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Mazeppa (opera)
''Mazeppa'', properly ''Mazepa'' (russian: Мазепа ), is an opera in three acts (six scenes) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto was written by Victor Burenin and is based on Pushkin's poem ''Poltava'', part of the cultural legacy of Mazeppa. ''Mazeppa'' is a blood-thirsty tale of crazy love, abduction, political persecution, execution, and vengeful murder. The action takes place in Ukraine at the beginning of the 18th century. The protagonists are the historical figures Ivan Stepanovych Mazeppa (c. 1640–1709), the Hetman of the Ukrainian Cossacks, and Vasyl Leontiyovych Kochubey (c.1640–1708), a very prosperous Ukrainian nobleman and statesman. Composition history The opera was composed between June 1881 and April 1883. ''Mazeppa''s libretto was based on ''Poltava'', a narrative poem by Alexander Pushkin. Pushkin based his story on historical events at Poltava, the battle where Tsar Peter the Great defeated Swedish King Charles XII. Pushkin took some creative ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popular concert and theatrical music in the current classical repertoire, including the ballets '' Swan Lake'' and ''The Nutcracker'', the ''1812 Overture'', his First Piano Concerto, Violin Concerto, the ''Romeo and Juliet'' Overture-Fantasy, several symphonies, and the opera ''Eugene Onegin''. Although musically precocious, Tchaikovsky was educated for a career as a civil servant as there was little opportunity for a musical career in Russia at the time and no system of public music education. When an opportunity for such an education arose, he entered the nascent Saint Petersburg Conservatory, from which he graduated in 1865. The formal Western-oriented teaching that he received there set him apart from composers of the contemporary nati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles XII
Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII ( sv, Karl XII) or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 O.S.), was King of Sweden (including current Finland) from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of the House of Wittelsbach. Charles was the only surviving son of Charles XI and Ulrika Eleonora the Elder. He assumed power, after a seven-month caretaker government, at the age of fifteen. In 1700, a triple alliance of Denmark–Norway, Saxony– Poland–Lithuania and Russia launched a threefold attack on the Swedish protectorate of Holstein-Gottorp and provinces of Livonia and Ingria, aiming to draw advantage as the Swedish Empire was unaligned and ruled by a young and inexperienced king, thus initiating the Great Northern War. Leading the Swedish army against the alliance, Charles won multiple victories despite being usually significantly outnumbered. A major victory over a Russian army some three times the size in 1700, at the Ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e. A3–A5 in scientific pitch notation, where middle C = C4; 220–880 Hz). In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the F below middle C (F3, 175 Hz) and as high as "high C" (C6, 1047 Hz). The mezzo-soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, lyric, and dramatic mezzo-soprano. History While mezzo-sopranos typically sing secondary roles in operas, notable exceptions include the title role in Bizet's '' Carmen'', Angelina (Cinderella) in Rossini's ''La Cenerentola'', and Rosina in Rossini's ''Barber of Seville'' (all of which are also sung by sopranos and contraltos). Many 19th-century French-language operas give the leading female role to mezzos, includin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pavel Borisov (baritone)
Pavel (Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian and Macedonian: Павел, Czech, Slovene, Romanian: Pavel, Polish: Paweł, Ukrainian: Павло, Pavlo) is a male given name. It is a Slavic cognate of the name Paul (derived from the Greek Pavlos). Pavel may refer to: People Given name *Pavel I of Russia (1754–1801), Emperor of Russia *Paweł Tuchlin (1946–1987), Polish serial killer *Pavel (film director), an Indian Bengali film director * Surname *Ágoston Pável (1886–1946), Hungarian Slovene writer, poet, ethnologist, linguist and historian *Andrei Pavel (born 1974), Romanian tennis coach and former professional tennis player *Claudia Pavel (born 1984), Romanian pop singer and dancer also known as Claudia Cream *Elisabeth Pavel (born 1990), Romanian basketball player *Ernst Pavel, Romanian sprint canoeist who competed in the early 1970s *Harry Pavel (born 1951), German wheelchair curler, 2018 Winter Paralympian *Marcel Pavel (born 1959), Romanian folk singer *Pavel Pavel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vasily Kochubey
Vasily Leontiyevich Kochubey (russian: Василий Леонтьевич Кочубей, uk, Василь Леонтiйович Кочубей) (c. 1640 – 15 July 1708) was a Cossack-born Russian state figure of Crimean Tatar descent. He was executed by Hetman Ivan Mazepa. His great-grandson was the eminent Imperial Statesman Viktor Kochubey. The family name is also spelled Kotchoubey (French) and Kotschoubey (German, Almanach de Gotha). Biography :: The grandson of the Crimean Tatar Kuchuk-bey, who left to Ukraine in the middle of XVII century and was baptized Andrey. :: Until 1675 he was a military chancellor of Hetmans I. Briukhovetskyi and P. Doroshenko :: 1675 – P.Doroshenko'sEnvoy to Turkey. :: 1676 – Envoy of Archbishop Lazar Baranovych to Moscow, :: 1676 – 1681 – a military chancellor under I. Samoilovych. :: 1681 – 1687 – he was a regent of the General Military Chancellery (1681 ) und ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baritone
