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{{Short description|Music genre}}
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{{More footnotes needed|date=November 2015}}
{{Russianmusic}}
'''Russian opera''' ([[Russian language|Russian:]] '''Ру́сская о́пера''' ''Rússkaya ópera'') is the art of opera in Russia. Operas by composers of Russian origin, written or staged outside of Russia, also belong to this category, as well as the operas of foreign composers written or intended for the Russian scene. These are not only [[Russian language|Russian-language]] operas. There are examples of Russian operas written in French, English, Italian, [[Latin language|Latin]], [[Ancient Greek language|Ancient Greek]], Japanese, or the multitude of languages of the nationalities that were part of the [[Russian Empire|Empire]] and the [[Soviet Union]].


Russian opera includes the works of such composers as [[Mikhail Glinka|Glinka]], [[Anton Rubinstein|Rubinstein]], [[Modest Mussorgsky|Mussorgsky]], [[Alexander Borodin|Borodin]], [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky]], [[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov|Rimsky-Korsakov]], [[Igor Stravinsky|Stravinsky]], [[Sergei Prokofiev|Prokofiev]] and [[Dmitri Shostakovich|Shostakovich]].
'''Russian opera''' ([[Russian language|Russian:]] '''Ру́сская о́пера''') is the [[art]] of [[opera]] in [[Russia]]. Operas by composers of Russian origin, written or staged outside of Russia, also belong to this category, as well as the operas of foreign composers written or intended for the Russian scene. These are not only [[Russian language|Russian-language]] operas. There are examples of Russian operas written in [[French language|French]], [[English language|English]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Latin language|Latin]], [[Ancient Greek language|Ancient Greek]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], or the multitude of languages of the nationalities that were part of the [[Russian Empire|Empire]] and the [[Soviet Union]].


Searching for its typical and characteristic features, the Russian opera (and Russian music as a whole), has often been under strong foreign influence. Italian, French, and German operas have served as examples, even when composers sought to introduce special, national elements into their work. This dualism, to a greater or lesser degree, has persisted throughout the whole history of Russian opera.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}
Russian opera includes the works of such [[composer]]s as [[Mikhail Glinka|Glinka]], [[Modest Mussorgsky|Mussorgsky]], [[Alexander Borodin|Borodin]], [[Peter Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky]], [[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov|Rimsky-Korsakov]], [[Igor Stravinsky|Stravinsky]], [[Sergei Prokofiev|Prokofiev]] and [[Dmitri Shostakovich|Shostakovich]].

Searching for its typical and characteristic features, Russian [[opera]] (and Russian music as a whole), has often been under strong foreign influence. Italian, French, and German operas have served as examples, even when composers sought to introduce special, national elements into their work. This dualism, to a greater or lesser degree, has persisted throughout the whole history of Russian opera.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}


==18th century==
==18th century==
{{sidebar|title=Patrons|contentstyle=text-align:left|content1=[[Anna of Russia]] (1693–1740)<br>[[Elizabeth of Russia]] (1709–1762)<br>[[Catherine II of Russia]] (1729–1796)<br>[[Nikolai Sheremetev]] (1751–1809)}}
<div style="{{divstyleplain}}; width:17em; float:right; margin:.3em">'''Patrons'''<br>
Opera came to Russia in the 18th century. At first there were Italian language operas presented by [[Italian opera]] [[wiktionary:troupe|troupe]]s. Later some foreign composers serving to the [[Russian Empire|Russian Imperial Court]] began writing Russian-language operas, while some Russian composers were involved into writing of the operas in Italian and French. And only at the beginning of the 1770s were the first modest attempts of the composers of Russian origin to compose operas to the Russian [[librettos]] made. This was not a real creation of Russian national opera per se, but rather a weak imitation of [[Italian opera|Italian]], French or [[German opera|German]] examples. But nevertheless, these experiments were important, and paved the way for the great achievements of 19th and 20th centuries.
[[Anna of Russia]] (1693–1740)<br>[[Elizabeth of Russia]] (1709–1762)<br>[[Catherine II of Russia]] (1729–1796)<br>[[Nikolai Sheremetev]] (1751–1809)</div>
[[Opera]] came to [[Russia]] in the 18th century. At first there were [[Italian language]] operas presented by [[Italian opera]] [[wiktionary:troupe|troupe]]s. Later some foreign composers serving to the [[Russian Empire|Russian Imperial Court]] began writing Russian-language operas, while some Russian composers were involved into writing of the operas in Italian and French. And only at the beginning of the 1770s were the first modest attempts of the composers of Russian origin to compose operas to the [[Russia]]n [[librettos]] made. This was not a real creation of Russian national opera per se, but rather a weak imitation of [[Italian opera|Italian]], [[France|French]] or [[German opera|German]] examples. But nevertheless, these experiments were important, and paved the way for the great achievements of 19th and 20th centuries.


===Italians===
===Italians===


Originating in Italy in c1600, opera spread all over Europe and reached [[Russia]] in 1731, when the King of [[Poland]] and [[Prince-elector|Elector]] of [[Saxony]] [[August II the Strong]] (based in [[Dresden]]) 'loaned' his [[Italian language|Italian]] opera troupe to the Russian [[Empress Anna]] for the celebration of her coronation in [[Moscow]].
Originating in Italy in c1600, opera spread all over Europe and reached Russia in 1731, when the King of [[Poland]] and [[Prince-elector|Elector]] of [[Saxony]] [[August II the Strong]] (based in [[Dresden]]) 'loaned' his Italian opera troupe to the Russian [[Empress Anna]] for the celebration of her coronation in Moscow. The first opera shown in Russia was '''''[[Calandro]]''''' by '''[[Giovanni Alberto Ristori]]''' (1692–1753), performed in Moscow in 1731 under the direction of the composer and his father Tommaso, with 13 actors and nine singers including Ludovica Seyfried, Margherita Ermini and Rosalia Fantasia.<ref name="Charlton">{{cite web |last1=Charlton |first1=David |title=Giovanni Alberto Ristori |url=http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/acc/ristori.php |website=Classical Net |access-date=19 April 2020}}</ref>

The first opera shown in Russia was '''''[[Calandro]]''''' by '''[[Giovanni Alberto Ristori]]''' (1692–1753). It was given in Moscow in 1731 under his and his father Tommaso Ristori’s direction, with 13 actors and nine singers including Ludovica Seyfried, Margherita Ermini and Rosalia Fantasia.


[[File:Francesco Araja.jpg|thumb|left|Francesco Araja]]
[[File:Francesco Araja.jpg|thumb|left|Francesco Araja]]
After that Italian opera troupes were welcomed to Russia for the entertaining of the Empress and her Court.In 1735 a big Italian opera troupe led by a composer '''[[Francesco Araja]]''' was invited for the first time to work in [[Saint Petersburg]]. The first opera given by them was Araja’s ''La forza dell'amore e dell'odio'', with a text by Francesco Prata, staged on February 8 [OS January 29], 1736 as ''Sila lyubvi i nenavisti'' (''The Power of Love and Hatred'').
After that Italian opera troupes were welcomed to Russia for the entertaining of the Empress and her Court. In 1735 a big Italian opera troupe led by a composer '''[[Francesco Araja]]''' was invited for the first time to work in [[Saint Petersburg]]. The first opera given by them was Araja's ''La forza dell'amore e dell'odio'', with a text by Francesco Prata, staged on 8 February [OS 29 January], 1736 as ''Sila lyubvi i nenavisti'' (''The Power of Love and Hatred'').
[[Araja]]’s next two productions were the [[opera seria|operas seria]] ''Il finto Nino, overo La Semiramide riconosciuta'' to the text by Francesco Silvani given on February 9, 1737 [OS January 28], Saint Petersburg and ''Artaserse'' to the text by [[Pietro Metastasio]], performed on February 9, 1738 [OS January 28] in Saint Petersburg. [[Araja]] spent around 25 year in [[Russia]] and wrote at least 14 operas for the Russian Court.
[[Araja]]’s next two productions were the [[opera seria|operas seria]] ''Il finto Nino, overo La Semiramide riconosciuta'' to the text by Francesco Silvani given on 9 February 1737 [OS 28 January], Saint Petersburg and ''Artaserse'' to the text by [[Pietro Metastasio]], performed on 9 February 1738 [OS 28 January] in Saint Petersburg. [[Araja]] spent around 25-year in Russia and wrote at least 14 operas for the Russian Court.


In 1742, in connection witho the celebration of the coronation of Empress [[Elizaveta Petrovna]] in Moscow the opera ''Tito Vespasiano'' [''La clemenza di Tito''] by '''[[Johann Adolf Hasse]]''' (1699–1783) was staged. A new theatre was built especially for this event. In 1743 at "Zimnij Dvorets", the ([[Winter Palace]]) in Saint Petersburg, instead of a small hall of "Comedie et opere" was built a new Opera House ([[architect]] [[Bartolomeo Rastrelli]]) that held about a thousand persons.
In 1742, in connection with the celebration of the coronation of Empress [[Elizaveta Petrovna]] in Moscow the opera ''Tito Vespasiano'' [''La clemenza di Tito''] by '''[[Johann Adolf Hasse]]''' (1699–1783) was staged. A new theatre was built especially for this event. In 1743 at "Zimnij Dvorets", the ([[Winter Palace]]) in Saint Petersburg, instead of a small hall of "Comedie et opere" was built a new Opera House (architect [[Bartolomeo Rastrelli]]) that held about a thousand persons.


[[File:Valeriani Tsefal i Prokris.jpg|thumb|Valeriani: Sets for the "first Russian opera" ''[[Tsefal i Prokris]]'' by [[Francesco Araja|Araja]], 1755]]
[[File:Valeriani Tsefal i Prokris.jpg|thumb|Valeriani: Sets for the "first Russian opera" ''[[Tsefal i Prokris]]'' by [[Francesco Araja|Araja]], 1755]]
The next [[opera seria]] by [[Araja]] ''Seleuco'', text by [[Giuseppe Bonecchi]] was given on May 7 [OS April 26] 1744 in Moscow as part of a double celebration of the anniversary of the coronation of [[Elizaveta Petrovna]] and conclusion of peace with [[Sweden]].
The next [[opera seria]] by [[Araja]] ''Seleuco'', text by [[Giuseppe Bonecchi]] was given on 7 May [OS 26 April], 1744 in Moscow as part of a double celebration of the anniversary of the coronation of [[Elizaveta Petrovna]] and conclusion of peace with Sweden.


The staging of [[Araja]]’s [[opera seria]] ''Bellerofonte'', text by [[Giuseppe Bonecchi]] (December 9, 1750 [OS November 28], Saint Petersburg) was notable for the participation of a Russian [[singer]] from “pevchie” of the Court Capella, Mark Poltoratski, who played the role of Ataman, a nobleman of Kingdom of Likia.
The staging of [[Araja]]’s [[opera seria]] ''Bellerofonte'', text by [[Giuseppe Bonecchi]] (9 December 1750 [OS 28 November], Saint Petersburg) was notable for the participation of a Russian singer from "pevchie" of the Court Capella, Mark Poltoratski, who played the role of Ataman, a nobleman of Kingdom of Likia.


The first opera written in [[Russian language|Russian]] was [[Araja]]’s '''''[[Tsefal i Prokris]]''''' (''Cephalus and Prokris'', libretto by [[Alexander Sumarokov]]) that was staged at Saint Petersburg on March 7, [OS February 27], 1755.
The first opera written in Russian was [[Araja]]’s '''''[[Tsefal i Prokris]]''''' (''Cephalus and Prokris'', libretto by [[Alexander Sumarokov]]) that was staged at Saint Petersburg on 7 March, [OS 27 February], 1755.


The second opera set to a [[Russian language|Russian]] text was ''Alceste'', 1758, libretto by [[Alexander Sumarokov]]) by German composer '''[[Hermann Raupach]]''' (1728–1778) also serving to the Russian Court. Raupach spent 18 years in [[Russia]] and died in Saint Petersburg in 1778.
The second opera set to a Russian text was ''Alceste'', 1758, libretto by [[Alexander Sumarokov]]) by German composer '''[[Hermann Raupach]]''' (1728–1778) also serving to the Russian Court. Raupach spent 18 years in Russia and died in Saint Petersburg in 1778.


In 1757 a private opera [[business|enterprise]] directed by [[Giovanni Battista Locatelli]] (1713&nbsp;– c. 1770) was invited to Saint Petersburg. They had shown an opera every week for the court, and two-three times a week they were allowed to give open public performances. The repertoire was mostly of Italian [[opera buffa]]. For the first three years the troupe had presented the seven operas by '''[[Baldassare Galuppi]]''' (1706–1785) including ''Il mondo della luna'' (''The World of the Moon''), ''[[Il Filosofo di campagna]]'' (''The Village Philosopher''), and ''Il mondo alla roversa, ossia Le donne che commandono'' (''The Worlds Upside Down, or Women Command'').
In 1757 a private opera enterprise directed by [[Giovanni Battista Locatelli (opera director)|Giovanni Battista Locatelli]] (1713&nbsp;– c. 1770) was invited to Saint Petersburg. They had shown an opera every week for the court, and two-three times a week they were allowed to give open public performances. The repertoire was mostly of Italian [[opera buffa]]. For the first three years the troupe had presented the seven operas by '''[[Baldassare Galuppi]]''' (1706–1785) including ''Il mondo della luna'' (''The World of the Moon''), ''[[Il Filosofo di campagna]]'' (''The Village Philosopher''), and ''Il mondo alla roversa, ossia Le donne che commandono'' (''The Worlds Upside Down, or Women Command'').


