Mezzo-soprano Maria Maksakova performs Tchaikovsky’s opera ‘The Queen of Spades’ at the Mariinsky Theater – Ruslan Shamukov/TASS
While the Russian ballet has for more than a century enthralled audiences around the globe, the country’s opera heritage has only recently achieved worldwide acclaim.
Russian operas have always been difficult to perform – they require not only command of a difficult language but also powerful voices, nonstandard vocalization and a strong dramatic performance. Nevertheless, in the past two decades they have established themselves on the world stage and their popularity is growing. Russia Beyond chose five operas that are currently performed, or will soon be performed, in different theaters of the world.
1. ‘Ruslan and Lyudmila’ – Mikhail Glinka
In the history of Russian music Glinka is regarded as the first national composer and creator of the first Russian operas. Of course, there is a certain exaggeration in this claim. In the 18th century, music by Dmitry Bortniansky and Yevstigney Fomin were performed even in Italy. But the first Russian composers sought to master foreign traditions. Glinka appropriated it and used it to express the Russian spirit. Poet Alexander Pushkin gave Glinka the idea to write an opera based on his popular poem, Ruslan and Lyudmila. But Pushkin died soon afterwards, and the writing of the libretto took much effort and a lot of time.
Despite the fact that the opera was much awaited, its premiere on the stage of the Bolshoi Kamenny Theater in St. Petersburg in 1842 failed to impress. Only gradually did the public come to appreciate this fairytale about life in Ancient Rus, as well as the elegance and inexhaustible variety of the melodies, the beauty of the orchestral instrumentation and the ingenuity of a large ensemble of soloists.
For more than a century Ruslan and Lyudmilawas one of the most popular titles in the repertoire of Russian theaters. Nowadays, it’s not only difficult to mount a production of a five-act opera, but it’s not easy to spend five hours sitting and listening to it. Nevertheless, a full house was guaranteed when Valery Gergiev was in charge of the production at the Mariinsky Theater and Anna Netrebko sang the part of Lyudmila, or when Dmitri Tcherniakov’s staging of the opera was performed at the gala premier of the original stage of the Bolshoi Theater after years of renovations.
2. ‘Boris Godunov’ – Modest Mussorgsky
This opera has had six editions, and many various orchestrations. It reflects the complex fate of Godunov and its creator, composer Modest Mussorgsky, who was inspired by Alexander Pushkin’s eponymous poem and passages from History of the Russian State by Nikolay Karamzin. That famous book is devoted to Russia’s first elected tsar who ruled in the late 16th century and early 17th.
Mussorgsky needed a year to compose the four-act opera in 1869, and he was devastated when the Directorate of Imperial Theaters rejected it. Five years later, after numerous changes, Boris Godunov premiered at the Bolshoi Kamenny Theater in St. Petersburg, where it also failed to garner much success.
Godunov had its triumph in 1898 when it was staged at the Solodovnikov private theater in Moscow with legendary singer Feodor Chaliapin in the main role. There was an exceptional harmony between the powerful opera and the brilliant performer. Chaliapin also triumphed in the production of Boris Godunov in Paris when Sergei Diaghilev introduced the Russian theater to Europe for the first time. Since then, Mussorgsky’s opera has become a phenomenon not only in Russian music but also in world music.
In June and July 2018, it will again appear on the stage of Opéra Garnier in Paris under the baton of Russian conductor Vladimir Jurowski in a production by Belgian director Ivo van Hove.
3. ‘The Queen of Spades’ – Pyotr Tchaikovsky
The Queen of Spades is an astonishing opera primarily because just 11 months passed from the moment when the composer penned the first notes to its premiere on stage. The 50-year-old Tchaikovsky wrote it in Florence in a villa rented for him by his benefactor, Nadezhda von Meck, on a wave of general appreciation and love. The source of his inspiration is tangible almost a century and a half later.
The opera was based on the eponymous story by Pushkin. But as was the case with Tchaikovsky’s earlier opera, Eugene Onegin, his brother Modest, in writing the libretto, made significant changes to the personalities and motivation of Pushkin’s protagonists, and made the conflicts more in line with 19th century melodramatic operatic tradition. From a cold and calculating cynic, Herman, the main character, was transformed into an ardent, amorous personality who falls prey to unbridled passion. Also, the setting of The Queen of Spades was transposed from Pushkin’s time to the 18th century.
