111071-73 bk Igor EU 11/03/2005 11:57am Page 8 Synopsis CD 2 CD 1 Act II BORODIN Prologue 1 In the Polovtsian camp girls sing a hymn to the evening, 2 and dance to entertain Konchakovna, 2 The scene is the market-place of Putivl’. The people daughter of Khan Konchak. 3 Konchakovna sings of gather before their ruler, Igor Svyatoslavich, Prince of her planned meeting with Vladimir. She tells her Prince Igor Seversk. 3 He urges battle against the Polovtsians, 4 women to give the Russian prisoners, returning from but the people are anxious at an eclipse of the sun, a bad their labours, water to drink. 4 Their Polovtsian guards, omen. 5 Prince Igor insists on his campaign, 6 and his together with the baptized Polovtsian Ovlur, sing of the MELIK men leave for battle against their traditional Tartar end of the day. Ovlur remains behind, as they pass on. ER -P enemies. 5 Vladimir expresses his feelings twoards D A N SH Konchakovna. 6 She appears, and they sing together of A A Act I their love. 7 They leave as Prince Igor enters, X Y lamenting his captivity and separation from Yaroslavna. E E Scene 1 8 Ovlur steps forward, proposing a plan of escape. L V Prince Igor finds the suggestion dishonourable, but then A 7 At the court of Prince Vladimir Galitsky, brother of starts to demur. 9 He is greeted by his captor, Khan Prince Igor’s wife, Yaroslavna, the people praise him, Konchak, who offers him further hospitality, and appointed now by his brother-in-law to guard the suggests even an alliance between them, rejected by kingdom and the Princess, led by Skula and Yeroshka, Prince Igor. 0 He orders entertainment for his guest. ! who tell of Galitsky’s abduction of a girl for his The first is a dance of Polovtsian slave girls, followed pleasure. 8 Galitsky declares his own philosophy of by @ a wild dance of the men and general dance, # life, deploring his sister’s strait-laced attitude. 9 His singing in praise of the Khan $ and finally a boys’ followers approve, 0 but the gathering is interrupted by dance and men’s dance. a group of girls deploring the abduction. Their pleas are in vain. ! Skula, who, with Yeroshka, has deserted CD 3 from Prince Igor’s army, returns to drinking, @ and urges support for Galitsky as their prince. # The Act IV 1 courtiers agree. 951 Recording 1 By the walls of Putivl’ Yaroslavna laments the Scene 2 absence of her husband and his captivity. 2 A group of peasants go past, adding their own lament at the fate of $ In her room Yaroslavna regrets her husband’s the city. 3 Yaroslavna continues her sad thoughts, 4 absence, haunted by bad dreams. % Her nurse broken by the sight of two approaching horsemen, one Andrey Ivanov • Evgeniya Smolenskaya announces the arrival of girls, who have come to of them Prince Igor, whom she embraces in joy. 5 They complain of Galitsky’s behaviour. ^ They are make to leave, as Yeroshka and Skula, drinking and Sergey Lemeshev • Alexander Pirogov • Mark Reizen interrupted by Galitsky himself. He tries to put aside his plotting, appear, afraid when they recognise Prince Igor. sister’s strictures, but eventually agrees to release the 6 They save themselves by sounding the tocsin to Bolshoy Theatre Chorus and Orchestra girl he has abducted. & He goes, and now a group of proclaim the return of the Prince, 7 who is greeted by Boyars enter. * They bring news of the defeat and the elders and Boyars. Alexander Melik-Pashayev capture of Prince Igor and his son Vladimir. An alarm sounds. The Polovtsians are attacking Putivl’. Keith Anderson 8.111071-73 8 111071-73 bk Igor EU 11/03/2005 11:57am Page 2 Smolenskaya (1919-1989). After making her début in Opera from 1934 to 1950, when he became a member of 1945 at Stalingrad she joined the Bolshoy in 1947, the Bolshoy company, retiring in 1956. (He is not to be singing many dramatic soprano rôles with distinction confused with Alexey Ivanov, 1904-1982, another until her retirement in 1972. The other major female Bolshoy baritone of note with a similar repertoire.) The Great Opera Recordings rôle, Konchakovna, is taken by Vera Borisenko, born two basses in this recording are jusitifiably legendary. in 1918. After gaining initial experience in the Red Alexander Pirogov (1899-1964), who takes the part of Alexander Army Entertainment Corps and the Kiev Opera she Igor’s rival Prince Galitsky, studied in Moscow and joined the Bolshoy in 1946 and stayed there for the rest joined the Bolshoy in 1924, where he was both BORODIN of her career. She took first prize in the 1947 Prague preceded and succeeded by other brothers. A singer of (1834-1887) International Singing Competition, and this part was her great character he recorded the title rôle in Boris first major success in Moscow. The tenor Sergey Godunov with Golovanov conducting in 