The works by Russian composers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries on this recording reflect, like the fragments of a broken mirror, the various moods of the Russian spirit at the turn of the century. Their music was characterized by a daring modernism as well as a certain nostalgia for the past. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, for example, opened new horizons in his late operas, but was more conservative in his teachings, instructing young composers to learn from composers such as Mikhail Glinka. In the summer of 1885 Rimsky-Korsakov transcribed excerpts from Glinka’s operas «Ivan Susanin» (A Life for the Tsar) and «Ruslan and Lyudmila» for a student string orchestra which he conducted.

These transcriptions form a kind of musical mosaic that could be viewed as a model for the program of this recording as a whole.

Various works by a number of well-known as well as less well-known composers from this period go to make up the remaining pieces of this mosaic: Vasily Kalinnikov, Alexander Glazunov, Sergueï Rachmaninov, Fyodor Akimenko, Anton Arensky, Vladimir Rebikov and Sergei Aslamazyan, whose settings of two Russian folk songs do not appear by chance on this recording. Russian folk music played a central role in Russian classical music at the turn of the century, serving as a source of inspiration for countless composers and artists.

The Chamber Orchestra Kremlin has earned unanimous acclaim as one of the world’s leading string orchestras. A number of the orchestra’s 14 recordings for Claves Records have been distinguished with international awards. The ensemble of young musicians is led by Russian-American conductor Misha Rachlevsky.