During the 1880s, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov labored at putting in order the works of the late Modest Mussorgsky as well as completing and orchestrating Prince Igor by the late Alexander Borodin. At this time, he also crystallized certain ideas about the true nature of his own compositional style, coming to realize that his orchestration, in his own words, “had attained a considerable degree of virtuosity and warm sonority. . . .” Given this conclusion, coupled with his ever-present interest in folklore and national musical identity (not necessarily just Russian, however), there is a natural sequence to Rimsky-Korsakov’s last three major orchestral works: Spanish Capriccio (1887),Scheherazade (1888), and the Russian Easter Overture (1888).
       
Scheherazade was inspired by the tales of The Arabian Nights in which the Sultan vows to take a new wife each night and have her executed the next morning. However, his latest bride, Scheherazade, succeeded in saving herself by engaging the Sultan’s interest in a series of interconnected tales. These took 1,001 nights to recount.
       
Originally, Rimsky-Korsakov’s portrayal of The Arabian Nights was general and atmospheric. As he stated in his autobiography, “I had even intended to label Movement I of Scheherazade — Prelude; II — Ballade; III — Adagio; and IV — Finale; but on the advice of Liadov and others I had not done so.” Thus, each movement of the suite bears the name of one of the tales.