The Maid of Orleans (opera)
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| Operas by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky |
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Voyevoda (1868) |
The Maid of Orleans (Russian: Орлеанская дева, Orleanskaja deva) is an opera in 4 acts, 6 scenes, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. It was composed during 1878–1879 to a Russian libretto by the composer, based on several sources: Friedrich von Schiller’s The Maid of Orleans as translated by Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky; Jules Barbier’s Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc); Auguste Mermet’s libretto for his own opera; and Henri Wallon’s biography of Joan of Arc.
The opera was dedicated to conductor Eduard Nápravník.
Among Tchaikovsky's operas, this work represents the composer's closest approach to French grand opera (albeit in the Russian language), especially with its inclusion of a ballet in Act 2.
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[edit] Performance history
The world premiere was given on 25 February (13 February O.S.), 1881 at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg conducted by Eduard Nápravník.
Other notable performances were given on 28 July 1882 in Prague (the first production of a Tchaikovsky opera outside Russia); in 1899 in Moscow by the Private Opera Society and conducted by Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov; and in 1907 in Moscow by the Zimin Opera conducted by Palitsīn.
[edit] Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast 25 February (13 February O.S.), 1881 (Conductor: Eduard Nápravník) |
|---|---|---|
| King Charles VII | tenor | Mikhail Vasilyev |
| The Archbishop | bass | Vladimir Mayboroda |
| Dunois, a French knight | baritone | Fyodor Stravinsky |
| Lionel, a Burgundian knight | baritone | Ippolit Pryanishnikov |
| Thibaut d'Arc, Joan's father | bass | Mikhail Koryakin |
| Raymond, Joan's betrothed | tenor | Sokolov |
| Bertrand, a peasant | bass | |
| Soldier | bass | |
| Joan of Arc | soprano or mezzo-soprano | Mariya Kamenskaya |
| Agnès Sorel | soprano | Wilhelmina Raab |
| Angel, solo voice in the choir of angels | soprano | |
| Chorus, silent roles: Courtiers and ladies, French and English soldiers, knights, monks, Gypsies, pages, buffoons, dwarfs, minstrels, executioners, people | ||
[edit] Instrumentation
Source: www.tchaikovsky-research.net
- Strings: Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
- Woodwinds: Piccolo, 3 Flutes, 2 Oboes, Cor Anglais, 2 Clarinets (B-flat, A, C), 2 Bassoons
- Brass: 4 Horns (F, D, E-flat, E), 2 Cornets (B-flat, A), 2 Trumpets (E-flat, F, E, D, A), 3 Trombones, Tuba
- Percussion: Timpani, Triangle, Tambourine, Side Drum, Bass Drum, Tam-tam, Bell
- Other: Harp, Organ
[edit] Synopsis
Time: Beginning of the 15th century
Place: France
- Introduction
[edit] Act 1
- Chorus of Maidens (No. 1)
- Scena & Terzetto (No. 2)
- Scena (No. 3)
- Chorus of Peasants & Scena (No. 4)
- Scena (No. 5)
- Hymn King of the heavenly host (No. 6)
- Joan's Aria Farewell, you native hills and fields(No. 7)
- Finale (No. 8)
- Joan's Aria & Chorus of Angels (No. 8a)
[edit] Act 2
- Entr'acte (No. 9)
- Chorus of Minstrels (No. 10)
- Gypsy Dance (No. 11a)
- Dance of the Pages & Dwarves (No. 11b)
- Dance of the Clowns & Tumblers (No. 11c)
- Scena & Duet (No. 12)
- Agnes's Arioso & Duettino (No. 13)
- Scena & Archbishop's Narration (No. 14)
- Joan's Narration (No. 15)
- Finale (No. 16).
[edit] Act 3
Tableau 1 and Tableau 2
- Scena & Duet (No. 17)
- March (No. 18)
- Scena & Duettino (No. 19)
- Finale (No. 20)
[edit] Act 4
- Introduction & Scena (No. 21)
- Duet & Scena (No. 22)
- Final Scena (No. 23)
Source: www.tchaikovsky-research.net
[edit] Related works
César Cui's The Saracen, composed in 1896-1898, may be considered a historical sequel to this opera, at least in regard to the period and setting. It revives the characters Charles VII and Agnès Sorel, but unlike its predecessor does not include a ballet.
[edit] Selected recordings
- 197?, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (conductor), Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Irina Arkhipova (Joan), Vladimir Makhov (King Charles), Klavdiya Radchenko (Agnes Sorel), Vladimir Valaitis (Dunois), Sergey Yavkovchenko (Lionel), Lev Vernigora, (Archbishop), Andrey Sokolov (Raymond), Viktor Selivanov (Bertrand), Vartan Makelian (Soldier), Yevgeny Vladimirov (Thibaut) [HMV ASD 2879-82]
- 1993, Aleksandr Lazarev, Bolshoy Theatre Orchestra and Chorus, Nina Rautio (Joan), Oleg Kulko (King Charles), Mariya Gavrilova (Agnes Sorel), Mikhail Krutikov (Dunois), Vladimir Redkin (Lionel), Archbishop - Gleb Nikolsky (Archbishop), Raymond - Arkady Mishenkin (Raymond), Bertrand - Maksim Mikhaylov II (Bertrand), Soldier - Anatoly Babikin (Soldier), Angel - Zoya Smolyanikova (Angel), Thibaut - Vyacheslav Pochapsky (Thibaut)
[edit] References
[edit] Bibliography
- Bernandt, G.B. Словарь опер впервые поставленных или изданных в дореволюционной России и в СССР, 1736-1959 [Dictionary of Operas First Performed or Published in Pre-Revolutionary Russia and in the USSR, 1836-1959] (Москва: Советский композитор, 1962), p. 215.
- 100 опер: история создания, сюжет, музыка. [100 Operas: History of Creation, Subject, Music.] Ленинград: Издательство "Музыка," 1968, pp. 390-396.
[edit] External links
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