In the 1760–80s in Russia there were working in turn [[Venice|Venetian]] [[Baldassare Galuppi|Galuppi]], [[Vincenzo Manfredini|Manfredini]] from [[Pistoia]], [[Tommaso Traetta|Traetta]] from [[Bitonto]] near [[Barri]], [[Giovanni Paisiello|Paisiello]] from [[Taranto]], [[Giuseppe Sarti|Sarti]], [[Domenico Cimarosa|Cimarosa]] from [[Campania]], and [[Spain|Spaniard]] [[Vicente Martín y Soler|Martin y Soler]]. Each of them brought an important contribution, producing operas to the Italian as well as Russian libretti. Here are listed some of the operas written and premiered in [[Russia]]:
In the 1760–80s in Russia there were working in turn [[Venice|Venetian]] [[Baldassare Galuppi|Galuppi]], [[Vincenzo Manfredini|Manfredini]] from [[Pistoia]], [[Tommaso Traetta|Traetta]] from [[Bitonto]] near [[Barri]], [[Giovanni Paisiello|Paisiello]] from [[Taranto]], [[Giuseppe Sarti|Sarti]], [[Domenico Cimarosa|Cimarosa]] from [[Campania]], and [[Spain|Spaniard]] [[Vicente Martín y Soler|Martin y Soler]]. Each of them brought an important contribution, producing operas to the Italian as well as Russian libretti. Here are listed some of the operas written and premiered in Russia:


'''[[Vincenzo Manfredini]]''' (1737–1799) spent 12 years in [[Russia]] and died in Saint Petersburg. The son and pupil of famous baroque composer [[Francesco Manfredini]], he was a music teacher for [[Pavel Petrovich]] who later became Emperor of [[Russia]]. For the Russian Imperial Court Manfredini wrote five operas including: ''Semiramide'' (1760, Saint Petersburg), ''L'Olimpiade'' (1762 Moscow) and ''Carlo Magn''o (1763 Saint Petersburg).
'''[[Vincenzo Manfredini]]''' (1737–1799) spent 12 years in Russia and died in Saint Petersburg. The son and pupil of famous baroque composer [[Francesco Manfredini]], he was a music teacher for [[Pavel Petrovich]] who later became Emperor of Russia. For the Russian Imperial Court Manfredini wrote five operas including: ''Semiramide'' (1760, Saint Petersburg), ''L'Olimpiade'' (1762 Moscow) and ''Carlo Magn''o (1763 Saint Petersburg).


<gallery>
<gallery>
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Image:PaiselloVigeeLeBrun.jpg|[[Giovanni Paisiello]]
Image:PaiselloVigeeLeBrun.jpg|[[Giovanni Paisiello]]
Image:Giuseppe Sarti (1729-1802).jpg|[[Giuseppe Sarti]]
Image:Giuseppe Sarti (1729-1802).jpg|[[Giuseppe Sarti]]
Image:Domenico Cimarosa (recomposed).jpg|[[Domenico Cimarosa]]
</gallery>
</gallery>


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'''[[Giovanni Paisiello]]''' (1740–1816), a famous Neapolitan composer of more than 100 operas [[seria]] and [[buffa]], he spent in Russia eight years (1776–1783), where he wrote 12 operas including ''Nitteti'' (1777 Saint Petersburg), ''Lucinda e Armidoro'' (1777 Saint Petersburg), ''Il barbiere di Siviglia, ovvero La precauzione inutile'' (1782 [[Hermitage Theatre]]), and ''Il mondo della luna'' (1782 [[Kamenny Island Theatre]]).
'''[[Giovanni Paisiello]]''' (1740–1816), a famous Neapolitan composer of more than 100 operas [[seria]] and [[buffa]], he spent in Russia eight years (1776–1783), where he wrote 12 operas including ''Nitteti'' (1777 Saint Petersburg), ''Lucinda e Armidoro'' (1777 Saint Petersburg), ''Il barbiere di Siviglia, ovvero La precauzione inutile'' (1782 [[Hermitage Theatre]]), and ''Il mondo della luna'' (1782 [[Kamenny Island Theatre]]).


'''[[Giuseppe Sarti]]''' (1729–1802), a composer of about 40 operas, he spent in [[Russia]] eighteen years (1784–1802). After being for eight years a ''[[maestro di cappella]]'' at the Imperial Court, he spent the next four years at the service of Prince [[Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin]] at his estate in Southern Russia. Then he returned to the Court. In 1801 he solicited permission to return, because his health was broken. The emperor [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander I]] dismissed him in 1802 with a liberal pension. Sarti died in [[Berlin]]. His most successful operas in Russia were ''Armida e Rinaldo'' and ''The Early Reign of Oleg'' (Nachal'noye upravleniye Olega), for the latter of which the empress herself wrote the libretto. Among the nine operas written in Russia are also: ''Gli amanti consolati'' (1784 Saint Petersburg), ''I finti eredi'' (1785 Saint Petersburg, [[Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre]]), ''Castore e Polluce'' (1786 [[Hermitage Theatre]]) and ''La famille indienne en Angleterre'' (1799 Saint Petersburg, [[Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre]]).
'''[[Giuseppe Sarti]]''' (1729–1802), a composer of about 40 operas, he spent in Russia eighteen years (1784–1802). After being for eight years a ''[[maestro di cappella]]'' at the Imperial Court, he spent the next four years at the service of Prince [[Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin]] at his estate in Southern Russia. Then he returned to the Court. In 1801 he solicited permission to return, because his health was broken. The emperor [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander I]] dismissed him in 1802 with a liberal pension. Sarti died in [[Berlin]]. His most successful operas in Russia were ''Armida e Rinaldo'' and ''The Early Reign of Oleg'' (Nachal'noye upravleniye Olega), for the latter of which the empress herself wrote the libretto. Among the nine operas written in Russia are also: ''Gli amanti consolati'' (1784 Saint Petersburg), ''I finti eredi'' (1785 Saint Petersburg, [[Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre]]), ''Castore e Polluce'' (1786 [[Hermitage Theatre]]) and ''La famille indienne en Angleterre'' (1799 Saint Petersburg, [[Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre]]).


'''[[Domenico Cimarosa]]''', (1749–1801) another famous Neapolitan composer, singer, violinist, harpsichordist, conductor ant teacher, who composed about 75 operas, was a ''[[maestro di cappella]]'' in Russia for five years (1787–1791), where wrote: ''La felicità inaspettata'' (1788 [[Hermitage Theatre]]), ''La vergine del sol'e (1788? [[Hermitage Theatre]]; 1789 Saint Petersburg, [[Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre]]) and ''La Cleopatra'' (''Cleopatra e Marc Antonio'' 1789 [[Hermitage Theatre]])
'''[[Domenico Cimarosa]]''', (1749–1801) another famous Neapolitan composer, singer, violinist, harpsichordist, conductor ant teacher, who composed about 75 operas, was a ''[[maestro di cappella]]'' in Russia for five years (1787–1791), where he wrote: ''La felicità inaspettata'' (1788 [[Hermitage Theatre]]), ''La vergine del sol'e (1788? [[Hermitage Theatre]]; 1789 Saint Petersburg, [[Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre]]) and ''La Cleopatra'' (''Cleopatra e Marc Antonio'' 1789 [[Hermitage Theatre]])


[[File:Martin y Soler1.jpg|thumb|[[Vicente Martín y Soler]]]]
[[File:Portrait vicente martin soler.jpg|thumb|[[Vicente Martín y Soler]]]]
'''[[Vicente Martín y Soler]]''' (1754–1806) a Spanish organist and composer of 21 operas and 5 ballets, he settled in Russia c1788, where he was called "Martini". He wrote there: ''Gore-Bogatyr Kosometovich'' (libretto by [[Catherine II of Russia]], 1789 [[Hermitage Theatre]]) with overture on three Russian tunes, ''Pesnolyubie'' (1790 [[Hermitage Theatre]]), and ''La festa del villagio'' (1798 [[Hermitage Theatre]]).
'''[[Vicente Martín y Soler]]''' (1754–1806) a Spanish organist and composer of 21 operas and 5 ballets, he settled in Russia c1788, where he was called "Martini". He wrote there: ''Gore-Bogatyr Kosometovich'' (libretto by [[Catherine II of Russia]], 1789 [[Hermitage Theatre]]) with overture on three Russian tunes, ''Pesnolyubie'' (1790 [[Hermitage Theatre]]), and ''La festa del villagio'' (1798 [[Hermitage Theatre]]).


Two of his operas premiered in Vienna, but also staged in Russia, ''Una cosa rara, o sia Bellezza ed onestà'' (''The Rare Thing'') and ''L'arbore di Diana'' (''Diana's Tree'') were especially popular. The first of them performed in Russian [[translation]] of [[Ivan Dmitrievsky]] had some elements of the antifeudal directivity. He died in Saint Petersburg in January 1806.
Two of his operas premiered in Vienna, but also staged in Russia, ''Una cosa rara, o sia Bellezza ed onestà'' (''The Rare Thing'') and ''L'arbore di Diana'' (''Diana's Tree'') were especially popular. The first of them performed in Russian translation of [[Ivan Dmitrievsky]] had some elements of the antifeudal directivity. He died in Saint Petersburg in January 1806.


'''[[Ivan Kerzelli]]''' (also known as I. I. Kerzelli, or Iosif Kertsel) was a representative of a big family of foreign musicians [[Kerzelli]] (probably of [[Czech people|Czech]] origin), settled in [[Russia]] in the 18th century. He is regarded as a composer of a few famous operas: ''Lyubovnik - koldun'' (''The Lover-Magician'' 1772 Moscow), ''Rozana i Lyubim'' (''Rozana und Lyubim'' 1778, Moscow), ''Derevenskiy vorozheya'' (''The Village Wizard'' c. 1777 Moscow) (Overture and songs were printed in Moscow 1778; They were the first opera fragments printed in Russia) and ''Guljanye ili sadovnik kuskovskoy'' (''Promenade or the Gardener from Kuskovo'' 1780 or 1781 [[Kuskovo]], Private Theatre of Count [[Nikolai Sheremetev]]).
'''[[Ivan Kerzelli]]''' (also known as I. I. Kerzelli, or Iosif Kertsel) was a representative of a big family of foreign musicians [[Kerzelli]] (probably of [[Czech people|Czech]] origin), settled in Russia in the 18th century. He is regarded as a composer of a few famous operas: ''Lyubovnik koldun'' (''The Lover-Magician'' 1772 Moscow), ''Rozana i Lyubim'' (''Rozana und Lyubim'' 1778, Moscow), ''Derevenskiy vorozheya'' (''The Village Wizard'' c. 1777 Moscow) (Overture and songs were printed in Moscow 1778; They were the first opera fragments printed in Russia) and ''Guljanye ili sadovnik kuskovskoy'' (''Promenade or the Gardener from Kuskovo'' 1780 or 1781 [[Kuskovo]], Private Theatre of Count [[Nikolai Sheremetev]]).


'''[[Antoine Bullant]]''' (also known as Antoine or Jean Bullant, 1750–1821), another composer of [[Czech people|Czech]] origin settled in [[Russia]] in 1780 wrote a large number of operas with Russian [[libretto]]s, often within Russian national settings. He was especially famous for his [[comic opera]] ''[[Sbitenshchik]]'' (''Сбитеньщик&nbsp;— [[Sbiten]] Vendor''), [[comic opera]] in 3 acts, written to the libretto by [[Yakov Knyazhnin]] (remake of [[Molière]]'s ''[[L'école des femmes]]''). The opera was staged 1783 or 1784 in Saint Petersburg, at the [[Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre]], and was played until 1853.
'''[[Antoine Bullant]]''' (also known as Antoine or Jean Bullant, 1750–1821), another composer of [[Czech people|Czech]] origin settled in Russia in 1780 wrote a large number of operas with Russian [[libretto]]s, often within Russian national settings. He was especially famous for his [[comic opera]] ''[[Sbitenshchik]]'' (''Сбитеньщик&nbsp;— [[Sbiten]] Vendor''), [[comic opera]] in 3 acts, written to the libretto by [[Yakov Knyazhnin]] (remake of [[Molière]]'s ''[[L'école des femmes]]''). The opera was staged 1783 or 1784 in Saint Petersburg, at the [[Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre]], and was played until 1853.


