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''William Ratcliff'' (''Вилльям Ратклифф'' or ''Вильям Ратклиф'' in Cyrillic; ''Vill'jam Ratkliff'' or ''Vil'jam Ratklif'' in transliteration) is an opera in three acts, composed by
César Cui during 1861–1868; it was premiered on 14 February 1869 (
Old Style
Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, this is the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries between 158 ...
) 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 ...
in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
under the conductorship of
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 Rus ...
. Although it was revived in
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 millio ...
in 1900 under
Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov
Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov-Ivanov (russian: Михаи́л Миха́йлович Ипполи́тов-Ива́нов; 28 January 1935) was a Russian and Soviet composer, conductor and teacher. His music ranged from the late-Romantic era ...
, it never became part of the standard operatic repertoire either in Russia or in the West. Nevertheless, this opera has considerable significance in the history of Russian art music, not only for the fact that it was the first opera by a member of
The Five to reach the stage, but also for musical features that suggest experimentation and interrelationships among The Five.
Libretto
The subject for the opera was suggested to the composer 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 ...
, who also orchestrated certain passages of the opera, as did
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
The
libretto of the opera was adapted by the composer from
Vasily Zhukovsky
Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky (russian: Василий Андреевич Жуковский, Vasiliy Andreyevich Zhukovskiy; – ) was the foremost Russian poet of the 1810s and a leading figure in Russian literature in the first half of the 19t ...
's
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 ...
verse translation of the
like-named tragedy by
Heinrich Heine, with some additional verses by
Viktor Krylov, who had already written the libretti for Cui's operas ''
Prisoner of the Caucasus'' and ''
The Mandarin's Son''. (The same play has been used for other operas, most notably
Pietro Mascagni
Pietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece '' Cavalleria rusticana'' caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the ...
's ''
Guglielmo Ratcliff
''Guglielmo Ratcliff'' is a tragic opera in four acts by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Andrea Maffei, translated from the German play ''Wilhelm Ratcliff'' (1822) by Heinrich Heine. Mascagni had substantially finished the composition ...
'', which premiered over a quarter century later.)
The action takes place in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, during the 17th century (Heine's original was set in Scotland of his own time).
Characters and setting
*Principal roles:
**MacGregor, a wealthy Scottish lord (''
bass'')
**Mary (Maria), his daughter (''
soprano'')
**Margaret, her wet-nurse (''
mezzo-soprano'')
**Earl Douglas, Maria's fiancé (''
tenor
A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...
'')
**William Ratcliff (''
baritone'')
*Minor roles:
**Lesley, Ratcliff's friend (''
tenor
A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...
'')
**Robin, a vagrant (''bass'')
**Tom, a vagrant (''baritone'')
**Betsy, a servant at the tavern (''soprano'')
**Servants, wedding guests, swindlers, robbers (''chorus'')
Synopsis
The plot is fairly bloody, and follows the conventions of the German ''
Schicksalsdrama'', or "drama of fate" of the early 19th century. Many relevant motives and events actually occur before the curtain rises and have to be rendered in long narratives, leaving the action on stage significantly static for much of the time. The primary departures from Heine's original drama include the wedding choruses in Act I and the replacement of the intimate "
Pater Noster
The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer which Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gosp ...
" episode in the tavern scene of Act II, Tableau 1 with a comic ensemble scene.
*''Pre-curtain events:'' ''In years past MacGregor's wife Betty fell in love with Edward Ratcliff, the father of William. When MacGregor killed Edward out of jealousy, Betty herself died from grief. The spectres of Edward and Betty haunt William, who kills the first two men to whom MacGregor's daughter Mary has been betrothed.''
Act I, Tableau 1. In MacGregor's castle, Mary, who in her heart really loves William, is being wed to Douglas. The guests celebrate the wedding. MacGregor blesses the couple. Margaret intones a portentous song with the line "Why is your sword so red with blood, Edward"? This disturbs Douglas, and Mary tries to calm him. He tells about being attacked on the road by highwaymen. Mary faints, but soon recovers. Douglas continues by telling of a mysterious man who rescued him. MacGregor sends Mary and the guests away to the banquet hall. He reveals to Douglas the details of Mary's previous two suitors.
Act I, Tableau 2. Amidst a congratulatory chorus, Ratcliff's agent Lesley delivers a challenge to Douglas to a duel.
Act II, Tableau 1. At a tavern, the patrons are entertaining themselves by making fun of the drunken Robin. Lesley sings a merry song. Ratcliff enters, and the people fall asleep. He tells Lesley of the two spectres that reach out to embrace each other, and of his childhood with Mary, and why he killed her two previous suitors. He begins to hallucinate, and the sleeping tavern clientele wake up. Ratcliff and Lesley leave, and the rest go back to sleep.
Act II, Tableau 2. Outside, by the Black Stone, Ratliff awaits Douglas. When the latter enters, he recognizes Ratcliff as the man who saved him from the robbers. Nevertheless, the duel is engaged. Douglas seriously wounds Ratcliff and leaves. Ratcliff, regaining consciousness, begins to hear witches laughing at him and runs off amidst thunder, lightning, and wind.
Act III. In Mary's bedroom, she tells Margaret how sweet William Ratcliff used to be, and how she is having dreams that he is a spectre reaching out to her. She asks what happened to her mother, and Margaret relates the events. Despite his injury, Ratcliff, whom Margaret mistakes as Edward, enters. Mary tends to his wounds. When Margaret intones her song again, Ratcliff goes mad and kills Mary. MacGregor, responding to calls for help, enters, and is killed by Ratcliff, who goes off to the alcove and commits suicide. The two phantoms appear and embrace. Douglas and guests enter and react to the tragedy.
Notable selections
*Orchestral Introduction
*Mary's Romance (Act I, Tableau 1)
*MacGregor's Narrative (Act I, Tableau 1)
*Lesley's Song (Act II, Tableau 1)
*Ratcliff's Narrative (Act II, Tableau 1)
*Scene by the Black Stone (Act II, Tableau 2)
*Orchestral Introduction to Act III
*Mary's
econdRomance (Act III)
*Margaret's Narrative (Act III)
*Duet of Ratcliff and Mary (Act III)
Bibliography
Bernandt, G.B. ''Словарь опер впервые поставленных или изданных в дореволюционной России и в СССР, 1736-1959''
'Dictionary of Operas First Performed or Published in Pre-Revolutionary Russia and in the USSR, 1836-1959''(Москва: Советский композитор, 1962), p. 56.
Cui, César. ''Вилльям Ратклифф'': опера в трех действиях. Фортепианное переложение с пением
'William Ratcliff'', opera in three acts. Piano-vocal score Leipzig: R. Seitz, 1869.
Nazarov, A.F. ''Цезарь Антонович Кюи''
'Cezar' Antonovič Kjui'' Moskva: Muzyka, 1989.
Stasov, V.V. "Цезарь Антонович Кюи: биографический очерк"
César Antonovich Cui: a biographical sketch." ''Артист''
'Artist'' oscow no. 34 (1894).
Taruskin, Richard. ''Opera and Drama in Russia As Preached and Practiced in the 1860s''. New ed. Rochester: University of Rochester Press, 1993.
External links
*
MIDI rendering of orchestral Introduction to the opera fro
Online version of Heine's original tragedy (in German)
{{Authority control
Operas by César Cui
Russian-language operas
1869 operas
Operas
Literary characters introduced in 1869