''The Miserly Knight'', Op. 24, also ''The Covetous Knight'' (russian: Скупой рыцарь, ''Skupój rýtsar’''), is a Russian
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 librett ...
in one act with music by
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...
, with the libretto based on
Alexander Pushkin
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...
's drama of the same name. It contains roles for five male singers, but no females. The composer decided essentially to set the Pushkin text as written, and had
Feodor Chaliapin in mind for the role of the Baron, however, Chaliapin withdrew from the production over artistic differences.
The first performance was on 24 January (11 January OS) 1906 at the
Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and ope ...
, Moscow, with the composer himself conducting, in a double-bill performance with another Rachmaninoff opera written contemporaneously, ''
Francesca da Rimini
Francesca da Rimini or Francesca da Polenta (died between 1283 and 1286) was a medieval noblewoman of Ravenna, who was murdered by her husband, Giovanni Malatesta, upon his discovery of her affair with his brother, Paolo Malatesta. She was a co ...
''. The director was
Vasiliy Shkafer.
Productions of the opera have been rare. In addition, the characterization of the moneylender, who is identified in the story as being Jewish, has been criticized as anti-Semitic.
Roles
Synopsis
:Place: England
:The Middle Ages
Scene 1
Albert is a young knight who devotes himself to jousting and courtly pleasures, but is now deeply in debt as a result. His father, a very wealthy but equally frugal baron, refuses to support his son's lifestyle. Albert's ability to maneuver in society is now limited, and he tries to obtain a loan from outside his family. A money-lender denies Albert a loan, but instead offers Albert poison, to allow Albert to murder his father. Albert is appalled at such a suggestion. He resolves then to go to the Duke to make his appeal.
Scene 2
The Baron descends to his cellars, exultant now because he has accumulated enough gold to fill his sixth and final storage chest, and gloats before them. However, he realizes that if he died soon, his son Albert could then claim the fortune and fritter it away on his sensual pleasures.
Scene 3
Albert has appealed to the Duke for help in obtaining money from his father. Albert hides, as the Duke summons the Baron to a meeting. The Duke asks the Baron to support his son, but the Baron accuses Albert of wanting to steal from him. Albert then angrily reveals his presence and accuses his own father of lying. The Baron challenges Albert to a duel, and Albert accepts. The duke rebukes the father, and banishes the son from his court. However, stressed by this confrontation, the baron collapses fatally. As the Baron dies, his last request is not for his son, but the keys to his chests of gold.
Recordings
Audio
*
Melodiya Records
Melodiya ( rus, links=no, Мелодия, t=Melody) is a Russian (formerly Soviet) record label. It was the state-owned major record company of the Soviet Union.
History
Melodiya was established in 1964 as the "All-Union Gramophone Record Firm ...
SRBL 4121 as ''The Covetous Knight'': Lev Kuznetsov, Ivan Budrin. Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra;
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, conductor. 2
LPs, with ''
Isle of the Dead'', by the U.S.S.R. Symphony Orchestra with Yevgeny Svetlanov, conductor.
*
Deutsche Grammophon 453 454-2 (1997): Sergei Aleksashkin (The Baron), Sergei Larin (Albert);
Vladimir Chernov
Vladimir Nikolaïevitch Chernov (born 22 September 1953) is a Russian baritone, particularly associated with the Russian and Italian opera repertories.
Early life
Vladimir Chernov was born in a small village near the town of Krasnodar in southe ...
(The Duke); Ian Caley (Jewish Moneylender); Anatoly Kotscherga (Servant);
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (GSO; sv, Göteborgs Symfoniker) is a Swedish symphony orchestra based in Gothenburg. The GSO is resident at the Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen. The orchestra received the title of the National Orche ...
with
Neeme Järvi, conductor
* Chandos 10264: Mikhail Guzhov, Vsevolod Grivnov, Andrei Baturkin, Borislav Molchanov, Vitaly Efanov; Russian State Symphony Orchestra; Valeri Polyansky, conductor
*
Russian Season
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 ...
"The Miserly knight" LDC 288 080 DDD (1994): Mikhail Krutikov (Svetlov) (The Baron), Andrey Chistyakov, conductor. Bolshoi Orchestra.
Video
* Opus Arte OA 0909:
Sergei Leiferkus
Sergei Leiferkus (born 4 April 1946) is an operatic baritone from Russia, known for his dramatic technique and powerful voice particularly in Russian and Italian language repertoire. He is most notable for his roles as Scarpia in ''Tosca'', Ia ...
, Richard Berkeley-Steele, Maxim Mikhailov, Vyacheslav Voynarovsky, Albert Schagidullin, Matilda Leyser;
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony ...
;
Vladimir Jurowski
Vladimir Mikhailovich Jurowski (; born 4 April 1972) is a Russian conductor. He is the son of conductor Michail Jurowski, and grandson of Soviet film music composer Vladimir Michailovich Jurowski.
Early life
Born in Moscow, Jurowski began hi ...
, conductor
References
External links
Boosey & Hawkes page on ''The Miserly Knight''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miserly Knight
Operas by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Operas based on works by Aleksandr Pushkin
Russian-language operas
One-act operas
1906 operas
Operas set in England
Operas