Flight of the Bumblebee (from The Tale of Tsar Saltan) – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov | Harpsichord
Harpsichord transmutation of Flight of the Bumblebee from The Tale of Tsar Saltan by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
Composed in 1899–1900 as an orchestral interlude in Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, Flight of the Bumblebee is built on rapid chromatic motion and continuous propulsion. Originally conceived as a moment of transformation and movement, the piece has become emblematic of velocity and perpetual motion.
Presented here on the harpsichord, the music is approached through articulation and rhythmic continuity, allowing its relentless drive to emerge through clarity of gesture rather than orchestral mass.
Bruno Martins is a harpsichordist and contemporary musician based in Paris.
Transmutation is Bruno Martins’s practice of changing a work’s musical body through the harpsichord, not simply transferring its notes.
Further essays and notes on Transmutation:
➫ https://brunomartinsart.substack.com
Film by Kaoutar El Hammami.
Filming, editing and color grading by Kaoutar El Hammami.
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