TCHAIKOVSKY SNEGUROCHKA THE SNOW MAIDEN VSEVOLOD GRIVNOV ANNELY PEEBO MDR LEIPZIG RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MDR LEIPZIG RADIO CHOIR KRISTJAN JÄRVI G010003432597T PETER TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893) “SNEGUROCHKA”, Op. 12 THE SNOW MAIDEN / SCHNEEFLÖCKCHEN 1 I. Introduction 4:14 Introduktion 2 II. Dance and Chorus of the Birds 6:12 Tanz und Chor der Vögel 3 III. Monologue of Frost 3:22 Monolog des Frostes 4 IV. Carnival Procession 6:40 Chor des Fastnachtsgeleites 5 Va. Melodrama 1:51 6 Vb. Entr’acte 1:01 7 VI. Lel’s First Song 2:49 Erstes Lied des Lel 8 VII. Lel’s Second Song 1:18 Zweites Lied des Lel 9 VIII. Entr’acte 2:39 10 IX. Chant of the Blind Bards 4:22 Chor der blinden Gussli-Spieler 11 X. Melodrama 5:00 12 XI. Chorus of the People and the Courtiers 1:33 Chor des Volkes und der Höflinge des Zaren Annely Peebo, Mezzo-soprano / Mezzosopran (7, 8, 15, 16, 22) 13 XII. Round of the Young Maidens 4:33 Vsevolod Grivnov, Tenor (3, 4, 10, 17, 22) Reigen der Mädchen 14 XIII. Dance of the Tumblers 4:35 MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra / MDR Sinfonieorchester Narrentanz MDR Leipzig Radio Choir / MDR Rundfunkchor 15 XIVa. Lel’s Third Song (1.) 5:38 Drittes Lied des Lel (1.) Pavel Brochin, Chorus Master / Choreinstudierer (2, 4, 10, 12, 13, 20, 21, 22) 16 XIVb. Lel’s Third Song (2.) 4:22 Drittes Lied des Lel (2.) KRISTJAN JÄRVI, Conductor / Dirigent 17 XV. Brussilo’s Song 1:59 Lied des Brussilo 18 XVI. Appearance of the Forest-Spirit and Apparition of the False Snow Maiden 0:41 Erscheinung des Waldteufels und Schneeflöckchens Trugbild Recording: September 7, 2014, Live at Gewandhaus Leipzig 19 XVIIa. Entr’acte 1:40 Recording Producer: Holger Busse 20 XVIIb. Declamation of the Fairy of Spring 4:27 Editing: Karsten Zimmermann, Holger Busse Artwork: Roland Demus Deklamation der Frühlingsfee Photos: Franck Ferville (Kristjan Järvi), Peter Rigaud (MDR Sinfonieorchester), Kay Zimmermann (MDR Rundfunkchor) 21 XVIII. Tsar Berendey’s March and Chorus 5:10 www.sonyclassical.de Marsch des Zaren Berendej und Chor www.annelypeebo.com www.mdr.de/konzerte/sinfonieorchester 22 XIX. Finale 2:07 www.kristjanjarvi.com ℗ 2015 MDR, licensed by Telepool GmbH, under exclusive license to Sony Music Entertainment Germany GmbH Total time: 76:27 © 2015 Sony Music Entertainment Germany GmbH “THE SNOW MAIDEN” Introduction by Kristjan Järvi The Snow Maiden, a celebration of nature and harmony, kicked off the “Nor- I invite you to this celebration of nature and the story of The Snow Maiden dic Seasons” in the 2014/15 concert season with my wonderful MDR Leipzig that has shaped the people and the culture of the whole Nordic-Baltic Sea Radio Symphony Orchestra. region. The opening concert in the Gewandhaus Leipzig in September 2014, re- ENJOY! corded live for this album, was followed by four multi-genre festivals that I directed, produced and curated: Northern Lights, ICE, SpringFever and the glorious MidSummer celebrations, where the midnight sun never sets. In fact, the whole concert season developed from this one piece. The Snow Maiden’s shining light of optimism and purity is to me an allegory of the “Spirit” of the Baltic Sea, its nature and its diverse people. Tchai- kovsky’s idealism of life and the celebration of its renewal is very much a trademark of all of the Baltic Sea people – from the Norwegian glaciers to the lakes of Finland, the islands of Estonia or vast plains of Russia. Coming from this part of the world, I am very much shaped and connected to the incredible nature, a great source of power, energy and creativity. The earthiness that is celebrated in Snegurochka can be seen in all forms of cul- ture, in the art, music, dance and theatre. It can be seen most readily in the architecture of the incredible cities that dot the Baltic Sea coast from Kiel For more information on the Baltic SeaSons Festivals go to: to St. Petersburg. www.kristjanjarvi.com At the heart of Ostrovsky’s play is a familiar fairytale motif that is found “ONE OF MY FAVOURITE OFFSPRING” not only in the Russian literary tradition but in other traditions as well: a Tchaikovsky’s incidental music to “The Snow Maiden” mythical creature longs for a human soul and for the ability to feel love but is tragically destroyed by the irreconcilable differences between the human For centuries it has been common practice for composers to write incidental world and its mythical counterpart. This underlying motif also applies to the music for spoken plays. Such music ranges from simple songs performed snowflake that is described in many Russian fairytales and that is embodied by the actors to extensive scores involving