The Love for Three Oranges

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Operas by Sergei Prokofiev

The Gambler (1916)
The Love for Three Oranges (1919)
The Fiery Angel (1927)
Semyon Kotko (1939)
Betrothal in a Monastery (1941)
War and Peace (1945)
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The Love for Three Oranges (Russian: Любовь к трём апельсинам, or Lyubov k Tryom Apelsinam in transliteration) is an opera composed in 1919 by Sergei Prokofiev to a libretto based on the play L'Amore delle tre melarance by Carlo Gozzi.

The play itself is based on Giambattista Basile's fairy tale "The Love for Three Oranges" (#408 in the Aarne-Thompson classification system).

The most well-known piece in the opera is the "March". It is a popular orchestral selection, and was used by CBS in the series The FBI in Peace and War that was broadcast 1944-1958.

The opera was given its premiere performance on December 30, 1921 at the Chicago Opera, with the composer himself conducting. The opera has also become Prokofiev's most widely performed one, having entered the standard repertoire of many opera companies.

Contents

[edit] Roles

Role Voice type Premiere Cast, 30 December, 1921
(Conductor: Sergei Prokofiev )
The King of Clubs, ruler of an imaginary kingdom bass Édouard Cotreuil
The Prince, his son tenor José Mojica
Princess Clarissa, the King's niece alto Irène Pavlovska
Leandro, the Prime Minister baritone William Beck
Truffaldino, the court jester tenor Octave Dua
Pantalone, the King's advisor baritone Desiré Defrère
Tchelio, a magician bass Hector-Robert Dufranne
Fata Morgana, a witch soprano Nina Pavlova Koshetz
Princess Ninetta soprano Jeanne Dusseau
Princess Linetta alto Philine Falco
Princess Nicoletta mezzo-soprano Frances Paperte
Smeraldina, Fata Morgana's servant mezzo-soprano Jeanne Schneider
Farfarello, a devil bass James Wolf
The Gigantic Cook, custodian of the Three Oranges bass Constantin Nikolay
The Master of Ceremonies tenor Lodovico Oliviero
The Herald bass Jerome Uhl
Ten Ridiculous People; Advocates of Tragedy, Comedy, Lyric Drama and Farce; Little Devils; courtiers, monsters, drunkards, gluttons, guards, servants, soldiers

[edit] Synopsis

The absurd story is in the Commedia dell'Arte tradition, and concerns a young prince, cursed by a wicked witch and forced to voyage into distant lands in search of three oranges, each of which contains a princess. The libretto was adapted by Prokofiev and Vera Janacopoulos from Vsevolod Meyerhold's translation of Gozzi's play. The adaptation modernized some of the Commedia dell'Arte influences and also introduced a healthy dose of Surrealism. At its première, the opera was sung in French, as L'Amour des trois oranges.

[edit] Instrumentation

[edit] Selected recordings

Orchestra Choir Conductor Record Company Year of Recording Format
Lyon Opera Orchestra Lyon Opera Chorus Kent Nagano Virgin Classics 1989 CD
Lyon Opera Orchestra Lyon Opera Chorus Kent Nagano Arthaus Musik 1989 DVD
Kirov Theater Orchestra Kirov Theater Chorus Valery Gergiev Philips 2001 CD
Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra Opera Australia Chorus Richard Hickox Chandos Records 2005 CD
Moscow Radio Orchestra Moscow Radio Choir D.Dalgat Period (Thrift Edition) 1950? LP

[edit] Suite from The Love for Three Oranges, Op. 33bis

Prokofiev compiled an orchestral suite from the opera for concert use. The suite lasts for 15-20 minutes, and is in 6 movements:

  1. Ridiculous Fellows
  2. Magician Celio and Fata Morgana Play Cards (Infernal Scene)
  3. March
  4. Scherzo
  5. The Prince and the Princess
  6. Flight

Selected recordings

Orchestra Conductor Record Company Year of Recording Format
National Symphony Orchestra Leonard Slatkin RCA Victor (BMG Classics) 1998 CD
ORTF National Orchestra Lorin Maazel Sony Classical 1991 CD
Royal Scottish National Orchestra Neeme Järvi Chandos 1989 CD

[edit] March and Scherzo from The Love for Three Oranges, Op. 33ter

A transcription for piano by the composer himself.

[edit] Sources

  • Frolova-Walker, Marina (2005). "11. Russian opera; Two anti-operas: The Love for Three Oranges and The Nose", in Mervyn Cooke: The Cambridge Companion to Twentieth-Century Opera (in English). London: Cambridge University Press, p.182-186. ISBN 0-521-78393-3. 

[edit] External links