There were also extremely popular the operas by [[Belgian people|Belgian]]/[[French people|French]] '''[[André Ernest Modeste Grétry]]''' (1741–1813), like ''L'Amitié à l'épreuve'' (first staged 1779, [[Kuskovo]] theatre) or ''Les Mariages samnites'' that was performed during 12 years (since 1885, [[Kuskovo]], [[Ostankino Palace|Ostankino]] theatres) with serf-soprano [[Praskovya Zhemchugova]] at the private opera of [[Nikolai Sheremetev]].
There were also extremely popular the operas by [[Belgian people|Belgian]]/French '''[[André Ernest Modeste Grétry]]''' (1741–1813), like ''L'Amitié à l'épreuve'' (first staged 1779, [[Kuskovo]] theatre) or ''Les Mariages samnites'' that was performed during 12 years (since 1885, [[Kuskovo]], [[Ostankino Palace|Ostankino]] theatres) with serf-soprano [[Praskovya Zhemchugova]] at the private opera of [[Nikolai Sheremetev]].


===Russians===
===Russians===


<div style="{{divstyleplain}}; width:20em; float:right; margin:.3em">'''Companies'''<br>[[Giovanni Alberto Ristori|Ristori troupe]] (performed in 1731, [[Moscow]])<br>[[Francesco Araja|Araja troupe]] (1735–1759)<br>[[Giovanni Battista Locatelli|Locatelli private entreprise]] (1757–1760s)<br>[[Nikolai Sheremetev|Sheremetev private theatre]] (1751–1809)<br>[[Bolshoi Theatre]] Mikhail Medoks (or [[Michael Maddox]]) theatre (from 1776)<br>[[Mariinsky Theatre|Imperial opera and ballet theatre]] (from 1783, [[St Petersburg]])</div>
{{sidebar|title=Companies|contentstyle=text-align:left|content1=[[Giovanni Alberto Ristori|Ristori troupe]] (performed in 1731, Moscow)<br>[[Francesco Araja|Araja troupe]] (1735–1759)<br>[[Giovanni Battista Locatelli (opera director)|Locatelli private entreprise]] (1757–1760s)<br>[[Nikolai Sheremetev|Sheremetev private theatre]] (1751–1809)<br>[[Bolshoi Theatre]] Mikhail Medoks (or [[Michael Maddox]]) theatre (from 1776)<br>[[Mariinsky Theatre|Imperial opera and ballet theatre]] (from 1783, [[St Petersburg]])}}
Two talented young Russians [[Maksym Berezovsky|Berezovsky]] and [[Bortniansky]] were sent by [[Catherine the Great|Catherine II]] to [[Italy]] to study art of [[music composition]].
Two talented young Russians [[Maksym Berezovsky|Berezovsky]] and [[Bortniansky]] were sent by [[Catherine the Great|Catherine II]] to Italy to study art of [[music composition]].


'''[[Maksym Berezovsky]]''' (1745–1777) went to [[Italy]] in the spring of 1769 to train with Padre [[Giovanni Battista Martini]] at the [[Bologna Philharmonic Academy]], where he graduated with distinction. He wrote an opera seria '''''[[Demofoonte]]''''' to the [[Italian language|Italian]] libretto by [[Pietro Metastasio]] for the carnival at [[Livorno]] (staged February 1773).
'''[[Maksym Berezovsky]]''' (1745–1777) went to Italy in the spring of 1769 to train with Padre [[Giovanni Battista Martini]] at the [[Bologna Philharmonic Academy]], where he graduated with distinction. He wrote an opera seria '''''[[Demofoonte]]''''' to the Italian libretto by [[Pietro Metastasio]] for the carnival at [[Livorno]] (staged February 1773).


[[File:DmytroBortniansky.jpg|thumb|left|Dmytro Bortniansky]]
[[File:PGRS_2_009_Bortniansky_-_crop.jpg|thumb|left|Dmytro Bortniansky]]
'''[[Dmytro Bortniansky]]''' (1751–1825), a pupil of [[Hermann Raupach]] and [[Baldassare Galuppi]], went to Italy following his teacher Galuppi. In Italy, Bortniansky gained considerable success composing operas: ''Creonte'' (1776) and ''Alcide'' (1778) in [[Venice]], and ''Quinto Fabio'' (1779) at [[Modena]].
'''[[Dmytro Bortniansky]]''' (1751–1825), a pupil of [[Hermann Raupach]] and [[Baldassare Galuppi]], went to Italy following his teacher Galuppi. In Italy, Bortniansky gained considerable success composing operas: ''Creonte'' (1776) and ''Alcide'' (1778) in [[Venice]], and ''Quinto Fabio'' (1779) at [[Modena]].
Bortniansky returned to the court at Saint Petersburg in 1779 where composed four more operas (all in [[French language|French]], with [[libretti]] by Franz-Hermann Lafermière): ''Le Faucon'' (1786), ''Le Fete du Seigneur'' (1786), ''Don Carlos'' (1786), and ''Le Fils-Rival ou La Moderne Stratonice'' (1787).
Bortniansky returned to the court at Saint Petersburg in 1779 where he composed four more operas (all in French, with [[libretti]] by Franz-Hermann Lafermière): ''Le Faucon'' (1786), ''Le Fete du Seigneur'' (1786), ''Don Carlos'' (1786), and ''Le Fils-Rival ou La Moderne Stratonice'' (1787).


At the same time in Russia, a successful one-act opera '''''[[Anyuta]]''''' ([[Chinese Village|Chinese Theatre]], September 6 [OS August 26] 1772) was created to the text by [[Mikhail Vasilyevich Popov]]. Music was a selection of popular songs specified in the libretto. It is a story about a girl called Anyuta, brought up in a peasants’ household, who in fact turned out to be of noble birth, and the story of her love for a nobleman, Victor, eventually ending happily, with wedding bells ringing. The score doesn’t survived and the composer of it is unknown, however, sometimes it was attributed to [[Vasily Pashkevich]] or even to [[Yevstigney Fomin]] who that time was just 11 years old.
At the same time in Russia, a successful one-act opera '''''[[Anyuta]]''''' ([[Chinese Village|Chinese Theatre]], 6 September [OS 26 August], 1772) was created to the text by [[Mikhail Ivanovich Popov]]. Music was a selection of popular songs specified in the libretto. It is a story about a girl called Anyuta, brought up in a peasants’ household, who in fact turned out to be of noble birth, and the story of her love for a nobleman, Victor, eventually ending happily, with wedding bells ringing. The score does not survive and the composer of it is unknown, however, sometimes it was attributed to [[Vasily Pashkevich]] or even to [[Yevstigney Fomin]] who that time was just 11 years old.


The music of another successful Russian opera ''Melnik&nbsp;– koldun, obmanshchik i svat'' (''The Miller who was a Wizard, a Cheat and a Match-maker'', text by [[Alexander Ablesimov]], Moscow, 1779), on a subject resembling [[Rousseau]]’s ''[[Le Devin du village]]'', is attributed to a theatre violin player and conductor '''[[Mikhail Matveyevich Sokolovsky|Mikhail Sokolovsky]]''' (c. 1756–?). Later the music was revised by [[Yevstigney Fomin]].
The music of another successful Russian opera ''Melnik&nbsp;– koldun, obmanshchik i svat'' (''The Miller who was a Wizard, a Cheat and a Match-maker'', text by [[Alexander Ablesimov]], Moscow, 1779), on a subject resembling [[Rousseau]]’s ''[[Le Devin du village]]'', is attributed to a theatre violin player and conductor '''[[Mikhail Sokolovsky (composer)|Mikhail Matveyevich Sokolovsky]]''' (c. 1756–?). Later the music was revised by [[Yevstigney Fomin]].


'''[[Vasily Pashkevich]]''' (1742–1797), a Russian composer was famous for his comic opera ''The Miser''. Its roles are: Scriagin, Liubima’s guardian; Liubima, his niece; Milovid, her beloved; Marfa, the servant girl that Scriagin is in love with; Prolaz, Milovid’s manservant who is in Scriagin’s service. Accordingly the speech and the names of the characters of [[Molière]]'s comedy were turned into Russian as well as the music that combines some features of European form with typically Russian melodies. Another his opera '''''[[Fevey]]''''' was written to the libretto by [[Catherine the Great|Catherine II]]. Other operas are: ''The Carriage Accident'' (''Neschastye ot karety'', 1779 Saint Petersburg, [[Karl Kniper Theatre]], ''St Petersburg Bazaar'' (''Sankt Peterburgskiy Gostinyi Dvor'', 1782 Saint Petersburg), [[Kniper Theatre]], ''The Burden Is Not Heavy if It Is Yours'' (''Svoya nosha ne tyanet'', 1794), ''The Early Reign of Oleg'' (''Nachal'noye upravleniye Olega'', libretto by Catherine II, 1790 Saint Petersburg)– together with [[Giuseppe Sarti]] and C. Cannobio), ''Fedul and His Children'' (''Fedul s det'mi'', libretto by Catherine II, 1791 Saint Petersburg)&nbsp;– together with [[Vicente Martín y Soler|Martin y Soler]]), ''The Pasha of Tunis'' (''Pasha tunisskiy'', 1782 libretto by [[Mikhail Matinsky]]) and ''You Shall Be Judged As You Lived'' (''Kak pozhivyosh', tak i proslyvyosh'' 1792[[St. Petersburg]])&nbsp;— rev. of ''St Petersburg Bazaar''.
'''[[Vasily Pashkevich]]''' (1742–1797), a Russian composer was famous for his comic opera ''The Miser''. Its roles are: Scriagin, Liubima’s guardian; Liubima, his niece; Milovid, her beloved; Marfa, the servant girl that Scriagin is in love with; Prolaz, Milovid’s manservant who is in Scriagin’s service. Accordingly the speech and the names of the characters of [[Molière]]'s comedy were turned into Russian as well as the music that combines some features of Western form with typically Russian melodies. Another his opera '''''[[Fevey]]''''' was written to the libretto by [[Catherine the Great|Catherine II]]. Other operas are: ''The Carriage Accident'' (''Neschastye ot karety'', 1779 Saint Petersburg, [[Karl Kniper Theatre]], ''St Petersburg Bazaar'' (''Sankt Peterburgskiy Gostinyi Dvor'', 1782 Saint Petersburg), [[Kniper Theatre]], ''The Burden Is Not Heavy if It Is Yours'' (''Svoya nosha ne tyanet'', 1794), ''The Early Reign of Oleg'' (''Nachal'noye upravleniye Olega'', libretto by Catherine II, 1790 Saint Petersburg)– together with [[Giuseppe Sarti]] and C. Cannobio), ''Fedul and His Children'' (''Fedul s det'mi'', libretto by Catherine II, 1791 Saint Petersburg)&nbsp;– together with [[Vicente Martín y Soler|Martin y Soler]]), ''The Pasha of Tunis'' (''Pasha tunisskiy'', 1782 libretto by [[Mikhail Matinsky]]) and ''You Shall Be Judged As You Lived'' (''Kak pozhivyosh', tak i proslyvyosh'', 1792)&nbsp;— rev. of ''St Petersburg Bazaar''.


[[File:Evstigney Fomin.jpg|thumb|120px|left|Yevstigney Fomin]]
[[File:Evstigney Fomin.jpg|thumb|120px|left|Yevstigney Fomin]]
{{sidebar|title=Librettists|contentstyle=text-align:left|content1=[[Stefano Benedetto Pallavicino]] (1672–1742)<br>[[Giuseppe Bonecchi]] [?-?]<br>[[Alexander Sumarokov]] (1717–1774)<br>[[Catherine II and opera|Catherine II]] (1729–1796)<br>[[Alexander Ablesimov]] (1742–1783)<br>[[Mikhail Ivanovich Popov]] (1742–1790)<br>[[Yakov Knyazhnin]] (1742/1740–1791)<br>[[Mikhail Matinsky]] (1750–c. 1820)<br>[[Vladislav Ozerov]] (1769–1816)}}
<div style="{{divstyleplain}}; width:19em; float:right; margin:.3em">'''Librettists'''<br>
Italian-trained '''[[Yevstigney Fomin]]''' (1761–1800) composed about 30 operas including the most successful opera-melodrama ''Orfey i Evridika'' to the text by [[Yakov Knyazhnin]]. Among his other operas are: ''The Novgorod Hero Boyeslayevich'' (''Novgorodskiy bogatyr’ Boyeslayevich'', text by [[Catherine the Great|Catherine II]], 1786 Saint Petersburg), ''The Coachmen at the Relay Station'' (''Yamshchiki na podstave'' 1787 Saint Petersburg), ''Soirées'' (''Vecherinki, ili Gaday, gaday devitsa'', 1788 Saint Petersburg), ''Magician, Fortune-teller and Match-maker'' (''Koldun, vorozheya i svakha'' 1789 Saint Petersburg), ''The Miller who was a Wizard, a Cheat and a Match-maker'' (''Melnik koldun, obmanshchik i svat'', 1779 Moscow, originally: [[Mikhail Matveyevich Sokolovsky|Mikhail Sokolovsky]]), ''The Americans'' (''Amerikantsy'', comic opera, 1800 Saint Petersburg), ''Chloris and Milo'' (''Klorida i Milon'', 1800 Saint Petersburg), and ''The Golden Apple'' (''Zolotoye yabloko'', 1803 Saint Petersburg).
[[Stefano Benedetto Pallavicino]] (1672–1742)<br>[[Giuseppe Bonecchi]] [?-?]<br>[[Alexander Sumarokov]] (1717–1774)<br>[[Catherine II and opera|Catherine II]] (1729–1796)<br>[[Alexander Ablesimov]] (1742–1783)<br>[[Mikhail Vasilyevich Popov]] (1742–1790)<br>[[Yakov Knyazhnin]] (1742/1740–1791)<br>[[Mikhail Matinsky]] (1750–c. 1820)<br>[[Vladislav Ozerov]] (1769–1816)</div>
Italian-trained '''[[Yevstigney Fomin]]''' (1761–1800) composed about 30 operas including the most successful opera-melodrama ''Orfey i Evridika'' to the text by [[Yakov Knyazhnin]]. Among his other operas are: ''The Novgorod Hero Boyeslayevich'' (''Novgorodskiy bogatyr’ Boyeslayevich'', text by [[Catherine the Great|Catherine II]], 1786 Saint Petersburg), ''The Coachmen at the Relay Station'' (''Yamshchiki na podstave'' 1787 Saint Petersburg), ''Soirées'' (''Vecherinki, ili Gaday, gaday devitsa'', 1788 Saint Petersburg), ''Magician, Fortune-teller and Match-maker'' (''Koldun, vorozheya i svakha'' 1789 Saint Petersburg), ''The Miller who was a Wizard, a Cheat and a Match-maker'' (''Melnik - koldun, obmanshchik i svat'', 1779 Moscow, originally: [[Mikhail Matveyevich Sokolovsky|Mikhail Sokolovsky]]), ''The Americans'' (''Amerikantsy'', comic opera, 1800 Saint Petersburg), ''Chloris and Milo'' (''Klorida i Milon'', 1800 Saint Petersburg), and ''The Golden Apple'' (''Zolotoye yabloko'', 1803 Saint Petersburg).


