Prince Igor, a vast nationalist epic which describes the clash of cultures between the Russians, symbolised by Prince Igor, and the Tartar Polovtski tribe, led by Khan Konchak, is one of the greatest of all Russian operas. This disc of vocal and orchestral highlights features several evocative arias as well as the famous Dance of the Polovtsian Maidens and the choral Polovtsian Dances. The ‘musical picture’ In the Steppes of Central Asia is a vivid evocation of an oriental caravan crossing the central Asian plains, escorted by Russian troops.