Kashchey the Immortal (opera)
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Kashchey the Immortal (Russian: Кащей бессмертный – Kashchei bessmertnyi) is a one-act opera (styled a "little autumnal fairy tale") by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov to his own libretto.
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[edit] Creation and performance history
The libretto was based on a Russian fairy tale about Koschei the Deathless, an evil, ugly old wizard, who menaced principally young women. The opera was composed during 1901-1902.
Kashchey the Immortal premiered on 25 December [OS 12 December] 1902 at the Private Opera Society (Tovarishchestvo chastnoi opery) in Moscow and was conducted by Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov. In St. Petersburg, the opera premiered on 9 April [OS 27 March] 1905 at the Kommissarzhevskaya Drama Theatre (performed by students of the St. Petersburg Conservatory) and was conducted by Alexander Glazunov. It was staged in January 1917 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow (conductor: Emil Cooper). During the Soviet period, the opera was staged on 30 January 1919 at the Petrograd Theatre of Opera and Ballet (conductor: Khessin). It was also staged in Barcelona (1924, in Russian) and in Salzburg (1928, also in Russian).
The full score and vocal score were published by Bessel in 1902 and also in Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov's Complete Works, volumes 12 and 40, Muzgiz, Moscow 1954. A similar fairy tale was also used by Igor Stravinsky (Rimsky-Korsakov's pupil) and Vaslav Nijinsky to create their iconic ballet, The Firebird.
[edit] Roles
| World premiere in Moscow 25 December [OS 12 December] 1902 at the Private Opera Society |
St Petersburg premiere 9 April [OS 27 March] 1905 Kommissarzhevskaya |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Kashchey the Immortal (Кащей бессмертный) |
tenor | Oshustovich | Gurovich |
| Tsarevna Nenaglyadnaya Krasa The Beautiful Princess (Царевна Ненаглядная Краса) |
soprano | Nadezhda Zabela-Vrubel (wife of Mikhail Vrubel) |
May-zelie |
| Ivan-Korolevich (Иван Королевич) |
baritone | Mikhail Bocharov | Pavlovsky |
| Kascheyevna The Daughter of Kashchey (Кащеевна) |
mezzo-soprano | Petrova-Zvantseva | Lezhen |
| Burya-Bogatyr The Storm-hero (Буря-богатырь) |
bass | Osipov | Pavlov |
| People | chorus |
[edit] Synopsis
Tableau One. The beautiful Princess Tsarevna Nenaglyadnaya Krasa is imprisoned by the evil wizard Kashchey the Immortal in his gloomy kingdom, longing for her beloved Prince Ivan-Korolevich. She is upset when looking into the magic mirror, she sees her bridegroom together with Kashcheyevna, the daughter of Kashchey. Kashchey, who also glances into the mirror, is afraid that Ivan could bring him death – he hid his death in the tear of his daughter, whose heart is hard and cold. Many knights where ruined by her beauty, and no one could see her tears. Kashchey breaks the mirror into pieces, and sends Storm-hero Burya-Bogatyr to Kashcheyevna to ask how safely she keeps his death.
Tableau Two. Kashcheyevna prepares a magic potion to lull the Prince to sleep and force him to forget his beautiful Princess. When Ivan-Korolevich enters, she gives him the potion to drink. Burya-Bogatyr suddenly appears, and his wind scatters Kashcheyevna’s charms. Following Burya-Bogatyr, Ivan Korolevich leaves for his dear bride.
Tableau Three. The Princess sings a lullaby to Kashchey. Ivan-Korolevich arrives. He frees his fiancé, but Kashcheyevna pleads with Ivan to remain with her, since he has awakened love in her severe heart. In an impulse of compassion, the Princess kisses Kashcheyevna, and she begins to cry. Invisible voices announce the death of Kashchey. Kashcheyevna is turned into a weeping willow. But Burya-Bogatyr opens the gates to show the lovers the way out of the murky kingdom.
[edit] Structure of the opera
- Tableau One:
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- 1. Dni bez prosveta (Princess and Kashchey)
- 2. Ya vishu devu krasoty chudesnoy (Princess, Kashchey and Burya-Bogatyr)
- 3. Temny yeyo ochi (Arioso of Kashchey)
- 4. Vy, gusli samogudy (Choir / Interlude)
- Tableau Two:
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- 5. Nastala noch (Arioso of Kashcheyevna)
- 6. Glukhaya noch (Scene and Arietta of Ivan-Korolevich)
- 7. Pit'yo prokhladnoe (Duo of Kashcheyevna and Ivan-Korolevich)
- 8. Zasnul (Kashcheyevna, Ivan-Korolevich and Burya-Bogatyr)
- Tableau Three:
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- 9. Bayu, bay, Kashchey sedoy (The Lullaby of Princess)
- 10. Mereshchitsja (Duo of Princess and Ivan-Korolevich)
- 11. Prosti, lyubimy korolevich moy (Kashcheyevna, Princess, Ivan-Korolevich and Kashchey)
- 12. Konets zlomu tsarstvu (Final Chorus).
[edit] CDs
- Rimsky-Korsakov: Kashchey the Immortal
- Singers: Marina Shaguch, Konstantin Pluzhnikov, Alexandr Morozov, Alexandr Gergalov, Larissa Diadkova
- Conductor: Valery Gergiev, St.Petersburg Kirov Opera & Orchestra
- Release date: September 1999
- Label: Philips 446704
[edit] Bibliography
- Griffiths, Steven. A Critical Study of the Music of Rimsky-Korsakov, 1844-1890. New York: Garland, 1989.
- Rimsky-Korsakov, A.N. – Н.А. Римский-Корсаков: жизнь и творчество [N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov: Life and Work]. [5 vols.] Москва: Государственное музыкальное издательство, 1930.
- Richard Taruskin. "The Case for Rimsky-Korsakov," Opera News, vol. 56, nos. 16 and 17 (1991–2), pp. 12–17 and 24-29, respectively.
