IndexSummaryIntroductionThe early life of Rimsky-KorsakovBibliographyMany music scholars believe that Russians are among the best composers of national music... Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayAbstractMany music scholars believe that Russians are among the best composers of national music. National music began in Russia around 1830 and was characterized by the emergence of folk rhythms, folk dances and folk songs. Before that, Russians mainly listened to French and Italian opera. However, Russian national music was not truly appreciated until 1865, when Rimsky-Korsakov produced his first composition because Russian works composed with native motifs from the 1830s onwards were not doing well enough to compete with European artists. Therefore, I intended to explore how Rimsky-Korsakov promoted nationalism in his compositional style in his four operas, The Golden Cockerel Suite, Scheherazade, The Snow Maiden Suite, and Capriccio Espagnole. I approached this investigation using the following methodology: I used both primary biographical data and secondary sources to understand Rimsky-Korsakov's cultural background and the compositional style employed in the four major symphonies in terms of the inspiration behind his style and socio-political context in which he carried out his work. I conducted analysis, investigation, discussion and evaluation of the artist's current music to understand the methods used by Rimsky-Korsakov in the selected compositions. Finally, I also examined the role the artist had in influencing music composition techniques, as he was a music educator and publisher. Based on the results of the investigation I have come to a definitive conclusion. The investigation showed that Rimsky-Korsakov's compositional style was mainly influenced by his family background which introduced him to both military culture and Russian music. He was such a patriotic citizen of his country that he chose to use his great musical talent in the army instead of venturing into performance. This is the same spirit that informed his nationalism portrayed in his compositions. The aspect of culture represented in his compositions is ancient Russian paganism and established social strata. Finally, Rimsky-Korsakov influenced the work of more than 250 artists who attended his lessons and is recognized as the father of nationalist music in Russia. Introduction Musical nationalism began in the 19th century when political movements formed in different parts of the world to fight for independence from colonialism... Keep in mind: this is just one example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Rimsky-Korsakov's Early Life Rimsky-Korsakov was born in 1844 in Tikhvin, Russia. Rimsky-Korsakov is best known for vivid orchestrations that descriptively painted the scene and suggested atmosphere. In addition to being one of the most famous Russian composers of the 19th century, he was also a publisher and teacher. His interest in music can be attributed to his background, as his mother was a pianist. At the age of 15 he began taking lessons on the rudiments of composition and piano at the naval academy in St. Petersburg. Bibliography Hodges, Wilfrid. "The geometry of music." Music and Mathematics: From Pythagoras to Fractals (2003): 91-111.Leet, Gregory Nicholas. The compositional history, critical reception and musical style of Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov's Servilia and Pan Voyevoda. Diss. Columbia University, 2002.Mirsky, Prince DS. Contemporary Russian literature. Wildside Press LLC, (2006): 33.2 (2011): 169-185.