Scheherazade, Op. 35

The Sultan Schariar, convinced of the falseness and faithlessness of women, vowed to kill each of his wives after their bridal night.  The Sultana Scheherazade, however, saved her life by interested the Sultan in the stories she told him during 1001 nights.  In his curiosity for the sequels to her stories, the Sultan postponed Scheherazade's execution from day to day until he finally abandoned his sanquinary resolution altogether.  In her stories, Scheherazade frequently included the verses and songs of the poets, and interlaced her narratives of marvels and adventures so as to link them together. Instrumentation in set: 2+Picc(2dPicc).2(2dEH).2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(5): Hp: Str (9-8-7-6-5).