Musicians often talk about orchestration (the art of deciding which instrument should play which part in an arrangement) in terms of “colors”. The sound of the string family, for instance, is said to have a different “color” than that of the brass. Some people, like the Russian composer Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, have a condition called “synaethesia” that makes them actually see colors when they hear music. Perhaps this influenced the way he wrote music, because he is famous for his excellent orchestrations.

 

Rimsky-Korsakov is as famous as a teacher as he is as a composer. He taught composition at the conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia, for many years. Amongst his students were some of the greatest composers of the twentieth century, including Sergei Prokofiev and Igor Stravinsky.