In varous degrees I have a familiarity and love for 'western classical' music; German, English, French, Italian; but to a far lesser extent Russian. I have no idea why (subject for a future thread?) I seem to have an affinity with Russia. I am constantly drawn to that vast arrangement of nations though sadly I have never been there.
Good music is also too vast for one to be knowledgable about every one of its genres. So picking them off one by one I am going to make 2010 the year I focus on Russian composers, their music and their operas.
Any pointers would be appreciated, as long as it is uniquely Russian in character and sentiment. I haven't a single Russian opera DVD I am ashamed to say.
I think S&D of Death is so handsomely grim! A Finnish composer, Kalevi Aho, adapted it for the late Finnish bass, Martti Talvela, and it's very fine, too. The last song, where the Death promises to trample the dead so deep in the ground that they will never rise up again, is something spectacular! :trp:
I've been listening to Prince Igor (1990, Emil Tchakarov (conductor)) for more than a week, every day for few hours every day, love it, I almost cry at some moments.
The Polovtsain dances - the melody is catchy and apparently was copied by some other ... musicians (Iglesias?). One thing bothers me, it sounds very russian, or rather slavic to me. How come it is called Polovtsain dances? When I saw on youtube a clip of this part, I felt a dissonance between movements, costumes of the dancers and the music. Is it only me who feels this way? Was it Borodin who called it The Polovtsain dances?
AS you may know I went twice to Russia, the first in 1970, I stayed 45 days.
The second in 1971 for 30 days. I went almost every evening to the Bolshoi
or the Mali teatr...and I saw a sovietic opera not bad, I was impressed... I
remember the name: The great friendship by Vano Muradeli. He was a friend
of Stalin...Well....I don't like to talk politics.
Some beautiful songs are there:
and some choirs:
I don't know how to get this opera, it seems impossible...
Well, because the characters in that part of the opera were Polovtsians (or Cumans, the nomadic people of the steppes). The Russians called them Половцы (Polovtsi) simply meaning "blondes." So Borodin called the scene The Polovtsian Danses because the Polovtsians were dancing in it. It doesn't mean that his music for the scene shouldn't sound Russian. He was after all a Russian composer.
Polovtsian were Turkic people...a mixt of Turkish and Tartar. The opera is based on the anonymous poem (around 1245)
The Lay of the Host of Igor
O Russian Land, you are already behind the hill! ! The night was long in falling. Slowly the light of the sunset faded and dark mist covered the plain. The nightingales fell quiet and the call of the ravens was heard. The men of Rus barred the great plains...»
Around 1245. Igor lost the battle as shown in the opera, he went again and this time he lost...his life.
It is a wonderful Epic Poem...Much more than a simple opera as Alexander Nevsky was for Prokofiev.
About Polovtsian you are absolutely right! I am happened to be Tatar. I know folk melodies of these people from my childhood and was surprised not to hear them even remotely in Polovtsian dances. Very nice poem. Where did you get it? What books are you reading? You seems to be very educated person - my respect to you.
About Polovtsian you are absolutely right! I am happened to be Tatar. I know folk melodies of these people from my childhood and was surprised not to hear them even remotely in Polovtsian dances. Very nice poem. Where did you get it? What books are you reading? You seems to be very educated person - my respect to you.
I am in love with Russia and its culture. I read all Gogol, 95% of Pushkin, 45% of Dostoyevsky, 10% of Tchekhov and 0% of Tolstoi (LOL). I also read many books about R-K, Tchaikovsky, etc.
I also read the two poems: Prince Igor and Alexander Nevsky and many many Russian fairy tales, I went to Russia twice...the first time I stayed 45 days and the second one 30 days. I met Dmitri Shostakovich in Moscow and we had a cup of tea together and actually I'm learning Russian...I started 2 years ago alone and now with a Russian guy once a week. I love Russian opera and I have the most impressive collection I know of Russian opera...You can take a look at:
My goal is to share, not to impress.
But to share with interesting people...and with interested people who can express themselves non stop...I hate being the last to speak in many places...LOL
each time I speak about Russian opera and let's say I show my collection I am the very last to speak...I feel depressed...Please speak!!!!!!!!!!! I know I have a big collection but I can still learn, I'm not dead!
Last year, in February, I was watching Closing Ceremony of Olympic Games and saw presentation from Russia. Among all things there was Guleghina singing an aria from Prince Igor. They brought her out on some sort of ladder. Whole setting was weird, nobody, at least among my friends, understood what she was singing and why. I thought what a horrible opera that must be. Then, recently, I saw your topics on russian opera and decided to give it another chance - Thanks God (i mean thanks to you) I can't stop listening to it. Every time I discover something new about it, it is amazing!
I listened/watched Shostakovitch, Lady Macbeth ..., found that the video is distracting. I like Shostakovitch, I heard that, his music is as if somebody sneaked into your soul, and scared it to death! Maybe fear is our national trait.
I listened/watched Shostakovitch, Lady Macbeth ..., found that the video is distracting. I like Shostakovitch, I heard that, his music is as if somebody sneaked into your soul, and scared it to death! Maybe fear is our national trait.
I think that Lady Macbet of Mtsensk District (a.k.a., with some modifications, as Katerina Izmailova) is one of the very best 20th century operas. Like top 5. It is an amazing opera.
I've just seen the other version again...not just Atlantov but Irina Arkhipova (the very best) ...it is warranty you'll fall in love with Sadko! That one is the best versions, not mine! I'm jealous!!!!!!!
Just read all the replies on this thread and I miss the Opera of Operas: Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame (a.k.a Queen of Spades) under Valery Gergiev, Philips 1992. I also listened to other Пи́ковая дама performances, but this one is so electrifying extatic, that the rest looks, well, just like 'the rest'. I've got some trouble with just naming an opera without naming the interpretor. I've got both Gergiev & Lazarev on Prokofiev's 'Bethrothal in a monastery' and I'm favouring Lazarev for bringing out the burlesque interaction much more glowingly than the otherwise flaming angel with his magical thrilling hand: Valery Gergiev. 'Boris Godunov' I have in interpretations by Karajan (Rimsky's retouch), Gergiev (both 1869 & 1872 Versions) and Alexander Melik-Pashayev. All of them offering the best in their own ways. Claudio Abbado has made a gorgeous Khovantchina, but a real gem is the 1984 RCA recording of unknown Mussorgsky Choir Works with the LSO & LSO Chorus. Mostly I convert DVDs to CDs (wav.file/ mp3 in the car), because I do not need to see the stage time & time again.
Good! It looks like you know a lot about operas on CD. Once we tackle the next project of establishing a list of most recommended CD versions, we'll need you!
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