Opera "The Tsar's Bride". Through my days... The author of historical dramas is the royal bride and the Pskovite

“The style in the theater can be anything strange, but it would be nice if it were artistic…”

Nora Potapova. "And as one we die fighting for it."

This year, the outstanding Russian composer N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) was 170 years old. One of the founders of the Russian school, he found time for extensive composing activity in the field of opera, symphony, chamber, and later church music. He is the author of well-known operas: The Maid of Pskov, May Night, The Snow Maiden, The Night Before Christmas, Sadko, Mozart and Salieri, The Tsar's Bride, The Tale of Tsar Saltan, The Tale of the City Kitezh”, “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” - so we have been familiar with its historical and fabulous theatrical repertoire since childhood.

It is gratifying that the team of our native SABT named after A. Navoi twice turned to staging opera performances by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov is "Mozart and Salieri" (1898) in the eighties and "The Tsar's Bride" (1899), successfully going on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater named after A. Navoi and causing constant interest among the audience.

At the concerts of the Russian romance in the Tashkent and Central Asian Diocese, we repeatedly heard the works of the Russian composer performed by the leading soloists of the Bolshoi Theater named after A. Navoi. Most recently, at the Easter concert on April 27, 14, Levko's song from the opera "May Night" performed by our beloved lyric tenor Normumin Sultanov was sincerely sounded.

What is so attractive opera Rimsky-Korsakov today? - says the director of the Bolshoi Theater, Honored Worker of Culture of Uz A.E. Slonim:

- Rimsky-Korsakov , a the second of fifteen operas, has brought to the treasury of world music a number of unsurpassed masterpieces. Sensitively and subtly developing operatic dramaturgy, he introduced fundamentally new methods of revealing dramaturgy, eventfulness, and the psychology of characters into the very foundations of composer creativity. And at the same time - the undoubted shades of a new trend for its time, called "impressionism", which sought to convey the uniqueness of the IMPRESSION from moods, perceptions, sensations. Trying to penetrate into the very depths of the movement of the soul, Rimsky-Korsakov not only accurately reveals the special truth of passions and feelings, but subtly explores the smallest nuances of the movements of the spirit.

The director of the SABT named after A. Navoi strictly preserved this innovative concept in new production"The Tsar's Bride", whose backstory is calculated by more than a century of scenic evolution. The world premiere took place on October 22 / November 3, 1899 on the stage of the Moscow Private Russian Opera. This was followed by the premiere of the opera at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg on October 30, 1901. In our time, the Martiniplaza Theatre, Groningen (Netherlands) turned to the production of the opera on December 10, 2004. At the end of the same year - 29 December 2004 again the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg and quite recently in February of this year, the premiere of The Tsar's Bride took place at the Mikhailovsky Theater in the same place in the northern capital.

What is the fundamental difference between the production of the director of the Bolshoi Theater named after A. Navoi A.E. Slonim from other modern Russian interpretations of historical opera? This question was answered by the young soloist of the Opera National Theater from St. Petersburg, Mikhail Kramer. He comes from Tashkent, came to visit his relatives, and together with me visited the play "The Tsar's Bride" in two acts based on the drama of the same name by L. May (Libretto by I. Tyumenev and N. Rimsky-Korsakov):

- I really liked the director's work - careful attitude to the text of the opera, perfectly conveyed era, for the most part The set design is in perfect harmony with the music of the opera. In general, it is very valuable that modern trends, the so-called "director's opera", have not reached the Uzbek capital's theater. I can say that in St. Petersburg now there is no such careful production of Tsarskaya - at the Mariinsky Theater the action of the opera was transferred to Stalin's times (http://www.mariinsky.ru/playbill/repertoire/opera/tsars_bride/), at the Mikhailovsky Theater (former Small Opera House) this year they made a simply disgusting production, the scenography of which can only be understood by being pumped up with drugs (http://www.operanews.ru/14020208.html).

The production of the SABT named after A. Navoi is distinguished by its absolute adequacy, and, I emphasize once again, very careful attitude to the text of the opera. The only thing I did not understand in this production was why Ivan the Terrible was introduced at the end. And, as far as I remember, it is not written in the clavier of the opera that Martha dies at the end.

In that important point connected with the novelty of the production of the opera, one can object to our guest. Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible is performed by the director of the opera A.E. Slonim. This image, intertwined with others in the play, is very important. In the concept of the performance, the image is presented through, up to the finale and its final expressive mise-en-scène, in which the Tsar himself is represented in the abundance of victims of the era of totalitarianism (in modern language) and lawlessness. He punishes his oprichnik Grigory Gryazny and in a moment, a little later, sags helplessly on his royal staff. Thus, he merges in his impulse with the whole people, pronouncing the final phrase "Oh, Lord!" - in a frantic prayer for forgiveness for everything, for everything ... This is catharsis (purification), without which not a single classical tragedy can do from the time of Shakespeare to the present day.

In principle, any director has the right, in accordance with the score, to expand the scope of copyright instructions. According to the author, the role of Bomelius ends in the second picture. Directed by A.E. Slonim, this image develops in the final scene. Grigory Gryaznoy brings an overseas doctor with him to heal Marfa, as he short-sightedly believes, from "love yearning" for Grigory. When the intrigue is revealed - Bomelius also receives in full for his deeds. Let us recall the fact that the historical Bomelius was indeed captured and executed.

A.E. Slonim in a new way, completely psychologically justified, also motivates the image of Martha, according to his own creative concept:

And the young Martha from The Tsar's Bride, who becomes an unwitting victim of human passions, innocently poisoned by an evil potion, in her aspiration to the light, intones her phrases also in this "mode of doom". And it’s obvious to the point of confusion that when the same darkness of predestination thickens over the guardsman Grigory Gryazny, one of the main culprits of the tragedy, the same tone suddenly appears in his intonations, prophesying a quick death. Having listened and looked closely at the Snow Maiden, who has already known the beginnings of earthly love, we will hear in her phrases not only illumination, but also an overhanging sign of an imminent departure. It seems that in the very methods of revealing the vision of the world, Rimsky-Korsakov, for obvious reasons, turns out to be very close to the work of the great painters of his era - Vrubel, Borisov-Musatov, Levitan.

As in any opera production by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, music plays a significant role in The Tsar's Bride - from the first bars of a restrained overture to the expressive possibilities dramatic development of the plot in the second act, in which the spiritual life of the characters is rapidly revealed. The composer's in-depth attention to their feelings, psychological contradictions and conflicts, expanding and deepening, is expressed in complex and varied music: at times it is pathetically solemn, and at other times it is unarmedly lyrical and even intimate.

Orchestra led by People's Artist Karakalpakstan Aida Abdullaeva accurately conveys the soulless hangover "lawlessness" of the oprichnina of the era of Ivan the Terrible. The music not only condemns, but at times justifies the unbridled passion of the royal guardsman Grigory Gryazny (Ruslan Gafarov) and his former lover Lyubasha (Ya. Bagryanskaya), who were punished for their villainy at the end of the performance. The music picturesquely depicts the character of the kind, hospitable and unfortunate merchant Sobakin (G. Dmitriev), plunged into despair by an unexpected misfortune - a fatal illness of his daughter, Princess Martha, who was poisoned by a poisonous potion. The music luminously conveys the sublime purity of the “royal bride” (L. Abiyeva), devoted to her feelings for the young groom Ivan Lykov (U. Maksumov) until her death. She expressively emphasizes the ambiguous characters of Malyuta (D. Idrisov), the German doctor Bomelius, the rustic Dunyasha and the naive Domna (N. Bandelette). There are no dead characters in the performance, all of them are endowed with living feelings and animated by the multi-colored timbres of the “actors” of Rimsky-Korsakov’s epic world, where the miracle of Love and sublime Purity, even in death, conquers all historical and everyday circumstances.

Regarding the performance, our guest from St. Petersburg noted:

The absolute star of the evening was undoubtedly Latife Abiyeva, who performed the part of Martha. Her amazingly beautiful lyric-coloratura soprano is ideal for playing the part of Marfa, the brightest image in this opera. Surprisingly beautiful, transparent and easy, Marfa's first aria sounded: "In Novgorod, we lived next to Vanya ...". The singer's voice is surprisingly beautiful both when she sings in full voice and when she sings quietly, which testifies to her outstanding vocal skills. At the same time, the singer is very suitable for this role and outwardly, which, as you know, does not happen often in the opera genre. Both the singing and the stage image - everything corresponded to the light inherent in this party, which is opposed by the passionate and vengeful Lyubasha. In the scene of Martha's madness at the end of the opera, the singer showed the talent of a real tragic actress. The second aria: “Ivan Sergeyich, do you want to go to the garden? ..” also sounded flawless.

Ulugbek Maksumov, the performer of the part of Lykov, was very good. The singer has a beautiful lyrical tenor, while he is very musical. The singer managed to embellish and make interesting even the rather faded, in my opinion, arioso from the first act, “Everything is different, both people and the earth”, which goes unnoticed for me by so many performers. The most difficult aria "A rainy cloud rushed past" was performed at a very high level.

