RIMSKY- 3 CDs KORSAKOV The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh Kazakov • Panfilov • Monogarova Gubsky • Hakobyan • Naumenko Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari Alexander Vedernikov Nikolay Andreyevich CD 1 64:07 7 What are we standing about for, sisters? 5:40 1 Prelude – In praise of the wilderness 3:05 (Female Chorus, Page, Prince Yury) 8 Entr’acte – The Battle near Kerzhenets 4:33 RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Act I 2 Ah, you forest, my forest 3:38 Act III: Scene 2 (1844-1908) (Fevronya) 9 Here is the oak grove 2:08 3 Where are you, my dear friends 4:45 (Kuterma, Burunday, Bedyay, Chorus) The Legend of the Invisible City of (Fevronya) 0 Don’t worry! We shan’t touch you 5:59 4 I know all the forest paths 7:36 (Bedyay, Burunday, Chorus) Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronya (Fevronya, Prince Vsevolod) ! It was not hungry ravens 2:21 5 Day and night we have our service 2:30 (Chorus, Burunday) Opera in Four Acts (Fevronya, Prince Vsevolod) @ Ah, my dear husband, my hope! 3:45 6 Dearest, how can you live life without joy 3:55 (Fevronya, Kuterma) (Fevronya, Prince Vsevolod) # No, that accursed ringing 5:43 Libretto by Vladimir I. Belsky 7 Hail to thee, lips of honey 3:25 (Prince Vsevolod, Fevronya) (Kuterma, Fevronya) Prince Yury Vsevolodovich . Mikhail Kazakov 8 As soon as the marksman came 4:44 $ Ah, folks, at liberty 4:06 Hereditary prince Vsevolod Yuryevich . Vitaly Panfilov (Chorus, Prince Vsevolod, Fevronya, Poyarok) (Kuterma, Chorus) Fevronya . Tatiana Monogarova Act II CD 3 55:17 9 Show them, Mikhaylushka 3:47 Act IV: Scene 1 (The bear tamer, Chorus, The ballad singer) Grishka Kuterma . Mikhail Gubsky 1 Oh, I can’t go on 4:35 0 Ah, my foolish children! 4:55 Fyodor Poyarok . Gevorg Hakobyan (The ballad singer, Chorus, The bear tamer, (Fevronya, Kuterma) 2 Well, let’s go pray if you want 4:00 Page. Marika Gulordava Kuterma) ! Gracious benefactors 7:31 (Kuterma, Fevronya) Two notables . Gianluca Floris, Marek Kalbus (Chorus, Kuterma, Poyarok, Fevronya) 3 What’s happening to me? 4:35 @ Do not sin, God allows a good word 3:30 (Kuterma, Fevronya) The ballad singer . Riccardo Ferrari (Fevronya, Kuterma, Poyarok, Chorus) 4 Let me see: what pretty flowers 8:37 The bear tamer . Stefano Consolini # Over the bridges of guelder-tree 4:02 (Fevronya, Alkonost) (Female Chorus, Bedyay, Burunday) 5 Is that you, radiant light of my eyes? 4:30 A beggar. Alessandro Senes $ There will be no such beauty in the steppes 4:14 (Fevronya, Ghost of Prince Vsevolod) Bedyay . Valery Gilmanov (Burunday, Bedyay, Chorus, Kuterma, Fevronya) 6 The bridegroom has come 2:38 % Stop, you godless heathens! 2:30 Burunday . Alexander Naumenko (Sirin, Fevronya) (Kuterma, Chorus, Bedyay, Burunday, Fevronya) 7 He who partakes of our bread – Sirin . Rosanna Savoia CD 2 61:12 Symphonic Prelude 2:44 Alkonost. Elena Manistina Act III: Scene 1 (Ghost of Prince Vsevolod, Fevronya) 1 Good fortune to you, citizens of Kitezh 6:15 Act IV: Scene 2 Two men . Mirko Dettori, Victor García Sierra (Poyarok, Chorus, Prince Vsevolod) 8 The Lord promised those who seek 4:38 2 God still preserves Greater Kitezh 3:32 (Sirin, Alkonost, Chorus) (Chorus, Poyarok, Prince Vsevolod) 9 Radiant kingdom! 5:01 3 Oh glory, vain wealth! 4:42 Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari (Fevronya, Chorus, Prince Vsevolod) (Prince Yury) 0 I bow to you, righteous people 6:09 Chorus-master: Fulvio Fogliazza 4 Wondrous queen of heaven 6:23 (Chorus, Prince Yury, Page) (Fevronya, Prince Yury, Prince Vsevolod, Alexander Vedernikov 5 Wondrous queen of heaven 3:02 Sirin, Alkonost, Page, Poyarok, Chorus) (Chorus, Page) ! Ah, my faithful bride 7:51 6 God’s will be done 3:04 (Prince Vsevolod, Fevronya, Prince Yury, (Prince Yury, Prince Vsevolod, Chorus) Poyarok, Chorus) Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) ‘Will you permit this, my strict, cruel librettist?’ Part of the Act 1 of Kitezh was performed at Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronya difficulty for the two men lay in the title itself. After all, the home in November 1906. The piano reduction of the word ‘legend’ has etymological connotations with reading, orchestral score was played by the composer’s pupil and Unrivalled in his day as a master of orchestral tone colour, Maiden Fevronya. The result is an amalgam of folklore which is an activity that is contemplative rather than son-in-law Maximilian Steinberg, who, in 1912, would Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov was self-critical to a fault. As a and Christian mystery, with a heavy dose of pantheism dramatic. Furthermore, Belsky wished to inject period complete his late teacher’s Principles of Orchestration. composer he practised what he preached as a teacher: and patriotism thrown in. These last two factors were what