''The Tsar's Bride'' ( rus, Царская невеста, Tsarskaya nevesta ) 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 four acts by
Nikolai 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 ...
, the composer's tenth opera. The
libretto
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...
, by
Ilia Tyumenev
Ilia may refer to:
Science and medicine
*''Apatura ilia'' or lesser purple emperor, a butterfly
*Ilium (bone) (plural: "ilia"), pelvic bone
People
* Ilia (name), numerous
**Ilia II, the current Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia
Places
*Ilia, ...
, is based on the
drama of the same name by
Lev Mey Lev Aleksandrovich Mei (russian: Лев Алекса́ндрович Мей (name sometimes transliterated as Lev Mey); ) was a Russian dramatist and poet.
Biography
Mei was born on 13/25 February 1822, in Moscow. His father was a German officer wh ...
. Mey's play was first suggested to the composer as an opera subject in 1868 by
Mily Balakirev
Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev (russian: Милий Алексеевич Балакирев,BGN/PCGN transliteration of Russian: Miliy Alekseyevich Balakirev; ALA-LC system: ''Miliĭ Alekseevich Balakirev''; ISO 9 system: ''Milij Alekseevič Balakir ...
. (
Alexander Borodin
Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin ( rus, link=no, Александр Порфирьевич Бородин, Aleksandr Porfir’yevich Borodin , p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr pɐrˈfʲi rʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bərɐˈdʲin, a=RU-Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin.ogg, ...
, too, once toyed with the idea.) However, the opera was not composed until thirty years later, in 1898. The first performance of the opera took place in 1899 at the Moscow theater of the Private Opera of
Savva Mamontov
Savva Ivanovich Mamontov (russian: Са́вва Ива́нович Ма́монтов, ; 3 October 1841 (15 October N.S.), Yalutorovsk – 6 April 1918, Moscow) was a Russian industrialist, merchant, entrepreneur and patron of the arts.
Busine ...
.
Rimsky-Korsakov himself said of the opera that he intended it as a reaction against the ideas of
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
, and to be in the style of "cantilena ''par excellence''".
''The Tsar's Bride'' is a
repertory
A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation.
United Kingdom
Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawin ...
opera in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, although it is not part of the standard operatic repertoire in the West.
Performance history
The Moscow premiere was given at the
Private Opera Society, the scenic designer being
Mikhail Vrubel
Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel (russian: Михаил Александрович Врубель; March 17, 1856 – April 14, 1910, all New Style, n.s.) was a Russian Painting, painter, Drawing, draughtsman, and sculptor. A prolific and inno ...
. St. Petersburg had its premiere two years later at the
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 th ...
with scenic designs by Ivanov and Lambin. Another notable performance was at the
Bolshoy 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 ...
in Moscow, conducted by
Emil Cooper
Emil Albertovich Cooper (russian: Эмиль Альбертович Купер, ), also known as Emil Kuper (December 13 S December 1 1877, Kherson, Ukraine, then in Russian Empire – November 16, 1960, New York) was a Russian conductor and vio ...
(Kuper) and with scenic design by
Konstantin Korovin
Konstantin Alekseyevich Korovin (russian: Константи́н Алексе́евич Коро́вин, first name often spelled Constantin; 11 September 1939) was a leading Russian Impressionist painter.
Biography
Youth and education
Konstan ...
, Golova, and Dyachkov. A film version was released in 1966 directed by Vladimir Gorikker.
One noted US production was in 1986 at Washington Opera.
The Royal Opera
The Royal Opera is a British opera company based in central London, resident at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Along with the English National Opera, it is one of the two principal opera companies in London. Founded in 1946 as the Cove ...
premiere was given at
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...
in 2011, directed by
Paul Curran, with set and costume design by Kevin Knight and lighting design by David Jacques.
Roles
Synopsis
:Time: Autumn, 1572
:Place: Aleksandrovsky settlement,
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
Act 1: The Feast
The
Oprichnik
Oprichnik (russian: опри́чник, , ''man aside''; plural ''Oprichniki'') was the designation given to a member of the Oprichnina, a bodyguard corps
established by Tsar Ivan the Terrible to govern a division of Russia from 1565 to 1572.
F ...
