By SOLLOWAY fTlHERE is a good deal of the Oriental in every
Russian, even in those of Western Russia. Rimsky-Korsakof, for instance, not only wrote a great deal of vivid, highly-coloured orchestral music ; he also gave a strong Eastern flavour to his operas-witness the famous Hindu Song from his Opera, Sadko. Not quite so familiar, perhaps, is his Arab Song, which Kreisler has edited as a Violin solo.
THE French composer, Lalo, wrote his
Spanish Symphony for the famous Spanish Vioinist, Sarasate, whom some listeners will recolllect hearing, for he used to be a great favourite here twenty years ago.
The ' Symphony ' (which is really a Suite of pieces, not a Symphony in the usual meaning of the term) is Spanish music through a French-man's eyes-gay, debonair, polished and piquant. The Slow Movement (at a steady pace) is practically a song-without-words for the Solo Violin.