The Russian Mood Volume 3

By James Vendeland

We, the translators Elena Levin and James Vendeland, would like to comment on why we selected the specific Russian operas included in our Volume III of "The Russian Mood". All three operas are not well known by English speaking audiences but were very familiar to Russian listeners at the time they were created. Most Russian operas are based upon three themes. They are: folktales, fairy tales, and historical events or characters. In this volume, we have presented one opera on each of these themes.
In the opera Rusalka (not to be confused with Dvorak’s opera Rusalka) composer Alexander Dargomyzhsky (1813-1869) wrote both the music and libretto. The story is based on a folktale which the most famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) wrote as a poem.
The next opera in this book is Dubrovsky. It is an opera based on an unfinished novel by Alexander Pushkin, written in 1832 and published in 1841 after the author’s death. The opera was composed by Eduard Napravnik (1839-1916) and its libretto written by Modest Tchaikovsky (1850-1916). It contains some similarity to the Robin Hood legend. Pushkin mentioned in his novel that it was quite possible that “a man in Russia can be deprived of an estate to which he has indisputable rights”, highlighting to the readers a picture of the corrupt judicial practices in Russia.
Our final offering is the fairy tale Snegurochka (The Snow Maiden). Both music and libretto were written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908). The opera is based on a play by Aleksander Ostrovsky (1823-1886).
Hyperlinks are provided which are found at the conclusion of each libretto. They connect these operas to you tube sites where excerpts of them can be heard.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Vendeland
• Release date: Oct 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9780988538443

James Vendeland

Jim Vendeland is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. For 35 years he practiced ophthalmology in Cleveland, Ohio and has been studying Russian for 20 years. For several years Jim and his teacher and coauthor Elena Levin, have translated a wide variety of Russian poems, opera librettos, musical romances, and prose into English. He is also an opera fanatic, a collector of rare medical eye instruments, and former president of the Ocular Heritage Society. Jim is married and has 3 children and 5 grandchildren.

Book preview

THE RUSSIAN MOOD

AS EXPRESSED IN OPERAS OF THE 19TH CENTURY

VOLUME III

An Anthology of Original English Translations

by

Elena Levin

and

James L. Vendeland

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Elena Levin and James L. Vendeland

License Notes: This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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The painting on the front cover of this book is by the artist Kaonstantin Yegorovich Makovsky (1839-1915

This portrait of Alexander Sergeyevich Dargomyzhsky (1813-1869). He is regarded as one of the great 19th century Russian opera composers. Of the three operas presented in this volume one was composed by him.

This anthology is dedicated to our spouses and to both present and future lovers of Russian Opera

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

Acknowledgements

Alexander Dargomyzhsky

RUSALKA

Rusalka hyperlinks

Eduard Napravnik

DUBROVSKY

DUBROVSKY hyperlinks

NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV

Snegurochka (The Snow-Maiden)

Snegurochka (The Snow Maiden) hyperlinks

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

End Notes

INTRODUCTION

OR

WHY WE PUBLISHED THIS BOOK

We, the translators Elena Levin and James Vendeland, would like to comment on why we selected the specific Russian operas included in this volume. All three operas are not well known by English speaking audiences but were very familiar to Russian listeners at the time they were created. Most Russian operas are based upon three themes. They are: folktales, fairy tales, and historical events or characters. In this volume, we have presented one opera on each of these themes.

In the opera Rusalka (not to be confused with Dvorak's opera Rusalka) composer Alexander Dargomyzhsky (1813-1869) wrote both the music and libretto. The story is based on a folktale which the most famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) wrote as a poem.

The next opera in this book is Dubrovsky. It is an opera based on an unfinished novel by Alexander Pushkin, written in 1832 and published in 1841 after the author's death. The opera was composed by Eduard Napravnik (1839-1916) and its libretto written by Modest Tchaikovsky (1850-1916). It contains some similarity to the Robin Hood legend. Pushkin mentioned in his novel that it was quite possible that a man in Russia can be deprived of an estate to which he has indisputable rights, highlighting to the readers a picture of the corrupt judicial practices in Russia.

Our final offering is the fairy tale Snegurochka (The Snow Maiden). Both music and libretto were written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908). The opera is based on a play by Aleksander Ostrovsky (1823-1886).

Hyperlinks are provided which are found at the conclusion of each libretto. They connect these operas to you tube sites where excerpts of them can be heard.

References

The first reference which we drew upon in writing the biographies for this book was Wikipedia. Other sources confirmed this information and are listed below.

Abraham, Gerald, On Russian Music, (New York, 1939). Charles Scribner's Sons.

Abraham, Gerald, Studies in Russian Music, ((London, 1935). William Reeves Bookseller Ltd.

Abraham, Gerald The New Grove Russian Masters 2, (New York, 1986). W.W. Norton & Co.

Pushkin, Alexander (London, 2003). Hesperus Press LtD, foreword by Patrick Neate ix.

Recommended recordings

Mermaid (Rusalka): composer—Alexander Dargomyzhsky, Chorus and orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow.—conductor—Vassily Nebolsin, recorded in 1948. MVT CD 038-039. 2 compact discs.

Dubrovsky: composer—Eduard Napravnik, Choir and orchestra of the Moscow Academic Musical Theatre named after K. Stanislavsky and V. Nemirovich-Danchenko.—conductor—Peter Slavinsky, recorded in 1960. Aquarius AQVR 366-2, 2 compact discs.

