
Fantasy," Opus 6; "Symphonic Suite Antar," Opus 9; Symphony, Opus 32.
"Spanish Caprice," Opus 34; "Scheherazade," Opus 35; "Easter Overture,"
Opus 36.