The premiere took place at the Mariinsky Theater in 1890. Almost from the beginning it was acclaimed as a jewel of the Russian repertoire, and its arias and other pieces were played at musical evenings in concert halls and domestic salons. In 1902, Gustav Mahler staged it at the Vienna Court Opera, and in 1904 the young Sergei Rachmaninoff conducted The Queen of Spades at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. Since then the opera has scarcely been absent from the playbills of leading Russian theaters, and abroad it has become the most successful and widely-recognized Russian opera.
4. ‘Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District’ / ‘Katerina Izmailova’ – Dmitri Shostakovich
The fate of this opera became a symbol of the relationship between art and authority in the Soviet years. The premiere of Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, which is based on themes from a novel by Nikolai Leskov, was a triumph for the 26-year-old composer. Performances were staged almost simultaneously by Leningrad’s Maly Opera Theater (today the Mikhailovsky Theater) and Moscow’s Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theater, with the final tally running to 200 performances.
In 1935, Lady Macbeth was staged in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Zurich, Buenos Aires, New York, London, Prague and Stockholm. The year ended with a premiere at the Bolshoi Theater, which was visited by Joseph Stalin. In January 1936 the country’s main party newspaper, Pravda, published an article titled “Muddle Instead of Music,” which excoriated Shostakovich’s “naturalism.” The article was unsigned, but many people detected the style of Stalin.
Although the composer was not arrested or shot, Lady Macbeth disappeared from the Soviet stage for a long time. While performances were held in Venice, Zagreb, Dusseldorf and Poznan, in the USSR even Stalin’s death could not change anything. Only in 1962 could the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theater stage a second, toned-down and less audacious version. It was renamed Katerina Izmailova.
The original version of Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District returned to Russia in 1996 when it was staged by the Mariinsky Theater in St Petersburg. In 2004 the Bolshoi followed suit, catching up with the rest of the world, and today Shostakovich’s opera remains one of the most popular in the Russian repertoire and is performed on the most prestigious stages.
5. ‘War and Peace’ – Sergei Prokofiev
The Russian stage has always preferred epic historical drama to lyrical intimacy. The inspiration for Sergei Prokofiev’s masterpiece was the eponymous novel by Leo Tolstoy, although it also uses other sources, and the libretto incorporates verses by Russian poets of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The composer, who was always noted for his rapid work style, conceived War and Peace in the spring of 1941. In April 1942, the piano score was ready, and in the autumn, as the Second World War raged, work began to stage the mammoth opera at the Bolshoi Theater in 13 scenes.
The topical significance of the subject and the sheer scale of the score led to numerous revisions. The composer suggested to theaters that it be staged over two evenings, and in 1946 the first part premiered at Leningrad’s Maly Opera Theater, which was known as the “laboratory of Soviet opera.” But a government decree relating to Vano Muradeli’s opera, The Great Friendship, blocked the staging of the second part of War and Peace. Although 1947 saw the European premiere of the original version in Prague, the composer himself did not live to see a full-scale stage performance of War and Peace.
The opera was finally staged by the Maly Opera Theater in 1955, by the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theater in Moscow in 1957, and the Bolshoi in 1959. Although Prokofiev’s epic requires dozens of solo performers and enormous choirs for the battle scenes, it is staged today the world over – from Florence and Paris, to Sydney and Buenos Aires.
“Nous allons mourir, faites quelque chose ! Nous allons mourir…”. Tel est le dernier et pathétique appel que lançait le peuple hongrois qui mourait pour sa liberté. C’était en 1956, les troupes soviétiques entraient dans Budapest. Oui donc s’en souvient encore ?
Aujourd’hui, le politiquement correct clame son indignation quand le Premier ministre hongrois en appelle à la “fin du diktat” de l’Europe mais oublie curieusement le martyr qu’à subit ce pays coupé de cette même Europe par l’ignoble “rideau de fer”.
