St.PetersburgistheculturaltreasuretroveofRussia.Initsrelativelyshorthistory，it’Sproducedawealthofballet，theatreandoperacompa—nies；singers，writers，dancers，orchestras；thereareover500palaceshere.Russia’SfirstconservatorywasopenedinSt.Petersburgin1862un—derthedirectionofpianist，composerandconductorAntonRubinstein.Inl871，thisgreatmanbehindme，NikolaiRimsky—Korsakov，joinedthestaffasprofessorandremainedtherefor20years.Butbeforethat，heattendedtheNavalAcademyinSt.Petersburg.Hewrotehisfirstaymphonywhileonathree—yearnavalcruise.Whenhejoinedthestaffhere，Nikolairealizedthatheknewalmostnomusictheory，despitethefactthathe’dalreadycompletedtwosymphoniesandnumerousotherworks.Sohetaughthimselfinsecretandbecameoneoftheworld’Sgreatmusictheorists，particularlyinmusicharmony.SeveralofRimsky—Korsakov’Sstudentsachievedmusicalgreatness，includingSergeiProkofievandIgorStravinsky，andhisinfluencehasbeenquiteprofound.YouhearthisbestinRimsky’ssymphonicsuite，Sheherezade.BasedonstoriesfromTheArabianNights，astoldbyMadameSheherez—adeherself，hernewhusband，thesultanHaroonAllahalRashid，hasexe—cutedallhisformerwivesontheirweddingnight.Toavoidtheirfate，shetellshimcliff—hangingtalesthroughoutthenight.Inthescore，RimskyshowsbothHaroonalRashid’SimplacablecharacterandSheherezade’Sseductiveskills.Heischamled；she1ives.Sheherezademustbeafantasy，soundworldsoftheancientMiddleEast.It’Samostglamoroussoundtoo；somethingentirelynewinthemusicofthelate19thcentury，oneobviouslybentafewyearsinHolly—wood50yearslater.AllthosestudiopicturesaboutAladdinandflyingcarpets；theysoundsuspiciouslylikeRimsky—Korsakov.Hiscarpets，though，areofamuchfinerweave.Oh，yes.Healsowrotethatpiecea—boutabumblebee.In1944，onthecentenaryofhisbirth，theconseratorywasrenamedtheRimsky—KorsakovStateConservatoryinhishonour.Well，wehopeyou’vee~oyedthislittlesmapshortofSt.Peters—burg.Asyoucansee，it’Sacityrichincultureandthearts.