The Enchantress
Encyclopedia
The Enchantress is an opera
in four acts by Pyotr Tchaikovsky based on the libretto
by Ippolit Shpazhinsky, using his drama with the same title. The opera was composed between September 1885 and May 1887 in Maidanovo, Russia
and received its first performed in St Petersburg in 1887.
in Saint Petersburg
conducted the composer and with stage direction by Osip Palechek (Josef Paleček), set designs by Mikhail Bocharov; and costume designs by E. Ponomaryov.
Other notable performances include the Moscow premiere at the Bolshoy Theatre in 1890, followeded by two others in that city in 1900 and 1913.
Place: Nizhny Novgorod
and its vicinity
The action takes place at the last quarter of the 15th century at the tavern and brothel near Nizhny Novgorod
. Nastasia (Kuma), the charming owner of the inn, has made herself an enemy in rejecting the devious Mamyrov, the right-hand man of the local governor Nikita Danilovich Kurliatev. He spreads the gossip that Nastasia is an enchantress, and every man whom she meets falls for her. Yuri, Nikita's son, begins to frequent the inn, as does his father, who falls madly in love with Nastasia (without any success), who threatens her that he will reach his goal by whatever means. Mamyrov confronts Nikita's wife, Evpraksia, with the truth, while her son – not yet personally involved with Nastasia – swears to avenge his mother. While confronting Nastasia he learns that it is he whom she loves. They both plan to flee during the night not knowing that, by now, Mamyrov has worked out an elaborate plot to wreak his revenge on Nastasia as well as on Nikita and his family with devastating effect.
, the opera was staged again with a new version of the libretto by Sergey Gorodetsky after Shpazhinsky on March 22, 1941 in Leningrad (St Petersburg).
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in four acts by Pyotr Tchaikovsky based on the libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Ippolit Shpazhinsky, using his drama with the same title. The opera was composed between September 1885 and May 1887 in Maidanovo, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and received its first performed in St Petersburg in 1887.
Performance history
The world premiere was given on 11 November 1887 [OS October 20] at the Mariinsky TheatreMariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. The...
in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
conducted the composer and with stage direction by Osip Palechek (Josef Paleček), set designs by Mikhail Bocharov; and costume designs by E. Ponomaryov.
Other notable performances include the Moscow premiere at the Bolshoy Theatre in 1890, followeded by two others in that city in 1900 and 1913.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast 11 November 1887 Conductor: the composer) |
|---|---|---|
| Prince Nikita Kurlyatev, the Grand Prince's deputy in Nizhniy-Novgorod | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Ivan Melnikov |
| Princess Yevpraksiya Romanovna, his wife | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Mariya Slavina |
| Prince Yuriy, their son | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Mikhail Vasilyev |
| Mamïrov, an old deacon Deacon Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions... |
bass | Fyodor Stravinsky Fyodor Stravinsky Fyodor Ignatievich Stravinsky ) was a Russian bass opera singer and actor. He was the father of Igor Stravinsky and the grandfather of Soulima Stravinsky.... |
| Nenila, his sister, a lady-in-waiting to the princess | mezzo-soprano | |
| Ivan Zhuran, valet of the prince | bass-baritone Bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende... |
|
| Nastasya, nicknamed "Kuma", keeper of a wayside inn at a crossing of the Oka River Oka River Oka is a river in central Russia, the largest right tributary of the Volga. It flows through the regions of Oryol, Tula, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Vladimir, and Nizhny Novgorod and is navigable over a large part of its total length, as far upstream as to the town of Kaluga. Its length exceeds... , a young woman |
soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Emilia Pavlovskaya |
| Foka, her uncle | baritone | |
| Polya, her friend | soprano | |
| Balakin, a guest from Nizhniy-Novgorod | tenor | |
| Potap, a merchant guest | bass-baritone | |
| Lukash, merchant guest | tenor | |
| Kichiga, a pugilist | bass | |
| Payísy, a vagabond in the guise of a monk | character tenor | |
| Kudma, a sorcerer | baritone | |
| Chorus, silent roles: Maidens, guests, police officers, serfs, huntsmen, skomorokh Skomorokh The skomorokhs were medieval East Slavic harlequins, i.e. actors, who could also sing, dance, play musical instruments and compose most of the scores for their oral/musical and dramatic performances. The etymology of the word is not completely clear... i, people |
||
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, C, A), 2 Bassoons
- Brass: 4 Horns (F), 2 Cornets (B-flat), 2 Trumpets (B-flat), 3 Trombones, Tuba
- Percussion: Timpani, Triangle, Tambourine, Military Drum, Cymbals, Bass Drum, Tam-tam
- Other: Harp
- On/Offstage: 4 Horns (off)
Synopsis
Time: The last quarter of the 15th centuryPlace: Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
and its vicinity
The action takes place at the last quarter of the 15th century at the tavern and brothel near Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
. Nastasia (Kuma), the charming owner of the inn, has made herself an enemy in rejecting the devious Mamyrov, the right-hand man of the local governor Nikita Danilovich Kurliatev. He spreads the gossip that Nastasia is an enchantress, and every man whom she meets falls for her. Yuri, Nikita's son, begins to frequent the inn, as does his father, who falls madly in love with Nastasia (without any success), who threatens her that he will reach his goal by whatever means. Mamyrov confronts Nikita's wife, Evpraksia, with the truth, while her son – not yet personally involved with Nastasia – swears to avenge his mother. While confronting Nastasia he learns that it is he whom she loves. They both plan to flee during the night not knowing that, by now, Mamyrov has worked out an elaborate plot to wreak his revenge on Nastasia as well as on Nikita and his family with devastating effect.
