Symphonic poem Borodin's "In the Steppes of Central Asia" "powerful orchestral pictures, each unique in its composer's output". Titled a "musical portrait", "In the Steppes of Central Asia" evokes the journey of a caravan across the steppes. "Night on Bald Mountain", especially its original version, contains harmony that is often striking, sometimes pungent and highly abrasive; its initial stretches especially pull the listener into a world of uncompromisingly brutal directness and energy. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wrote only two orchestral works that rank as symphonic poems, his "musical tableau" "Sadko" (1867–92) and "Skazka" ("Legend", 1879–80), originally titled "Baba-Yaga". While this may perhaps be surprising,
The Water Goblin The Water Goblin The Water Goblin (; initially published by N. Simrock with the English title The Water-Fay) is a symphonic poem, Op. 107 (B. 195), written by Antonín Dvořák in 1896. The source of inspiration for "The Water Goblin" was a poem found in a collection published by Karel Jaromír Erben under the title "Kytice". Four of the six symphonic poems that Dvořák composed were inspired by works of poetry found in that collection. Vodník tells a story in four parts of a mischievous water goblin who traps drowning souls in upturned teacups. Dvořák's symphonic piece, which is written