==19th century==
==19th century==


The 19th century was the [[golden age (metaphor)|golden age]] of Russian opera. It began with a success of a massive and slowly developing operatic project: the opera ''Lesta, dneprovskaya rusalka'' and its three sequels (1803–1807, first in Saint Petersburg) based on the [[German language|German]] romantic-comic piece ''Das Donauweibchen'' by '''[[Ferdinand Kauer]]''' (1751–1831) with the Russian text and additional music by Russianized Venetian immigrant '''[[Catterino Cavos]]''' (1775–1840) and '''[[Stepan Davydov]]''' (1777–1825).
The 19th century was the [[golden age (metaphor)|golden age]] of Russian opera. It began with a success of a massive and slowly developing operatic project: the opera ''Lesta, dneprovskaya rusalka'' and its three sequels (1803–1807, first in Saint Petersburg) based on the German romantic-comic piece ''Das Donauweibchen'' by '''[[Ferdinand Kauer]]''' (1751–1831) with the Russian text and additional music by Russianized Venetian immigrant '''[[Catterino Cavos]]''' (1775–1840) and '''[[Stepan Davydov]]''' (1777–1825).


The next success was a patriotic opera ''Ivan Susanin'' (1815) by [[Catterino Cavos|Cavos]] based on an episode from [[Russian history]].
The next success was a patriotic opera ''Ivan Susanin'' (1815) by [[Catterino Cavos|Cavos]] based on an episode from [[Russian history]].
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[[File:Mikhail Glinka 1840.jpg|thumb|left|[[Mikhail Glinka]]]]
[[File:Mikhail Glinka 1840.jpg|thumb|left|[[Mikhail Glinka]]]]
However the most important events in the history of Russian opera were two great operas by '''[[Mikhail Glinka]]''' (1804–1857) '''''[[A Life for the Tsar]]''''', (''Zhizn za tzarya'', originally entitled ''Ivan Susanin'' 1836) and '''''[[Ruslan and Lyudmila]]''''' (based on the tale by [[Alexander Pushkin]], 1842. These two works inaugurated a new era in Russian music and upraise of Russian national opera.
However the most important events in the history of Russian opera were two great operas by '''[[Mikhail Glinka]]''' (1804–1857) '''''[[A Life for the Tsar]]''''', (''Zhizn za tsarya'', originally entitled ''Ivan Susanin'' 1836) and '''''[[Ruslan and Lyudmila]]''''' (based on the tale by [[Alexander Pushkin]], 1842. These two works inaugurated a new era in Russian music and a burgeoning of Russian national opera.


[[File:Alexander Dargomyzhsky.jpg|thumb|Alexander Dargomyzhsky]]
[[File:Alexander Dargomyzhsky.jpg|thumb|Alexander Dargomyzhsky]]
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<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Modest Petrovich Musorgskii.jpg|[[Modest Mussorgsky]]
File:Modest Musorgskiy, 1870.jpg|[[Modest Mussorgsky]]
Image:Der junge Tschaikowski.jpg|[[Pyotr Tchaikovsky]]
Image:Der junge Tschaikowski.jpg|[[Pyotr Tchaikovsky]]
Image:Aleksandr Borodin.jpg|[[Aleksandr Borodin]]
Image:Aleksandr Borodin.jpg|[[Aleksandr Borodin]]
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'''[[Modest Mussorgsky]]'s''' (1839–1881) '''''[[Boris Godunov (opera)|Boris Godunov]]''''' remains the greatest masterpiece of Russian opera, despite what many consider to be serious technical faults and a bewildering array of versions (Original Version of 1869, Revised Version of 1872, [[Rimsky-Korsakov]] Edition of 1908, [[Shostakovich]] Edition of 1940, etc.). His other operas were left unfinished:
'''[[Modest Mussorgsky]]'s''' (1839–1881) '''''[[Boris Godunov (opera)|Boris Godunov]]''''' remains the greatest masterpiece of Russian opera, despite what many consider to be serious technical faults and a bewildering array of versions (Original Version of 1869, Revised Version of 1872, [[Rimsky-Korsakov]] Edition of 1908, [[Shostakovich]] Edition of 1940, etc.). His other operas were left unfinished:
:*'''''[[Salammbô (Mussorgsky)|Salammbô]]''''' (1866)
*'''''[[Salammbô (Mussorgsky)|Salammbô]]''''' (1866)
:*'''''[[Zhenit'ba]]''''' (''The Marriage'', 1868)
*'''''[[Zhenit'ba]]''''' (''The Marriage'', 1868)
:*'''''[[Khovanshchina]]''''' (1872–1880)
*'''''[[Khovanshchina]]''''' (1872–1880)
:*'''''[[The Fair at Sorochyntsi]]''''' (1874–1880)
*'''''[[The Fair at Sorochyntsi]]''''' (1874–1880)


'''[[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Pyotr Tchaikovsky]]''' (1840–1893) completed ten operas including the most famous '''''[[Eugene Onegin (opera)|Eugene Onegin]]''''' (''Yevgeny Onegin''), 1877–1878, 1879 Moscow and '''''[[The Queen of Spades (opera)|The Queen of Spades]]''''' (''Pikovaya dama''), 1890, 1890 Saint Petersburg, which now belong to the world's [[List of famous operas|standard repertoire]]. His other operas are:
'''[[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Pyotr Tchaikovsky]]''' (1840–1893) completed ten operas including the most famous '''''[[Eugene Onegin (opera)|Eugene Onegin]]''''' (''Yevgeny Onegin''), 1877–1878, 1879 Moscow and '''''[[The Queen of Spades (opera)|The Queen of Spades]]''''' (''Pikovaya dama''), 1890, 1890 Saint Petersburg, which now belong to the world's [[List of famous operas|standard repertoire]]. His other operas are:
:*'''''[[Voyevoda (opera)|Voyevoda]]''''' (''The Voivode''), 1867–1868, destroyed by the composer, but posthumously reconstructed
*'''''[[Voyevoda (opera)|Voyevoda]]''''' (''The Voivode''), 1867–1868, destroyed by the composer, but posthumously reconstructed
:*'''''[[Undina (Tchaikovsky)|Undina]]''''' (or ''Undine''), 1869, not completed, partly destroyed by the composer
*'''''[[Undina (Tchaikovsky)|Undina]]''''' (or ''Undine''), 1869, not completed, partly destroyed by the composer
:*'''''[[The Oprichnik (opera)|The Oprichnik]]''''', 1870–1872, 1874 Saint Petersburg
*'''''[[The Oprichnik (opera)|The Oprichnik]]''''', 1870–1872, 1874 Saint Petersburg
:*'''''[[Vakula the Smith]]''''' (''Kuznets Vakula''), 1874, 1876 Saint Petersburg
*'''''[[Vakula the Smith]]''''' (''Kuznets Vakula''), 1874, 1876 Saint Petersburg
:*'''''[[The Maid of Orleans (opera)|The Maid of Orleans]]''''' (''Orleanskaya deva''), 1878–1879, 1881 Saint Petersburg
*'''''[[The Maid of Orleans (opera)|The Maid of Orleans]]''''' (''Orleanskaya deva''), 1878–1879, 1881 Saint Petersburg
:*'''''[[Mazeppa (opera)|Mazepa]]''''' 1881–1883, 1884 Moscow
*'''''[[Mazeppa (opera)|Mazepa]]''''' 1881–1883, 1884 Moscow
:*'''''[[Cherevichki]]''''' (rev. of ''Vakula the Smith'') 1885, 1887 Moscow
*'''''[[Cherevichki]]''''' (rev. of ''Vakula the Smith'') 1885, 1887 Moscow
:*'''''[[The Enchantress (opera)|The Enchantress]]''''' (also ''The Sorceress'' or ''Charodeyka''), 1885–1887, 1887 Saint Petersburg
*'''''[[The Enchantress (opera)|The Enchantress]]''''' (also ''The Sorceress'' or ''Charodeyka''), 1885–1887, 1887 Saint Petersburg
:*'''''[[Iolanthe (Tchaikovsky)|Iolanta]]''''' (''Iolanthe''), 1891, 1892 Saint Petersburg
*'''''[[Iolanthe (Tchaikovsky)|Iolanta]]''''' (''Iolanthe''), 1891, 1892 Saint Petersburg


Not less important was '''[[Alexander Borodin|Aleksandr Borodin]]'''’s (1833–1887) '''''[[Prince Igor]]'''''&nbsp;– (''Knyaz Igor'', completed by [[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov|Rimsky-Korsakov]] and [[Alexander Glazunov]], 1890).
Not less important was '''[[Alexander Borodin|Aleksandr Borodin]]'''’s (1833–1887) '''''[[Prince Igor]]'''''&nbsp;– (''Knyaz Igor'', completed by [[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov|Rimsky-Korsakov]] and [[Alexander Glazunov]], 1890).


Prolific '''[[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov]]''' (1844–1908) completed fifteen operas, the most significant achievements of the art of opera in Russia at the end of the century. The most notable of them are:
Prolific '''[[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov]]''' (1844–1908) completed fifteen operas, the most significant achievements of the art of opera in Russia at the end of the century. The most notable of them are:
:*'''''[[May Night]]''''' (''Majskaja noch'') 1878–1879
*'''''[[May Night]]''''' (''Majskaja noch'') 1878–1879
:*'''''[[The Snow Maiden]]''''' (''Snegurochka'' 1881 1st version, premiered 1882, Saint Petersburg; c. 1895 2nd version)
*'''''[[The Snow Maiden]]''''' (''Snegurochka'' 1881 1st version, premiered 1882, Saint Petersburg; c. 1895 2nd version)
:*'''''[[Sadko (opera)|Sadko]]''''' (1896, premiered 1898, Moscow)
*'''''[[Sadko (opera)|Sadko]]''''' (1896, premiered 1898, Moscow)
:*'''''[[The Tsar's Bride (opera)|The Tsar's Bride]]''''' (''Tsarskaya nevesta''1898, premiered 1899, Moscow)
*'''''[[The Tsar's Bride (opera)|The Tsar's Bride]]''''' (''Tsarskaya nevesta''1898, premiered 1899, Moscow)
:*'''''[[The Tale of Tsar Saltan (Rimsky-Korsakov)|The Tale of Tsar Saltan]]''''' (''Skazka o tsare Saltane'', premiered 1900, Moscow)
*'''''[[The Tale of Tsar Saltan (Rimsky-Korsakov)|The Tale of Tsar Saltan]]''''' (''Skazka o tsare Saltane'', premiered 1900, Moscow)
:*'''''[[Kashchey the Immortal (opera)|Kashchey the Immortal]]''''' (''Kashchey bessmertny'', 1902)
*'''''[[Kashchey the Immortal (opera)|Kashchey the Immortal]]''''' (''Kashchey bessmertny'', 1902)
:*'''''[[The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya]]''''' (''Skazanie o nevidimom grade Kitezhe i deve Fevronii'', 1904)
*'''''[[The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya]]''''' (''Skazanie o nevidimom grade Kitezhe i deve Fevronii'', 1904)
:*'''''[[The Golden Cockerel]]''''' (''Zolotoy petushok'', 1907)
*'''''[[The Golden Cockerel]]''''' (''Zolotoy petushok'', 1907)


The last three of them already belong to the 20th century Russian opera.
The last three of them already belong to the 20th-century Russian opera.


