Thread: Tchaikovsky's operas

The best Tchaikovsky you can get, the real one, the authentic....The Russian Tchaikovsky far from his ballets wich were merely created for "eating"...His operas were huge!
I have his 10 operas and the few excerpts from Undine...


To be followed by you.


Martin Pitchon

I hope to Eugen Onegin next year here at the DNO with the RCO and Mariss Janssons

DNO? RCO? Marrris Janssons (Oslo?)
Sorry, I guess I don't understand you.



Evgeñi Onieguin is a wonderful opera but just one among ten, what else do you know?

If nobody objects, could this thread be merged with the Russian Opera thread in the opera forum? I'm getting really interested in Russian opera & don't want to miss any information.

Thanks

Dno is the dutch opera company,

Rco is the royal concertgebouw orchestra, Mariss Janssons is the current chief-conductor.

Merge? I have no problem but how? Russian opera is extremely "big", It is like making a merge of Verdi and Rossini because they are Italian!!!!! WE cannot mix Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky....Can we? I think that anyhow nobody knows many operas by Tchaikovsky...this thred won't be very popular maybe...I know. I love Tchaikovsky's operas and if I find one or two people that like like me Tchaikovsky's operas (not just Evgeni Onieguin and the spade queen) I'll be happy!!!!!!!






Martin

Originally Posted by sospiro

If nobody objects, could this thread be merged with the Russian Opera thread in the opera forum? I'm getting really interested in Russian opera & don't want to miss any information.

Thanks

I haven't merged it with the Russian opera thread since talk specifically about Tchaikovsky's operas deserves a thread of it's own I think. I have however moved the thread to the opera board.

Originally Posted by myaskovsky2002

Merge? I have no problem but how? Russian opera is extremely "big", It is like making a merge of Verdi and Rossini because they are Italian!!!!! WE cannot mix Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky....Can we? I think that anyhow nobody knows many operas by Tchaikovsky...this thred won't be very popular maybe...I know. I love Tchaikovsky's operas and if I find one or two people that like like me Tchaikovsky's operas (not just Evgeni Onieguin and the spade queen) I'll be happy!!!!!!!






Martin

Well, it's more a question of exposure, since the only two I know (and own DVDs of both) are indeed Eugene Onegin and The Queen of Spades. But since these are both phenomenal operas, I'd be more than willing to get to know more of his operas.

Do make recommendations - can you give as a list of your favorites, in order of preference? And maybe suggest available DVDs?

Buddy, I often appreciate your knowledge of Russian operas and ask for recommendations, but then you seem to always ignore the request. I wonder what's wrong.

Originally Posted by myaskovsky2002

The best Tchaikovsky you can get, the real one, the authentic....The Russian Tchaikovsky far from his ballets wich were merely created for "eating"...His operas were huge!
I have his 10 operas and the few excerpts from Undine...


To be followed by you.


Martin Pitchon

I hate to say this, but I am not even sure if Eugene Onegin and The Queen of Spades can be put on the same level as Boris Godunov, let alone be considered great masterpieces like Tchaikovsky's Symphonies, Ballets, Concertos, etc. My feeling from watching Eugene Onegin and The Queen of Spades is that Tchaikovsky's operas are like Schubert's operas; they are full of good music but lacks the drama you can get from a Wagner or Verdi opera, so large parts of his operas are quite boring and a pain to last through. So I have to disagree with your opinion that the best Tchaikovsky you can get are his operas; the best Tchaikovsky you can get is IMHO his Symphonies 4-6.

I have tickets for Eugene Onegin on 20th December with Vasily Ladyuk in the title role. I loved Pushkin's poem, and I haven't attended the opera in 15 years, so I'm very excited.

Originally Posted by Lipatti

I have tickets for Eugene Onegin on 20th December with Vasily Ladyuk in the title role. I loved Pushkin's poem, and I haven't attended the opera in 15 years, so I'm very excited.

Great. I hope you have a fabulous evening.

Also, in addition to all discrediting his operas that's going on here I would like to add that they are not so Russian in character as some say. Just because they are based on works by famous Russian poet doesn't mean anything.

And Onegin has pretty dull libretto - there is lot of music set up for scenes and words that are not musical at all, vide most of first act until appearance of Onegin and Lensky.

Not bad opera though, same with others. It's just they are not great masterpieces.

This is where I differ: I normally dislike the childish drama and bazzare plots of most opera, but absolutely love the music........Yes, the music and a few cherished moments are why I listen to opera!

Enough of speaking about the more known operas...

Opritchnik is a Master Piece! It is Tchaikovsky's Boris Godunov but complete...Nobody but him completed this opera...No help. Pure Russian soul! It is a difficult opera not as easy as Onieguin or Pikovaya dama (the queen of spades), no kids singing easy songs either, just drama! and History! Genuine Russian history by the time of Ivan the terrible who had some gentlement fighting for him in a kind of colony called Opritchnina.
You also have Mazeppa (Pushkin), history of the Pugatchov revolution.
You have (with some French influence) the maid of Orleans (Jean d'arc).
Yolantha, his last opera (quite short).

The enchanteres is his worst opera (I don't like it so much)
The Voyevoda is terrific, it is it (officially) his first opera
Cherevichki (Gogol) a wonderful master piece! a comedy...Funny, great


Here some examples:









Listen at this, below!!!!!!



Furthermore, you can buy all these awesome DVDs.

Sincerely,

Martin Pitchon

OK, now you have delivered! Solid recommendations!