Prince Igor: Overture

Alexander Borodin (1833-1887) composed the four-act opera Prince Igor between 1869-1887, although it remained unfinished at his death. Fellow Russian composers Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov completed and orchestrated what remained. Borodin adapted the ancient Russian epic The Lay of Igor’s Host, which tells the story of prince Igor Svyatoslavich and his campaign against the invading Cuman (Polovtsian) tribes in 1185. The premiere took place on November 4th, 1890, at St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre, Karl Kuchera, conducting. The Overture was completed and orchestrated by Aleksandr Glazunov (1865-1936), in part from memory, having heard Borodin play it at the piano. Instrumentation: 2+Picc.2.2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).