Rimsky-Korsakov for kids: his life, his music, and what to play first

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer who lived from 1844 to 1908. He was a naval officer who sailed around the world before he became a composer and teacher. He wrote “Flight of the Bumblebee” and Scheherazade, and he was a master at making an orchestra shine with color. The best first piece for a child is “Flight of the Bumblebee,” which lasts about ninety seconds.

Quick facts

• Born: 1844, in Tikhvin, Russia
• Died: 1908, near Luga, Russia
• Era: Romantic
• Played: piano
• Known for: Scheherazade, “Flight of the Bumblebee,” Capriccio espagnol, and 15 operas

The life in short

Rimsky-Korsakov grew up in a small town far from the sea. His older brother was a naval officer, and his letters home were full of ships and far-off ports. Nikolai wanted the same life.

At 12, he entered the naval school in St. Petersburg. He took piano lessons on the side, and at 17 he met a group of young Russian composers. They became known as “The Five.”

At 18, he sailed as an officer on a navy ship. The voyage lasted nearly three years and took him to England, the United States, and Brazil. He worked on his first symphony at sea.

Back home, he kept composing. At 27, he was asked to teach composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He later admitted that he knew less than his students were supposed to learn. He studied hard in private to stay ahead of them.

He taught there for most of the next 37 years. His students included Stravinsky and Prokofiev. Read who taught whom.

He also finished and arranged music by his friends. The version of Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain that orchestras play is his.

What the music sounds like

Rimsky-Korsakov’s music glitters. He knew what each instrument could do, and he gave solos to players all through the orchestra. He wrote a textbook on writing for orchestra that students still use.

Most of his operas tell Russian fairy tales, with magic swans, a snow maiden, and a golden rooster. The sea turns up again and again in his music.

Four pieces to play first

“Flight of the Bumblebee.” A prince is turned into a bee so he can fly across the sea. Fast notes buzz up and down with no break. See the Flight of the Bumblebee guide.

Scheherazade, first movement. A queen tells a king a new story each night. A solo violin is her voice. The low, stern brass tune is the king. Then the orchestra rocks like a ship on the waves.

Capriccio espagnol, the last two movements. Spanish dance tunes with castanets and a snare drum, and solos for violin, flute, clarinet, and harp.

“Dance of the Tumblers,” from The Snow Maiden. A fast, bright dance for acrobats. It lasts about four minutes.

Things to do together

Two voices. Play the start of Scheherazade. Ask your child to raise one hand for the king’s tune and the other for the queen’s violin.

Ride the waves. Play the sea music from the first movement of Scheherazade. Rock side to side like a ship.

Spot the solo. Play the fourth movement of Capriccio espagnol. Name each instrument that plays alone. The instrument families listening chart helps.

Tell a story. Scheherazade told 1,001 stories. Take turns adding one sentence to a made-up tale while the music plays.

The teacher

Rimsky-Korsakov taught two generations of Russian composers. Read about two of his students in Stravinsky for kids and Prokofiev for kids. His friend from “The Five” has a page too: Mussorgsky for kids.

Print and play

Fill in a composer study notebook page for Rimsky-Korsakov. For more music with a plot, see classical music that tells a story.

For his big storytelling piece, read Scheherazade for kids. For more composers from the same country, read Russian composers for kids. For more composers by era, see classical composers for kids.