Been engaged of the tsar

Been engaged of the tsar ( Царскаяневеста - Tsarskaya Nevesta ) is a opera in four acts of Nikolaï Rimski-Korsakov (1898). The booklet is of the type-setter himself in collaboration with Il' ya Fyodorovich Tyumenev according to the drama of the poet Lev Aleksandrovich Mey (1822-1862).

Roles

Vasily Stepanovich Sobakin, a merchant of Novgorod: Low
Marfa, his/her daughter: Soprano
Grigory Gryaznoy: Baritone
Malyuta Skuratov: low
Boyar Ivan Sergeevich Lykov: Tenor
Lyubasha: Mezzo-soprano
Yelisey Bomelius: tenor
Domna Ivanovna Saburova: soprano
Dunyasha, his/her daughter, friend of Marfa: mezzo-soprano
Petrovna: mezzo-soprano

Argument

The first act is entitled “the festival”, the second “the philter of love”, the third “the witness of married” and the fourth “the bride”. It is the tragic history of unhappy love affairs at the time of Ivan the Terrible.

Fall 1572 with Moscow.

Act 1 plants the decoration and makes a statement on the situation of the various characters. Grigory Gryaznoi, one of the important members of the guard of the tsar, likes Martha Sobakina, the girl of a commercial rich person of Novgorod, already been engaged to the boyar Ivan Likov, which returns of one stay abroad. Gryaznoi requires of the doctor of the Tsar, Bomely, to provide him a philter of love to allure the young girl. The mistress of Gryaznoi, Lyubasha, hidden, surprises this request and wants to be avenged on Martha to have taken to him her love. The festival is the occasion of songs and dances traditional Russian.

Act 2 is held in front of an orthodoxe monastery from where the faithful ones leave vespers. Everyone speaks about the future presentation of the young girls to the Tsar so that it chooses among it his future wife. Martha tells its childhood with its following and does not recognize the Tsar, who seems fascinated by it and throws to him a predatory glance. Lyubasha, hidden, discovers the beauty of Martha and is given to the doctor of the Tsar in exchange of a potion intended to destroy this beauty. The night fall slowly on the scene and the intimate moments alternate with sways in the crowd.

With the third act, at Sobakin, one prepares the marriage of Martha and Ivan. Martha returns from the presentation at the tsar, who seems not to have granted a glance to him. Gryaznoi, witness of the groom, surreptitiously pour the philter of love in glass which it tightens with been engaged. Young girls dance to celebrate the future wedding. Suddenly, the chief of the guards of the tsar, Malyuta, returns from in his Master and announces that the tsar chose Martha for wife. It is consternation at Sobakin but when Martha, éperdue, turn to each one to try to escape its fate, all lower the head and kneel as a sign of allegiance in front of their future sovereign.

The fourth and last act proceed in the castle of the tsar. Martha does not feel well. Gryaznoi reports that Ivan acknowledged under torture to have poisoned been engaged of the tsar. Despaired, Martha loses the reason and takes Gryaznoi for its been engaged Ivan and its love declares to him. Struck horror by the state of Martha, Gryaznoi acknowledges that it put a philter in glass of Martha. Before being taken along by the guards to be judged, he asks Malyuta to be able to punish the Bomely doctor who misled it on the nature of the philter. Lyubasha reveals whereas it is it which substituted a poison for the philter of love to make lose the reason with Martha. Gryaznoi kills Lyubasha and, begging Martha to forgive it, it is taken along by the guards to be carried out.

The music, full, rich in coppers, wind instruments and percussions, accompanies the rise by passions and violence. Some passages has cappella make it possible Lyubasha to express the force of its feelings, the jealousy and the desire of revenge. The four acts are built in a very theatrical way, like a tragedy.

The setting in current scene (2006-2007) of the Opera of Kiev (Ukraine) emphasizes the richness quasi-Byzantine of the costumes, with the chamarrées colors and covers of pearls and precious stones which gleam under the projectors. The dances are rythmées by a music at the rate inspired of the Russian traditional repertories. The number impressing singers and dancers on scene makes it possible to make alternate sways in the crowd and static moments in the shape of tables. The leader, Ivan Gamkalo, insufflates with his musicians a communicative energy.

Been engaged of the tsar is an opera so intrinsically Russian - comparable in its disproportion with film of Eisenstein Ivan the Terrible , which it is almost difficult to imagine a representation apart from Slavic grounds of it.

Random links: