Kamarinskaya

<p>Composed during a lengthy visit to Warsaw in September of 1848 Glinka's <em>Kamarinskaya</em> also known as a <em>Fantasy on Two Russian Folksongs</em> incorporates two melodies the composer was familiar with since his childhood as mentioned in his own <em>Memoirs</em>:</p><p></p><p>Just by chance I discovered a relationship between the wedding song <em>Iz-za Gor</em> (From beyond the Mountain) which I heard in the countryside and the dancing tune <em>Kamarinskaya</em> which everyone knows. My fantasy ran high and wrote and orchestral work called <em>Wedding Song</em> and <em>Dance Song</em> which was subsequently changed to <em>Kamarinskaya</em>.</p><p></p><p class=ql-align-justify>Even though the work was ultimately titled after the dancing tune it actually begins with the wedding song <em>Iz-za Gor Gor Vysokiikh (From beyond the Mountain the High Mountain)</em>. The <em>Kamarinskaya</em> dancing song a type of dancing tune known as <em>naigrysh</em> which features a melody repeated over a drone until the dancers exhaust themselves does not appear until measure 53. Despite the late introduction the dancing tune is repeated no less than 72 times. With Glinka's near-endless capacity for creative variation and brilliant orchestration the repetition of a simple dance tune has been transformed into an orchestral fireworks display that has thrilled audiences for more than 160 years.</p>