Firma Melodiya presents the first disc from the series 'Russian Chamber Music for Wind Instruments' which includes recordings of rarely performed quintets for piano and wind instruments by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Anton Rubinstein.

Despite the identical line-ups (the quintets were composed for flute, clarinet, bassoon, horn and piano), each of the quintets reflects individual styles of their creators. Rubinstein’s work (1855) belongs to the early period of the prominent Russian pianist, composer, conductor and future founder of the first Russian conservatory. It is distinguished with the brightly virtuosic, concert and at the same time orchestral nature of the piano part.

Rimsky-Korsakov’s quintet was composed in 1876 for a chamber music competition of the Russian Music Society. Its poor premiere was a cause of the long and unjust oblivion of this interesting piece. Rimsky-Korsakov, who thoroughly mastered all the wind instruments, felt the individual nature and capabilities of each timbre.

The chamber works by Rimsky-Korsakov and Rubinstein are performed by outstanding representatives of the 20th century Russian performing school.