Opera "The Tsar's Bride": content, video, interesting facts

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

The literary basis for the opera "The Tsar's Bride" N.A. Rimsky-Korsakogo became the same drama by LA Mea The idea to create an opera on the plot of this work arose from the composer in the late 60s of the XIX century, but he began to write it only three decades later. The premiere was a great success in 1899, and since then "Tsar's Bride"does not leave the scenes of the leading opera houses.

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

Summary of the opera Rimsky-Korsakov "The Tsar's Bride" and many interesting facts about this piece read on our page.

Summary of the "Royal Bride"

The action takes place in the 16th century during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. The oprichnik Grigory Gryaznoy is suffering from his love for Martha, the daughter of a merchant Sobakin, who is engaged to Ivan Lykov. Dirty organizes a feast, where many guests come, whom he introduces to his mistress Lyubasha. At the feast was Bomelius, the royal doctor, and Gryaznoy asked if that potion had a potion to bewitch the damsel. The doctor gives a positive answer, and after a short persuasion, I agree to prepare the potion. Lyubasha overheard all their conversation.

After the church service, Martha and Dunyasha were waiting for Ivan Lykov, at this time Ivan the Terrible drove past them, in the form of a horseman, having examined the young beauties. In the evening, Lyubasha meets with Bomelius and asks to prepare a potion that will poison rival Martha. The healer agrees to give such a potion, but in return he wants love. Lyubasha in a hopeless condition agrees to the conditions.

2000 young girls were on the royal bride, but only a dozen of them were selected, including Martha and Dunyasha. In the house Sobakin all worry that they can choose Martha, then the wedding will not be. But they tell the good news that the king is likely to choose Dunyasha. Everyone drinks for this joyful event, and Gregory adds the potion to the glass of Marfa, but Lyubasha has changed the “love spell” for his “poison” beforehand. Martha drinks the potion, begins joyful singing about marriage, but at this moment the royal boyars appear with Malyuta and the message that Ivan the Terrible marries Martha.

In the royal chambers, an unknown disease kills Martha. Dirty comes and says that Lykov will be executed, because He admitted that he poisoned his daughter Sobakin. Martha's clouded mind perceives Gregory for Lykov. Dirty realizes that it is him who is guilty, does not stand up and gives out the whole truth, that it was he who added the potion to her. Dirty wants to be taken away, but punished Bomelia. Lyubasha comes and confesses everything. Dirty in a rage kills his mistress.

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Interesting Facts

• According to Rimsky-Korsakov, "The Tsar's Bride" was supposed to be his answer to ideas. Richard Wagner.
• The main artist of the scenery for the Moscow premiere was Mikhail Vrubel. Two years later, the premiere was held at the Mariinsky Theater, the creators of the scenery for which were the artists Ivanov and Lambin.
• In 1966, director Vladimer Gorikker shot the film version of the opera.
• The only known American production of "The Tsar's Bride" was the premiere at the Washington Opera in 1986.
• The main events presented in the drama of Maya 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 Sobakin, but soon the royal bride struck down a disease of unknown origin. It was rumored that Martha was poisoned. Suspicion fell on the relatives of previously deceased queens. To deal with them, a special poison was made, which instantly sent the victim to another world. Many people from the king’s entourage were subjected to such execution. He nevertheless married fading Martha, hoping to heal her with his love, but the miracle did not happen: the queen died. Whether she fell victim to human malice and envy, or the accidental culprit in the execution of innocent people, is still a mystery.

• Despite such an important role of Ivan the Terrible in opera, he does not have a vocal part. His image is fully characterized by orchestral themes.
• In his musical drama, the author intertwined two love triangles: Marfa-Lyubasha-Gryaznoy and Marfa-Lykov-Gryaznoy.
• The composer composed the opera "The Tsar's Bride" for 10 months.
• This musical drama is not the only one that was written according to the drama of Lev Mei, and the operas “The Maid of Pskov” and “Servilia” were also written according to his works.
• Rimsky-Korsakov, was one of the participants "Mighty handful"After the premiere of the Tsar's Bride, members of the Balakirevsky circle did not approve of his innovative decisions. They considered him almost a traitor who had departed from the old Russian school, as well as Balakirev's foundations.
• The libretto of the opera did not include many characters from the drama of Leo Mei.
• The party of Marfa, Nikolai Andreevich wrote specially for the opera diva N.I. Zabela-Vrubel.

Popular arias from the opera "The Tsar's Bride"

Lyubashi's aria "That's what I lived for" - listen

Aria of Martha - listen

Arioso Lykov "Other is everything - both people and the earth ..." - to listen

The history of the creation of the "Royal Bride"

After stunning success opera "Sadko", ON. Rimsky-Korsakov decided to experiment and create a new, unique opera. The composer made it "simple", did not embed large, massive scenes and choruses, as was customary in Russian opera art before. 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, in the same year he finished it. The composer himself worked on the libretto. Nikolai Andreevich retained all the chronology, which was in the drama of May, and also left unchanged some texts from the work. It is important that the composer had an assistant, his former student I. Tyumenev. He helped in writing the libretto for the opera, as well as in editing the words in some arias.

Productions

On November 3, 1899 (in a new way of calculating), the premiere of the opera "The Tsar's Bride" took place in the private theater of S. Mamontov (Moscow). This opera has caused different emotions in the audience, but in general, the musical drama came to "taste" of the public.

In Russia, this opera was staged and staged quite often. All sorts of Russian musical theaters can boast of 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), the New Opera, the Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, and more. etc ... Unfortunately, opera abroad does not enjoy such popularity, although there were several one-off performances in foreign scenes.

In conclusion, I would like to say that this opera will always be relevant. Such strong emotional experiences, such situations often occur in our life with you. Nikolai Andreevich was able to achieve with his music that listening to the arias from this opera, you involuntarily penetrate into the depth of meaning, and as if instead of a character you are experiencing his grief or joy.