Canterville Ghost (opera)

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The Canterville Ghost (also The Ghost of Canterville, Russian: Кантервильское привидение – Kantervíl’skoye privedénie, however usually spelt as Кентервильское привидение – Kentervíl’skoye privedénie; French: Le fantôme de Canterville, German: Das Gespenst von Canterville), an opera by the Russian composer Alexander Knayfel’ (Russian: Кнайфель; Alexandre Knaifel, Knayfel) in three acts for 18 singers and chamber orchestra.

Composed in 1965-1966 to the libretto by Tatiana Kramarova after The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde. Text Russian (translated into English by V. Paperno. Dedicated to Rein Laul.

Also: Romantic Scenes from the Opera – in seven scenes with prologue for basso profondo and light soprano with chamber orchestra (shorter version). Duration: 90 minutes.

1 Cast, Orchestra
2 Premiere
3 Recordings
4 External links

[edit] Cast, Orchestra

Shorter version:

Solo Voices: bass, soprano
Orchestra: flute, oboe, 2 clarinets (piccolo and bass), contrabassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, timpani, 4 percussion (tubular bells, glockenspiel, xylophone, flexatone), piano/celesta, organ (may be on tape), 5 strings (1.1.1.1.1).

The score is printed by Sovetsky Kompozitor, Leningrad 1977

Full version:

Singers: 6 sopranos, 2 boy sopranos, 4 mezzo-sopranos, alto, 2 tenors, 2 baritones, bass
Orchestra: Orchestra: flute, oboe, 2 clarinets (piccolo and bass), contrabassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion (5 players, instruments include tubular bells, glockenspiel, xylophone and flexatone), piano/celesta, organ (may be on tape), 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass.

[edit] Premiere

a) February 26, 1974 (with the subsequent performances on November 30, and December 15, 1974) in Leningrad, the House of Composers. Chamber Orchestra of Conservatoire, conductor L.Gelgrud.
b) March 3 and 4 1980 in London, BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky.

[edit] Recordings

CD: Harmonia Mundi / Saison Russe. Le Chant du monde , 1991. Le fantôme de Canterville (The Canterville Ghost). The operatic scenes inspired by Oscar Wilde. Moscow Theater "Forum" Orchestra, Stanislav Suleymanov (bass), Tatiana Monogarova (soprano), Alexander Levental (organ), conductor Mikhail Yurovski.