Also noteworthy is the performance of Sobakin's part by bass Georgy Dmitriev. The singer has a rather beautiful voice, however, in my opinion, the performer of this part should have a lower voice - the "fa" of a large octave at the end of the aria, the singer still did not color with timbre. But this small drawback was more than compensated for by the amazing acting. The image of a simple-hearted, kind father, in whose life a huge grief suddenly came, was conveyed superbly.

Yanika Bagryanskaya as Lyubasha was not bad, but, unfortunately, nothing more. The singer has obvious problems with the high notes, besides, a strange manner of reassembling the sound, which makes some words very difficult to understand (for example, the sound instead of the sound “a” on many notes, the singer sings a frank “u”). Intonation (hitting the notes) was not always accurate, especially at the top. And the upper “la” in the first aria (“After all, I love you alone”) did not work at all. In addition, the singer quite noticeably parted ways with the orchestra several times.

Ruslan Gafarov is the ideal performer for the part of Grigory Gryazny. This part is very difficult in that it is written very high for a baritone. That is why quite often she is assigned to sing soft, lyrical, so-called "Onegin" baritones, which, of course, loses her sinister character. Gafarov, on the other hand, has a dramatic baritone, which allows him to convey all the colors of this rather emotionally complex part. At the same time, the range of his voice allows him to overcome all tessitura difficulties. Acting, the image is also very suitable for him, and he quite clearly conveys this controversial guardsman. All the more regret is the fact that the singer quite often disagreed with the orchestra (for example, in a dialogue with Bomelius before the trio or in the finale of the opera). Nevertheless, it should be noted that the most difficult aria at the beginning of the opera (“The beauty does not go crazy”) was performed perfectly.

Nurmahmad Mukhamedov, who performed the role of Bomelia, played this role quite well. The singer's voice fits the part well. But he most often disagreed with the orchestra and partners. This was especially noticeable in the trio from the first act, which the singer simply spoiled with his lack of time.

In general, I even think that it is possible that not so much the singers as the audience are to blame for these unfortunate blunders. I have such an assumption that in this hall they can hardly hear the orchestra on stage. Or there is no opportunity to fully rehearse. On this visit to Tashkent, since the end of January, I have been at many performances of the theater, and I observed similar discrepancies in other performances - Carmen and Il trovatore.

I really liked the performers of the supporting roles: Rada Smirnykh (Dunyasha) and Nadezhda Bandelet (Domna Saburova). To be honest, more than once during the evening the thought came to me that the very sonorous, rich voice of the Rada would be much better suited for the performance of the part of Lyubasha than the rather modest, in my opinion, the voice of Bagryanskaya. Nadezhda Bandelet demonstrated excellent command of her voice in a rather demonstrative aria from the third act (staged by the Bolshoi Theater - the first scene of the second act), as well as Rada Smirnykh and Nadezhda Bandelet perfectly conveyed the characters of their characters.

I was pleased today with the sound of the choir, which, unfortunately, is usually not strong point performances. The orchestra conducted by Aida Abdullayeva sounded very harmonious, balanced, expressive

The diversity of views and opinions about the opera production of The Tsar's Bride confirmsfairness of opiniondirector-producer of the Bolshoi theaterA.E. Slonim that “the time will come, and interest in the works of this outstanding composer will deepen and intensify.After all, the mighty appearance of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, who comprehended the mysteries of the Miracle in many of its manifestations, today not only does not lose the features of its brightness, intelligibility and novelty, butmakes it clear in reality that this great composer is by no means a musical figure of the past, but a creator who was centuries ahead of his time and his era in his sensations of the world - and invariably close in his aspirations to us, today ... "

Guarik Bagdasarova

Photo by Mikhail Levkovich

On March 24, the N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Memorial Museum-Apartment (Zagorodny pr., 28) opened the exhibition “Tragedies of Love and Power”: “The Woman of Pskov”, “The Tsar's Bride”, “Servilia”. The project, dedicated to three operas based on the dramatic works of Lev Mei, completes a series of chamber exhibitions that since 2011 have systematically introduced the general public to the opera heritage of Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov.

"To Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov the Great Singer Mey" - written in gold embossing on the ribbon presented to the composer. Dramas, poetry, translations - the work of Lev Aleksandrovich Mey attracted Rimsky-Korsakov throughout almost his entire life. Some materials of the opera - heroes, images, musical elements- moved to The Tsar's Bride, and later migrated to Servilia, which, it would seem, is so far from the dramas of the era of Ivan the Terrible. The focus of the three operas is bright female images, the fragile world of beauty and purity, which is dying as a result of the invasion of powerful forces embodied in their quintessence, whether it be the Moscow tsar or the Roman consul. The three doomed brides of Mey - Rimsky-Korsakov - this is one emotional line, striving for the highest expression in the image of Fevronia in "The Tale of invisible city Kitezh. Olga, Martha and Servilia, loving, sacrificial, anticipating death, were brilliantly embodied on the stage by Korsakov's ideal - N. I. Zabela-Vrubel, with her unearthly voice, ideally suited for these parts.

The opera The Tsar's Bride is more familiar to the general public than other operas by Rimsky-Korsakov. The funds of the Museum of Theater and Musical Art have preserved evidence of many productions: from the premiere at the Private Theater of S. I. Mamontov in 1899 to performances of the last quarter of the 20th century. These are sketches of costumes and scenery by K. M. Ivanov, E. P. Ponomarev, S. V. Zhivotovsky, V. M. Zaitseva, original works by D. V. Afanasyev - two-layer sketches of costumes imitating the relief of fabric. The central place at the exhibition will be occupied by sketches of scenery and costumes by S. M. Yunovich. In 1966 she created one of the best performances throughout the entire history of the stage life of this opera - poignant, tense, tragic, like the life and fate of the artist herself. The exhibition will feature for the first time Marfa's costume for the soloist of the Tiflis Opera I. M. Korsunskaya. According to legend, this costume was bought from the maid of honor of the Imperial Court. Later, Korsunskaya presented the costume to L.P. Filatova, who also took part in the play by S. M. Yunovich.

The Maid of Pskov, chronologically Rimsky-Korsakov's first opera, will be presented in the final exhibition of the cycle for a reason. Work on this "opera-chronicle" was dispersed in time, three editions of the work cover a significant part of the composer's creative biography. At the exhibition, visitors will see a sketch of the scenery by M. P. Zandin, a stage costume, a collection of dramatic works Mey in the edition of Kushelev-Bezborodko from the personal library of Rimsky-Korsakov. The score of the opera The Boyar Vera Sheloga, which became the prologue to The Maid of Pskov, has been preserved, autographed by V.

V. Yastrebtsev - biographer of the composer. The exposition also presents memorial tapes: “To N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov “The Girl of Pskov” Benefit performance of the orchestra 28.X.1903. Orchestra of Imperial Russian Music"; "N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov "in memory of my slave Ivan" Pskovityanka 28 X 903. S.P.B."

Chaliapin, who suffered through every intonation of the part of Ivan the Terrible, who is torn between love for his newfound daughter and the burden of power, turned the historical drama The Maid of Pskov into a genuine tragedy.

Exhibition visitors will have unique opportunity get acquainted with Rimsky-Korsakov's opera "Servilia", presented by E. P. Ponomarev's costume sketches for the premiere performance at the Mariinsky Theater in 1902; stage costume, which will be exhibited for the first time in an open exhibition, as well as the clavier of the opera with the composer's personal notes. For several decades, the opera has not appeared either on the stage of the theater or in concert hall. There is no complete recording of "Servilia". The museum's appeal to the forgotten opera by Rimsky-Korsakov, planned several years ago, surprisingly coincided today with the expectation of an outstanding event - the upcoming production of "Servilia" at the Chamber Musical Theater. B. A. Pokrovsky. Prior to the April 15 premiere, Gennady Rozhdestvensky is also planning to make the first ever recording of Servilia. This is how the empty window in the majestic opera house of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov will be filled.

Lev Alexandrovich Mei was born in 1822 into a poor noble family and was educated at the same Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, where A.S. Pushkin had studied several decades earlier. The poet began to publish from the mid-40s in the Slavophile magazine Moskvityanin. Having lived in the world for forty years, he left a fairly extensive literary legacy. The influence of reactionary Slavophile ideas, to which the poet was captured from a young age, limited the horizons of L.A. Mey and led him to the camp of supporters " pure art". However, in the poems written in the last years of his life, realistic motifs come through in relief. According to the researchers of L.A. Mey’s work, his works are not among the most striking phenomena of Russian poetry, but they are distinguished by their diversity and originality.

A prominent place in the work of L.A. Mey is occupied by folk verses, closely adjacent to the historical dramas of the poet. In "Pskovityanka", for example, several songs were introduced. According to A. Izmailov, A.P. Chekhov once expressed the opinion that the Mei people are more honest and original than the opera people of A.K. Tolstoy. Using the word "opera" as a negative term, Anton Pavlovich meant, of course, not high musical stage art, but the worst examples of stilted opera, which in those years occupied a leading place on the stage of the imperial theaters.

The work of L.A. Mey on the historical dramas “The Woman of Pskov” and “The Tsar’s Bride” proceeded in the late 40s and early 50s 19th century. The content of both works refers to the same period of Russian history - the era of Ivan the Terrible, more precisely - to 1570-1572. L.A. Mey, among the first writers, began to develop plots on the themes of this period of Russian history. “The Woman of Pskov” and “The Tsar’s Bride” were written earlier than A.K. Tolstoy’s trilogy (“The Death of Ivan the Terrible”, “Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich”, “Tsar Boris”), the plays by A.N. Ostrovsky “Vasilisa Melentyeva”, before the works P. Volkhovsky, A. Sukhov, F. Milius and other now forgotten writers. As the actual sources of the drama, the poet used, along with the fundamental work of N.M. Karamzin "History of the Russian State", chronicles, letters from Prince Kurbsky to Ivan the Terrible, folk songs. He develops a frankly fictional psychological situation. “It could be” - this is the main argument, formulated by Mey himself. Olga could be the illegitimate daughter of Ivan IV from the noblewoman Vera Sheloga, and it is by this circumstance that the poet explains the salvation of Pskov from the same as in Novgorod, robberies, pogroms and executions. Claiming "The Tsar's Bride" and "Pskovityanka" a new genre of literary work in the dramaturgy of those years, built on a fictional situation from the life of a real-life historical figure, L.A. Mei believed that the artist had the right to such fiction.

The Pskovityanka, as a literary work intended for publication in a magazine and staged on a dramatic stage, has been unlucky from the moment it was born. In an effort, apparently, to somehow realize his sympathy for the writers grouped around Sovremennik, L.A. Mey made an attempt to publish his drama in this magazine. About how her fate was decided, N. G. Chernyshevsky told in his article “Memoirs of the relationship of I.S. Turgenev to Dobrolyubov”:

“And so, after one of these dinners, when the company settled down, as it is more convenient for anyone, on a Turkish sofa and other comfortable furniture, Nekrasov invited everyone to listen to the reading of May’s drama The Pskovite Woman, which Turgenev suggested that he publish it in Sovremennik; Turgenev wants to read it. Everyone gathered in that part of the hall where Turgenev sat on the sofa. I alone stayed where I was sitting, very far from the sofa... Reading began. After reading the first act, Turgenev stopped and asked his audience if everyone shared his opinion that May's drama was a high work of art? Of course, it is still impossible to fully appreciate her from the first act alone, but even in it a strong talent is already sufficiently revealed, etc. etc. Those who considered themselves to have a say in such matters began to praise the first act and foresee that the drama as a whole would turn out to be really high. artwork. Nekrasov said that he allowed himself to listen to what others would say. People who did not consider themselves sufficiently authoritative for significant roles in the literary Areopagus expressed their sympathy for competent assessment with modest and brief approval. When the conversation began to subside, I said from my seat: "Ivan Sergeevich, this is a boring and completely mediocre thing, it is not worth publishing it in Sovremennik." Turgenev began to defend the opinion he had expressed earlier, I analyzed his arguments, so we talked for several minutes. He folded and hid the manuscript, saying that he would not continue reading. That is how the matter ended."

The idealization of antiquity and the stylization of nationality in the drama came into irreconcilable contradiction with the literary and sociological views of N.G. Chernyshevsky and caused him a devastating response. In Russian literature, the image of the Pskov and Novgorod freemen was traditionally associated with the opposition and revolutionary poetry of K. Ryleev, A. Odoevsky, M. Lermontov, inspired by the high ideals of the Decembrists. L. May's drama "Pskovityanka" did not flow into this stream. Pskov freemen and sympathy for her are realized here only in poetic terms, coinciding with moderate political views author.

Rejected by the revolutionary democrats, The Maid of Pskov did not meet with sympathy in the opposite literary camp either. Boleslav Markovich, a representative of noble circles, was one of the first to respond to the drama published in the Otechestvennye Zapiski magazine. In a letter to A.K. Tolstoy, he complained that in The Maid of Pskov, “John is presented from the point of view of a democratic school and is completely misunderstood.”

The genre approved by L.A. May's dramas historical work, built on a fictitious psychological situation, turned out to be unacceptable for the critic Apollon Grigoriev, who is close in his views to the ideologists of the official "nationality". Historical drama, in his opinion, in itself has no right to exist. Adding elements to it family romance and completely discredits this genre.

“Actually speaking,” notes Apollon Grigoriev, “in the entire Pskovityanka, only the Pskov Veche, that is, Act III, is worth a serious critical assessment, or, better, a critical study.”

It must be said that the scene of the Pskov Veche is indeed the most powerful fragment of the drama. It is full of dynamics and truthfully reproduces a complex picture of the life of the city, full of irreconcilable contradictions, which has not yet lost its republican traditions. L.A. Mey managed to resurrect the events of history as a meaningful and truthful story about the life of the people. Separate personalities and particular phenomena are present in it only to explain the deep processes of this life.

The Pskov "world" of diverse composition formed two clearly demarcated camps. Some meekly await royal wrath or royal mercy. Others call for gathering strength and not letting adversaries into the city:

And we, Pskovians,
Let's also put our heads on the chopping block?
Whisper something - bye-bye! don't get angry!
No!.. How is it?
Al walls collapsed?
Are the locks at the gates rusty?
Do not betray, guys, Pskov the Great!
A shield is a shield!
And really, what are we dreaming about?
Call Veche!
At the Holy Savior!
At the Trinity!
For the judge - Pskov!
For the worldly duty and for the veche!
Chop, guys!
From the street, or from home?
Get out of the house!
Rural - from the plow!
Call Veche!
Love!
Veche! Veche!

And now the sounds of the veche bell are heard over the city with a lingering tocsin.

Through the juicy, as if overheard, replicas of the characters, the poet reproduces the procedure for convening the Pskov Vech, gives characteristics to individual Pskovites saturated with vigorous folk humor - cheerful people who did not succumb to despondency even at the most difficult moment of life.

Sotsky Dmitro Patrakeevich arranges a roll call. The good-natured bogatyr butcher Gobol responds from the end of Gorodetsky. This name, well known to everyone, evokes a whole cascade of caustic but friendly nicknames from the crowd:

Fedos Gobolya! homebody grandfather!
Ox godfather! honey-fedos!

Gobole becomes cheerful from such greetings, and he shouts so that everyone can hear:

Phew, toothpickers! Throats opened!

The next Epiphany end turned out to be a cowardly person, a lover to hide from responsibility at a critical moment, to shift it onto the shoulders of others. He does not respond to the voice of the sotsky. But it is impossible to get lost in a crowd where everyone knows each other. It immediately turns out that the Epiphany end is ruled by Koltyr Rakov, and the wits, competing with each other, shout:

And then he...
Give it here!
Where did you crawl away?
Grab him by the claws
Shell!..

The Tsar's governor Yuri Tokmakov allows the Novgorod messenger Yushko Velebin "to speak to Pskov." With bowed heads, the Pskovians listen to the reproaches of the Novgorodians:

Brothers!
Young, all men are from Pskov!
De Novgorod the Great bowed to you,
To help you against Moscow,
And you de brother to your elder
They did not give any help below,
And they forgot the kissing of the cross;
Otherwise, all your power and will,
And help you Holy Trinity!
And your elder brother showed off.
And ordered you to live long and rule
A memorial for him...
An uproar rises in the crowd, shouts are heard:
Novgorod the Great!
Our dear!
Is it really
Is it the end of him?
The end will come to Pskov!
And rightly so: they sat with their hands clasped!

And here is the reaction of some representatives of the crowd to the appearance of freemen, led by Mikhail Cloud:

Well, they got it!

Volnitsa!

Buyans!
Here is an exclamation of caution:
Ori more mistakenly - to know his eyes drank away:
Look, the sons of the mayor!
And the voice of the instantly cowardly:
What am I?..
I just!..

In this short dialogue, the characters of several people are sparingly but accurately outlined and a transparent allusion is made to the long-established differentiation of Pskov society.

It has already been said above that the Pskov Veche was liquidated by a royal decree as early as the beginning of 1510, i.e. sixty years before the events described in the drama "The Maid of Pskov". Why, then, does L.A. May give the scene of the veche? Maybe he got confused in the chronology, moved the dates, made a historical mistake? Not! The poet firmly remembered all this. The speech of the deep old man, the former posadnik Maxim Illarionovich, indicates that L.A. Mei comprehensively comprehended and maturely assessed the phenomena of the described era. Having learned about the disagreements that arose at the veche, Maxim Illarionovich left his honorable senile seclusion and went up to the veche place in order to reconcile the disputants with the wisdom of fathers and grandfathers:

... Now I'm in my ninth decade...
I saw the will - red maiden,
I saw her - a helpless old woman,
And he himself carried the deceased to the grave ....
Well! .. There was a time, and not in our verst,
And there would be someone to compete
With Moscow... No! grandparents were smarter
Al Pskov was something more expensive to them:
Pokora seemed not to have been heard;
Resentment seemed not to be seen;
What tears came to the throat -
So they drove away to the heart with beer-honey ...
And have fun ... Well, don't have fun
Like a grandfather?
Grand Duke Vasily
And the Korsun bell ordered to remove,
And the veche ruined ... How we did then
The apples with tears did not fall out -
And God knows! .. But still they had fun,
And yet Pskov the Great was saved -
They loved Pskov more than grandchildren grandfathers ...
And I said...
Who wants to contradict me
He is apparently young and does not know Moscow ...
Not one's own - someone else's on the account:
Everything will be verified, yes it will hang out, yes it will sweep away,
Yes, he will. - go with her - sue,
On the great day, before the judgment of Christ!
And then to say: in my time there were
Tsars in Moscow, but just tsars
They were called in Moscow, but not the Tsar of Moscow
For all countries and peoples - the king.
The hand is heavy, and the soul is darkness
At Grozny... Say goodbye to Pskov.
Moscow suburb will be good -
And thank God!

Through the mouth of Maxim Illarionovich, L.A. Mei reproaches the Pskov freemen for forgetting the precepts of their ancestors, who have long understood that in the changed conditions it is necessary to suppress separatist feelings in oneself and put all-Russian interests above local ones. The convocation of the Pskov Veche in 1571, on the eve of the arrival of Ivan the Terrible in the city, does not contradict historical truth. The process of joining Pskov to Russian centralized state was long, lasted more than two and a half centuries and ended, in essence, only in the 17th century. The legal act of destroying the veche in 1510 could not immediately liquidate the traditions that had developed over the centuries. The habit of jointly discussing vital issues made itself felt for a long time. A critical moment was approaching, and people hurried to the square to listen to the opinions of others and to submit their considerations to the judgment of fellow citizens. But this was already a deliberative veche, whose opinion the authorities usually did not take into account.

The first attempt to stage The Maid of Pskov on the dramatic stage ended in failure. In a report dated March 23, 1861, the censor I. Nordstrem, having outlined the content of the play, comes to the following conclusion: “The real drama contains a historically correct description of the terrible era of the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, a vivid image of the Pskov vech and his violent freemen. Such plays have always been forbidden.”

The drama saw the light of the stage for the first time only twenty-seven years later - on January 27, 1888, on the stage of the St. Petersburg Alexandria Theater for the benefit performance of Pelageya Antipovna Strepetova. The great Russian actress played the roles of noblewoman Vera Sheloga in the prologue and Olga Tokmakova in the play. “She played,” recalls one of the spectators, “this young Russian beauty with a poetic face, despite her external data, was excellent. This great actress knew how to make the audience see her beautiful on stage.”

In the role of Vera Sheloga, Pelageya Strepetova shaded the theme of retribution for breaking her word, which is closest to her personal and stage fate. She created a great image inner strength, but not able to inspire the audience, accustomed to seek and find in the democratic art of his favorite actress answers to the sore questions of our time.

"Pskovityanka" was never able to win any firm position in the repertoire of the capital and peripheral theaters. The reason for this should be sought not in the persecution of censorship (purely temporary and accidental), but in the non-staging of the play itself. It has already been noted that the drama "Pskovityanka" contains a number of colorful scenes, is full of folk songs, fairy tales, legends; images of some heroes are full of expression. However, all this large and interesting material is poorly organized. An unjustified abundance of actors (more than a hundred), unnaturally long monologues, frank theatricality (in the worst sense of the word) of many scenes and phenomena, protracted action and other shortcomings close the way for the play to the dramatic stage for which it was intended. However, the plot developed by L.A. Meem did not disappear. He attracted the attention of the brilliant composer N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov. Conventionality and stylization, which disgusted the public on the dramatic stage, turned out to be quite appropriate in such musical genre like an opera. Composers have written music to the words of individual episodes of The Maid of Pskov before. But only N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, who created an outstanding work, was able not only to resurrect, but also create the unfading glory of The Pskovite.

Beregov, N. Creator of the "Pskovityanka" / N. Beregov. - Pskov branch of Lenizdat, 1970. - 84p.

ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov opera "The Tsar's Bride"

The literary basis for the opera "The Tsar's Bride" by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov was the drama of the same name by L. A. May. The composer came up with the idea to create an opera based on the plot of this work in the late 60s of the 19th century. But he began to write it only three decades later. The premiere was a huge success in 1899. Since then, The Tsar's Bride has never left the stage of the world's leading opera houses.

This opera is about love - hot, passionate, burning everything around. About love that arose in one of the most cruel and terrible eras in the history of our country - the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Time of oprichnina, boyars, demonstration executions and deadly feasts.

A summary of Rimsky-Korsakov's opera The Tsar's Bride and many interesting facts about this work can be found on our page.

Summary

The action takes place in the 16th century, during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Oprichnik Grigory Gryaznoy is tormented by his love for Martha, the daughter of the merchant Sobakin, who is engaged to Ivan Lykov. Gryaznoy organizes a feast, where many guests come, whom he introduces to his mistress Lyubasha. Bomelius, the tsar's doctor, was at the feast, and Gryaznoy asks if he has a love potion to bewitch the girl. The doctor gives a positive answer, and after a short persuasion, he agrees to prepare a potion. Lyubasha overheard their entire conversation.

After the church service, Marfa and Dunyasha were waiting for Ivan Lykov, at that time Ivan the Terrible rode past them, in the form of a horseman, examining the young beauties. In the evening, Lyubasha meets with Bomelius and asks to prepare a potion that will poison her rival Marfa. The doctor agrees to give such a potion, but in return he wants love. Lyubasha, in a hopeless state, agrees to the terms.

2000 young girls were at the royal bride, but only a dozen of them were selected, including Martha and Dunyasha. In Sobakin's house, everyone is worried that they can choose Martha, then there will be no wedding. But they report the good news that the tsar will most likely choose Dunyasha. Everyone drinks for this joyful event, and Gregory adds the potion to Martha's glass, but Lyubasha replaced the "love spell" with her "poison" beforehand. Marfa drinks the potion, joyful singing begins about the marriage, but at that moment the royal boyars appear with Malyuta and the news that Ivan the Terrible takes Marfa as his wife.

In the royal chambers, an unknown disease kills Marfa. Gryaznoy comes and says that Lykov will be executed, because. he confessed that he had poisoned Sobakin's daughter. The clouded mind of Martha perceives Grigory for Lykov. Dirty realizes that it is he who is to blame, cannot stand it and gives out the whole truth, that it was he who added the potion to her. Gryaznoy wants to be taken away, but Bomelius was also punished. Lyubasha comes and confesses everything. Dirty in a rage kills his mistress.

A photo:

Interesting Facts

• According to Rimsky-Korsakov, "The Tsar's Bride" was supposed to be his answer to the ideas Richard Wagner.
• The main set designer for the Moscow premiere was Mikhail Vrubel. Two years later, the premiere was held at the Mariinsky Theatre, the designers of the scenery for which were the artists Ivanov and Lambin.
• In 1966 director Vladimer Gorikker made a film version of the opera.
• The only known American production of The Tsar's Bride premiered at the Washington Opera in 1986.
• The main events presented in May's drama really took place in the era of Ivan the Terrible. This episode is almost unknown, but it is recorded in historical literature. Grozny was going to marry a third time. His choice fell on the daughter of a merchant, Marfa Vasilievna Sobakina, but soon the royal bride was struck down by an illness of unknown origin. It was rumored that Martha was poisoned. Suspicion fell on the relatives of the previously deceased queens. To deal with them, a special poison was made, which instantly sent the victim to another world. Such an execution was subject to many people from the king's entourage. He nevertheless married the fading Martha, hoping to heal her with his love, but the miracle did not happen: the queen died. Whether she became a victim of human malice and envy, or an accidental culprit in the execution of innocent people, still remains a mystery.
• Despite such an important role of Ivan the Terrible in the opera, he does not have a vocal part. His image is entirely characterized by orchestral themes.
• In his musical drama, the author intertwined two love triangles: Marfa-Lyubasha-Dirty and Marfa-Lykov-Dirty.
• The composer composed the opera "The Tsar's Bride" in 10 months.
• This musical drama is not the only one that was written based on the drama of Lev Mei; the operas The Maid of Pskov and Servilia were also written based on his works.
• Rimsky-Korsakov, was one of the participants " mighty handful". After the premiere of The Tsar's Bride, the members of the Balakireevsky circle did not approve of his innovative decisions. They considered him almost a traitor who had moved away from the old Russian school, as well as the Balakireevsky foundations.
• The libretto of the opera did not include many characters from Lev Mey's drama.
• The party of Marfa, Nikolai Andreevich wrote specifically for the opera diva N.I. Zabela-Vrubel.

Popular arias:

Lyubasha's aria "That's what I've lived up to" - listen

Marfa's aria - listen

Arioso Lykova "Everything is different - both people and the earth ..." - listen

History of creation

After a stunning success opera "Sadko", ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov decided to experiment and create a new, unique opera. The composer made it "simple", he did not insert large, mass scenes and choirs, as was customary before in Russian opera art. Also, his goal was to show precisely the vocal cantilena in the arias he wrote. And Nikolai Andreevich succeeded.

Rimsky-Korsakov began work on the opera in 1898, the same year he completed it. The composer himself worked on the libretto. Nikolai Andreevich preserved the entire chronology that was in May's drama, and also left some of the texts from the work unchanged. It is important that the composer had an assistant, his former student I. Tyumenev. He assisted in writing the libretto for the opera, as well as in editing the words in some of the arias.

Productions

On November 3, 1899 (according to the new time reckoning), the premiere of the opera "The Tsar's Bride" took place in the private theater of S. Mamontov (Moscow). This opera evoked different emotions in the viewer, but in general, the musical drama was "to the taste" of the public.

In Russia, this opera has been staged and staged quite often. All kinds of Russians musical theaters can boast of staging an opera, if not in the present tense, then at least in the last century. "The Tsar's Bride" was staged in such places as: the Mariinsky Theater, the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater, the Bolshoi Theater (Moscow), Novaya Opera, Samara academic theater opera and ballet, etc. etc. Unfortunately, the opera does not enjoy such popularity abroad, although there were several one-time productions on foreign stages.

Opera in three acts by Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov; libretto by the composer (with the participation of V. V. Stasov, M. P. Mussorgsky, V. V. Nikolsky) based on the drama of the same name by L. May.

Characters:

Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible (bass), Prince Yury Ivanovich Tokmakov, tsar's governor and sedate mayor in Pskov (bass), boyar Nikita Matuta (tenor), Prince Afanasy Vyazemsky (bass), Bomelius, tsar's doctor (bass), Mikhail Andreevich Tucha, mayor's son (tenor), Yushko Velebin, a messenger from Novgorod (bass), Princess Olga Yuryevna Tokmakova (soprano), hawthorn Stepanida Matuta, Olga's friend (soprano), Vlasyevna, mother (mezzo-soprano), Perfilievna, mother (mezzo-soprano) ), the voice of the guard (tenor).
Tysyatsky, judge, Pskov boyars, mayor's sons, guardsmen, Moscow archers, hay girls, people.

Action time: 1570.
Location: Pskov; at the Pechersky Monastery; near the river Mededni.
First edition of the first edition: Petersburg, January 1 (13), 1873.
First execution of the third (final) edition: Moscow, December 15 (27), 1898.

The Maid of Pskov is the first of fifteen operas created by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov. When he conceived it - in 1868, he was 24 years old. The composer himself tells about the first impulses to compose an opera in the Chronicle of My Musical Life: “I remember how, sitting one day at my place (in my brother’s apartment), I received his note with the appointment of the day of departure (to the village in the Kashinsky district of the Tver province. A.M.). I remember how the picture of the upcoming trip into the wilderness, into the interior of Russia, instantly aroused in me a surge of some kind of love for Russian folk life, for its history in general and for the Pskovityanka in particular, and how, under the impression of these sensations, I sat down at the piano and immediately improvised the theme of the chorus of the meeting of Tsar Ivan with the people of Pskov (among the composition “Antar” I was already thinking about the opera at that time)”. It is noteworthy that The Maid of Pskov was composed by Rimsky-Korsakov at the same time that Mussorgsky, being on close terms with Rimsky-Korsakov, was composing his Boris Godunov. “Our life with Modest was, I believe, the only example of the joint life of two composers,” wrote Rimsky-Korsakov many years later. How could we not interfere with each other? That's how. From morning until 12 o'clock Mussorgsky usually used the piano, and I either rewrote or orchestrated something that had already been fully thought out. By 12 o'clock he left for the service in the ministry, and I used the piano. In the evenings, things happened by mutual agreement ... This autumn and winter, we have gained a lot, constantly exchanging thoughts and intentions. Mussorgsky composed and orchestrated the Polish act "Boris Godunov" and the folk painting "Under the Kromy". I orchestrated and finished The Maid of Pskov.

The fruits of friendship between these two great composers are well known - Mussorgsky contributed to the creation of the libretto of The Maid of Pskov, Rimsky-Korsakov helped promote Boris Godunov to the opera stage.

The Maid of Pskov was staged at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg on January 1, 1873. But, as it turned out, this was only its first edition. The composer was dissatisfied with many things, and it took another five years to make the second edition of the opera. But even she did not bring the desired satisfaction (and was not staged; only some of her numbers were performed under the piano in the circle of the composer's friends, who, despite their own active participation in this performance - Mussorgsky, for example, sang the part of the boyar Sheloga - rather restrainedly treated her). And only the third edition (1892) - in which the opera is staged to this day - brought satisfaction to the composer. But even so, he did not stop thinking about the whole plan of the drama. So, already in 1898, he finally singled out from the "Pskovityanka" storyline, associated with the noblewoman Vera Sheloga, and created the one-act opera Vera Sheloga, which is now the prologue to The Maid of Pskov. thus, this plot occupied the composer's thoughts for more than thirty years.

Overture

The opera begins with an orchestral overture that outlines the main conflict of the opera. The theme of Tsar Ivan the Terrible sounds gloomy, wary. Tsar Ivan was angered by the people of Pskov, now they are waiting for thunderstorms. This first theme is countered by the impetuous strong-willed melody of Cloud's song. The rapid flow is interrupted by Olga's theme, as wide as a folk song. In the end, in the struggle of these images, the theme of the king wins.

Action one. Picture one

Pskov. 1570. Garden of Prince Yury Tokmakov, Viceroy of the Tsar in Pskov; boyar mansions to the right; to the left - a slotted fence into the adjacent garden. In the foreground is a dense bird cherry tree. Below it is a table and two benches. The Kremlin and part of Pskov are visible in the distance. Twilight. Lively, joyful mood. Girls frolic here - they play burners. Two mothers - Vlasyevna and Perfilyevna - are sitting at the table and talking to each other. On a bench on the other side of the garden, not taking part in the game, sits Olga, the daughter of Prince Yuri Tokmakov. Among the merry girls is Stesha, Olga's friend. Soon she offers to stop playing burners and go picking raspberries. Everyone agrees and leaves; Stesha drags Olga along. The mothers are left alone and talk; Perfilyevna conveys to Vlasyevna a rumor that Olga is not the daughter of a prince - "raise it higher." Vlasyevna does not like empty talk and considers this topic stupid. Another thing is the news from Novgorod. She says that "Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich deigned to be angry at Novgorod, he came with all the oprichnina." He ruthlessly punishes the guilty: there is a groan in the city, and in the square three thousand people were executed in a day. (Their conversation takes place against the backdrop of a choir of girls that sounds offstage). The girls return with berries. They ask Vlasyevna to tell a fairy tale. She resists for a long time, but in the end agrees to tell about Princess Lada. While Vlasyevna was being persuaded, Stesha managed to whisper to Olga that Cloud, Olga's lover, said that he would come later today and give the message to Olga. She is happy. Vlasyevna begins a fairy tale ("The fairy tale begins with a sentence and a saying." Suddenly, a sharp whistle is heard behind the neighboring fence. This is Mikhail (Mikhailo) Cloud, Olga's lover, has come. Vlasyevna was frightened by the loud whistle and scolds Cloud. The girls go into the house.

Mikhail Tucha sings (at first behind the fence, then climbing on it) a wonderful drawn-out song (“Rejoice you, cuckoo”). It's getting quite dark outside; a month floats out from behind the Kremlin. Olga comes out into the garden to the sounds of the song; she quickly walks along the path towards the Cloud; he goes to her. Sounds like a love duet. But both of them understand that Olga cannot belong to the Cloud - she is betrothed to another, the boyar Matuta. They are considering different options on how to solve this problem: should he, Tucha, go to Siberia to get rich there and then rightfully compete with Matuta (Olga rejects this option - she does not want to part with her lover), whether Olga should fall at the feet of her father and confess to him her love for Mikhailo Tucha and, perhaps, even confess that she secretly came to see him? What to do? Their duet ends with a passionate declaration of love to each other.

Prince Yuri Tokmakov and boyar Matuta appear on the porch of the house; they seem to continue the conversation started back in the house. Frightened by their appearance, Olga sends Cloud away, while she herself hides in the bushes. The prince and the boyar descend into the garden. The prince has something to say to Matuta, and he intends to do it in the garden. “Here, it’s not like in the tower; cooler, and more free to talk, ”he says to Matuta, however, restlessly - he recalls that it seemed to him: someone shouted when they entered the house, and even now he notices that the bushes are moving. Prince Tokmakov reassures him and wonders who Matuta is scared of. Matuta fears the unexpected arrival of the tsar in Pskov. But the prince is concerned about another thought. “Do you think Olga is my own daughter?” he dumbfounds Matuta with this question. "Then who?" - the boyar is perplexed. Who... who... I don’t know what to call it!” the prince answers. He goes on to say that Olga is actually his adopted daughter.