Gryaznoi loves
Marfa Marfa may refer to:
Music
* Marfa (instrument), an African percussion instrument
* Marfa (music), celebratory music of the Hyderabadi Muslims Places
* Márfa, a village in Baranya county, Hungary
* Marfa, Chad
* Marfa, Texas, a city in the hi ...
, daughter of the merchant Sobakin, even though Gryaznoi already has a mistress, Lyubasha, whom he has neglected of late. Marfa is already beloved of the boyar Lykov. In a jealous rage against Lykov, Gryaznoi arranges to cast a spell on Marfa with a magic potion from Bomelius, the Tsar's physician. Lyubasha has overheard Gryaznoi's request.
Act 2: The Love Philtre
Lyubasha in turn obtains from Bomelius another magic potion with which to cancel any feelings of Gryaznoi for Marfa. Bomelius consents, but at the price of an assignation with Lyubasha for himself.
Act 3: The Best Man
In the meantime, the Tsar of the title,
Ivan IV
Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584.
Ivan ...
(known as "Ivan the Terrible"), is looking for a new bride from the best aristocratic maidens in Russia, through the newly adopted custom of
bride-show
The bride-show ( el, δείχνουν οι νύμφες, russian: смотр невест) was a custom of Byzantine emperors and Russian tsars to choose a wife from among the most beautiful maidens of the country. A similar practice also existed ...
. The Tsar settles upon Marfa. At the celebration of the engagement of Marfa to Lykov, everyone is surprised when the news arrives of the Tsar's choice of Marfa as his bride. Gryaznoi had slipped what he thought was the love potion from Bomelius into Marfa's drink at the feast.
Act 4: The Bride
At the Tsar's palace, Marfa has become violently ill. Lykov has been executed, at the instigation of Gryaznoi, on charges of attempting to kill Marfa. When Marfa learns that Lykov is dead, she goes insane. Eventually, Gryaznoi admits that he had slipped a potion into her drink, and after learning that it was poisonous, asks that he himself be executed. Lyubasha then confesses that she had substituted her potion from Bomelius for Gryaznoi's. In a rage, Gryaznoi murders Lyubasha, and is then taken to prison eventually to be executed. In her madness, Marfa mistakes Gryaznoi for Lykov, inviting him to return the next day to visit her, then dies.
Important musical excerpts
*Overture
*Gryaznoy's Recitative and Aria (Act I)
*Lyubasha's Song (Act I)
*Lykov's Aria (Act I)
*Marfa's Aria (Act IV)
Recordings
Audio
[ Recordings of the opera listed on operadis-opera-discography.org](_blank)
Retrieved 19 August 2013
*1943:
Maxim Mikhailov
Maxim Dormidontovich Mikhailov (russian: Максим Дормидонтович Михайлов; – Moscow 30 March 1971) was a Russian bass. His son, Igor Mikhailov (1920-1983) was the bass of the Bolshoi for several decades. His grandson M ...
(Sobakin),
Natalya Shpiller (Marfa), Pyotr Medvedev (Gryaznoy), Anatoly Orfenov (Lykov), Maria Maksakova (Lyubasha), Sofya Panova (Domna Saburova); Chorus and Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre;
Lev Steinberg
Lev Petrovich Steinberg (ru: Штейнберг, Лев Петрович) (Yekaterinoslav 3 September 1870 – Moscow 16 January 1945), was an influential Russian Jewish conductor and composer.Gregor Tassie ''Kirill Kondrashin: His Life in Music'' ...
, conductor; Dante Productions LYS 055/56:
*1954:
Boris Gmyria (Sobakin), Elizaveta Chavdar (Marfa), Mikhail Grishko (Gryaznoy), Pyotr Belinnik (Lykov), Larisa Rudenko (Lyubasha), Vera Lyubimova (Domna Saburova); Kiev Opera Chorus and Orchestra; Vladimir Piradov, conductor
*1958:
Alexander Vedernikov
Alexander Alexandrovich Vedernikov (; 11 January 1964 – 29 October 2020) was a Russian conductor. He held major posts with the Bolshoi Theatre the Odense Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Danish Opera, and the Mikhailovsky Theatre.
Biography
Bor ...
(Sobakin), Elizaveta Shumskaya (Marfa), Alexey Ivanov (Gryaznoy), Andrey Sokolov (Lykov), Veronika Borisenko (Lyubasha), Tatyana Tugarinova (Domna Subarova); Chorus and Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre;
Yevgeny Svetlanov
Yevgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov (russian: Евгéний Фёдорович Светлáнов; 6 September 1928 – 3 May 2002) was a Russian conductor, composer and a pianist.