flavour by having some characters speak in old-fashioned The first staged production of the whole opera took place only use instruments through need, and not because they saved Kitezh from being heavily sanitised during the Russian, replete with archaic colloquialisms, while others at the Maryinsky Theatre in St Petersburg on 20th seem to be a nice idea. Writing about The Invisible City of Soviet era, though an overhaul of the plot was proposed would speak in Old Church Slavonic. Rimsky-Korsakov February 1907 (new style). The occasion was a great Kitezh in the summer of 1904, the jaundiced-sounding by the Symbolist-poet-turned-Bolshevik-revolutionary, was far from happy, for he had no intention of writing an success. Nevertheless, critics and audience were composer told his librettist: ‘I destroyed the second tuba, Sergey Gorodetsky, who particularly disliked Prince old-fashioned opera. On the contrary, he wished to nonplussed by the opera’s unfamiliar blend of mysticism and I traded flauto alto for the ordinary flute. These Yury’s piety. He had already made significant alterations produce a modern work fit for the early twentieth century: and realism. Even the producer was troubled by Rimsky- instruments … were oppressing me and did not give me to the libretto of Glinka’s Life for the Tsar. ‘I do not think Kitezh will be a backward-looking opera, but Korsakov’s decision to employ a dramatic soprano to peace. And I still have to compose what is missing in Act The miracle that saves Kitezh from the horde is clearly one that is contemporary and even fairly advanced.’ portray the ‘light, ethereal, disembodied’ figure of 3. Somehow I have come to dislike composing. It is effected by the Christian God (church bells ring Unlike most Russian operas, Kitezh is through- Fevronya. Following the Moscow première in March 1908, obviously time to give up this occupation. Don’t despair: I spontaneously), but this is offset by many pantheistic composed and strongly symphonic at times. As a audiences continued to be perplexed by what they will finish Kitezh, anyhow.’ elements. For instance, in Act 1 Fevronya is asked if she consequence, individual vocal numbers cannot be readily perceived as ‘clashes’ between idealism and realism. Yet Rimsky-Korsakov and his librettist, Vladimir Belsky, had goes to church. Her reply – that God is everywhere, and extracted and performed as free-standing pieces. Singers it has been argued that such an apparent confusion of been attracted to the Kitezh legend as far back as the that the forest is like a vast church where the Eucharist is and orchestral musicians alike are all treated as part of incompatible elements was, to some degree, a reflection winter of 1898–9, but this project remained on the back continuously celebrated – is but one example of Rimsky-Korsakov’s tone-painting. A masterly example of current events. Rimsky-Korsakov was profoundly burner for several years. In October 1902, however, the theological sidestepping in this opera, which treats occurs with the repeated tolling of bells from the vanished disillusioned by the unsuccessful 1905 revolution. Initially composer’s friend Vasily Yastrebtsev wrote: ‘Today, Christianity as a fascinating aspect of folklore, albeit an city. This idea was fixed in the composer’s mind from describing himself as ‘bright red’, he supported the rioting Rimsky-Korsakov confessed that he is writing an opera important one. Rimsky-Korsakov was, after all, a man early on, for in the summer of 1903 he told Belsky that ‘the students and was suspended from his teaching post. from the times of the Tartar rule over old Russia, that is on who rejected theology. He believed that experimental opera will end with a piano tremolo F major chord on the Former friends and colleagues, such as César Cui and the subject of The Invisible City of Kitezh.’ The following investigation and observation are the only sources of bells. It will be necessary to try this out in advance with Mily Balakirev, now denounced him for his offensive spring, Yastrebtsev further related that Rimsky-Korsakov substantial knowledge. It seems likely, therefore, that he the bells of the Maryinsky Theatre.’ Such is the solidarity with ‘vandals and hooligans’. had now revealed the general content of his new opera and overrode any overtly Christian elements that Belsky might orchestra’s rôle in highlighting the events on stage that it Kitezh was soon eclipsed in popularity by Rimsky- added that the libretto by Belsky drew partly on the famous initially have proposed. has even been described as ‘the real main character’ of Korsakov’s next and final opera, The Golden Cockerel, novels In the Woods and On the Mountains by Melnikov- From the outset, librettist and composer had quite the opera. It is interesting to note that while Rimsky- but it eventually made its way westwards.