The Portrait (opera)
Encyclopedia
The Portrait is an opera in eight scenes composed by Mieczysław Weinberg to a libretto
by Alexander Medvedev based on Nikolai Gogol
's short story The Portrait
.
A penniless artist, Chartkov, finds a magical painting that offers him a dilemma — to struggle to make his own way in the world on the basis of his own talents, or to accept the assistence of the magic painting to guaranteed riches and fame. He chooses to become rich and famous, but soon comes to realise that he has made the wrong choice in this satire on artistic integrity and the art market.
The opera was composed in 1980 and received its first performance on 20 May 1983 at the Janáček State Theatre
in Brno
. The first performance of the reduced version took place in 1992 in Moscow
performed by the Moscow Chamber Opera. After years of obscurity, The Portrait saw a revival at the Bregenzer Festspiele
in July 2010, in a production by John Fulljames that also appeared in Kaiserslautern in December of that year, both runs being sung in German. A second production, by David Pountney
, was toured by Opera North
in February 2011 in English (the British premiere) and in Nancy by the Opéra national de Lorraine
in April 2011, sung in Russian.
Dancers and mute roles: girl from the painting of Psyche
, old man from Petromikhali's portrait, people at the market, visitors at the vernissage
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 Alexander Medvedev based on Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol was a Ukrainian-born Russian dramatist and novelist.Considered by his contemporaries one of the preeminent figures of the natural school of Russian literary realism, later critics have found in Gogol's work a fundamentally romantic sensibility, with strains of Surrealism...
's short story The Portrait
The Portrait (short story)
The Portrait is a short story by Nikolai Gogol, originally published in the short story collection Arabesques in 1835....
.
A penniless artist, Chartkov, finds a magical painting that offers him a dilemma — to struggle to make his own way in the world on the basis of his own talents, or to accept the assistence of the magic painting to guaranteed riches and fame. He chooses to become rich and famous, but soon comes to realise that he has made the wrong choice in this satire on artistic integrity and the art market.
The opera was composed in 1980 and received its first performance on 20 May 1983 at the Janáček State Theatre
National Theatre (Brno)
The National Theatre in Brno is the major theatre house in Brno. It was established in 1884 by model of the National Theatre in Prague.Nowadays it consists of three stages:...
in Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
. The first performance of the reduced version took place in 1992 in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
performed by the Moscow Chamber Opera. After years of obscurity, The Portrait saw a revival at the Bregenzer Festspiele
Bregenzer Festspiele
Bregenzer Festspiele is a performing arts festival which is held every July and August in Bregenz, Austria.Founded in 1946, the festival presents a wide variety of musical and theatrical events in several venues:...
in July 2010, in a production by John Fulljames that also appeared in Kaiserslautern in December of that year, both runs being sung in German. A second production, by David Pountney
David Pountney
David Pountney is a British theatre and opera director and librettist internationally known for his productions of rarely performed operas and new productions of classic works...
, was toured by Opera North
Opera North
Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and the Theatre Royal, Newcastle...
in February 2011 in English (the British premiere) and in Nancy by the Opéra national de Lorraine
Opéra national de Lorraine
Opéra national de Lorraine is an opera company and opera house located in the city of Nancy in the French province of Lorraine. Formerly named the Opéra de Nancy et de Lorraine, it was given the status of "national opera" in 2006....
in April 2011, sung in Russian.
Roles
- Chartkov, a painter (tenorTenorThe 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...
) - Nikita, Chartkov's valet (baritoneBaritoneBaritone 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...
) - Journalist (baritone)
- Lamplighter (tenor)
- Chartkov's painting teacher (baritone)
- Art store owner / Dignitary (bassBass (voice type)A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
) - Landlord / Count (baritone)
- District chief / General (bass)
- Market woman / Lady-in-waiting (sopranoSopranoA 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...
) - First merchant / First waiter / Turk (tenor)
- Second merchant / Second waiter /Cavalryman of the Guards (tenor)
- Third merchant (bass)
- Distinguished lady (mezzo-sopranoMezzo-sopranoA 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...
) - Lisa, her daughter (soprano)
- Nobleman (tenor)
Dancers and mute roles: girl from the painting of Psyche
Cupid and Psyche
Cupid and Psyche , is a legend that first appeared as a digressionary story told by an old woman in Lucius Apuleius' novel, The Golden Ass, written in the 2nd century CE. Apuleius likely used an earlier tale as the basis for his story, modifying it to suit the thematic needs of his novel.It has...
, old man from Petromikhali's portrait, people at the market, visitors at the vernissage
Vernissage
A vernissage is a term used for a preview of an art exhibition, often private, before the formal opening. Guests may be served canapés and wine as they discuss with artists and others the works in the exhibition...
Sources
- Bregenzer FestspieleBregenzer FestspieleBregenzer Festspiele is a performing arts festival which is held every July and August in Bregenz, Austria.Founded in 1946, the festival presents a wide variety of musical and theatrical events in several venues:...
, Symposium: In a Strange Land, 2010 (accessed 28 June 2010) - Darlington and Stockton Times, "Wagner’s Ring cycle in view for Opera North audiences", 12 February 2010 (accessed 28 June 2010)
- Sikorski MusikverlageHans SikorskiInternationale Musikverlage Hans Sikorski is an international sheet music publishing company with headquarters in Hamburg, Germany.The music publishing firm of Hans Sikorski was founded in 1935 and now comprises more than 30 publishers in several European countries and in the USA...
, Mieczysław Weinberg, 2 June 2010 (accessed 28 June 2010) - Opera North, The Portrait