Khovanchtchina

Khovanchtchina , in Russian Хованщина ( the business Khovanski ) is a posthumous opera in five acts of Modeste Moussorgski according to a Livret of Vladimir Stasov, inspired by the events of the Révolution of Moscow of 1682.

Written between 1872 and 1880, work incomplete and was not played died of the type-setter in 1881. Creation took place the February 21st 1886 with Saint-Pétersbourg, according to an orchestration of Nikolaï Rimski-Korsakov. Because of the many cuts and recombinings of Rimski-Korsakov, Dmitri Chostakovitch revised the opera according to the vocal partition of Moussorgski, and it is nowadays the version most often played.

Although less known than Boris Godounov , the Khovanchtchina is musicalement richer still because of a better integration of rhythmic of the spoken language and synthesis operated between different lyric styles (Russian, but also Germanic and Italian). The opera suffers however from the absence of central figure: both Khovansky, Dossifey, Marfa, Golitsyne and Shaklovity (and even the scribe in the integral version) have a presence and an about similar musical importance.

In 1913, Adolph Bolm choreography a Ballet on the partition of the Khovanchtchina for the Russian Ballets of Serge de Diaghilev.

Maurice Ravel and Igor Stravinski also produced versions of this work.

Argument

Like the preceding work of Moussorgski Boris Godounov, the Khovanchtchina takes as a starting point an episode of the Russian history. In 1698 the Muscovite regiment of the Streltsy, under the control of Ivan Khovansky, revolts against Pierre Ier of Russia by attacking the guards of the palate of the Tsar S (Pierre Ier tried to reform the Russia to bring it closer to the occident). Finally Pierre Ier triumphs and the revolt is repressed in blood. In the opera the partisans of Khovansky commit suicide collectively.

Act 1

The opera begin with a splendid prelude evoking sunrise it above the embrumée city.

On the Red Place. Shaklovity, a Boyard dictates an anonymous letter intended for the Tsar to prevent it of a rebellion of Khovansky (captain of the guards Streltsy and Old Believers) . Ivan Khovansky arrives and promises a crowd of people to defend the Tsar against this treason. Andrey Khovansky, the son of Ivan, continues Emma, allemande, but is stopped in its dash by Marfa (Martha), its old love, become old woman-believing. Ivan threatens to kill Emma, but it is prevented by it by the arrival of Dossifey (Dositheus), the chief of the Old Believers. Marfa leaves with Emma.

Act 2

The house of the prince Vassili Golitsyne. Marfa predicts to the prince his destiny and declares to him that it will lose the capacity. When it leaves, Golitsyne orders with its servants to kill her. Ivan Khovansky appears and complains that Golitsyne mixed with Boyards, but Dossifey enters and persuades them to be combined. Marfa, which was saved by the guards of the Tsar, reappears, followed by Shaklovity, which announces to them that the tsar was warned of their plot.

Act 3

Susanna, another disciple of the Old Believers intends Marfa to sing his love. This one acknowledges in Dosifey which she likes Andrey Khovansky.

Act 4

The house of Ivan Khovansky. Khovansky is informed by one being used as Golitsyne which it is in danger but it is unaware of the warning and looks at the dance of its young maidservants. Shaklovity enters and kills it. On the Red Place, Golitsyne is constrained with the exile. Dossifey cries the fall of the conspirators. Marfa offers refuge to Andrey with the Old Believers. Streltsy are condemned to be carried out. Pierre Ier, via an emissary, intervenes to forgive them (that is not in conformity with historical reality).

Act 5

In a forest. Dossifey and its partisans prepare with a collective suicide. Whereas Dossifey, Marfa, Andrey and the Old Believers perish in the flames of a vault on fire, the soldiers of Pierre the Large one are able to try to capture them, in vain.

Selective discography

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