Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Op. 35 - II. The Kalendar Prince: Lento - Andantino - Allegro molto

the full tempo markings of this movement: Lento — Andantino — Allegro molto — Vivace scherzando — Moderato assai — Allegro molto ed animato


the opening of this movement is a little more nostalgic, with the violin solo in e minor (the first time it is in A minor, set a fourth higher), and quite a bit slower and less bold. here we get a sense of royal mystique, suspense and sparkle.

from the kennedy center program notes:

The Kalenders were a particular category of fakir, roving monks who turned up at Eastern courts and bazaars dispensing stories, magic tricks and wit in exchange for a coin or a night's lodging. The "Kalender Prince" was one of those mendicants who turned out to be a nobleman in disguise. 

the theme that opens the movement after scheherazade's intro is wistful, lilting, with little grace notes, based on a repeated figure descending stepwise (and on its rhythm, which is actually a sort of hemiola). the theme is first shown by the bassoon, then the oboe, eventually becoming a dance with the strings as it is speeded up. with each repetition of the theme each instrument is given a sort of additional "ad lib" in the triplets just before the cadence to the next instrument. after the strings it is given, staccato, sprightly, and faster, to the wind section. but suddenly, at 4:25, a solo cello pauses the ramp up with a rhapsodic solo. a solo oboe rounds off the section.


5:17 is the middle section, introduced by a rude awakening by the lower strings, alternated with a trumpet/trombone fanfare figure. this is rotated, and finally we get them stacked on top of each other above an insistent tritone chord. finally we hit a stride and the music goes into a brisk tempo giusto.


6:41 is a very unique moment - extended solos for the clarinet above perpetual pizzes. we snap out of it and back into the martial mood of the beginning of the middle section. (the new thing here is the addition of a scurrying upwards motif in the strings along with a piccolo twitter, supposedly representing sinbad's bird from the first movement.)
the middle section is flanked also by the same type of solo as the clarinet's at 6:41, this time assigned to the bassoon, along with distressed alarm bells from the high winds.

there is a brief transition to the original opening theme of the movement, with some interesting modal insertions, a bit of rubato, and some ornamentations from different instruments. overall the sound is much lusher the second time, a little more rhapsodic, but basically the same.
we pause at 2:40, and then begin a coda, which is a looooong ramp up to the end, starting with a suspended tremolo rendition of the theme in the violins, which makes room for some wind solos before accelerating the triplets to a whirling end.