- Introduction
Act 1
- Folk Scene (No. 1)
- Folk Scena (No. 2)
- Chorus of Guests & Scene (No. 3)
- Scene (No. 4)
- Kuma's Arioso (No. 4a)
- Folk Chorus & Scene (No. 5)
- Scene (No. 6)
- Decimet (No. 7a)
- Scene & Chorus (No. 7b)
- Dance of the Tumblers (No. 7c)
Act 2
- Entr'acte
- Scene & Princess's Arioso (No. 8)
- Scene & Duet (No. 9)
- Scene (No. 10)
- Scene (No. 11)
- Prince's Arioso (No. 11a)
- Scene: Prince with the Princess (No. 12)
- Folk Scene (No. 13)
- Finale (No. 14)
Act 4
- Entr'acte
- Scene with Chorus (No. 18)
- Scene & Duet (No. 19)
- Scene (No. 20)
- Kuma's Arioso (No. 20a)
- Scene & Duet (No. 21)
- Scene & Quartet (No. 22)
- Finale (No. 23)
Versions by other hands
In the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the opera was staged again with a new version of the libretto by Sergey Gorodetsky after Shpazhinsky on March 22, 1941 in Leningrad (St Petersburg).
Recordings
- 1954, Natalya Sokolova (Nastasya), Mikhail Kiselyov (Prince Kurlyatev), Vera Borisenko (Princess Yevpraksiya), Georgiy Nelepp (Prince Yuriy), Aleksey Korolyov (Mamïrov), Anna Matyushina (Nenila), Mikhail Skazin (Ivan Zhuran), Anatoly Tikhonov (Foka), Vera Gradova (Polya), Sergey Sladkopevtsev (Balakin), Leonid Khachaturov (Potap), Aleksey Usmanov (Lukash), Gennady Troitsky (Kichiga), Pavel Pontryagin (Payisy), Pavel Korobkov (Kudma), Moscow Philharmonia State Orchestra, Radio USSR chorus, Samuil SamosudSamuil SamosudSamuil Abramovich Samosud |Georgia]], — Moscow, 6 November 1964) was a Russian conductor. He started his musical career on the cello, before conducting in the Mariinsky Theater, Petrograd in 1917. From 1918 to 1936 he conducted at the Maly Operny, Leningrad. In 1936 he became musical...
(conductor)
- 1978, Rimma Glushkova (Natasya, the enchantress), Oleg Klenov (Prince Kurlyatev), Lyudmila Simonova (Princess Yevpraksiya), Lev Kuznetsov (Prince Yuriy), Yevgeny Vladimirov (Mamirov), Nina Derbina (Nenila), Boris Dobrin (Ivan Zhuran), Pyotr Gluboky (Foka), Galina Molodtsova (Polya), Vladimir Makhov (Balakin), Sergei Strukachev (Potap), Lev Eliseyev (Lukash), Vladimir MatorinVladimir MatorinVladimir Anatolyevich Matorin is a famous Russian opera singer. He is considered one of the greatest contemporary bass singer in Russia.-Biography:...
(Kichiga), Andrei Sokolov (Payisy), Viktor Ribinsky (Kudma), Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Gennady ProvatorovGennady ProvatorovGennady Provatorov was a Russian conductor.Gennady Provatorov was invited to Minsk when he was nearly 60 to worked at the Minsk Philharmonic and National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus...
(conductor)
- VHS 1984 (DVD 2010), Larissa Zyryanova (Nastasya, the enchantress),Vladimir Stepanov (Prince Kurlyatev), Lyudmila Korzhakova (Princess Yevpraksiya), Vadim Valyuta (Prince Yuriy), Alexander Pravilov (Mamirov), A. Perfilova (Nenila), E. Sedov (Ivan Zhuran), Dimitri Sukhanov (Foka), L. Lebedovskaya (Polya), N. Bogutsky (Payisy), A. Burlatsky (Balakin), M. Sanotsky (Potap), Mikhail Larin (Lukash), A. Perfilov (Kichiga) Nizhegorodsky State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, Pavel Reznikov.