If you have a strong Horn section in your concert band, wind ensemble or orchestra, one of the best pieces in which to showcase them is called Procession Of The Nobles, aka. Cortège from the opera Mlada.
Written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Mlada was first produced in 1892 and it was rather unique in form in that it was half ballet and half opera along with a complex libretto. The opera takes place a thousand years ago in an imaginary kingdom called Retra on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Princess Mlada, who the opera was named after and a role that is danced rather than sung, was murdered by a rival called Voyslava. Voyslava was out to win the love of Mlada's lover Yaromir. The production takes the audience through several twists and turns that involve evil spirits, magic and even a trip to the underworld. The village is eventually submerged by an overflowing lake and Mlada and Yaromir ascend on a rainbow.
Mlada was unsuccessful as an opera; however, the Cortège, known as Procession Of The Nobles that served as the introduction to Act II of the opera, became a very successful stand alone piece. Performed by concert bands, wind ensembles, brass ensembles and orchestras alike, Procession Of The Nobles was also used between 1957 and 1969 as the opening theme for the UK TV program "What the Papers Say" and the theme for a PBS public affairs program called Inside Washington.
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Procession Of The Nobles (Opera Mlada)
By Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908). Arranged by Sip. Concert Band. Swiss import. Grade 4+. Score and parts. Published by Editions Marc Reift (MA.EMR-10108)
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Procession of the Nobles
By Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908). Arranged by Craig Kaucher. For horn quartet. Quartet music. Published by Cimarron Music Press (BV.1437)
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