Rimsky-Korsakov Operas

[eschiss1]

Tangentially: Anyone using a Kindle to read the Rimsky/Steinberg Principles of Orchestration and looking forward to the many musical examples (and necessary to the argument of the book) should be warned that the cheaper renderings of this book wholly _omit_ the music examples, many of them taken from Rimsky's operas (fortunately, while Steinberg noted rightly that full scores of the operas were difficult to obtain at the time of writing, they're mostly (though not always) easier to download (from eg IMSLP) now, though that still won't help much when the book refers one to a particular absent music example to illustrate a point - and one needs to _guess_ where, in a huge full opera score, it's referring to.)

[adriano]

As mentioned early, Alan. Even in Mono, the orchestration is clearly enjoyable. Modern recordings often distort by emphasizing too many details, that's why I said that Rimsky was also a master of tuttis. Like Strauss and Respighi.

[Alan Howe]

I understand what you're saying. For me, though, R-K's operas absolutely must have both good singing and beautiful sound-quality. It's what makes R-K so enjoyable to listen to. It's the same with Respighi and Strauss - whereas I'm quite happy to listen to historic Beethoven, for example.

[Ebubu]

The recent great production of Golden Cockerel by Laurent Pelly is available on Youtube, here :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v1szTXS7E0

[Christopher]

I am surprised May Night ("Maiskaya Noch) hasn't been mentioned here.  Based on Gogol's fantasy comedy of the same name. 

Two years ago the Royal Academy of Music performed it brilliantly, in Russian, in a theatre deep underground at Baker Street that I had previously been unaware of, it was so atmospheric (Ambika P3 - http://www.p3exhibitions.com/).

Most particularly it is known for Levko's aria from Act 3 "How cool is the night - Sleep my beauty Sleep" - one of the most lyrical Russian songs of love you will ever hear. Here it is with Koslovsky singing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNpVNgZRwME

[Alan Howe]

Here is the full list of Rimsky's operas - a huge output, barely known:

The Maid of Pskov (Псковитянка = Pskovitjanka) (sometimes referred to as Ivan the Terrible), 1868–1872 (1st version), 1876–1877 (2nd version), 1891–1892 (3rd version)

Mlada (Млада), 1872 (portions of acts 2 and 3 from project composed collectively by Borodin, Cui, Minkus, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov)

May Night (Майская ночь = Majskaja noch'), 1878–1879

The Snow Maiden (Снегурочка = Sneguročka), 1880–1881 (1st version), ca. 1895 (2nd version)

Mlada (Млада), 1889-1890 (complete setting of unstaged collaborative project from 1872)

Christmas Eve (Ночь перед Рождеством = Noč' pered Roždestvom), 1894–1895

Sadko (Садко), 1895–1896

Mozart and Salieri (Моцарт и Сальери = Mocart i Sal'eri), Op. 48, 1897

The Noblewoman Vera Sheloga (Боярыня Вера Шелога = Bojarynja Vera Šeloga), Op. 54, 1898

The Tsar's Bride (Царская невеста = Carskaja nevesta), 1898

The Tale of Tsar Saltan, of His Son, the Famous and Mighty Bogatyr Prince Gvidon Saltanovich, and of the Beautiful Princess Swan (Сказка о царе Салтане, о сыне его, славном и могучем богатыре князе Гвидоне Салтановиче и о прекрасной Царевне Лебеди = Skazka o care Saltane, o syne ego, slavnom i mogučem bogatyre knjaze Gvidone Saltanoviče i o prekrasnoj Carevne Lebedi), 1899–1900

Servilia (Сервилия = Servilija), 1900–1901

Kashchey the Immortal (Кащей бессмертный = Kaščej bessmertnyj), 1901–1902

Pan Voyevoda (Пан воевода = Pan vojevoda; literally, The Gentleman Provincial Governor), 1902–1903

The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya (Сказание о невидимом граде Китеже и деве Февронии = Skazanie o nevidimom grade Kiteže i deve Fevronii), 1903–1904

The Golden Cockerel (Золотой петушок = Zolotoj petušok), 1906–1907

[Christopher]

Here is the full list of Rimsky's operas - a huge output, barely known:

The Maid of Pskov (Псковитянка = Pskovitjanka) (sometimes referred to as Ivan the Terrible), 1868–1872 (1st version), 1876–1877 (2nd version), 1891–1892 (3rd version)

The Noblewoman Vera Sheloga (Боярыня Вера Шелога = Bojarynja Vera Šeloga), Op. 54, 1898

These two are regarded by some as basically one continuous opera.  "The Noblewoman" is only about 25 minutes long and is more like a prologue to "The Maid of Pskov"

[Alan Howe]

Thanks for that invaluable information.

[Alan Howe]

...and the discovery goes on. I'm now listening to The Snow Maiden, evidently R-K's own favourite among his operas. And it's just fabulous. There's that wonderful use of the orchestra, melodies in superabundance and heart-rending characterisation.

Is R-K the most neglected great operatic composer of the 19th century?

[adriano]

You are right, Alan; Snow Maiden is fabulous music - and very straightforward.
The problem with Russian operas is mainly the language - that's why, I think, they are more neglected, compared to those of the Italian, French and German repertoire. It's always recommendable to engage Russian conductors and authentic Russian singers over here, rather than take a house ensemble having painstakingly to memorize Russian syllables without knowing what they actually mean. We had such cases at the Zurich Opera during Pereira's aera - where also a lot of Czech operas were produced.
Mirella Freni told me once she had needed years to learn Tatjana, but she managed it thanks to her (Bulgarian) husband, who coached her. Some ex-East German singers, or some from Finland were also good for this repertoire, since in the past they had to learn Russian in school - or those great Bulgarians.
In my opinion it needs real Russian-formed singers to properly sing those operas. The cultural gap for an European, usually singing Italian, French or German towards the Russian repertoire is much bigger, unless you are professionally coached. It also includes a lot of unwritten traditions (like Italian belcanto). Today, one can also learn a lot from older Russian recordings!
Well, one could consider the French repertoire also a similar case, especially seeing that today even genuine French singers have no real knowledge of the French vocal tradition and "singing pronounciation" (which differs from the speaking language).
But really cultured and experienced singing maestri do not exist anymore; today only technique and young age count...

[Alan Howe]

Thanks for that expert view. It's certainly true that all the R-K operas I have are Russian recordings. It's such a shame that some of the excellent Soviet-era recordings aren't generally - and permanently - available. Fedoseyev's Snow Maiden from the mid-seventies is a case in point. And I still can't believe how great this music is - and how I can have missed it for all these years.

[adriano]

Since I am not a great fan of Fedoseyev, I only kept the 1952 Kondrashin and the 2008 Lazarev recordings of "Snow Maiden"... Kondrashin has Lemeshev, Maslennikova and A. Ivanov. I remember that the Fedoseyev was issued on DGG (with a lovely cover), and had Vedernikov and Archipova as stars.

[Alan Howe]

I'm aware of the reservations concerning Fedoseyev, so I simply judge on what I can hear - and his Snow Maiden is very well sung and played. Once I've got hold of the remaining operas by R-K, I may consider adding Lazarev to my collection, though.

[adriano]

That was in 1981, Fedo in his younger, much better years. The same applies for his 1973 "May Night" which I kept in my collection, although its singers are not all exceptional.
But I remember he took very slow tempi in "Snow Maiden"...

[Alan Howe]

I have his May Night too. Indispensable.

I have read that Fedoseyev's tempi in his Snow Maiden recording are slow, but I've never heard anyone else's, so I simply can't judge. No doubt I'll add Lazarev in due course.