''Raphael'' (full title: ''Raphael: Musical Scenes from the Renaissance'';
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
: Рафаэль: Музыкальные сцены из эпохи Возрождения;
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
: ''Raffaello''),
Op. 37, is an
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
in one
act by
Anton Arensky. The
libretto, by A. A. Kryukov, is based on the life of the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
artist
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual a ...
. The text was written in Russian and immediately translated into Italian by L. Egidi.
The opera was composed in 1894 for the First Congress of Russian Artists and dedicated to the Moscow Society of Lovers of the Arts. It premiered in Italian at the
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory, also officially Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (russian: Московская государственная консерватория им. П. И. Чайковского, link=no) is a musical educational inst ...
on 6 May (
old calendar
Old Calendarists (Greek language, Greek: ''palaioimerologitai'' or ''palaioimerologites''), also known as Old Feasters (''palaioeortologitai''), Genuine Orthodox Christians or True Orthodox Christians (GOC; ), are traditionalist groups of Easte ...
: 26 April), with set-design by
Leonid Pasternak;
Yevgeniya Mravina took the role of
Fornarina, Raphael's model and mistress.
Arensky chose a work on non-Russian subject matter and distanced himself from the
nationalistic tendencies of his teacher
Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov . At the time, his name was spelled Николай Андреевичъ Римскій-Корсаковъ. la, Nicolaus Andreae filius Rimskij-Korsakov. The composer romanized his name as ''Nicolas Rimsk ...
.
''Raphael'' was less well-received than its predecessor, Arensky's first opera ''
Dream on the Volga''.
The only fragment remaining popular till now is the ''Folk Singer's Song off-stage'' that is usual in the repertoire of Russian tenors. In 2018 its English translation (“My heart is trembling with passion and pleasure”) was published (see the link below).
Structure
:Introduction (Overture)
:I. Chorus of Apprentices
:II. Arioso of Raphael
:III. Duet of Raphael and Fornarina (includes ''Chorus of Romans'' and ''Folk Singer's Song off-stage'')
:IV. Aria of the Cardinal
:V. Trio
:VI. Finale
Recordings
There is a recording with the
Philharmonia of Russia conducted by
Constantine Orbelian on the
Delos label, featuring
Marina Domashenko in the title role (mezzo-soprano);
Tatiana Pavlovskaya as
Fornarina (soprano);
Alexander Vinogradov as
Cardinal Bibbiena (bass); and
Vsevolod Grivnov as an off-stage folk singer (tenor).
See also
*
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and The Five
In mid- to late-19th-century Russia, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and a group of composers known as The Five had differing opinions as to whether Russian classical music should be composed following Western or native practices. Tchaikovsky wanted t ...
* ''
Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects''
References
External links
* Th
full original score of the opera (in Italian and Russian, for piano)from the
Russian State Library
The Russian State Library (russian: Российская государственная библиотека, Rossiyskaya gosudarstvennaya biblioteka) is one of the three national libraries of Russia, located in Moscow. It is the largest librar ...
.
Vocal score(
Petrucci Music Library)
L.C. The English lyrics of the ''Folk Singer's Song off-stage'' from “Raphael”.
{{Authority control
Operas by Anton Arensky
1894 operas
Russian-language operas
Italian-language operas
Operas
Raphael
Operas set in Russia
One-act operas