Glazunov/Rimsky-Korsakov orchestration of Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death (Песни и пляски смерти)

[joeyk]

Hi all,

I'm studying Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death (in the low key) to compete in my university's concerto competition, and I was surprised to find that the Glazunov/Rimsky-Korsakov orchestration is nowhere to be found online. The auditions are in December and the conductor wants to look at a copy of the score before then, can somebody point me to a copy in a Russian language database or something or other? Or point me in some direction?

Thank you,
Joey

[Eric]

Hrm.

My local University library seems to have the 2nd edition orchestrations of at least one or two of the songs, will have to check... - if those would be acceptable. Wikipedia claims 1880s (1882, they say, for the Trepak orchestration) but needs better sourcing; I can find a date of 1885 for the Trepak (orch by Glazunov, according to Wikipedia) (though HMB doesn't confirm who edited that orchestration; hopefully someone else does) ;

for the Sérénade I find a 1905-8? orchestral score I could interloan and try to scan in myself (indeed, I'll go put in an ILL request)... I could also see what I can do for Lullaby and Field Marshal.

[joeyk]

If you wouldn't mind that would be amazing! The key doesn't necessarily matter at this moment, the conductor just wants to look at *an* orchestral score to see if it's doable. Thank you so much!

[Eric]

It's also possible that the interloan people will see that there's a voice/piano version online and turn down my request for the ill of the orchestral version precisely-because-of. Still, nothing ventured- time to

[Eric]

hrm. actually, the Rimsky version at Cornell is his revision of the voice/piano score, not his orchestration. The Rimsky, Glazunov and Lyapunov orchestrations are hard for me to access via interlibrary loan, I think (even the New York Public Library ones, I think, though I -may- be able to borrow those when I visit NYC... not sure.) Will look into it further. Sorry!

[joeyk]

Thank you for help thus so far. I talked with my music library wizard and she said that orchestral scores are often not kept in the database/not offered for interlibrary loan for some reason or at least that’s how I interpreted what she said. There is a Kalmus printing of the orchestration but it costs $100 or so, which wouldn’t necesarily disqualify me but it would hinder my chances compared to a readily available orchestration.