(Here it is assumed that the listener knows the content of the opera "Vera Sheloga", which is a prologue to "The Maid of Pskov". Here is her summary(its plot is the first act of May's drama). Vera, the wife of the old boyar Sheloga, is visited by her unmarried sister Nadezhda, the bride of Prince Tokmakov. Vera is sad: she is afraid of the return of her husband - during his long absence, she gave birth to a daughter, Olga. Once, walking with the girls at the Caves Monastery. Vera met the young Tsar Ivan and fell in love with him. Olga is the daughter of the king, not Sheloga. How will her unloved husband meet her? Sheloga arrives with Tokmakov. Guessing that this is not his child, he interrogates Vera in anger. But Nadezhda takes the blame, boldly declaring that this is her child. Later (this is indirectly told in the opera The Maid of Pskov) Tokmakov married Nadezhda and adopted Olga. She became the favorite of Pskov. Hence the name of May's drama and Rimsky-Korsakov's opera.) So, the old prince told the boyar a secret: Olga is not his daughter. (Prince Tokmakov revealed to Matuta only half the truth - he named his mother, but said that he did not know about his father, and he really, apparently, does not know who he is). Olga, hiding in the bushes, hears this; she cannot restrain herself and cries out: “Lord!” Matuta is again disturbed by this cry. But at that moment in the city, in the Kremlin, a bell rang: one blow, another, a third... The bell never ceased to buzz. The Pskovites are calling a meeting. Matuta does not know what to do, whether to go with the prince or wait for him in the tower; The prince reproaches the boyar for cowardice: “Stop it, Nikita! Here, perhaps, Pskov will have to be defended, and you are on the stove with fear, like a woman. In the end, both hurriedly leave. Olga comes out from behind the bushes, listens to the bell in excitement: “They are ringing not for good! That my happiness is buried. She covers her face with her hands and sits down on the bench.

From the ringing of bells that accompanies the end of the first picture, the orchestral intermezzo that follows it grows. Soon the themes of Tsar Ivan the Terrible are woven into it.

Picture two

Trade area in Pskov. Veche place. Bonfires are laid out on the square. The bell is ringing at the Trinity Bell Tower. Night. Crowds of people hurriedly enter the square from everywhere. Yushko Velebin, a messenger from Novgorod, stands at the veche place; around him is a circle of Pskovites. The people are getting bigger and bigger. Mikhailo Tucha and the townspeople enter. Everyone is in alarm: who rang the bell? Apparently not good. The messenger enters the veche place, takes off his hat and bows on three sides. he has bad news: "Your elder brother (Novgorod the Great. A.M.), showed off, ordered you to live long, and to rule the commemoration for him." He tells the chilling details of the punishment inflicted by Tsar Ivan on the Novgorodians, and says that the tsar is going to Pskov with an oprichnina. At first, the people are determined to defend their city by force. But the old prince Yury Tokmakov takes the floor. On the contrary, he calls on the people of Pskov to meet the tsar with bread and salt (let us remember that he is the tsar's vicegerent in Pskov). His argument is, of course, erroneous (although, apparently, he himself believes in it) that the tsar is not going with punishment, but to bow to the Pskov shrine, and it is not worthwhile to meet him with a pole and reed as an enemy. (Shestoper is a kind of club, maces. Berdysh is a kind of ax on a long spear.) But Mikhailo Cloud takes the floor. He does not like the proposal of the prince. He paints a picture of the humiliation of Pskov: “Recapture all the gates of the Kremlin, dull your swords and spears, in churches from the icons of the salary, rip off the seditious laughter and joy!” He, Mikhailo Tucha, will not tolerate this - he is leaving. The cloud and together with him the brave freemen (his detachment) leave to hide in the forests, and then defend the freedom of Pskov. The people are in confusion. Prince Tokmakov is trying to reason with the people so that they hospitably meet Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich. Beats of the veche bell are heard.

Action two. Picture one

Big square in Pskov. In the foreground is the tower of Prince Yuri Tokmakov. Houses have tables with bread and salt. The people are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the tsar (chorus "The Terrible Tsar is going to the great Pskov. We will be punished, the execution is fierce"). Olga and Vlasyevna come out onto the porch of the princely house. Olga's heart is heavy. She cannot recover from the mental blow that she received, becoming an involuntary witness to the conversation between the prince and Matuta. She sings her arietta “Ah, mother, mother, there is no red fun for me! I don't know who my father is or if he is alive." Vlasyevna tries to calm her down. And then it turns out that Olga is passionately waiting for the arrival of Tsar Ivan, and for him her soul has languished, and the world is not dear to her without him. Vlasyevna is frightened and says (to the side), as if anticipating something bad: “Fate has not given you many bright, clear days, child.” The stage fills with people. The city begins to ring bells. The royal procession is shown. The people bow from the waist to the king, who is riding on a horse, and kneel before him.

Picture two begins with an orchestral intermezzo, depicting a fragile, ideal image of the heroine of the opera - Olga. The melodies from which it is woven will subsequently sound in her story about childhood dreams, in her appeal to the king. The intermezzo leads directly to the stage action of the second painting. A room in the house of Prince Yuri Tokmakov. The Pskov nobility meets the tsar here. But the king is unfriendly - everywhere he sees treason. He suspects poison in the goblet that Olga brings him, and demands that the prince himself take a sip first. Then he orders that Olga bring it to him too; but not just with a bow, but with a kiss. Olga boldly looks directly into the eyes of the king. He is shocked by her resemblance to Vera Sheloga. Olga leaves, Tsar Ivan sends away the others who were in the tower with a gesture. Now the king and prince are left alone in the chamber (even the doors are locked). And so Grozny asks Tokmakov who he was married to. The prince tells about his wife, Nadezhda, about her sister Vera and how Olga, Vera's illegitimate daughter, ended up in his house (that is, he briefly retells the content of the prologue of the opera Vera Sheloga). The king clearly understands who Olga is for him. The shocked king changes his anger to mercy: “Let all the killings stop; a lot of blood! Let's blunt the swords on the stones. God bless Pskov!

Action three. Picture one

The third act begins with an orchestral musical picture, which the composer called “Forest. Royal hunt. Thunderstorm". With amazing skill, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov gives a colorful image of Russian nature in it. A dense dark forest surrounds the road to the Caves Monastery. From afar, the sounds of royal hunting are heard - the signals of hunting horns. They are joined by the warlike leitmotif of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Gradually darkens. A storm is coming. Stormy gusts of wind are heard in the orchestra. But now the storm passes, the thunder subsides. The setting sun peeks through the clouds. A song sounds from afar - it is the hay girls of Prince Tokmakov singing. They accompany Olga to the monastery, where she goes on a pilgrimage. Olga deliberately lags behind a little - she wants to be left alone, because she must secretly meet here with Mikhailo Tucha, her lover. And here he appears. Sounds like a love duet. Olga begs Cloud to return with her to Pskov: the tsar is not formidable, his eyes look kindly. These words of Olga offend Cloud: “If you say so, leave me like that, then go to him, the destroyer,” he angrily throws at her. But Olga convinces him of her love, and their voices merge in a single impulse.

But the joy of Olga and Clouds did not last long. Matuta, offended by her indifference, had long been following Olga. And here, on the forest road, he finally learned the reason for her contempt for him: hiding in the bushes, he watched her meeting with Cloud. And now, on his orders, his serfs attack Cloud, wound him, and Olga, tied up, is taken away with them. Matuta viciously rejoices, he threatens to tell Tsar Ivan about the betrayal of Clouds.

Picture two

Royal headquarters. The back side is folded back; a wooded area and a steep bank of the Medeni River are visible. Night. The moon shines. The headquarters is covered with carpets; front left bearskin over carpet; on it is a table covered with gold brocade with two candelabra; on the table is a fur hat, a silver-forged sword, a shot glass, a cup, an inkpot, and several scrolls. Here is the weapon. Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich is alone. His monologue sounds (“The former joy, the former passion, the seething dream of youth!”). Olga does not go out of his head. His thoughts are interrupted by the news that the royal guards have captured Matuta, who was trying to kidnap Olga. The tsar does not want to listen to Matuta's slander on Cloud and drives the boyar away. And Olga calls to her. She comes. At first, the tsar is wary of Olga's words, but now she frankly tells him about her childhood, about how she prayed for him even then, and that she dreamed of him at night. The king is moved and excited.

Suddenly, a noise is heard near the bet. These are the voices of the freemen of the Clouds detachment. It turns out that, having recovered from his wound, he gathered his fighters and now attacked the king's headquarters, wanting to free Olga. Upon learning of this, the king in anger orders to shoot the rebels, and to bring Cloud himself to him. The cloud, however, manages to escape captivity, and from afar Olga hears the words of his farewell song. Olga breaks out and runs out of the bet. Behind the headquarters, the command of Prince Vyazemsky sounds: “Shoot!” (The prince meant Mikhailo Tucha.) Olga turned out to be killed ...

Slowly enters the squad with the dead Olga in their arms. At the sight of Olga, the tsar rushes to her. He mourns inconsolably, bending over her. He calls the healer (Bomelius), but he is powerless: "The Lord alone resurrects the dead"...

The headquarters is filled with people mourning Olga. But there is no tragedy in the sound of the final chorus. His general mood is enlightened sadness.

A. Maykapar

The Maid of Pskov, the first opera by Rimsky-Korsakov and the only historical musical drama in his legacy, or, more precisely, a musical drama about history, has an unusually long and complex creative biography. Like Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, it has not one, or even two, but three author's editions, but, unlike Boris, these editions are dispersed in time: between the start of work on the opera and the end of its score in the third edition, quarter of century. The second version, which Rimsky-Korsakov worked on on the eve of May Night, does not exist today as a whole. Its character can be judged from various sources: in addition to surviving, but unpublished materials belonging to this editorial office itself, from Rimsky-Korsakov's self-reviews in the Chronicle and conversations with Yastrebtsev, as well as from those fragments that remained in the third edition, or were included by the author in the music for May's drama The Maid of Pskov (1877; overture to the Prologue and four symphonic intermissions), or in a revised form they were included in the opera The Boyar Vera Sheloga (completed in 1897), or form an independent opus (A Poem about Alexei God's man for choir and orchestra).