C’était en 1956, la Hongrie, le pays de Saint Etienne était mise à feu et à sang par les troupes soviétiques. Budapest, cette ville martyre qu’un fol espoir avait porté à croire à la liberté et à la fraternité fut couverte de sang. Cet acte, d’une sauvagerie inouïe ne fut jamais condamné. Il demeurera· à jamais la honte d’un régime basé sur la terreur : le communisme.
Les Hongrois pourtant qui se trouvaient à l’époque, à l’instar de millions d’autres européens, sous domination soviétique avaient cru, un moment, pouvoir échapper à l’énorme univers concentrationnaire dans lequel ils avaient été englobés de force. Les espoirs les plus fous avaient vu le jour. Enfin, l’occupant allait s’en aller. Rompre avec un passé fait de servitudes, de contraintes morales et physiques tel était ·l’espoir insensé des Hongrois, nos frères de l’Est, qui enfin avaient retrouvé la joie et le bonheur de vivre. La chose ne pouvait évidemment pas durer et c’est alors que Nikita Kroutchev au sommet de sa puissance devint le «bourreau» de Budapest. Les chars soviétiques venus par milliers écrasèrent la liberté dans le sang et la Hongrie fut à nouveau plongée dans les ténèbres. C’était en 1956 ! Qui s’en souvient encore?
La chute du mur de Berlin, le 9 novembre 1989 suivie de l’ouverture du rideau de fer à la frontière austro-hongroise le 1er janvier 1989 allaient marquer le retour à la liberté pour des millions d’Européens. Aujourd’hui cependant c’est l’Union Européenne qui, de manière plus insidieuse et par d’autres moyens entend imposer sa loi.
“Bruxelles nous parle et se comporte avec nous et avec les Polonais comme si nous étions des ennemis. Nous avons une impression de déjà vu, l’air de la doctrine Brejnev balaie l’Europe”, devait déclarer le Premier ministre Viktor Orban lors des commémorations de la révolution de 1956 contre la domination soviétique.
La Hongrie, comme la Pologne et la plupart des pays dits de l’Est ne veulent plus se soumettre au politiquement correct qu’entend imposer l’Union Européenne. Ils estiment, comme la majorité des Européens, qu’il est grand temps d’arrêter les migrations, de protéger les frontières et de renforcer l’indépendance des nations.
Janvier 1930. Le roi Alphonse XIII, cédant aux pressions d’une partie de l’opinion publique, destitue le général Primo de Rivera qui devait mourir deux mois plus tard à Paris où il venait de subir une intervention chirurgicale. Le 14 avril 1931, naissait la république espagnole. En août 1932, une révolte d’officiers supérieurs donna un avant-goût de ce qui allait se passer dans le pays quatre ans plus tard. En 1933, de nouvelles élections ramènent aux Cortès (le parlement espagnol) une majorité conservatrice qui devait se maintenir jusqu’en février 1936, date à laquelle la coalition des gauches, groupées en Front populaire, parvint, de justesse, à revenir au pouvoir.
Quelques mois plus tard, la république espagnole devait montrer son véritable visage : occupation des terres, meurtres, attentats, incendies d’églises devinrent des événements quotidiens. On n’en est pas encore là aujourd’hui mais, si le régime en place continue à faire preuve de faiblesse, de tels faits ne tarderont pas à se renouveler. C’est ainsi qu’au lendemain d’une mémorable séance des Cortès, le leader nationaliste Calvo Sotelo devait être enlevé de chez lui et abattu par des Read More »
A côté d’une littérature « officielle », qui épouse son époque, il en existe une autre qui provoque, qui dérange, qui agace les gens pétris de certitudes. Cette littérature de « maudits » est diverse, autant que la condition des écrivains qui la portent. Certains ont été adulés de leur vivant, d’autres n’ont obtenu la reconnaissance qu’après leur mort. D’autres enfin l’attendent toujours. C’est un florilège d’écrivains français que l’on propose aujourd’hui, de ceux qui honorent notre littérature.
This year’s World Travel Market London’s physical show takes place at ExCeL London 1 – 3 November, followed by WTM Virtual (November 8 – 9). The focus of Slovenia’s presentation is sustainability, which is also one of the main assets that convinced the global travel authority Lonely Planet to name Slovenia 5th in its top 10 countries to visit next year (Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2022).