There were built a lot of new opera theatres including [[Bolshoi Theatre]] (opened since 1825 Moscow), and [[Mariinsky Theatre]], opened since 1860 Saint Petersburg).
There were built a lot of new opera theatres including [[Bolshoi Theatre]] (opened since 1825 Moscow), and [[Mariinsky Theatre]], opened since 1860 Saint Petersburg).
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*1856 – ''[[Rusalka (Dargomyzhsky)|Rusalka]]''
*1856 – ''[[Rusalka (Dargomyzhsky)|Rusalka]]''
'''[[Mariinsky Theatre]]''' (since 1860)
'''[[Mariinsky Theatre]]''' (since 1860)
*1863 – ''[[Judith]]''
*1863 – ''[[Judith (Serov)|Judith]]''
*1865 – ''[[Rogneda]]''
*1865 – ''[[Rogneda]]''
*1871 – ''[[The Power of the Fiend]]'' (''Vrazya sila'')
*1871 – ''[[The Power of the Fiend]]'' (''Vrazya sila'')
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==20th century==
==20th century==


The political collisions of 20th century divided Russian opera composers into those who managed to escape to the West, successfully or not, and those who continued to live in not particular friendly atmosphere of the Soviet and Post-Soviet regimes. And nevertheless, the process of producing of new operas was not diminished, but just opposite, it was immensely grown.
The political collisions of the 20th century divided Russian opera composers into those who managed to escape to the West, successfully or not, and those who continued to live in not the particular friendly atmosphere of the Soviet and Post-Soviet regimes. And nevertheless, the process of producing new operas was not diminished, but just the opposite, it was immensely grown.


<gallery>
<gallery>
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[[Zimin Opera]] established in 1904, [[Sergei Diaghilev]]'s [[Ballets Russes|Saisons Russes]] began in Paris in 1913.
[[Zimin Opera]] established in 1904, [[Sergei Diaghilev]]'s [[Ballets Russes|Saisons Russes]] began in Paris in 1913.


'''[[Vladimir Rebikov]]''' (1866–1920) composer of more than 10 operas is best of all known for his opera ''The Christmas Tree'' (''Yolka'', 1894–1902) in which he presented his ideas of “melo-mimics” and “rhythm-declamation” (see [[melodeclamation]]).
'''[[Vladimir Rebikov]]''' (1866–1920) composer of more than 10 operas is best of all known for his opera ''The Christmas Tree'' (''Yolka'', 1894–1902) in which he presented his ideas of "melo-mimics" and "rhythm-declamation" (see [[melodeclamation]]).


'''[[Sergei Rachmaninoff]]''' (1873–1943) completed three operas:
'''[[Sergey Rachmaninoff]]''' (1873–1943) completed three operas:
:*'''''[[Aleko (opera)|Aleko]]''''' (1892, staged 1893)
*''[[Aleko (opera)|Aleko]]'' (1892, staged 1893)
:*'''''[[The Miserly Knight]]''''' (Skupoy Rytsar Op. 24, 1904)
*''[[The Miserly Knight]]'' (Skupoy Rytsar Op. 24, 1904)
:*'''''[[Francesca da Rimini (Rachmaninoff)|Francesca da Rimini]]''''' (Op. 25, 1904, staged 1906).
*''[[Francesca da Rimini (Rachmaninoff)|Francesca da Rimini]]'' (Op. 25, 1904, staged 1906).
All three operas were staged at the Bolshoi Theatre. He began but did not finish the fourth '''''[[Monna Vanna (opera)|Monna Vanna]]''''' (1907, 1st act in a vocal score) after [[Maurice Maeterlinck]] who refused to give permission to the composer for using of his text. These operas, written on the border between two centuries, rather belong to the world of the romantic opera of the past. Escaping Russia in 1917 Rachmaninoff never returned to operatic projects again.
All three operas were staged at the Bolshoi Theatre. He began but did not finish the fourth ''[[Monna Vanna (opera)|Monna Vanna]]'' (1907, 1st act in a vocal score) after [[Maurice Maeterlinck]] who refused to give permission to the composer for use of his text. These operas, written on the border between two centuries, rather belong to the world of the romantic opera of the past. Escaping Russia in 1917 Rachmaninoff never returned to operatic projects again.


Unlike him, '''[[Igor Stravinsky]]''' (1882–1971) had been returning to this genre again and again, full of fresh and innovative ideas. Sometimes it is difficult to qualify these works as pure operas but rather "opera-ballets", "opera-cantatas", or "music theatre". Here is the list:
Unlike him, '''[[Igor Stravinsky]]''' (1882–1971) had been returning to this genre again and again, full of fresh and innovative ideas. Sometimes it is difficult to qualify these works as pure operas but rather "opera-ballets", "opera-cantatas", or "music theatre". Here is the list:


:*'''''[[The Nightingale (opera)|Le rossignol]]''''' ''(The Nightingale)'' (1914)
*''[[The Nightingale (opera)|Le rossignol]]'' ''(The Nightingale)'' (1914)
:*'''''[[Renard (Stravinsky)|Renard]]''''', [[burlesque]] for 4 [[pantomime]]s and Chamber Orchestra (1916) opera-ballet
*''[[Renard (Stravinsky)|Renard]]'', [[burlesque]] for 4 [[pantomime]]s and Chamber Orchestra (1916) opera-ballet
:*'''''[[Histoire du Soldat]]''''' for chamber group and three speakers (1918), narration with music
*''[[Histoire du Soldat]]'' for chamber group and three speakers (1918), narration with music
:*'''''[[Mavra]]''''' (1922)
*''[[Mavra]]'' (1922)
:*'''''[[Oedipus rex (opera)|Oedipus rex]]''''' (1927)
*''[[Oedipus rex (opera)|Oedipus rex]]'' (1927)
:*'''''[[Perséphone (Stravinsky)|Perséphone]]''''' for speaker, soloists, chorus and orchestra (1934)
*''[[Perséphone (Stravinsky)|Perséphone]]'' for speaker, soloists, chorus and orchestra (1934)
:*'''''[[Babel (Stravinsky)|Babel]]''''' (1944)
*''[[Babel (Stravinsky)|Babel]]'' (1944)
:*'''''[[The Rake's Progress]]''''' (1951)
*''[[The Rake's Progress]]'' (1951)
:*'''''[[The Flood (Stravinsky)|The Flood]]''''' (1962)
*''[[The Flood (Stravinsky)|The Flood]]'' (1962)


'''[[Sergei Prokofiev]]’s''' (1891–1953) operas are full of humour, wit, and novelty. Here is the list of his completed operas:
'''[[Sergei Prokofiev]]’s''' (1891–1953) operas are full of humour, wit, and novelty. Here is the list of his completed operas:
:*'''''[[Maddalena (Prokofiev)|Maddalena]]''''', (1911–1913)
*''[[Maddalena (Prokofiev)|Maddalena]]'', (1911–1913)
:*'''''[[The Gambler (Prokofiev)|The Gambler]]''''' (1915–1916, rev. 1927)
*''[[The Gambler (Prokofiev)|The Gambler]]'' (1915–1916, rev. 1927)
:*'''''[[The Love for Three Oranges (Prokofiev)|The Love for Three Oranges]]''''' (1919)
*''[[The Love for Three Oranges (Prokofiev)|The Love for Three Oranges]]'' (1919)
:*'''''[[The Fiery Angel (opera)|The Fiery Angel]]''''' (1919–1927)
*''[[The Fiery Angel (opera)|The Fiery Angel]]'' (1919–1927)
:*'''''[[Semyon Kotko (Prokofiev)|Semyon Kotko]]''''' (1939)
*''[[Semyon Kotko (Prokofiev)|Semyon Kotko]]'' (1939)
:*'''''[[Betrothal in a Monastery (Prokofiev)|Betrothal in a Monastery]]''''' (1940–1941)
*''[[Betrothal in a Monastery (Prokofiev)|Betrothal in a Monastery]]'' (1940–1941)
:*'''''[[War and Peace (Prokofiev)|War and Peace]]''''' (1941–1952)
*''[[War and Peace (Prokofiev)|War and Peace]]'' (1941–1952)
:*'''''[[The Story of a Real Man]]''''', Op. 117 (1947–1948)
*''[[The Story of a Real Man]]'', Op. 117 (1947–1948)


'''[[Dmitri Shostakovich]]''' (1906–1975) was another great opera composer struggling all his life in the clutch of the communist ideology. His [[satire|satirical]] [[opera]] '''''[[The Nose (opera)|The Nose]]''''', after the completely absurd story by [[Nikolai Gogol|Gogol]] was criticized in 1929 by [[RAPM (association)|RAPM]] as "[[Russian formalism|formalist]]". His second opera '''''[[Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (opera)|Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District]]''''' performed in 1934 with an enormous success was condemned by the authorities even more harshly. This forced him to recompose it much later, in 1962, as ''Katerina Izmailova'' in a style more simplified and conventional to meet the requirements of the new rulers of the regime.
'''[[Dmitri Shostakovich]]''' (1906–1975) was another great opera composer struggling all his life in the clutch of the communist ideology. His [[satire|satirical]] opera ''[[The Nose (opera)|The Nose]]'', after the completely absurd story by [[Nikolai Gogol|Gogol]] was criticized in 1929 by [[RAPM (association)|RAPM]] as "[[Russian formalism|formalist]]". His second opera ''[[Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (opera)|Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District]]'' performed in 1934 with an enormous success was condemned by the authorities even more harshly. This forced him to recompose it much later, in 1962, as ''Katerina Izmailova'' in a style more simplified and conventional to meet the requirements of the new rulers of the regime.
Shostakovich was involved in many more operatic projects.
Shostakovich was involved in many more operatic projects.


There were a lot more of the composers about the same generation, who had managed to create hundreds of operas. Some of them shared the same problems with Shostakovich and Prokofiev who returned to live to the Soviet Russia, and was deadly embraced by its suffocative regime. Others were at the opposite side, serving the suffocating roles. A serious condemnation and persecution of the [[Soviet Union]]'s foremost composers, such as Prokofiev, Shostakovich and many others, had emerged in 1948 in connection to the opera by '''[[Vano Muradeli]]''' (1908–1970), ''Velikaya druzhba'' ('''''[[The Great Friendship]]'''''); see [[Zhdanov Doctrine]].
There were a lot more of the composers about the same generation, who had managed to create hundreds of operas. Some of them shared the same problems with Shostakovich and Prokofiev who returned to live in Soviet Russia and were deadly embraced by its suffocative regime. Others were on the opposite side, serving the suffocating roles. A serious condemnation and persecution of the [[Soviet Union]]'s foremost composers, such as Prokofiev, Shostakovich and many others, had emerged in 1948 in connection to the opera by '''[[Vano Muradeli]]''' (1908–1970), ''Velikaya druzhba'' (''[[The Great Friendship]]''); see [[Zhdanov Doctrine]].


Here is just a short list of the opera composers of that times:
Here is just a shortlist of the opera composers of those times:
:'''[[Yuri Shaporin]]''' (1887–1966), opera '''''[[Decembrist revolt|The Decembrists]]''''' (written during a period of 33 years 1930–1953, staged 1953)
*'''[[Yuri Shaporin]]''' (1887–1966), opera ''[[The Decembrists (opera)|The Decembrists]]'' (written during a period of 33 years 1920–1953, staged 1953)
:'''[[Isaak Dunayevsky]]''' (1900–1955), 14 operettas including ''White Acacia'' (1955)
*'''[[Isaak Dunayevsky]]''' (1900–1955), 14 operettas including ''White Acacia'' (1955)
:'''[[Alexander Mossolov]]''' (1900–1973), 4 operas including. ''The Barrage'' (1929–1930)
*'''[[Alexander Mossolov]]''' (1900–1973), 4 operas including. ''The Barrage'' (1929–1930)
:'''[[Vissarion Shebalin]]''' (1902–1936), 3 operas including ''The Taming of the Shrew'' (1957)
*'''[[Vissarion Shebalin]]''' (1902–1963), 3 operas including ''The Taming of the Shrew'' (1957)
:'''[[Dmitri Kabalevsky]]''' (1904–1987), 7 operas including ''Colas Breugnon'' (1936–1976)
*'''[[Dmitri Kabalevsky]]''' (1904–1987), 7 operas including ''Colas Breugnon'' (1936–1976)
:'''[[Veniamin Fleishman]]''' (1913–1941), opera '''''[[Rothschild's Violin]]''''' (1941) completed and orchestrated by [[Dmitri Shostakovich]]
*'''[[Veniamin Fleishman]]''' (1913–1941), opera ''[[Rothschild's Violin]]'' (1941) completed and orchestrated by [[Dmitri Shostakovich]]
:'''[[Tikhon Khrennikov]]''' (1913–2007), 5 operas including "Into the Storm" (1936–1939)
*'''[[Tikhon Khrennikov]]''' (1913–2007), 5 operas including "Into the Storm" (1936–1939)
:'''[[Grigory Frid]]''' (1915–2012), 2 chamber mono-operas including ''[[The Diary of Anne Frank (opera)|The Diary of Anne Frank]]'' (1968)
*'''[[Grigory Frid]]''' (1915–2012), 2 chamber mono-operas including ''[[The Diary of Anne Frank (opera)|The Diary of Anne Frank]]'' (1968)
:'''[[Mieczysław Weinberg]]''' (1919–1996), 7 operas including ''[[The Portrait (opera)|The Portrait]]'' (1980) and ''The Idiot'' (1985)
*'''[[Mieczysław Weinberg]]''' (1919–1996), 7 operas including ''[[The Portrait (opera)|The Portrait]]'' (1980) and ''The Idiot'' (1985)
Also: '''[[Vladimir Shcherbachev]], [[Sergey Nikiforovich Vasilenko|Sergei Vasilenko]], [[Vladimir Fere]], [[Vladimir Vlasov]], [[Kirill Molchanov]], [[Alexander Kholminov]]''', etc. (see: [[Russian opera articles#20th century]]).
Also: '''[[Vladimir Shcherbachev]], [[Sergey Nikiforovich Vasilenko|Sergei Vasilenko]], [[Vladimir Fere]], [[Vladimir Vlasov]], [[Kirill Molchanov]], [[Alexander Kholminov]]''', etc. (see: [[Russian opera articles#20th century]]).