1948 and Lemeshev (1902-1977), who sings Vladimir, Igor’s participated in the 1953 Bolshoy première and Prince Igor son, was one of the biggest Soviet music stars of the recording of Shaporin’s The Decembrists, also Opera in Four Acts period. He studied initially at the St Petersburg Military conducted by Melik-Pashayev. Igor’s adversary Khan completed by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov Academy and later at the Moscow Conservatory, also Konchak is sung by Mark Reizen (1895-1992). A Act III is completely omitted from this recording in accordance with performance practice of the time studying acting with Stanislavsky. During the 1920s he soldier in the First World War, he made his operatic sang in the provinces before joining the Bolshoy in début in 1921, before joining the Opera in Leningrad. 1931, where he remained until 1961 as one of the He visited the West in 1930 when he recorded for EMI Igor Svyatoslavich, Prince of Seversk . Andrey Ivanov house’s triumvirate of great tenors, the others being in London. He was a member of the Bolshoy company Yaroslavna, his wife . Evgeniya Smolenskaya Nelepp and Koslovzky. An enormously popular figure, from 1930 until his retirement in 1955, after which he Vladimir Igorevich, Igor’s son . Sergey Lemeshev he recorded extensively and appeared in several films. continued to appear as a guest, singing on stage there on Vladimir Yaroslavich, Prince Galitsky. Yaroslavna’s brother . Alexander Pirogov The title rôle of Prince Igor is taken by the baritone, his ninetieth birthday, and still exhibiting his formidable Konchak, Polovtsian Khan . Mark Reizen Andrey Ivanov (1900-1970). Following study at the stage presence. Konchakovna . Vera Borisenko Kiev Conservatory, he served as a member of the Kiev David Patmore Ovlur, baptized Polovtsian . Alexey Serov Skula, buffoon . Ivan Skobtsov Yeroshka, buffoon . Feodor Godovkin Yaroslavna’s nurse . Elena Korneueva Polovtsian girl . Antonina Ivanova Chorus and orchestra of the Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow Alexander Melik-Pashayev, Conductor Recorded in Moscow in 1951 Reissue Producer and Restoration Engineer: Ward Marston 8.111071-73 2 7 8.111071-73 111071-73 bk Igor EU 11/03/2005 11:57am Page 6 Alexander Borodin (1834-1887) CD 1 75:41 0 Oy, likhon’ko! Oy, goryushko! 2:25 [Oh, there’s trouble! And such misfortune, Prince Igor 1 Overture 11:01 Prince!] (Chorus of Maidens) Alexander Borodin, the composer of Prince Igor, one of nationalist epic, and describes the clash of cultures Prologue the greatest of all Russian operas, once said that for him between the Russians, symbolised by Prince Igor, and 2 Solntsu krasnomu slava! 3:53 ! Stoy, rebyata! 1:00 ‘music was a pastime, a relaxation from more serious the Tartar Polovtski tribe, led by Khan Konchak. The [Glory to the beautiful sun!] [Wait, lads] occupations’. These ‘serious occupations’ were the plot is relatively straight-forward. Following the (Chorus) (Skula) disciplines of science and medicine, with which he Overture, in the Prologue Prince Igor sets off to wage achieved international fame. Born illegitimately to an war against the Polovtski. In Act One his wife, 3 Idyom na bran’s vragom Rusi 2:35 @ Chto u knyazya da Volodimira 2:57 aristocratic father in St Petersburg in 1833, by the start Yaroslavna, forces his brother and rival, Prince [Let’s march into battle against the enemy of Rus] [At the palace of Prince Vladimir] of adolescence he could play the piano, flute and cello Galitsky, to curb his supporters. Word comes that Igor (Igor, Chorus) (Skula) and speak several languages. Although highly adept at and his son Vladimir have been defeated and captured. music, his passion was for experimental chemistry. In Act Two is set in the Polovtsian camp. Vladmir has 4 Chto eto znachit? 5:15 # Da, vot komu by knyazhit’ na Putivlye! 2:10 1850 he entered the Medico-Surgical Academy at fallen in love with Konchak’s daughter, Konchakovna. [What does it mean?] [Yes, this is who should rule in Putivl!] St Petersburg. On graduation he spent a year as a house Konchak offers to grant Igor his freedom if he ceases (Galitsky) (Chorus) surgeon in a military hospital, followed by three years hostilities. Igor refuses. In the Third Act (omitted in this of further study in western Europe. Here he met the recording as was the custom of the time) Igor escapes, 5 Pust’ pridut knyagini i boyaryni 5:46 Scene 2 brilliant young pianist Ekaterina Protopova, whom he but without his son. Konchak refuses to pursue Igor. He [Let the princesses and boyars’ wives come] $ Arioso: Ne malo vremeni proshlo 7:07 married in 1863, after succeeding to the professorship at retains Vladimir as a hostage and marries him to (Igor) [Much time has passed] the Academy in 1862.