Snow Maiden (Snegurochka), composer—Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio,- conductor—Vladimir Fedoseyev, recorded in 1975. Relief CD 991049 3 compact discs.

~

Almost twenty years ago we began our collaboration in translating from Russian into English short poems and lyrics of Russian romances (art songs) preserving original rhyming and musical tempo. Then we branched out into translating longer works including a number of Russian opera librettos. We collected the recorded music of many of these rarely performed Russian operas and songs. It was an excellent way to be exposed to Russian culture of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Having drawn upon material which we had translated over the course of several years, we began this project. Others with more knowledge in the publishing field recommended that we consider a collection of translations from Russian works, an anthology, rather than just one or two long poems or opera librettos. We have divided this anthology into three volumes which we have entitled The Russian Mood. Volume I is devoted to the translation of Russian poetry, Volume II to four Russian opera librettos, and this volume, Volume III, is devoted to three additional Russian operas.To you the reader we offer a sampling from works of some of the greatest Russian poets, composers, and librettists of the past two centuries.

Cleveland,

October 13, 2013

j.v.

Acknowledgements

The authors want to thank Ethan Newburger, our graphic design artist for his efforts in the creation of this book cover.

Alexander Dargomyzhsky

Alexander Sergeyevich Dargomyzhsky (1813-1869) was a 19th century Russian composer who bridged the gap between Mikhail Glinka (first Russian composer to gain widespread recognition in Russia) and the later generation of The Mighty Five (included Balakirev, Cui, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, and Mussorgsky) and Tchaikovsky.

He was born in Troitskoe Village, Belyovsky District, Tula Governorate Province and educated in St. Petersburg. He composed the operas Esmeralda, The Stone Guest, and Rusalka. He also composed a number of piano pieces and orchestral works.

His opera Rusalka(The Mermaid) should not be confused with the more famous opera Rusalka composed by Dvorak. It is based on a folktale and was adapted from a poem by Alexander Pushkin (considered to be the most famous of Russian writers and poets). Dargomyzhsky both composed and wrote the libretto for this opera. A maiden, having been impregnated and jilted by a prince, drowns herself and is transformed into a mermaid. Her father, a miller eventually goes insane. Rusalka plots her revenge, and in the final scene the prince gets his comeuppance.

Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky (1813-1869)

RUSALKA

Opera in 4 Acts

The libretto is by the composer and based on the poem by A.S. Pushkin. In it are preserved many of his verses.

The opera was created by the composer between the years 1848-1855. In 1856 in Petersburg at the Circus Theatre the first production took place under the direction of K. Lyadov. It was poorly received by many and was rarely performed. The complete success of Rusalka and its significance for Russian opera was determined after its production at the Mariinsky Theatre in 1865. The opera was included in the repertoire of Russian theatres. It was staged in Moscow and Tiflis (with Shalyapin in the role of the miller), in Kharkov, Kazan, Kiev, Riga, Ekaterinburg, Yerevan, Baku, Minsk, Donetsk, and Vilnius. Outside Russia the opera was staged in Copenhagen (1888), Prague (1889), Monte-Carlo (1909), Paris (1911), in San-Francisco and New York in Russian (1922), in Jerusalem in Yiddish (1926), in London in Russian (1931), Helsinki (1937), Tehran (1953), and Bucharest (1958).

Cast

Count: tenor

Countess: mezzo-soprano

Miller: bass

Natasha, his daughter, later a mermaid: soprano

Olga, an orphan, loyal to the countess: soprano

Matchmaker: baritone

Child-Mermaid, 12 years old

Noblemen, noblewomen, hunters, peasant men, peasant women, and mermaids.

Overture

ACT I

Bank of the Dnieper River. The river in the distance. To the left is a mill with an oak tree nearby; to the right is a bench. Natasha sits thoughtfully on the bench. Miller stands in front of her.

1. Miller's Aria

Miller

Ach, you are all alike, young girls,

I see that there is little sense in you.

You are stubborn and the same things

Must be repeated to you 100 times.

And if an enviable friend

Turns up for you by chance,

Then you must be able with smart behavior

To seize it in your hands immediately! Yes!

With caresses, with stories,

You have to know how to lure him,

With rebukes and hints,

You try to keep him.

But no, it's not likely, you are stubborn,

And do not want to listen to your elders.

You see you are rich by your own wits,

And we have gone out of fashion.

Well, how is that! We have gone out of fashion.

What did I tell you, you are stubborn,

I must repeat the same thing to you 100 times.

Yes, let's take you as an example.

I taught you how a girl should live decently,

How she must now and then

Speak plainly about a wedding,

How you must cherish your youth,

And how careful you must be!

Think for yourself, not always will you see

That you will be able to charm by your beauty,

And not forever will you be pampered.

Well if already there is no hope at all

For a wedding, then what?

Then it's always easy for you to find the opportunity

To at least acquire something,

For yourself and for your family.

But it's not likely, you are stubborn,

For the whole day you only prefer

T o hang onto the neck of your dear friend.

And to gaze into his eyes the whole day!

What did I tell you, you are stubborn,

I must repeat the same thing 100 times!

I must repeat the same thing 100 times, 100 times!

2