Russian Easter Festival Overture by Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra published on 2021-04-01T15:39:59Z In Russian tradition, Easter is known as “the bright holiday.” Composed in 1888 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian Easter Festival Overture expresses both the beauty of the religious mystery and the joyful celebration of pagan rites of spring. As Rimsky-Korsakov described the work, “The legendary and heathen side of the holiday, the transition from the gloomy and mysterious evening of Passion Saturday to the unbridled pagan-religious merrymaking on Easter Sunday morning is what I was eager to reproduce in my Overture.” Performed on Saturday, April 25, 2014 at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Conducted by Stephen Alltop. Genre Classical
