The Voyevoda (opera)

The Voyevoda (Russian: Воевода, The Voyevoda), Op. 3, is an opera in 3 acts and 4 scenes, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky with a libretto written by Alexander Ostrovsky and based on his play The Voyevoda (A Dream on the Volga) (Russian: Воевода (Сон на Волге)).

The opera was composed between March 1867 and July 1868, and it received its first performance on 11 February [OS January 30] 1869 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. It was a benefit for Alexandra Menshikova.

In the 1870s Tchaikovsky destroyed the manuscript full score of the opera, while recycling much of the first act in his The Oprichnik (1870–1872). The subject of The Voyevoda was thus left available to his former pupil Anton Arensky to compose as the opera Dream on the Volga in 1888. During the Soviet period The Voyevoda was posthumously reconstructed from surviving orchestral and vocal parts and the composer's sketches.

Roles

Role Voice type Premiere cast
11 February [OS 30 January] 1869
Conductor: Eduard Merten[1])
Nechay Shalïgin, the voyevoda bass Finokki
Vlas Dyuzhoy, a wealthy merchant bass Radonezhsky
Marya Vlasyevna, his wife soprano Alexandra Menshikova
Praskovya Vlasyevna, his older daughter soprano Kronenberg
Nastasya soprano Annenskaya
Stepan Bastryukov, son of a wealthy nobleman' tenor Rapport
Roman Dubrovin baritone Demidov
Olena, his wife mezzo-soprano Ivanova
Rezvïy, Bastryukov's servant bass Bozhanovsky
Jester tenor Lavrov
Nedviga, a nurse mezzo-soprano Rozanova
New voyevoda bass Korin
Chorus, silent roles: Noblemen, merchants, servants, maidens, people

Instrumentation

Source: Voyevoda (opera) Tchaikovsky Research

Synopsis

Time: The middle of the 17th century Place: A large city on the Volga River

The cover of P. Yurgenson's edition of 4-hand transcription of the Overture to The Voyevoda
Overture

Act 1

No.1 Chorus of Maidens & Scena
No.2 Mariya's Ballad & Duet
No.3 Scena
No.4 Bastryukov's Aria
No.5 Scena & Duet
No.6 Scena
No.7 Scena
No.8 Quartet & Scena
No.9 Finale

Act 2

No.10 Introduction
No.11 Chorus of Servants
No.12 Bastryukov's Aria
No.13 Scena & Dubrovin's Aria
No.14 Entr'acte & Dances of the Chambermaids
No.15 Scena & Mariya's Song
No.16 Scena
No.17 Duet
No.18 Scena
No.19 Scena & Khorovod

Act 3

No.20 Entr'acte
No.21 Scena & Dubrovin's Aria
No.22 Scena
No.23 Quartet
No.24 Scena
No.25 Duet
No.26 Scena & Quartet
No.27 Scena
No.28 Quintet
No.29 Scena & Chorus
No.30 Scena
No.31 Closing Scena

Source: Tchaikovsky Research

Derived works

Similarly named works

Recordings

References

  1. ↑ Eduard Merten became 2nd conductor at the Bolshoi Theatre shortly before 1870. He was "a talented pianist and composed romances, but was completely inexperienced as a conductor" (Kashkin, Erinerrungen, 64, 66) Edward H. Tarr, East Meats West; The Russian Trumpet Tradition from the Time of Peter the Great
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