I like Rimsky-Korsakov because:
- he had a great beard :D
- he taught his composition classes wearing military uniform (which was compulsory, for an officer)
- he became a composition teacher (and a famous orchestration master) despite not having any musical academic training. He barely knew music theory! But then, unlike the other "five", he decided to learn! And for a few years he worked really hard to prepare his lessons, while learning himself harmony, counterpoint, etc! In the end he became one of the best, most inspiring teachers there - and among his students were Prokofiev, Stravinsky Respighi, Lyadov, Glazunov, etc.
- in some ways he is one of the first "modern orchestrators". His book "Principles of Orchestration" was one of the main orchestration books for a long time. Even today I think it is one of the most inspiring books. In my opinion, nobody describes the sound, the characteristics and the potential of an instrument, better or more colorfully than he does there! It was the first orchestration book I read. I was not allowed to take it home, I remember!. I was going to the lecture hall of the city library in Brasov, for my daily meeting with ... Rimsky Korsakov. I almost copied all the book, in my notebooks, ha! I had no other option, there was no copy machine, during those times, there... And I remember those afternoons with great pleasure. It felt like I was listening to some grandfather speak about the orchestra. Not like some of the "normal" teachers at my school.
(And by the way, that music conservatory where he taught, the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory - and where so many Russian musicians studied - Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Heifetz, Milstein, Gergiev, Mariss Jansons, etc - is called "The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory"; and for good reasons!)
- he had a great beard :D
- he taught his composition classes wearing military uniform (which was compulsory, for an officer)
- he became a composition teacher (and a famous orchestration master) despite not having any musical academic training. He barely knew music theory! But then, unlike the other "five", he decided to learn! And for a few years he worked really hard to prepare his lessons, while learning himself harmony, counterpoint, etc! In the end he became one of the best, most inspiring teachers there - and among his students were Prokofiev, Stravinsky Respighi, Lyadov, Glazunov, etc.
- in some ways he is one of the first "modern orchestrators". His book "Principles of Orchestration" was one of the main orchestration books for a long time. Even today I think it is one of the most inspiring books. In my opinion, nobody describes the sound, the characteristics and the potential of an instrument, better or more colorfully than he does there! It was the first orchestration book I read. I was not allowed to take it home, I remember!. I was going to the lecture hall of the city library in Brasov, for my daily meeting with ... Rimsky Korsakov. I almost copied all the book, in my notebooks, ha! I had no other option, there was no copy machine, during those times, there... And I remember those afternoons with great pleasure. It felt like I was listening to some grandfather speak about the orchestra. Not like some of the "normal" teachers at my school.
(And by the way, that music conservatory where he taught, the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory - and where so many Russian musicians studied - Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Heifetz, Milstein, Gergiev, Mariss Jansons, etc - is called "The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory"; and for good reasons!)
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