View source for Russian Easter Festival Overture

{{Short description|Orchestral piece by Rimsky-Korsakov}}
{{Infobox musical composition
| name                = ''Russian Easter Festival Overture''
| subtitle            = ''Overture on Liturgical Themes''
| type                = 
| composer            = {{nowrap|[[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov]]}}
| image               = Rimsky-Korsakov Repin crop.png
| image_upright       = 1.1
| alt                 = 
| caption             = The composer in 1893, portrayed by [[Ilya Repin]]
| native_name         = {{langx|ru|Светлый праздник|italic=yes}}
| key                 = 
| opus                = 36
| dedication          = memories of [[Modest Mussorgsky]] and [[Alexander Borodin]]
| based_on            = 
| composed            = {{start date|1887}}–88
| premiere_date  =  15 Dec 1888
| published           = 
| movements           = 
| scoring             = orchestra
}}
{{Listen|type=music
| filename     = Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian Easter Festival Overture, Op. 36.ogg
| title        = ''Russian Easter Festival Overture'' (15:35)
| description  = Performed by the [[Czech National Symphony Orchestra]]
}}
'''''Russian Easter Festival Overture: Overture on Liturgical Themes''''' ({{langx|ru|Светлый праздник|translit=Svetly prazdnik|translation=Bright festival}}), [[Opus number|Op.]] 36, also known as the '''''Great Russian Easter Overture''''', is a [[concert overture]] written by the Russian composer [[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov]] between August 1887 and April 1888. It was dedicated to the memories of [[Modest Mussorgsky]] and [[Alexander Borodin]], two members of the group of composers known in English as "[[The Five (composers)|The Five]]". It is the last of what many call his three most exceptionally brilliant orchestral works, preceded by ''[[Capriccio Espagnol]]'' and ''[[Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov)|Scheherazade]]''. The work received its premiere at a Russian symphony concert in St. Petersburg on {{OldStyleDate|15 December|1888|3 December}}.<ref name="I">{{cite web|url= https://www.belcanto.ru/rimsky_.html|title=Римский-Корсаков. "Светлый праздник"|trans-title=Rimsky-Korsakov. "Bright Festival"|publisher=belcanto.ru|language=ru|accessdate=2 Nov 2021}}</ref>

==Instrumentation==
The overture is scored for a [[Romantic period (music)|Romantic]] period-sized orchestra, consisting of 3 [[flute]]s (1 doubling [[piccolo]]), 2 [[oboe]]s, 2 [[clarinet]]s in C, 2 [[bassoon]]s, 4 [[French horn|horns]] in F, 2 [[trumpet]]s in B{{music|flat}}, 3 [[trombone]]s, [[tuba]], 3 [[timpani]] tuned to A, D and G, percussion ([[glockenspiel]], [[triangle (musical instrument)|triangle]], [[cymbal]]s, [[bass drum]], [[tam-tam]]), [[harp]], and [[string section|strings]].

==Background==
The score is prefaced by two quotations from the [[Old Testament|Old]] and [[New Testament]]s 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 from [[Psalm 68|Psalm 68:1–2]]; the second from the [[Gospel 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 the [[Russian Orthodox]] [[liturgy]], based on a collection of old Russian Orthodox liturgical chants called the ''[[Obikhod]]''.

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".<ref name="II">{{Cite web|url=https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/3128/russian-easter-overture|title=Russian Easter Overture|publisher=LA Phil|accessdate=5 Nov 2021}}</ref> He had always been interested in – and enjoyed – liturgical themes and music, though he was not a believer.

American musicologist [[Miloš Velimirović]] explains, "The Obikhod was like the Russian's ''Liber usualis''...In 1848 it became mandatory for all of the Churches in Russia."{{Cite quote|date=January 2017}} 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.

Professor [[Robert Greenberg]] describes the ''Russian Easter Festival Overture'' as, "A narrative story of a Russian Easter day from dawn until dusk."{{Cite quote|date=January 2017}} In Russian, Easter is known as the "Bright Holiday".

==Structure==
The ''Russian Easter Festival Overture'' is mainly in [[Sonata form|sonata 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 in {{music|time|5|2}} time, and is one of the more famous works for orchestra in [[quintuple meter]]. The final section of the piece is notated in {{music|time|2|1}} time, making occasional use of {{music|time|3|1}}, and is one of very few orchestral works to use either of these time signatures.

[[File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf|450px|page=656]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMSLP|work=Russian Easter Festival, Op.36 (Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolay)|cname=''Russian Easter Festival Overture''}}
* {{Internet Archive|Rimsky-korsakovRussianEasterOverture|Rimsky-Korsakov: ''Russian Easter Overture'', Op. 36 (''La Grande Pâque Russe'')}}: [[Philadelphia Orchestra]], [[Eugene Ormandy]], conductor

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[[Category:Compositions by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov]]
[[Category:Concert overtures]]
[[Category:1888 compositions]]
[[Category:Music for Easter]]