A mystic realm tinged with the scent of foreign spices, bewitching music, vivid color and sensual delights… Orientalism sparked a new wave of romanticism in Western art in the 19th century, which had a profound influence on artists. At the time, The Arabian Nights had long been popular in Russia, in a French translation by Antoine Galland that indulged the Francophile passion for all things Arabic.

For Rimsky-Korsakov who had a life-long fascination with fairytales especially those from the exotic setting of the mythical Orient, Scheherazade was an ideal theme. Born into a family of Russian naval officers, music and the sea became his passion since childhood and he graduated from the Naval Academy of St Petersburg to become a naval officer himself. While pursuing his musical studies, he embarked on numerous ocean voyages, visiting Brazil, America, Europe etc.

The Oriental Ballet Suite “Thousand and One Nights” was originally conceived as an orchestral work, first published for piano solo in 1927, and then arranged for orchestra by the composer himself. It gained popularity immediately after its release and was broadcast on several radio stations.