The next generations who found themselves already in the Post-Stalin epoch had own specific problems. The ideological and stylistic control and limitation of creative freedom by the authorities and older colleagues-composers in the hierarchical structures of the [[Union of Composers]] made almost impossible the innovation and experiment in any field of musical art. It was a feeling that old bad times returned again, when in 1979 at the Sixth Congress of the [[Composers' Union]], its leader [[Tikhon Khrennikov]] denounced seven composers (thereafter known as the "[[Khrennikov Seven]]"), who for some reason or other had been played in the West&nbsp;– there were at least four opera composers among them.
The next generations who found themselves already in the Post-Stalin epoch had their own specific problems. The ideological and stylistic control and limitation of creative freedom by the authorities and older colleagues-composers in the hierarchical structures of the [[Union of Composers]] made almost impossible the innovation and experiment in any field of musical art. It was a feeling that old bad times returned again when in 1979 at the Sixth Congress of the [[Composers' Union]], its leader [[Tikhon Khrennikov]] denounced seven composers (thereafter known as the "[[Khrennikov Seven]]"), who for some reason or other had been played in the West&nbsp;– there were at least 4 opera composers among them.


As a result even quite new phenomena appeared: a "[[samizdat]] (underground) opera" (see [[Nikolai Karetnikov]]). Some of these operas still never been performed, others luckily received their premieres in the West, and only a few found their place at the operatic stages of the homeland. The collapse of the Soviet Union did not improve this hopeless situation much.
As a result, even quite new phenomena appeared: a "[[samizdat]] (underground) opera" (see [[Nikolai Karetnikov]]). Some of these operas still never been performed, others luckily received their premieres in the West, and only a few found their place at the operatic stages of the homeland. The collapse of the Soviet Union did not improve this hopeless situation much.


The list of the composers who contributed to the development of Russian opera nearer to the end of the 20th century:
The list of the composers who contributed to the development of Russian opera nearer to the end of the 20th century:
:'''[[Edison Denisov]]''' (1929–1996), 3 Operas including ''[[L'écume des jours (opera)|L'écume des jours]]'' ( ''The Foam of Days'', completed 1981)
*'''[[Edison Denisov]]''' (1929–1996), 3 Operas including ''[[L'écume des jours (opera)|L'écume des jours]]'' ( ''The Foam of Days'', completed 1981)
:'''[[Nikolai Karetnikov]]''' (1930–1994), 2 operas including ''Till Eulenspiegel'', opera in two acts (1965–1985)
*'''[[Nikolai Karetnikov]]''' (1930–1994), 2 operas including ''Till Eulenspiegel'', opera in two acts (1965–1985)
:'''[[Sergei Slonimsky]]''' (born 1932), 3 operas including ''Mary Stewart'' (1978–1980)
*'''[[Sergei Slonimsky]]''' (born 1932), 3 operas including ''Mary Stewart'' (1978–1980)
:'''[[Rodion Shchedrin]]''' (born 1932), 3 operas including ''Myortvye dushi'' (''Dead Souls'' 1976)
*'''[[Rodion Shchedrin]]''' (born 1932), 3 operas including ''Myortvye dushi'' (''Dead Souls'' 1976)
:'''[[Alfred Schnittke]]''' (1934–1998), 3 operas including ''Zhizn’ s idiotom'' (''[[Life with an Idiot]]'', 1990–1991)
*'''[[Alfred Schnittke]]''' (1934–1998), 3 operas including ''Zhizn’ s idiotom'' (''[[Life with an Idiot]]'', 1990–1991)
:'''[[Boris Tishchenko]]''' (b. 1939 ) 2 operas including ''Kradenoe solntse'' (''The Stolen Sun'', 1968)
*'''[[Boris Tishchenko]]''' (b. 1939 ) 2 operas including ''Kradenoe solntse'' (''The Stolen Sun'', 1968)
:'''[[Alexander Knaifel]]''' (born 1943) 2 operas including ''Kentervilskoye prividenie'' ('''''[[The Canterville Ghost (opera)|The Canterville Ghost]]''''', 1965–1966)
*'''[[Alexander Knaifel]]''' (born 1943) 2 operas including ''Kentervilskoye prividenie'' (''[[The Canterville Ghost (opera)|The Canterville Ghost]]'', 1965–1966)
:'''[[Nikolai Korndorf]]''' (1947–2001), chamber opera '''''[[MR (Marina and Rainer)]]''''' (1989)
*'''[[Nikolai Korndorf]]''' (1947–2001), chamber opera ''[[MR (Marina and Rainer)]]'' (1989)
:'''[[Elena Firsova]]''' (born 1950), 2 chamber operas including '''''[[The Nightingale and the Rose (Firsova)|The Nightingale and the Rose]]'''''
*'''[[Elena Firsova]]''' (born 1950), 2 chamber operas including ''[[The Nightingale and the Rose (Firsova)|The Nightingale and the Rose]]''
Also: '''[[Nikolai Sidelnikov]], [[Andrei Petrov]], [[Sandor Kallosh]], [[Leonid Hrabovsky]], [[Alexander Vustin]], [[Gleb Sedelnikov]], [[Merab Gagnidze]], [[Alexander Tchaikovsky]], [[Vasily Lobanov]], [[Dmitry Smirnov (composer)|Dmitri N. Smirnov]], [[Leonid Bobylev]], [[Vladimir Tarnopolsky]]''', and so on (see: [[Russian opera articles#20th century]]).
Also: '''[[Nikolai Sidelnikov]], [[Andrei Petrov]], [[Sandor Kallosh]], [[Leonid Hrabovsky]], [[Alexander Vustin]], [[Gleb Sedelnikov]], [[Merab Gagnidze]], [[Alexander Tchaikovsky]], [[Vasily Lobanov]], [[Dmitry Smirnov (composer)|Dmitri N. Smirnov]], [[Leonid Bobylev]], [[Vladimir Tarnopolsky]]''', and so on (see: [[Russian opera articles#20th century]]).


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The Russian opera is continuing its development in the 21st century. It began with the noisy premieres of two comic operas, whose genre could be described as "opera-farce":
The Russian opera is continuing its development in the 21st century. It began with the noisy premieres of two comic operas, whose genre could be described as "opera-farce":


The first was ''Tsar Demyan''&nbsp;– ''a frightful opera performance'' (a collective project of the five participants: composers [[Leonid Desyatnikov]] and [[Vyacheslav Gaivoronsky]] from [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Iraida Yusupova]] and [[Vladimir Nikolayev (composer)|Vladimir Nikolayev]] from [[Moscow]], and the creative collective "Kompozitor," (a pseudonym for the well-known music critic Pyotr Pospelov) to the libretto by Elena Polenova after a folk-drama ''Tsar Maksimilyan'', premiere June 20, 2001 [[Mariinski Theatre]], Saint Petersburg. Prize "Gold Mask, 2002" and "Gold Soffit, 2002".
The first was ''Tsar Demyan''&nbsp;– ''a frightful opera performance'' (a collective project of the five participants: composers [[Leonid Desyatnikov]] and [[Vyacheslav Gaivoronsky]] from [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Iraida Yusupova]] and [[Vladimir Nikolayev (composer)|Vladimir Nikolayev]] from Moscow, and the creative collective "Kompozitor," (a pseudonym for the well-known music critic Pyotr Pospelov) to the libretto by Elena Polenova after a folk-drama ''Tsar Maksimilyan'', premiere 20 June 2001 [[Mariinski Theatre]], Saint Petersburg. Prize "Gold Mask, 2002" and "Gold Soffit, 2002".


Another opera ''[[The Children of Rosenthal]]'' by [[Leonid Desyatnikov]] to the libretto by [[Vladimir Sorokin]], was commissioned by the [[Bolshoi Theatre]] and premiered on March 23, 2005.
Another opera ''[[The Children of Rosenthal]]'' by [[Leonid Desyatnikov]] to the libretto by [[Vladimir Sorokin]], was commissioned by the [[Bolshoi Theatre]] and premiered on 23 March 2005.


==List of Russian opera theatres==
==List of Russian opera theatres==
{{see also|List of opera houses#Russia}}
:"Comedie et opere", (small hall in a wing of [[Zimniy Dvorets]]—([[The Winter Palace]], From 1735 [[St Petersburg]])
:Theatre of [[Letniy Sad]]&nbsp; ([[Summer Garden]]), from 1735 [[St Petersburg]])
*"Comedie et opere", (small hall in a wing of [[Zimniy Dvorets]]&nbsp; [[The Winter Palace]], from 1735 [[St Petersburg]])
:Opera House (with 1000 seats, at [[Zimniy Dvorets]]&nbsp;— ([[The Winter Palace]], from 1743, [[St Petersburg]])
*Theatre of [[Letniy Sad]] ([[Summer Garden]], from 1735 [[St Petersburg]])
*Opera House (with 1000 seats, at [[Zimniy Dvorets]]&nbsp;– [[The Winter Palace]], from 1743, [[St Petersburg]])
:Moscow Theatre (built 1742 for the coronation of [[Elizaveta Petrovna]], [[Moscow]])
:[[Kuskovo|Kuskovo Summer Theatre]] (from 1755, [[Kuskovo]] near [[Moscow]])
*Moscow Theatre (built 1742 for the coronation of [[Elizaveta Petrovna]], Moscow)
:[[Karl Kniper Theatre]] (1777–1797 [[St Petersburg]])
*[[Kuskovo]] Summer Theatre (from 1755, [[Kuskovo]] near Moscow)
:[[Chinese Village (Tsarskoe Selo)|Chinese Opera Theatre]] (From 1779, [[Tsarskoe Selo]] near [[St Petersburg]])
*[[Karl Kniper Theatre]] (1777–1797 [[St Petersburg]])
*[[Chinese Village (Tsarskoe Selo)|Chinese Opera Theatre]] (from 1779, [[Tsarskoe Selo]] near [[St Petersburg]])
:[[Bolshoi Theatre|Petrovsky Theatre]] (with 1000 seats, from 1780–1805, [[Moscow]])
*[[Bolshoi Theatre|Petrovsky Theatre]] (with 1000 seats, from 1780 to 1805, Moscow)
:[[Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre]] (1783–1811, [[St Petersburg]])
*[[Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre]] (1783–1811, [[St Petersburg]])
:[[Hermitage Theatre]] (from 1785 [[St Petersburg]])
*[[Hermitage Theatre]] (from 1785 [[St Petersburg]])
:[[Nikolai Sheremetev|Ostankino Theatre]] (from July 22, 1795, [[Ostankino Palace|Ostankino]] near [[Moscow]])
*[[Nikolai Sheremetev|Ostankino Theatre]] (from 22 July 1795, [[Ostankino Palace|Ostankino]] near Moscow)
:[[Imperial Kamenny Theatre]] or the [[Bolshoi Theatre of Saint Petersburg]], ([[St Petersburg]])
*[[Imperial Kamenny Theatre]] or the [[Bolshoi Theatre of Saint Petersburg]], ([[St Petersburg]])
:[[Petrovka Theatre]] (from 1786–1805 [[Moscow]])
*[[Petrovka Theatre]] (from 1786 to 1805 Moscow)
:[[Bolshoi Theatre]] (from 1825 [[Moscow]])
*[[Bolshoi Theatre]] (from 1825 Moscow)
:[[Kamenny Island Theatre]] (from 1826 [[St Petersburg]])
*[[Kamenny Island Theatre]] (from 1826 [[St Petersburg]])
:[[Mariinsky Theatre]], (from 1860 [[St Petersburg]])
*[[Mariinsky Theatre]], (from 1860 [[St Petersburg]])