A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C (i.e. F2–F4) in choral music, and from the second A below middle C to the A above middle C (A2 to A4) in operatic music, but the range can extend at either end. Subtypes of baritone include the baryton-Martin baritone (light baritone), lyric baritone, ''Kavalierbariton'', Verdi baritone, dramatic baritone, ''baryton-noble'' baritone, and the bass-baritone. History The first use of the term "baritone" emerged as ''baritonans'', late in the 15th century, usually in French sacred polyphonic music. At this early stage it was frequently used as the lowest of the voices (including the bass), but in 17th-century Italy the term was all-encompassing and used to describe the averag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hetman
( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military commander in the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the 16th to 18th centuries. Throughout much of the history of Romania and the Moldavia, hetmans were the second-highest army rank. In the modern Czech Republic the title is used for regional governors. Etymology The term ''hetman'' was a Polish borrowing, probably from the German – captain or a borrowing of the comparable Turkic title ''ataman'' (literally 'father of horsemen'). Hetmans of Poland and Lithuania The Polish title ''Grand Crown Hetman'' ( pl, hetman wielki koronny) dates from 1505. The title of ''Hetman'' was given to the leader of the Polish Army. Until 1581 the hetman position existed only during specific campaigns and wars. After tha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eduard Nápravník
Eduard Francevič Nápravník (Russian: Эдуа́рд Фра́нцевич Напра́вник; 24 August 1839 – 10 November 1916) was a Czech conductor and composer. Nápravník settled in Russia and is best known for his leading role in Russian musical life as the principal conductor of the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg for many decades. In that capacity, he conducted the premieres of many operas by Russian composers, including those by Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. Biography Nápravník was born in Býšť, Bohemia, in 1839. His studies of music were precariously uneven as a child, being the son of a poor teacher. Orphaned in 1853 at the age of 14, he first worked as a local church organist. In 1854 he entered the Prague Organ School, where he studied under Jan Bedřich Kittl and others, eventually becoming an assistant teacher as Kittl's generosity allowed him to continue his studies. In 1861, he worked in Russia for the first time as con ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th-century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. Through most of the Soviet era, it was known as the Kirov Theatre. Today, the Mariinsky Theatre is home to the Mariinsky Ballet, Mariinsky Opera and Mariinsky Orchestra. Since Yuri Temirkanov's retirement in 1988, the conductor Valery Gergiev has served as the theatre's general director. Name The theatre is named after Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Tsar Alexander II. There is a bust of the Empress in the main entrance foyer. The theatre's name has changed throughout its history, reflecting the political climate of the time: * 1860 – 1920: Imperial Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Импера ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lev Ivanov
Lev Ivanovich Ivanov (russian: link=no, Лев Ива́нович Ива́нов; 2 March 1834, Moscow – 24 December 1901, Saint Petersburg) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer and later, Second Balletmaster of the Imperial Ballet. As a performer with the Imperial Ballet, he achieved prominence after performing as an understudy in a benefit performance of ''La Fille Mal Gardée''. He is most famous as the choreographer of Acts II and IV of '' Swan Lake'', which include the '' Dance of the Little Swans'', Act II of ''Cinderella'', and ''The Nutcracker'', which he choreographed alongside Marius Petipa. Biography Ivanov entered the Moscow School of Dance, but in 1844 moved to Saint Petersburg where he studied at the Imperial Ballet, becoming an official member of the Corps de ballet in 1852. Among his teachers during this time were Jean-Antoine Petipa, Alexandr Pimenov, Pierre Frédéric Malavergne and Emile Gredlu (). Historically, Ivanov is credited with choreogr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matvey Shishkov
Matvei or Matvey is the Russian language variation of Matthew. Notable people with the name include: * Matvei Blanter (1903–1990), Russian composer of popular and film music * Matvei Petrovich Bronstein (1906–1938), Soviet theoretical physicist * Matvey Frantskevich (born 1995), Belarusian footballer * Matvei Gedenschtrom (c. 1780–1845), Russian explorer of the northern parts of Siberia * Matvei Golovinski (1865–1920), Russian-French writer, journalist, and Political activist * Matvey Gusev (1826–1866), Russian astronomer * Matvey Kuzmin (1858–1942), Russian peasant who was killed in World War II * Matvey Mamykin (born 1994), Russian cyclist * Matvey Manizer (1891–1966), Russian sculptor * Matvei Muranov (1873–1959), Ukrainian-born Bolshevik revolutionary * Matvey Muravyev (1784–1836), Russian explorer * Matvei Petrov (born 1990), Russian male artistic gymnast * Matvei Safonov (born 1999), Russian footballer * Matvei Zakharov (1898–1972), Marshal of the Soviet Un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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