large-scale orchestral resources. by a young woman who can survive only in the depths of winter. The Russian composer Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky was only one of many mu- sicians who devoted his skills to the medium, and between 1867 and 1891 In preparing his version of the fairytale, Ostrovsky drew on a number of tra- he wrote several sets of incidental music intended to be performed during ditional motifs but raised them to a whole new level by incorporating them productions of spoken plays. Among them is his incidental music for a pro- into a stage play. The plot unfolds in the legendary realm of Tsar Berendey duction of Hamlet in 1891 that is remembered for its “fantasy overture” of “in prehistoric times” and introduces several new characters. In Ostrovsky’s the same name. version the main figure of the Snow Maiden is the daughter of Father Frost and the Spring Fairy, very unequal parents. From her mother she inherits her Undoubtedly Tchaikovsky’s principal contribution to the genre, however, was longing for light, warmth and love, but as the daughter of Father Frost she his incidental music to the play The Snow Maiden by Alexander Nikolayevich is condemned to a life of coldness and, hence, incapable of love. Yarilo, the Ostrovsky (1823–86), on which he worked in 1873. One notable feature of sun god who controls the seasons, is so angry that in future he rations the the piece is that poet and composer were jointly commissioned to write it number of sunbeams that he allows to fall to earth. by the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, leading to their close cooperation. Ostro- vsky wrote the play, while Tchaikovsky contributed a total of nineteen mu- As a child the Snow Maiden has to be kept away from humankind and live in sical numbers, including several that are purely instrumental – among them the cold and the dark in order to prevent her from being exposed to the rays are the Introduction, the entr’acte music, several dances, furthermore solo of the sun, which would kill her. But at the age of fifteen she sets off to visit songs and choruses. The first night on 23 May 1873 proved a great success the world of men and is taken in by a family of peasants. The plot reaches its for both Ostrovsky and Tchaikovsky. climax when the young Mizgir, who is betrothed to be married to the Snow Maiden’s friend Kupava, falls in love with the Snow Maiden shortly before he is due to be married. As a result he abandons his bride. At the same time the inhabitants of Tsar Berendey’s empire start to complain about the unusually ical highlights are the songs sung by the shepherd boy Lel that are accom- cold spring and the absence of the sun. In turn this means that they no panied by the oboe as a symbol of the instrument traditionally associated longer feel the stirrings of love. Tsar Berendey orders a great festivity that is with shepherds (6 and 7). The Tsar’s celebrations in Act Three are treated to be attended by all of his empire’s marriageable young men and women. to a magnificent sequence of dances and choruses (12 and 13) before the When he is introduced to the Snow Maiden, he falls under the spell of the drama’s dénouement finds expression in an instrumental interlude (16) and beautiful young woman who is incapable of feeling love and so he decides the work as a whole ends with the March of Tsar Berendey (18) and the to give her hand in marriage to the man who can awaken her love. hymn-like Finale (19) in which the sun god’s praises are sung. The shepherd Lel sings the most beautiful song, whereupon the Tsar decides Tchaikovsky himself regarded The Snow Maiden as a success. In 1879, when to give him the girl of his choice. Lel decides that he wants to marry not his patron and confidante Nadezhda von Meck complimented him on the the Snow Maiden but Kupava. Mizgir seizes the opportunity to confess his poetic qualities of the music, he replied: “The Snow Maiden is one of my love for the Snow Maiden. Completely overcome, she asks her mother to favourite offspring. Spring is a wonderful time; I was in good spirits, as I grant her the capacity for love. The Spring Fairy agrees, while foreseeing her always am at the approach of summer [...]. I think this music is imbued with daughter’s tragic end. The Snow Maiden abandons herself to Mizgir but is the joys of spring that I was experiencing at the time.” struck by a ray of the wakening sun and melts away before her lover’s eyes. In the depths of his despair, Mizgir throws himself off a cliff, but the Tsar and Bernhard Schrammek his people end by paying homage to the sun god who has been placated by Translation: texthouse love and by the Snow Maiden’s death.