The composer himself emphasized that the third edition is a "real" type of opera and that here he "generally did not deviate from the first edition", that is, returned to it. This is true if one compares the final version with the intermediate version, but still not with the original one, and a relationship arises between the first and third editions of the opera, somewhat reminiscent of the relationship between the two author's editions of Boris Godunov. True, there are fewer discrepancies between the texts of the first and third editions of The Maid of Pskov than between the two editions of Mussorgsky's opera; different form than the original. The first edition of The Maid of Pskov was staged only in the premiere production of the Mariinsky Theatre, and yet it makes sense - at least in a historical aspect - to consider this text as original and independent.

(This point of view contradicts the opinion of the vast majority of researchers who unequivocally prefer the third edition and analyze the opera only according to the text of the early 90s or refer to the first edition in terms of a purely comparative one in order to prove its imperfection. But there is still another research concept in relation to of this opera, recognizing the independent value of the first edition, which was reflected, for example, in the book by M. S. Druskin "Questions of the Musical Dramaturgy of Opera" (Moscow, 1952), in the article by the American researcher Richard Taruskin "The Past in the Present".)

Speaking about the influences he experienced while working on The Pskovite Woman (1868-1871), Rimsky-Korsakov names five names: Mussorgsky, Cui, Dargomyzhsky, Balakirev, Liszt. With the deduction of Liszt, whose influence in The Pskovityanka could have affected mainly the chord-harmonic sphere, and with the addition of the “forgotten” Borodin, who was then working on the symphonic and opera-historical epic - the Second Symphony and Prince Igor, we get the full composition " Mighty handful" in the most fruitful period of its existence. The influence of Cui and Dargomyzhsky on Rimsky-Korsakov, which most of all concerned, of course, the operatic form and recitative style, was very intense during this period: the composition of The Maid of Pskov first proceeded against the backdrop of frequent home performances of the almost completed The Stone Guest and the upcoming production. William Ratcliff", and then was suspended by Rimsky-Korsakov's work on the score of Dargomyzhsky's opera (some numbers in Cui's opera were also instrumented by him). The influence of Mussorgsky and Balakirev was indicated, first of all, by an indication of the drama of Mei, a writer who was well known to both of them through his works and personally (but by the time Rimsky-Korsakov appeared on the musical horizon he had already passed away), on whose poems they wrote romances, whose plays they looked at long ago (for example, Balakirev at one time intended to take the plot of The Tsar's Bride, and then recommended it to Borodin; back in 1866, he gave Rimsky-Korsakov the text from the first act of Meev's The Pskovite Woman, on which the beautiful Lullaby was written, later included in the "Boyar Vera Sheloga"). Balakirev interfered little in the process of composing the opera, not considering himself competent in this genre; in addition, the end of The Maid of Pskov coincided with a severe crisis in his life. Mussorgsky, Nikolsky, Stasov acted as advisers on the layout of the libretto, the search for texts, etc. But the examples of highly artistic, innovative interpretation of folk songs, given in the Balakirev collection of 1866, decisively determined the significance of the song in the dramaturgy of The Maid of Pskov, and influenced its musical language as a whole. At the beginning of work on the opera, Mussorgsky's The Marriage appeared, and then the first edition of Boris Godunov, which deeply impressed the audience, including Rimsky-Korsakov. The second edition of "Boris" and the score of "The Maid of Pskov" were completed simultaneously and even within the same walls - during the months of the joint life of the two composers, and it is symbolic that only a month separates the premiere of "The Maid of Pskov" from the first public performance of Mussorgsky's opera (the premiere of "The Maid of Pskov" - 1 January 1873; three scenes from "Boris" directed by G. P. Kondratiev, - February 5 of the same year). In addition, during the period of The Maid of Pskov, there was a collective composition by four Kuchkists of Gedeon's Mlada, which also encouraged a constant exchange of musical ideas. Thus, the dedication of the opera in the first edition - "To my dear musical circle" (filmed in the third edition) - is not a simple declaration: it is an expression of gratitude to the comrades, a deeply conscious unity of goals.

Subsequently, the style of The Maid of Pskov, unique in the work of Rimsky-Korsakov, was often considered “under the sign of Boris,” which Rimsky-Korsakov himself gave rise to in some of his statements. Undoubtedly, this opera, especially in the first edition, is the most “Mussorgian” among the works of Rimsky-Korsakov, which was already determined by the genre of The Maid of Pskov. But it is also important to note that the influence was not one-sided, but mutual, and much was born, apparently, in joint searches: for example, if the “forced glorification” in the coronation scene, the people’s lamentations in the Prologue and the scene “At St. Basil’s” chronologically precede the scene of the meeting of Ivan the Terrible with the Pskovites, which is close in meaning, then the brilliant “Veche” precedes "Kromy", and Vlasyevna's Tale - the tower scenes of "Boris Godunov".

What they had in common was the courage, the maximalism with which both young composers undertook to embody the most complex problems of Russian history by means of a musical drama of a new type. It is noteworthy, in particular, that both plays - by Pushkin and Mey - were under a censorship ban for staging by the beginning of work on operas. As a result, both operas ended up with a natural, conditioned ambiguity of their concepts due to the spirit of the times: both Boris and Ivan combine contradictory principles in themselves - the good in them is in an inevitable struggle with evil, "personal" with "state"; the riots in the clearing near Kromy and on the Pskov Veche Square are written with enthusiasm and deep spiritual sympathy, but also with a premonition of their doom. It is no coincidence that hostile reviewers came up with a comparison with the “painful”, “split” Dostoevsky (with the recently published Crime and Punishment) not only in connection with Mussorgsky’s Boris and its central character, but also in connection with The Maid of Pskov. and its main characters - Tsar Ivan and Olga.

Without continuing further the comparison of the operas by Rimsky-Korsakov and Mussorgsky - this is a separate big topic - we will only point out that the work on them took place in a similar way: directly from the texts of dramas with their enrichment with examples of folk art.

Studies usually emphasize that Rimsky-Korsakov deepened the concept of May's drama, discarding many "purely everyday" episodes, including the entire first act, and "dramatically strengthening the role of the people." Perhaps it would be more correct to first point out that in the work of this wonderful Russian writer, friend and like-minded A. N. Ostrovsky, the composer found a harmonious consonance with his nature: the desire for truth and beauty, based on a broad knowledge of the Russian people's worldview, history , life, language; poise, objectivity, so to speak, unbiased feelings and thoughts, colored at the same time with warmth of the heart. Subsequently, Rimsky-Korsakov "voiced" the entire dramaturgy of May. In The Maid of Pskov, he did not need to rethink the main idea, and the concept of the opera coincides with Meev's (expressed both in the text of the drama and in the author's historical notes to it): this is the same combination, sometimes turning into a struggle between "Karamzin" and "Soloviev ”, “state” and “federalist” principles, trends in the disclosure historical process, which marked both Mussorgsky's Boris in the second edition, and, for example, the concept of Balakirev's Rus.

(This issue is covered in detail in the named books by A. A. Gozenpud and A. I. Kandinsky; its modern interpretation is given by R. Taruskin in the above work. and the Pskov freemen - the beginning of the "federalist" is removed by the death of Olga, who, by the will of fate, is involved in both warring forces. Such a resolution of an insoluble contradiction through the sacrifice made female soul, first appearing in The Maid of Pskov, appears repeatedly in the following operas by Rimsky-Korsakov (The Snow Maiden, Sadko - the image of Volkhova, The Tsar's Bride, Servilia, Kitezh - Fevronia and Grishka Kuterma).)

Indeed, in accordance with the aesthetics of Kuchkism of the 60s, the drama is being cleansed of “everydayisms”, from episodes of a similar plan, everything that can characterize folk customs in general: in The Pskovityanka, these are the “burners” noted by Rimsky-Korsakov himself, the choirs of girls in the first and fourth acts, the glorification of the tsar in Tokmakov’s house. But the climaxes of the two lines of the opera - the scene of the evening and the reasoning of Tsar Ivan in the last act - are written almost exactly according to May (of course, with cuts and rearrangements, inevitable due to the specifics of the opera and a strong decrease in the number of actors). As for the magnificent scene of the meeting of the Terrible, which Mei only outlined, and the epilogue, composed anew, here, in addition to the successful find of V. V. Nikolsky, the high generalizing power of music came to the rescue, which could express what the drama of the last century turned out to be under the force - an integral image of the people.

B. V. Asafiev called "Pskovite" " opera chronicle”, thus determining the general tone of the musical narrative - objective, restrained epic and the general orientation of musical characteristics - their constancy, stability. This does not exclude any multilateral display of the images of Ivan and Olga (but only them: all other characters are determined at once, - and the characters of the two main characters do not develop, but rather are revealed), nor the introduction of diverse genre elements (everyday life, love drama, landscape, light strokes of comedy and fantasy), but all of them are given in submission to the main idea, the main carrier of which, as it should be in an opera chronicle, is the choir: and seething internal clashes choirs of Pskovians at the veche (the idea of ​​choral recitatives and semantic contradictions of choral groups stated in the first edition of "Boris" is developed here on a truly symphonic scale), and the "fresco" (A. I. Kandinsky) choir of the meeting of the tsar, which is unified in thought, and the final funeral.

