I always assumed the composer of this little gem was the great Franz Schubert - my favorite Romantic era composer. However, an alert viewer pointed out to me that it was the work of a another lesser known Francios Schubert who received his musical training in Paris.
The "Flight of the Bumblebee;" is another "Bee" composition. It's interesting to compare these two pieces. Schubert's is more active harmonically, while Rimsky-Korsakov's is less so with more rhythmic activity.
Both in the key of A minor, Korsakov may have used Schubert's version as a formal template, with the same aggressive introduction, followed by an ecstatic climax in the high range, then settling down to a tersely abrupt ending.
This performance is in honor of the humble honey bee. God bless them though they do sting a bit!

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