The Tsar's Bride (opera)

Performance history#

The Moscow premiere was given at the Private Opera Society, the scenic designer being Mikhail Vrubel. St. Petersburg had its premiere two years later at the Mariinsky Theatre with scenic designs by Ivanov and Lambin. Another notable performance was at the Bolshoy Theatre in Moscow, conducted by Emil Cooper (Kuper) and with scenic design by Konstantin Korovin, Golova, and Dyachkov. A film version was released in 1966 directed by Vladimir Gorikker. One noted US production was in 1986 at Washington Opera. The Royal Opera premiere was given at Covent Garden in 2011, directed by Paul Curran, with set and costume design by Kevin Knight and lighting design by David Jacques.

Synopsis#

:Time: Autumn, 1572 :Place: Aleksandrovsky settlement, Moscow, Russia

Act 1: The Feast#

The Oprichnik Gryaznoi loves Marfa, daughter of the merchant Sobakin, even though Gryaznoi already has a mistress, Lyubasha, whom he has neglected of late. Marfa is already betrothed to the boyar Lykov. In a jealous rage against Lykov, Gryaznoi arranges to cast a spell on Marfa with a magic potion from Bomelius, the Tsar’s physician. Lyubasha has overheard Gryaznoi’s request.

Act 2: The Love Philtre#

Lyubasha in turn obtains from Bomelius another magic potion with which to cancel any feelings of Gryaznoi for Marfa. Bomelius consents, but at the price of an assignation with Lyubasha for himself.

Act 3: The Best Man#

In the meantime, the Tsar of the title, Ivan IV (known as “Ivan the Terrible”), is looking for a new bride from the best aristocratic maidens in Russia, through the newly adopted custom of bride-show. The Tsar settles upon Marfa. At the celebration of the engagement of Marfa to Lykov, everyone is surprised when the news arrives of the Tsar’s choice of Marfa as his bride. Gryaznoi had slipped what he thought was the love potion from Bomelius into Marfa’s drink at the feast.

Act 4: The Bride#

At the Tsar’s palace, Marfa has become violently ill. Lykov has been executed, at the instigation of Gryaznoi, on charges of attempting to kill Marfa. When Marfa learns that Lykov is dead, she goes insane. Eventually, Gryaznoi admits that he had slipped a potion into her drink, and after learning that it was poisonous, asks that he himself be executed. Lyubasha then confesses that she had substituted her potion from Bomelius for Gryaznoi’s. In a rage, Gryaznoi murders Lyubasha, and is then taken to prison eventually to be executed. In her madness, Marfa mistakes Gryaznoi for Lykov, inviting him to return the next day to visit her, then dies.

Important musical excerpts#

• Overture
• Gryaznoy’s Recitative and Aria (Act I)
• Lyubasha’s Song (Act I)
• Lyubasha’s Arioso (Act 1)
• Lykov’s Aria (Act I)
• Marfa’s Aria (Act II)
• Marfa’s Aria (Act IV)

Recordings#

Audio *1943: Maxim Mikhailov (Sobakin), Natalya Shpiller (Marfa), Pyotr Medvedev (Gryaznoy), Anatoly Orfenov (Lykov), Maria Maksakova (Lyubasha), Sofya Panova (Domna Saburova); Chorus and Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre; Lev Steinberg, conductor; Dante Productions LYS 055/56: *1991: Pyotr Gluboky (Sobakin), Ekaterina Kudriavchenko (Marfa), Vladislav Verestnikov (Gryaznoy), Arkady Mishenskin (Lykov), Nina Terentieva (Lyubasha), Irina Udalova (Domna Saburova); Sveshnikov Academic Russian Choir and Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre; Andrey Chistiakov, conductor *1998: Gennady Bezzubenkov (Sobakin), Marina Shaguch (Marfa), Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Gryaznoy), Evgeny Akimov (Lykov), Olga Borodina (Lyubasha), Irina Loskutova (Domna Saburova); Orchestra and Chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre; Valery Gergiev, conductor. Philips 462 618-2: Video *1983: Alexander Vedernikov (Sobakin), Lydia Kovaleva (Marfa), Yuri Grigoriev (Gryaznoy), Evgeny Shapin (Lykov), Nina Terentieva (Lyubasha), Larissa Yurchenko (Domna Saburova); Orchestra and Chorus of the Bolshoi Theatre; Yuri Simonov, conductor.

References#

Notes Sources *100 опер: история создания, сюжет, музыка. 100 Operas: History of Creation, Subject, Music. Ленинград: Издательство “Музыка,” 1968, pp. 356–361. * *Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. *Warrack, John and West, Ewan, The Oxford Dictionary of Opera New York: OUP: 1992