Flight of the Bumblebee - Classical Piano Story (Synthesia)

"Flight of the Bumblebee" is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899–1900. The piece closes Act III, Tableau 1, during which the magic Swan-Bird changes Prince Gvidon Saltanovich (the Tsar's son) into an insect so that he can fly away to visit his father (who does not know that he is alive). Text of the scene where the Swan-Bird sings during this music: SWAN-BIRD: Well, now, my bumblebee, go on a spree, catch up with the ship on the sea, go down secretly, get deep into a crack. Good luck, Gvidon, fly, only do not stay long! (The bumblebee flies away.) "Flight of the Bumblebee" is recognizable for its frantic pace when played up to tempo, with nearly uninterrupted runs of chromatic sixteenth notes. It is not so much the pitch or range of the notes that are played that challenges the musician, but simply the musician's ability to move to them quickly enough. Because of this and its complexity, it requires a great deal of skill to perform. Often in popular culture, it is thought of as being notoriously hard to play. In the "Tsar Saltan" suite, the short version is commonly played, taking less than two minutes. In the Opera version, the three-minute fifty-five-second version is performed. Don't hesitate to SUBSCRIBE for more interesting stories! :)

Category