''The Tsar's Bride'' ( ) is an

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

in four acts by

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. At the time, his name was spelled , which he romanized as Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakow; the BGN/PCGN transliteration of Russian is used for his name here; ALA-LC system: , ISO 9 system: .. (18 March 1844 – 2 ...

, the composer's tenth opera. The

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) 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 th ...

, by Ilia Tyumenev, is based on the drama of the same name by Lev Mey. Mey's play was first suggested to the composer as an opera subject in 1868 by

Mily Balakirev Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev ( , ; ,BGN/PCGN romanization of Russian, BGN/PCGN romanization: ; ALA-LC romanization of Russian, ALA-LC system: ; ISO 9, ISO 9 system: . ; – )Russia was still using Adoption of the Gregorian calendar#Adoption in E ...

. (

Alexander Borodin Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin (12 November 183327 February 1887) was a Russian Romantic composer and chemist of Georgian–Russian parentage. He was one of the prominent 19th-century composers known as " The Five", a group dedicated to prod ...

, 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 (, ; , Yalutorovsk – 6 April 1918, Moscow) was a Russian industrialist, merchant, entrepreneur and patron of the arts. Business career He was a son of the wealthy merchant and industrialist Ivan Feodorovich Mamonto ...

. 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, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

, and to be in the style of "cantilena ''par excellence''". ''The Tsar's Bride'' is a

repertory A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom ...

opera in

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, 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 (; – ) was a Russian painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. A prolific and innovative master in various media such as painting, drawing, decorative sculpture, and theatrical art, Vrubel is generally character ...

. St. Petersburg had its premiere two years later at the

Mariinsky Theatre The Mariinsky Theatre (, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic opera house in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th-century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces ...

with scenic designs by Ivanov and Lambin. Another notable performance was at the Bolshoy Theatre in Moscow, conducted by

Emil Cooper Emil Albertovich Cooper (, ), also known as Emil Kuper (December 13 S December 1 1877, Kherson, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) – November 16, 1960, New York City, New York) was a Russian conducting, conductor and violinist, of England, English ...

(Kuper) and with scenic design by

Konstantin Korovin Konstantin (Constantin) Alekseyevich Korovin (; 11 September 1939) was a leading Russian Impressionist painter. Biography Youth and education Konstantin was born into a wealthy merchant family of Old Believers

, 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 English National Opera, it is one of the two principal opera companies in London. Founded in 1946 as the Covent G ...

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 sit ...

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 is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Act 1: The Feast

The

Oprichnik The oprichnina (, ; ) was a state policy implemented by Tsar Ivan the Terrible in Tsardom of Russia, Russia between 1565 and 1572. The policy included mass Political repression, repression of the boyars (Russian aristocrats), including public e ...

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 betrothed to 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 (; – ), commonly known as Ivan the Terrible,; ; monastic name: Jonah. was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia from 1547 until his death in 1584. ...

(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 (; ; zh, 后妃選納) 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 in Imperial China. Byzantine Empire The method ...

. 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
Retrieved 19 August 2013 Ivan Bilibin 167

*1943: Maxim Mikhailov (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 conductor and composer.Gregor Tassie ''Kirill Kondrashin: His Life in Music'' Page ...

, 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 ( Russian: ; 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. ...

(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 (; 6 September 1928 – 3 May 2002) was a Soviet and Russian conductor, composer, and pianist. Life and work Svetlanov was born in Moscow and studied conducting with Alexander Gauk at the Moscow Conservatory Th ...

, conductor *1975:

Yevgeny Nesterenko Yevgeny Yevgenievich Nesterenko (; 8 January 1938 – 20 March 2021) was a Soviet and Russian operatic bass. He made an international career, based at the Bolshoi Theatre. He performed a vast repertoire of 50 leading roles, and was known for the ...

(Sobakin),

Galina Vishnevskaya Galina Pavlovna Vishnevskaya (, Ivanova, Иванова; 25 October 1926 – 11 December 2012) was a Russian soprano opera singer and recitalist who was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1966. She was the wife of cellist Mstislav Rostropo ...

(Marfa), Vladimir Valaitis (Gryaznoy),

Vladimir Atlantov Vladimir Andreyevich Atlantov (born 19 February 1939) is a Soviet and Russian operatic tenor. Born in Leningrad, Atlantov is the son of bass Andrey Petrovich (1906–1971) who sang in both the Kirov and Maly opera theaters of Leningrad. His ...

(Lykov),

Irina Arkhipova Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova (, 2 January 192511 February 2010) was a Soviet and Russian mezzo-soprano, and later contralto, opera singer. She sang leading roles first in Russia at the Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Opera and the Bolshoi Theatre, ...

(Lyubasha), Eleonora Andreeva (Domna Saburova); Chorus and Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre;

Fuat Mansurov Fuat Mansurov (, ; January 10, 1928 – June 12, 2010) was a Soviet and Russian conductor. Biography Mansurov was born in Almaty. He graduated from Al-Farabi University in 1950 as a mathematician and then became a faculty member of the School ...

, 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 Andrei Nikolaevich Chistyakov or Andrey Chistiakov (Андрей Николаевич Чистяков) (4 January 1949, in Leningrad – 29 November 2000, in Moscow) was a Russian conductor and National Artist of Russia. He studied conducting ...

, conductor *1998: Gennady Bezzubenkov (Sobakin), Marina Shaguch (Marfa),

Dmitri Hvorostovsky Dmitri Aleksandrovich Hvorostovsky (, ; 16 October 1962 – 22 November 2017) was a Russian operatic baritone. Early life and education Hvorostovsky was born in Krasnoyarsk in Siberia during a time when the city was mostly closed to foreigner ...

(Gryaznoy), Evgeny Akimov (Lykov),

Olga Borodina Olga Vladimirovna Borodina (born 29 July 1963, in Leningrad)Borodina, Ol ...

(Lyubasha), Irina Loskutova (Domna Saburova); Orchestra and Chorus of the

;

Valery Gergiev Valery Abisalovich Gergiev (, ; ; born 2 May 1953) is a Russian conducting, conductor and opera company director. He is currently general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre and of the Bolshoi Theatre and artistic director o ...

, conductor. Philips 462 618-2: Video *1983:

(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 (; born 4 March 1941) is a Russian conductor. He studied at the Leningrad Conservatory under Nikolai Rabinovich, and was later an assistant conductor to Yevgeny Mravinsky with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra. Simono ...

, 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