(It naturally evokes an analogy with the epilogue of the second edition of Boris Godunov, especially since the completion of Mussorgsky's opera with the lament of the Holy Fool, which is absent from Pushkin, as well as the lamentation of Olga and Pskov liberty, which is absent from May, are proposed by one person - Nikolsky. In these dramatic parallels and In the endings composed at the same time, the difference in the historical, artistic, personal worldview of the two artists brought up by the same school stands out especially strongly: Mussorgsky’s piercingly anxious questioning of the future and Rimsky-Korsakov’s reconciling, cathartic conclusion.)

A very important discovery of the composer in the veche scene is the introduction to the culmination of an a cappella song with solos (the departure of Clouds and freemen from the veche). This idea was proposed by Mey, as well as some other song episodes of the drama (the choir "Po Raspberry", the song of the Clouds (in the drama - Chetvertki) ("Rejoice you, cuckoo"), and the poet relied here on Ostrovsky's dramatic aesthetics, according to which it is the folk the song becomes a high symbol human destiny. Rimsky-Korsakov, armed with the means of music, went even further in this sense, making the veche folk song a symbol of fate people, and this discovery of his was accepted both by Mussorgsky in the second edition of "Boris" ("Dispersed, cleared up" in "Kromy"), and Borodin in "Prince Igor" (choir of the villagers). It is also important that both extended episodes of the love drama are resolved in a song vein - the duets of Olga and Clouds in the first and fourth acts (recall the importance of songs and - more broadly - folk beliefs, folk speech in the dramatic concept of "Thunderstorm" by Ostrovsky). For this, Rimsky-Korsakov received many reproaches from critics, including Cui, who did not understand how exactly this objective - not "from oneself", but through "sung by the people" - the expression of personal feelings corresponds to the general structure of the work. Here, Rimsky-Korsakov, like Mussorgsky in the second edition of Boris, follows a new path, leaving The Stone Guest and Ratcliff and continuing A Life for the Tsar (and perhaps listening to Serov's experiments).

A feature of the "Pskovityanka" is a very dense saturation of the musical fabric not only with leitmotifs, but also with leitharmonies and leitinttonations. Perhaps it was precisely this quality that the composer had in mind when he wrote the words “symmetry and dryness” in the description of his first opera. In a review of the premiere, Cui referred to the main shortcomings of The Maid of Pskov as "some of its monotony ... which comes from a small variety of musical ideas ... mostly related to each other." Among the frequently repeated reproaches of criticism, there was also an accusation of excessive "symphony", that is, of transferring the main musical and thematic action to the orchestral part in a number of scenes. Based on modern auditory experience, one could speak of the remarkable stylistic consistency of the intonational structure of the opera, its deep correspondence to the place, time, character, as well as a significant degree of asceticism and radicalism in solving the problems of musical dramaturgy and speech, characteristic of The Maid of Pskov (quality, inherited by her, no doubt, from Dargomyzhsky's "The Stone Guest" and very close to the first edition of "Boris Godunov"). The best example of ascetic dramaturgy is the final chorus in the first edition: not a detailed epilogue crowning the monumental historical drama, but a simple, very short choral song, breaking off as if in mid-sentence, at the intonation of a sigh. The most radical in design is the monothematic characterization of the king, which, in addition to last scene with Olga, is centered around the archaic “terrible” theme (according to V. V. Yastrebtsev’s recording, heard by the composer in childhood in the singing of the Tikhvin monks) with the accompanying leit harmonies: it skillfully varies in the orchestra, and the declamatory vocal part seems to be superimposed on the theme, then coinciding in separate sections with it, then moving away quite far. B. V. Asafiev remarkably aptly compared the meaning of the theme of the tsar in the opera with the meaning of the theme-leader in the fugue, and the method of monothematic characterization - with icon painting (“he recalls the rhythm of the lines of ancient Russian icons and shows us the face of the Terrible in that sacred halo, on which the king himself constantly leaned on..."). In the leit complex of Grozny, the harmonious style of the opera is also concentrated - “severe and internally tense ... often with a tart taste of archaism” (Kandinsky A.I.). In Thoughts on My Own Operas, the composer called this style "pretentious", but it would be better, applying his own term to Wagner, to call the harmony of "Pskovityanka" "refined".

With the same constancy, Olga's themes are carried out, which, in accordance with the main dramatic idea, are approaching either the themes of Pskov and the freemen, or the chants of Grozny; a special area is formed by intonations of a non-genre character, associated with Olga's prophetic premonitions - it is they who raise the main female image operas, taking him away from the usual opera collisions and putting him on a par with the majestic images of the king and the free city. The analysis of the recitatives of The Maid of Pskov by M. S. Druskin shows how meaningful the leittonation and genre coloring of intonations are also used in other vocal parts of the opera: standard warehouse, which each time in its own way reflects the main ideological orientation opera” (Druskin M. S.).

The history of the production of The Maid of Pskov at the Mariinsky Theatre, connected with numerous censorship difficulties, is described in detail in the Chronicle. The same group staged and performed the opera theatrical figures, which a year later achieved the second edition of "Boris" on the stage. The response of the public was very sympathetic, the success was great and stormy, especially among young people, but despite this, The Maid of Pskov, like Boris, did not stay in the repertoire for long. Among the reviews of critics, the reviews of Cui and Laroche stand out - by the fact that they set the tone and determine the directions in which criticism of Rimsky-Korsakov's new operas will be conducted for decades: inept declamation, subordinating the text to music; preference for "symphonic" (in the sense of instrumental) forms over purely operatic ones; the preponderance of the choral beginning over the personal lyrical; the predominance of "skillful construction" over the "depth of thoughts", the dryness of melodics in general, the abuse of folk thematics or in folk spirit etc. There is no need to talk about the unfairness of these reproaches, but it is important to note that the composer took note of some of them while working on the second and third editions of the opera. In particular, he developed and melodicized the parts of Olga and Ivan, made many recitatives freer, more melodious. However, the experience of bringing the concept of "Pskovityanka" in the second edition closer to the literary source, which led to the inclusion in it of a number of lyrical and everyday episodes (the prologue, the "merry couple" - Stesha and Chetvertka, the extended game of burners, the game of grandmas, Stesha's conversation with the tsar, the change finale of the drama, etc.), as well as the scene of the royal hunt and the meeting of the tsar with the holy fool, composed by Stasov, not only made the opera heavier, but weakened and blurred its main content, led away musical dramaturgy towards the stencils of dramatic and opera house. The "transitionality" characteristic of Rimsky-Korsakov's works of the 1970s and the stylistic instability were thus reflected in The Maid of Pskov.

In the third edition, much returned (usually in a revised form) to its place. The introduction of the musical pictures "Veche alarm" and "Forest, thunderstorm, royal hunt" in conjunction with the overture and the previously existing orchestral intermezzo - "portrait of Olga", as well as the extended choir of the epilogue, formed a through symphonic dramaturgy. The opera undoubtedly won in the beauty of its sound, in the stability and balance of forms: it seemed to have acquired qualities characteristic of Rimsky-Korsakov's style of the 1990s. At the same time, losses in sharpness, novelty, originality of dramaturgy and language turned out to be inevitable, including the northern and, more specifically, Pskov flavor, which turned out to be somewhat diluted. musical speech, truly “miraculously seized” (Rimsky-Korsakov’s words about the color of the poem “Sadko”) by an aspiring opera composer (This is especially noticeable in the softening of the harsh dissonances of the overture, in the more traditional lyrical inclination of the new episodes of Olga's part, in the beautiful scene of the royal hunt, which has analogues in operatic literature.). Therefore, the recognition of the composer to Yastrebtsev, which is rarely paid attention to, seems very important. In January 1903, Rimsky-Korsakov, arguing about the need for an artist to listen "exclusively to inner voice his inner feeling, creative instinct, ”he remarked:“ And then here is my“ revised ”“ Pskovityanka ”- isn’t this a kind of concession to Glazunov’s insistence and advice? After all, May Night also has its shortcomings, and, however, it would never occur to me to process it again.

M. Rakhmanova

This early opera was written by Rimsky-Korsakov under the influence and with the active participation of members of the Balakirev circle. The composer dedicated his work to them. The premiere of the opera was not an absolute success. The composer abandoned traditional forms too abruptly operatic art(arias, ensembles), the recitative-declamatory style dominated in the composition. Dissatisfied with his creation, the composer reworked the score twice.

The premiere of the last version of the opera in 1896 (Moscow Private Russian Opera, Chaliapin performed the part of Ivan) became historical. The Woman of Pskov (under the title Ivan the Terrible) was shown with great success in Paris (1909) as part of the Russian Seasons organized by Diaghilev (the title role was played by Chaliapin, dir. Sanin).

Discography: CD - Great Opera Performances. Dir. Schippers, Ivan the Terrible (Christov), ​​Olga (Panny), Cloud (Bertocchi) - Recording Melody. Dir. Sakharov, Ivan the Terrible (A. Pirogov), Olga (Shumilova), Cloud (Nelepp).