Ruslan & Lyudmila Overture

Composer Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857), Russian
Full title Ruslan and Ludmila (Руслан и Людмила)
Excerpt title Overture
Date 1842, St Petersburg
Score Click here to download;
For purchase (Eulenburg mini score), Sheetmusicplus or Compumusic
Recordings Listing here
Tempos Our target: half=80/quarter=160
Source Based on Pushkin’s poem
Setting Ukraine, 10th century
Genre Magic opera
Plot in brief On the day of her wedding to the Russian knight Ruslan, Lyudmila, daughter of the Grand Prince of Kiev, is kidnapped by the sorcerer Chernomor. Ruslan battles many foes and overcomes many obstacles to rescue her.
Context Glinka was the first Russian composer to gain international prominence. This was his second and final opera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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http://youtu.be/AjjQFzt4MJg

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Yevgeny Mravinsky and the Leningrad Philharmonic – audio only, one of the greatest conductor/orchestra combinations of the 20th century

Zubin Mehta and the Berlin Philharmonic at the Waldbühne

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