Until the 19th century, fashionable Russian audiences preferred Western music. Then came Glinka, Balakirev, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Scriabin, and Tchaikovsky. This program covers the distance from folk tradition to the founding of the Russian style of music by Glinka. Performers include James Galway, Osipovs Balalaika Orchestra, and the Kirov, Bolshoi, and Royal Ballets. Contents include excerpts from: Glinkas Russlan and Ludmilla Overture; Tcheshnikovs Let Us Give Prayer; Mussorgskys Boris Godunov, Coronation Scene; Borodins Quartet No. 2 in D Major; Rimsky-Korsakovs Flight of the Bumblebee, A Bride for the Czar; Tchaikovskys Violin Concerto, Swan Lake, Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique); Scriabins Prometheus; Stravinskys The Firebird. (60 minutes)
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