As the main partner of Slovenia’s presentation at WTM, Ljubljana has been brought to the spotlight, Read More »
The new flight schedule for the W21/22 season began on 31 October 2021. For Budapest Airport, this means an exciting mix of new routes, resumed services, and significant frequency increases.
Home carrier Wizz Air is adding four new routes to the winter schedule at Budapest, with services to Jordanian capital Amman, Aqaba on Jordan’s Red Sea coastline, Fuerteventura and Hurghada.
The Hungarian gateway is also welcoming seven new Ryanair routes to popular destinations in seven countries: Cologne, Germany; Krakow, Poland; Kaunas, Lithuania; Lappeenranta, Finland; Read More »
Deux nouvelles routes au départ de l’aéroport de Charleroi
Wizz Air, la compagnie aérienne low-cost à la croissance la plus rapide d’Europe, annonce une expansion majeure sur le marché ukrainien avec un doublement de sa capacité, suite à la signature de l’accord ‘Open Skies’ entre l’UE et l’Ukraine le 12 octobre 2021. En conséquence, Wizz Air assurera des vols entre Brussels South Charleroi Airport et la capitale ukrainienne KIev, à partir du 19 décembre 2021. À partir du 1er juin 2022, les avions de WIZZ assureront également la liaison entre l’aéroport de Charleroi et Lviv. Toutes les nouvelles routes seront desservies deux fois par semaine. Ces villes viendront s’ajouter aux 17 destinations WIZZ déjà proposées au départ de Charleroi. Les billets d’avion sont déjà disponibles en ligne sur wizzair.com et via mobile app à partir de 24,99 EUR *.
La compagnie aérienne basera 5 avions Airbus 321 Read More »
Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts célèbre son anniversaire de diamant avec éclat, en proposant aux voyageurs une série d’expériences exclusives à vivre au sein d’une sélection de ses hôtels aux quatre coins du monde. Ainsi l’InterContinental London Park Lane et l’InterContinental Edinburgh The George invitent-ils par exemple, dans le cadre d’un forfait commun, à découvrir les coulisses du Palais de Kensington, effectuer une visite privée des joyaux de la couronne, dîner au château d’Édimbourg ou encore admirer une collection d’art privée au sein de la Marchmont House en compagnie d’un expert de Sotheby’s !
De son côté, l’Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort au Vietnam offre la possibilité de converser par vidéo avec l’icône culinaire Pierre Gagnaire avant de dîner en son restaurant La Maison 1888 – un repas d’exception accompagné par des millésimes uniques de la collection exclusive Cellar Treasures. Ce forfait avec séjour au sein d’une luxueuse villa à deux chambres et majordome comprend également, entre autres, une visite privée de la toute nouvelle Bensley Outsider Gallery.
Pour son 75ème anniversaire, InterContinental s’est par ailleurs associé aux champagnes Piper-Heidsieck et au gin The Read More »
Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) The head of the first-ever official European Parliament (EP) delegation to come to Taiwan told President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Thursday that the visit is meant to send a clear message that Europe is standing by Taiwan in the defense of freedom.
“This is the first official visit from a delegation of European Parliament to Taiwan. This is to ensure how important the Taiwanese democracy is for the European citizens we are representing,” Raphaël Glucksmann told Tsai during Read More »
L’Antarctique figurerait aujourd’hui parmi les destinations lointaines qui attirent le plus les touristes de l’après-Covid. Pour changer un peu, le Skål club de Bruxelles vous propose cette fois la conférence non d’un professionnel du tourisme, mais d’un… client, qui a sans doute le plus d’expérience des pôles : le 14 décembre prochain, Jo Szeles entamera en effet son dixième voyage en Antarctique!
Médecin conseil de la Commission Européenne à Bruxelles, le docteur Joseph Szeles a visité, en mission, une centaine de «délégations» de l’Union Européenne dans le monde avant de devenir médecin chef du service médical (Direction générale du Personnel) de la Commission à Bruxelles. A sa retraite en 2004, comme si cela ne lui avait pas suffi, il a décidé de visiter de nouveaux endroits. C’est lors d’une escale à Bergen en 2005 qu’il a par hasard découvert la possibilité de Read More »
Leave a Reply