==See also==
==See also==
*[[List of Russian opera composers]]
*[[List of Russian opera singers]]
*[[List of Russian opera singers]]
*[[Music of Russia#Classical, opera and ballet]]
*[[Music of Russia#18th and 19th century: Russian classical music]]
*[[Russian culture#Opera]]
*[[Russian culture#Opera]]
*[[Opera#Russian opera]]
*[[Opera#Russian opera]]
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*[Rapatskaya L. A.] Рапацкая Л.А. ''Русское искусство XVIII века'' Moscow 1995
*[Rapatskaya L. A.] Рапацкая Л.А. ''Русское искусство XVIII века'' Moscow 1995
*[Serov A. N.] Серов А. Н. ''Опера в России и русская опера'' // Серов А.Н. ''Критические статьи''. Т. 4. Спб. 1965
*[Serov A. N.] Серов А. Н. ''Опера в России и русская опера'' // Серов А.Н. ''Критические статьи''. Т. 4. Спб. 1965
*[[Richard Taruskin|Taruskin, Richard]]: ''Russia'' in 'The [[New Grove Dictionary of Opera]]', ed. [[Stanley Sadie]] ([[London]], 1992) {{ISBN|0-333-73432-7}}
*[[Richard Taruskin|Taruskin, Richard]]: ''Russia'' in 'The [[New Grove Dictionary of Opera]]', ed. [[Stanley Sadie]] (London, 1992) {{ISBN|0-333-73432-7}}
*[[Marina Frolova-Walker|Frolova-Walker, Marina]]: ''Russian Federation, 1730–1860, Opera''; Powell, Jonathan: 1860–90, Opera; Barttlett, Rosamund (Music of the Soviet Period) in the entry '''Russian Federation''', ''[[The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]'', vol. 21 {{ISBN|0-333-60800-3}}
*[[Marina Frolova-Walker|Frolova-Walker, Marina]]: ''Russian Federation, 1730–1860, Opera''; Powell, Jonathan: 1860–90, Opera; Barttlett, Rosamund (Music of the Soviet Period) in the entry '''Russian Federation''', ''[[The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]'', vol. 21 {{ISBN|0-333-60800-3}}


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*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090305232110/http://www.krugosvet.ru/articles/73/1007389/1007389a1.htm Russian opera in Encyclopaedia “Krugosvet” (Russian)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090305232110/http://www.krugosvet.ru/articles/73/1007389/1007389a1.htm Russian opera in Encyclopaedia “Krugosvet” (Russian)]
*[http://www.MoscowComposer.com MoscowComposer.com]&nbsp;– Moscow Composers
*[http://www.MoscowComposer.com MoscowComposer.com]&nbsp;– Moscow Composers
*[http://www.library.illinois.edu/spx/webct/SubjectResources/SubSourRus/artsrumus2.htm Research Guide to Russian Music and Opera]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091120203028/http://www.library.illinois.edu/spx/webct/SubjectResources/SubSourRus/artsrumus2.htm Research Guide to Russian Music and Opera]
{{Opera topics}}
{{Opera topics}}
{{Russia topics}}
{{Russia topics}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Russian Opera}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russian Opera}}
[[Category:Russian opera|*]]
[[Category:Russian opera| ]]
[[Category:Opera history|*Rus]]
[[Category:Opera history|*Rus]]
[[Category:Opera by country]]
[[Category:Opera by country]]

Latest revision as of 12:36, 12 December 2024

Russian opera (Russian: Ру́сская о́пера Rússkaya ópera) is the art of opera in Russia. Operas by composers of Russian origin, written or staged outside of Russia, also belong to this category, as well as the operas of foreign composers written or intended for the Russian scene. These are not only Russian-language operas. There are examples of Russian operas written in French, English, Italian, Latin, Ancient Greek, Japanese, or the multitude of languages of the nationalities that were part of the Empire and the Soviet Union.

Russian opera includes the works of such composers as Glinka, Rubinstein, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Shostakovich.

Searching for its typical and characteristic features, the Russian opera (and Russian music as a whole), has often been under strong foreign influence. Italian, French, and German operas have served as examples, even when composers sought to introduce special, national elements into their work. This dualism, to a greater or lesser degree, has persisted throughout the whole history of Russian opera.[citation needed]

18th century

[edit]

Opera came to Russia in the 18th century. At first there were Italian language operas presented by Italian opera troupes. Later some foreign composers serving to the Russian Imperial Court began writing Russian-language operas, while some Russian composers were involved into writing of the operas in Italian and French. And only at the beginning of the 1770s were the first modest attempts of the composers of Russian origin to compose operas to the Russian librettos made. This was not a real creation of Russian national opera per se, but rather a weak imitation of Italian, French or German examples. But nevertheless, these experiments were important, and paved the way for the great achievements of 19th and 20th centuries.

Italians

[edit]

Originating in Italy in c1600, opera spread all over Europe and reached Russia in 1731, when the King of Poland and Elector of Saxony August II the Strong (based in Dresden) 'loaned' his Italian opera troupe to the Russian Empress Anna for the celebration of her coronation in Moscow. The first opera shown in Russia was Calandro by Giovanni Alberto Ristori (1692–1753), performed in Moscow in 1731 under the direction of the composer and his father Tommaso, with 13 actors and nine singers including Ludovica Seyfried, Margherita Ermini and Rosalia Fantasia.[1]

Francesco Araja

After that Italian opera troupes were welcomed to Russia for the entertaining of the Empress and her Court. In 1735 a big Italian opera troupe led by a composer Francesco Araja was invited for the first time to work in Saint Petersburg. The first opera given by them was Araja's La forza dell'amore e dell'odio, with a text by Francesco Prata, staged on 8 February [OS 29 January], 1736 as Sila lyubvi i nenavisti (The Power of Love and Hatred). Araja’s next two productions were the operas seria Il finto Nino, overo La Semiramide riconosciuta to the text by Francesco Silvani given on 9 February 1737 [OS 28 January], Saint Petersburg and Artaserse to the text by Pietro Metastasio, performed on 9 February 1738 [OS 28 January] in Saint Petersburg. Araja spent around 25-year in Russia and wrote at least 14 operas for the Russian Court.

In 1742, in connection with the celebration of the coronation of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna in Moscow the opera Tito Vespasiano [La clemenza di Tito] by Johann Adolf Hasse (1699–1783) was staged. A new theatre was built especially for this event. In 1743 at "Zimnij Dvorets", the (Winter Palace) in Saint Petersburg, instead of a small hall of "Comedie et opere" was built a new Opera House (architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli) that held about a thousand persons.

Valeriani: Sets for the "first Russian opera" Tsefal i Prokris by Araja, 1755

The next opera seria by Araja Seleuco, text by Giuseppe Bonecchi was given on 7 May [OS 26 April], 1744 in Moscow as part of a double celebration of the anniversary of the coronation of Elizaveta Petrovna and conclusion of peace with Sweden.

The staging of Araja’s opera seria Bellerofonte, text by Giuseppe Bonecchi (9 December 1750 [OS 28 November], Saint Petersburg) was notable for the participation of a Russian singer from "pevchie" of the Court Capella, Mark Poltoratski, who played the role of Ataman, a nobleman of Kingdom of Likia.

The first opera written in Russian was Araja’s Tsefal i Prokris (Cephalus and Prokris, libretto by Alexander Sumarokov) that was staged at Saint Petersburg on 7 March, [OS 27 February], 1755.

The second opera set to a Russian text was Alceste, 1758, libretto by Alexander Sumarokov) by German composer Hermann Raupach (1728–1778) also serving to the Russian Court. Raupach spent 18 years in Russia and died in Saint Petersburg in 1778.

In 1757 a private opera enterprise directed by Giovanni Battista Locatelli (1713 – c. 1770) was invited to Saint Petersburg. They had shown an opera every week for the court, and two-three times a week they were allowed to give open public performances. The repertoire was mostly of Italian opera buffa. For the first three years the troupe had presented the seven operas by Baldassare Galuppi (1706–1785) including Il mondo della luna (The World of the Moon), Il Filosofo di campagna (The Village Philosopher), and Il mondo alla roversa, ossia Le donne che commandono (The Worlds Upside Down, or Women Command).

In the 1760–80s in Russia there were working in turn Venetian Galuppi, Manfredini from Pistoia, Traetta from Bitonto near Barri, Paisiello from Taranto, Sarti, Cimarosa from Campania, and Spaniard Martin y Soler. Each of them brought an important contribution, producing operas to the Italian as well as Russian libretti. Here are listed some of the operas written and premiered in Russia:

Vincenzo Manfredini (1737–1799) spent 12 years in Russia and died in Saint Petersburg. The son and pupil of famous baroque composer Francesco Manfredini, he was a music teacher for Pavel Petrovich who later became Emperor of Russia. For the Russian Imperial Court Manfredini wrote five operas including: Semiramide (1760, Saint Petersburg), L'Olimpiade (1762 Moscow) and Carlo Magno (1763 Saint Petersburg).

Tommaso Traetta (1727–1779) was a maestro di cappella at the Russian Imperial Court for eight years (1768–1775, and wrote there five operas, including: Astrea placata (1770 Saint Petersburg), Antigone (1772 Saint Petersburg), and Le quattro stagioni e i dodici mesi dell'anno (1776 St Petersburg).

Giovanni Paisiello (1740–1816), a famous Neapolitan composer of more than 100 operas seria and buffa, he spent in Russia eight years (1776–1783), where he wrote 12 operas including Nitteti (1777 Saint Petersburg), Lucinda e Armidoro (1777 Saint Petersburg), Il barbiere di Siviglia, ovvero La precauzione inutile (1782 Hermitage Theatre), and Il mondo della luna (1782 Kamenny Island Theatre).

Giuseppe Sarti (1729–1802), a composer of about 40 operas, he spent in Russia eighteen years (1784–1802). After being for eight years a maestro di cappella at the Imperial Court, he spent the next four years at the service of Prince Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin at his estate in Southern Russia. Then he returned to the Court. In 1801 he solicited permission to return, because his health was broken. The emperor Alexander I dismissed him in 1802 with a liberal pension. Sarti died in Berlin. His most successful operas in Russia were Armida e Rinaldo and The Early Reign of Oleg (Nachal'noye upravleniye Olega), for the latter of which the empress herself wrote the libretto. Among the nine operas written in Russia are also: Gli amanti consolati (1784 Saint Petersburg), I finti eredi (1785 Saint Petersburg, Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre), Castore e Polluce (1786 Hermitage Theatre) and La famille indienne en Angleterre (1799 Saint Petersburg, Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre).

Domenico Cimarosa, (1749–1801) another famous Neapolitan composer, singer, violinist, harpsichordist, conductor ant teacher, who composed about 75 operas, was a maestro di cappella in Russia for five years (1787–1791), where he wrote: La felicità inaspettata (1788 Hermitage Theatre), La vergine del sol'e (1788? Hermitage Theatre; 1789 Saint Petersburg, Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre) and La Cleopatra (Cleopatra e Marc Antonio 1789 Hermitage Theatre)

Vicente Martín y Soler

Vicente Martín y Soler (1754–1806) a Spanish organist and composer of 21 operas and 5 ballets, he settled in Russia c1788, where he was called "Martini". He wrote there: Gore-Bogatyr Kosometovich (libretto by Catherine II of Russia, 1789 Hermitage Theatre) with overture on three Russian tunes, Pesnolyubie (1790 Hermitage Theatre), and La festa del villagio (1798 Hermitage Theatre).

Two of his operas premiered in Vienna, but also staged in Russia, Una cosa rara, o sia Bellezza ed onestà (The Rare Thing) and L'arbore di Diana (Diana's Tree) were especially popular. The first of them performed in Russian translation of Ivan Dmitrievsky had some elements of the antifeudal directivity. He died in Saint Petersburg in January 1806.

Ivan Kerzelli (also known as I. I. Kerzelli, or Iosif Kertsel) was a representative of a big family of foreign musicians Kerzelli (probably of Czech origin), settled in Russia in the 18th century. He is regarded as a composer of a few famous operas: Lyubovnik – koldun (The Lover-Magician 1772 Moscow), Rozana i Lyubim (Rozana und Lyubim 1778, Moscow), Derevenskiy vorozheya (The Village Wizard c. 1777 Moscow) (Overture and songs were printed in Moscow 1778; They were the first opera fragments printed in Russia) and Guljanye ili sadovnik kuskovskoy (Promenade or the Gardener from Kuskovo 1780 or 1781 Kuskovo, Private Theatre of Count Nikolai Sheremetev).

Antoine Bullant (also known as Antoine or Jean Bullant, 1750–1821), another composer of Czech origin settled in Russia in 1780 wrote a large number of operas with Russian librettos, often within Russian national settings. He was especially famous for his comic opera Sbitenshchik (Сбитеньщик — Sbiten Vendor), comic opera in 3 acts, written to the libretto by Yakov Knyazhnin (remake of Molière's L'école des femmes). The opera was staged 1783 or 1784 in Saint Petersburg, at the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, and was played until 1853.

There were also extremely popular the operas by Belgian/French André Ernest Modeste Grétry (1741–1813), like L'Amitié à l'épreuve (first staged 1779, Kuskovo theatre) or Les Mariages samnites that was performed during 12 years (since 1885, Kuskovo, Ostankino theatres) with serf-soprano Praskovya Zhemchugova at the private opera of Nikolai Sheremetev.

Russians

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Two talented young Russians Berezovsky and Bortniansky were sent by Catherine II to Italy to study art of music composition.

Maksym Berezovsky (1745–1777) went to Italy in the spring of 1769 to train with Padre Giovanni Battista Martini at the Bologna Philharmonic Academy, where he graduated with distinction. He wrote an opera seria Demofoonte to the Italian libretto by Pietro Metastasio for the carnival at Livorno (staged February 1773).