Life and work
Svetlanov was born in Moscow and studied conducting wi ...
, conductor
*1975:
Yevgeny Nesterenko
Yevgeny Yevgenievich Nesterenko (russian: Евгений Евгеньевич Нестеренко, link=no; 8 January 1938 – 20 March 2021) was a Soviet and Russian operatic bass. He made an international career, based at the Bolshoi Theatre ...
(Sobakin),
Galina Vishnevskaya
Galina Pavlovna Vishnevskaya (russian: links=no, Галина Павловна Вишневская, Ivanova, Иванова; 25 October 192611 December 2012) was a Russian soprano opera singer and recitalist who was named a People's Artist o ...
(Marfa), Vladimir Valaitis (Gryaznoy),
Vladimir Atlantov (Lykov),
Irina Arkhipova
Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova (russian: Ири́на Константи́новна Архи́пова; 2 January 1925 11 February 2010, Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian mezzo-soprano, and later contralto, opera singer. She sang leading roles fi ...
(Lyubasha), Eleonora Andreeva (Domna Saburova); Chorus and Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre;
Fuat Mansurov
Fuat Mansurov ( tt-Cyrl, Фоат Шакир улы Мансуров, russian: Мансуров, Фуат Шакирович) (January 10, 1928 – June 12, 2010) was a Soviet and Russian conductor.
Biography
Mansurov was born on 10 January 1928 ...
, conductor.
*1991: Pyotr Gluboky (Sobakin), Ekaterina Kudriavchenko (Marfa), Vladislav Verestnikov (Gryaznoy), Arkady Mishenskin (Lykov), Nina Terentieva (Lyubasha), Irina Udalova (Domna Saburova); Sveshnikov Academic Russian Choir and Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre;
Andrey Chistiakov, conductor
*1998: Gennady Bezzubenkov (Sobakin), Marina Shaguch (Marfa),
Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Dmitri Aleksandrovich Hvorostovsky (russian: Дми́трий Алекса́ндрович Хворосто́вский, ; 16 October 1962 – 22 November 2017) was a Russian operatic baritone. Early life and education
Hvorostovsky was born i ...
(Gryaznoy), Evgeny Akimov (Lykov),
(Lyubasha), Irina Loskutova (Domna Saburova); Orchestra and Chorus of the
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 th ...
;
Valery Gergiev
Valery Abisalovich Gergiev (russian: Вале́рий Абиса́лович Ге́ргиев, ; os, Гергиты Абисалы фырт Валери, Gergity Abisaly fyrt Valeri; born 2 May 1953) is a Russian conductor and opera company d ...
, conductor. Philips 462 618-2:
Video
*1983:
Alexander Vedernikov
Alexander Alexandrovich Vedernikov (; 11 January 1964 – 29 October 2020) was a Russian conductor. He held major posts with the Bolshoi Theatre the Odense Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Danish Opera, and the Mikhailovsky Theatre.
Biography
Bor ...
(Sobakin), Lydia Kovaleva (Marfa), Yuri Grigoriev (Gryaznoy), Evgeny Shapin (Lykov), Nina Terentieva (Lyubasha), Larissa Yurchenko (Domna Saburova); Orchestra and Chorus of the Bolshoi Theatre;
Yuri Simonov
Yuri Ivanovich Simonov (russian: Ю́рий Ива́нович Си́монов; born 4 March 1941 in Saratov, Soviet Union) is a Russian conductor. He studied at the Leningrad Conservatory under Nikolai Rabinovich, and was later an assistant c ...
, conductor.
References
Notes
Sources
*''100 опер: история создания, сюжет, музыка.''
'100 Operas: History of Creation, Subject, Music.''Ленинград: Издательство "Музыка," 1968, pp. 356–361.
*
*Holden, Amanda (Ed.), ''The New Penguin Opera Guide'', New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001.
*Warrack, John and West, Ewan, ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'' New York: OUP: 1992
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tsars Bride, The
Operas by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Russian-language operas
Operas
1899 operas
Operas based on plays
Operas set in Russia
Cultural depictions of Ivan the Terrible
Fictional emperors and empresses