Flight of the Bumblebee(s)

Details

"Flight of the Bumblebee[s]" from The Tale of Tsar Saltan by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, arranged by Greg Anderson for two pianos / Full score / Difficulty: Advanced / Duration: 2 minutes / Pages: 9 / Copyright: 2023 / Work number: 072

Program Notes

“The Flight of the Bumblebee” originates in Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera, where Prince Gvidon is magically transformed into a bumblebee and embarks on a frantic flight across the seas.

In this dizzying two-piano treatment, twenty fingers conjure an entire hive: rapid, intertwining chromatic lines shimmer and dart as the pianos chase, collide, and entwine into a dense, kinetic texture. At the climax, listen for the famous melody—stretched and slowed—floating high above the buzzing undercurrent before the swarm surges back in full frenzy.

— Greg Anderson