Dmytro Bortniansky

Dmytro Bortniansky (1751–1825), a pupil of Hermann Raupach and Baldassare Galuppi, went to Italy following his teacher Galuppi. In Italy, Bortniansky gained considerable success composing operas: Creonte (1776) and Alcide (1778) in Venice, and Quinto Fabio (1779) at Modena. Bortniansky returned to the court at Saint Petersburg in 1779 where he composed four more operas (all in French, with libretti by Franz-Hermann Lafermière): Le Faucon (1786), Le Fete du Seigneur (1786), Don Carlos (1786), and Le Fils-Rival ou La Moderne Stratonice (1787).

At the same time in Russia, a successful one-act opera Anyuta (Chinese Theatre, 6 September [OS 26 August], 1772) was created to the text by Mikhail Ivanovich Popov. Music was a selection of popular songs specified in the libretto. It is a story about a girl called Anyuta, brought up in a peasants’ household, who in fact turned out to be of noble birth, and the story of her love for a nobleman, Victor, eventually ending happily, with wedding bells ringing. The score does not survive and the composer of it is unknown, however, sometimes it was attributed to Vasily Pashkevich or even to Yevstigney Fomin who that time was just 11 years old.

The music of another successful Russian opera Melnik – koldun, obmanshchik i svat (The Miller who was a Wizard, a Cheat and a Match-maker, text by Alexander Ablesimov, Moscow, 1779), on a subject resembling Rousseau’s Le Devin du village, is attributed to a theatre violin player and conductor Mikhail Matveyevich Sokolovsky (c. 1756–?). Later the music was revised by Yevstigney Fomin.

Vasily Pashkevich (1742–1797), a Russian composer was famous for his comic opera The Miser. Its roles are: Scriagin, Liubima’s guardian; Liubima, his niece; Milovid, her beloved; Marfa, the servant girl that Scriagin is in love with; Prolaz, Milovid’s manservant who is in Scriagin’s service. Accordingly the speech and the names of the characters of Molière's comedy were turned into Russian as well as the music that combines some features of Western form with typically Russian melodies. Another his opera Fevey was written to the libretto by Catherine II. Other operas are: The Carriage Accident (Neschastye ot karety, 1779 Saint Petersburg, Karl Kniper Theatre, St Petersburg Bazaar (Sankt Peterburgskiy Gostinyi Dvor, 1782 Saint Petersburg), Kniper Theatre, The Burden Is Not Heavy if It Is Yours (Svoya nosha ne tyanet, 1794), The Early Reign of Oleg (Nachal'noye upravleniye Olega, libretto by Catherine II, 1790 Saint Petersburg)– together with Giuseppe Sarti and C. Cannobio), Fedul and His Children (Fedul s det'mi, libretto by Catherine II, 1791 Saint Petersburg) – together with Martin y Soler), The Pasha of Tunis (Pasha tunisskiy, 1782 libretto by Mikhail Matinsky) and You Shall Be Judged As You Lived (Kak pozhivyosh', tak i proslyvyosh, 1792) — rev. of St Petersburg Bazaar.

Yevstigney Fomin

Italian-trained Yevstigney Fomin (1761–1800) composed about 30 operas including the most successful opera-melodrama Orfey i Evridika to the text by Yakov Knyazhnin. Among his other operas are: The Novgorod Hero Boyeslayevich (Novgorodskiy bogatyr’ Boyeslayevich, text by Catherine II, 1786 Saint Petersburg), The Coachmen at the Relay Station (Yamshchiki na podstave 1787 Saint Petersburg), Soirées (Vecherinki, ili Gaday, gaday devitsa, 1788 Saint Petersburg), Magician, Fortune-teller and Match-maker (Koldun, vorozheya i svakha 1789 Saint Petersburg), The Miller who was a Wizard, a Cheat and a Match-maker (Melnik – koldun, obmanshchik i svat, 1779 Moscow, originally: Mikhail Sokolovsky), The Americans (Amerikantsy, comic opera, 1800 Saint Petersburg), Chloris and Milo (Klorida i Milon, 1800 Saint Petersburg), and The Golden Apple (Zolotoye yabloko, 1803 Saint Petersburg).

19th century

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The 19th century was the golden age of Russian opera. It began with a success of a massive and slowly developing operatic project: the opera Lesta, dneprovskaya rusalka and its three sequels (1803–1807, first in Saint Petersburg) based on the German romantic-comic piece Das Donauweibchen by Ferdinand Kauer (1751–1831) with the Russian text and additional music by Russianized Venetian immigrant Catterino Cavos (1775–1840) and Stepan Davydov (1777–1825).

The next success was a patriotic opera Ivan Susanin (1815) by Cavos based on an episode from Russian history.

This success was continued with the brilliant operatic career of Alexey Verstovsky (1799–1862), who composed more 30 opera-vaudevilles and 6 grand-operas including Askold's Grave (Askoldova mogila, first performed in 1835) that received about 200 performances in Saint Petersburg and 400 in Moscow only for the first 25 years.

Mikhail Glinka

However the most important events in the history of Russian opera were two great operas by Mikhail Glinka (1804–1857) A Life for the Tsar, (Zhizn za tsarya, originally entitled Ivan Susanin 1836) and Ruslan and Lyudmila (based on the tale by Alexander Pushkin, 1842. These two works inaugurated a new era in Russian music and a burgeoning of Russian national opera.

Alexander Dargomyzhsky

Since these, opera became a leading genre for the most of Russian composers. Glinka was followed by Alexander Dargomyzhsky (1813–1869) with his Rusalka (1856) and revolutionary The Stone Guest (Kamenny gost, completed by Rimsky-Korsakov and premiered in 1872).

Other composers were:

Russian opera reached its apogee with the works by Modest Mussorgsky and his antipode Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

Modest Mussorgsky's (1839–1881) Boris Godunov remains the greatest masterpiece of Russian opera, despite what many consider to be serious technical faults and a bewildering array of versions (Original Version of 1869, Revised Version of 1872, Rimsky-Korsakov Edition of 1908, Shostakovich Edition of 1940, etc.). His other operas were left unfinished:

Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) completed ten operas including the most famous Eugene Onegin (Yevgeny Onegin), 1877–1878, 1879 Moscow and The Queen of Spades (Pikovaya dama), 1890, 1890 Saint Petersburg, which now belong to the world's standard repertoire. His other operas are:

  • Voyevoda (The Voivode), 1867–1868, destroyed by the composer, but posthumously reconstructed
  • Undina (or Undine), 1869, not completed, partly destroyed by the composer
  • The Oprichnik, 1870–1872, 1874 Saint Petersburg
  • Vakula the Smith (Kuznets Vakula), 1874, 1876 Saint Petersburg
  • The Maid of Orleans (Orleanskaya deva), 1878–1879, 1881 Saint Petersburg
  • Mazepa 1881–1883, 1884 Moscow
  • Cherevichki (rev. of Vakula the Smith) 1885, 1887 Moscow
  • The Enchantress (also The Sorceress or Charodeyka), 1885–1887, 1887 Saint Petersburg
  • Iolanta (Iolanthe), 1891, 1892 Saint Petersburg

Not less important was Aleksandr Borodin’s (1833–1887) Prince Igor – (Knyaz Igor, completed by Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov, 1890).

Prolific Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908) completed fifteen operas, the most significant achievements of the art of opera in Russia at the end of the century. The most notable of them are:

The last three of them already belong to the 20th-century Russian opera.

There were built a lot of new opera theatres including Bolshoi Theatre (opened since 1825 Moscow), and Mariinsky Theatre, opened since 1860 Saint Petersburg).

The history of 19th century Russian opera could be observed in the selected list of premieres at the Saint Petersburg theatres:

Feodor Chaliapin as Ivan Susanin in Glinka's A Life for the Tsar

Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre

Mariinsky Theatre (since 1860)

Mamontov's Private Russian Opera established in 1885. Savva Mamontov discovered talent of Chaliapin, commissioned designs from Mikhail Vrubel, Konstantin Korovin, Natalia Goncharova and Ivan Bilibin, staged the late operas by Rimsky Korsakov.

Opera spread to the provincial centres of Kiev (1867), Odessa (1887) and Kharkiv (1880).

20th century

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The political collisions of the 20th century divided Russian opera composers into those who managed to escape to the West, successfully or not, and those who continued to live in not the particular friendly atmosphere of the Soviet and Post-Soviet regimes. And nevertheless, the process of producing new operas was not diminished, but just the opposite, it was immensely grown.

Zimin Opera established in 1904, Sergei Diaghilev's Saisons Russes began in Paris in 1913.

Vladimir Rebikov (1866–1920) composer of more than 10 operas is best of all known for his opera The Christmas Tree (Yolka, 1894–1902) in which he presented his ideas of "melo-mimics" and "rhythm-declamation" (see melodeclamation).

Sergey Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) completed three operas:

All three operas were staged at the Bolshoi Theatre. He began but did not finish the fourth Monna Vanna (1907, 1st act in a vocal score) after Maurice Maeterlinck who refused to give permission to the composer for use of his text. These operas, written on the border between two centuries, rather belong to the world of the romantic opera of the past. Escaping Russia in 1917 Rachmaninoff never returned to operatic projects again.

Unlike him, Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) had been returning to this genre again and again, full of fresh and innovative ideas. Sometimes it is difficult to qualify these works as pure operas but rather "opera-ballets", "opera-cantatas", or "music theatre". Here is the list:

Sergei Prokofiev’s (1891–1953) operas are full of humour, wit, and novelty. Here is the list of his completed operas:

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) was another great opera composer struggling all his life in the clutch of the communist ideology. His satirical opera The Nose, after the completely absurd story by Gogol was criticized in 1929 by RAPM as "formalist". His second opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District performed in 1934 with an enormous success was condemned by the authorities even more harshly. This forced him to recompose it much later, in 1962, as Katerina Izmailova in a style more simplified and conventional to meet the requirements of the new rulers of the regime. Shostakovich was involved in many more operatic projects.

There were a lot more of the composers about the same generation, who had managed to create hundreds of operas. Some of them shared the same problems with Shostakovich and Prokofiev who returned to live in Soviet Russia and were deadly embraced by its suffocative regime. Others were on the opposite side, serving the suffocating roles. A serious condemnation and persecution of the Soviet Union's foremost composers, such as Prokofiev, Shostakovich and many others, had emerged in 1948 in connection to the opera by Vano Muradeli (1908–1970), Velikaya druzhba (The Great Friendship); see Zhdanov Doctrine.

Here is just a shortlist of the opera composers of those times:

Also: Vladimir Shcherbachev, Sergei Vasilenko, Vladimir Fere, Vladimir Vlasov, Kirill Molchanov, Alexander Kholminov, etc. (see: Russian opera articles#20th century).

The next generations who found themselves already in the Post-Stalin epoch had their own specific problems. The ideological and stylistic control and limitation of creative freedom by the authorities and older colleagues-composers in the hierarchical structures of the Union of Composers made almost impossible the innovation and experiment in any field of musical art. It was a feeling that old bad times returned again when in 1979 at the Sixth Congress of the Composers' Union, its leader Tikhon Khrennikov denounced seven composers (thereafter known as the "Khrennikov Seven"), who for some reason or other had been played in the West – there were at least 4 opera composers among them.

As a result, even quite new phenomena appeared: a "samizdat (underground) opera" (see Nikolai Karetnikov). Some of these operas still never been performed, others luckily received their premieres in the West, and only a few found their place at the operatic stages of the homeland. The collapse of the Soviet Union did not improve this hopeless situation much.

The list of the composers who contributed to the development of Russian opera nearer to the end of the 20th century:

Also: Nikolai Sidelnikov, Andrei Petrov, Sandor Kallosh, Leonid Hrabovsky, Alexander Vustin, Gleb Sedelnikov, Merab Gagnidze, Alexander Tchaikovsky, Vasily Lobanov, Dmitri N. Smirnov, Leonid Bobylev, Vladimir Tarnopolsky, and so on (see: Russian opera articles#20th century).

21st century

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The Russian opera is continuing its development in the 21st century. It began with the noisy premieres of two comic operas, whose genre could be described as "opera-farce":

The first was Tsar Demyan – a frightful opera performance (a collective project of the five participants: composers Leonid Desyatnikov and Vyacheslav Gaivoronsky from Saint Petersburg, Iraida Yusupova and Vladimir Nikolayev from Moscow, and the creative collective "Kompozitor," (a pseudonym for the well-known music critic Pyotr Pospelov) to the libretto by Elena Polenova after a folk-drama Tsar Maksimilyan, premiere 20 June 2001 Mariinski Theatre, Saint Petersburg. Prize "Gold Mask, 2002" and "Gold Soffit, 2002".

Another opera The Children of Rosenthal by Leonid Desyatnikov to the libretto by Vladimir Sorokin, was commissioned by the Bolshoi Theatre and premiered on 23 March 2005.

List of Russian opera theatres

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Charlton, David. "Giovanni Alberto Ristori". Classical Net. Retrieved 19 April 2020.

Bibliography

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