Russian Operas

[Brünnhilde forever]

Which Nose do you have? There are two in my collection, one a performance, Die Nase, in Dresden in 1986 and another from Moscow, Nos1995. I definitely would go for the one from Moscow, a very intelligently directed performance with excellent singers. Enjoy!

[jhar26]

I didn't notice whether anyone had mentioned Ruslan and Lyudmila also by Glinka.  On the DVD there is a little interview with the conductor (at the moment I cannot locate the DVD) who says that if anyone hears Chernomor's March from Ruslan he cannot forget it.  I have to agree with him.  It is a very interesting march!

I have that one also. Real value for money - a three and a half hour opera, 18 minutes of 'introducing Ruslan' and a one hour documentary on Gergiev. Very entertaining opera too.

[Superhorn]

  I have the Sony Classical recording of the world premiere performance in Amsterdam of Alfred Schnitke's "Life With An Idiot" conducted by the late,great Rostropovich.
  This is one weird opera, and may be the first opera in which the word "Pizza" is used. It's the bizarre story of a Russian couple in the old Soviet Union who as some kind of punishment are forced to live with a wacko who says nothing but"Ekh" during the opera and does all kinds of wild and crazy things which drive them crazy.
It's supposed to be an allegory about Soviet repression; the "Idiot",called  Vova,short for Vladimir, is supposed to represent Lenin symbolically,and in the opera, the singer playing Vova was make up to look like him. I don't know of any subsequent performances, but this crazy opera,in the tradition of The Nose, deserves to be done more often.
   The recording is probably unavailable now, but is worth looking for.
 

[bhodges]

  I have the Sony Classical recording of the world premiere performance in Amsterdam of Alfred Schnitke's "Life With An Idiot" conducted by the late,great Rostropovich.
  This is one weird opera, and may be the first opera in which the word "Pizza" is used. It's the bizarre story of a Russian couple in the old Soviet Union who as some kind of punishment are forced to live with a wacko who says nothing but"Ekh" during the opera and does all kinds of wild and crazy things which drive them crazy.
It's supposed to be an allegory about Soviet repression; the "Idiot",called  Vova,short for Vladimir, is supposed to represent Lenin symbolically,and in the opera, the singer playing Vova was make up to look like him. I don't know of any subsequent performances, but this crazy opera,in the tradition of The Nose, deserves to be done more often.
   The recording is probably unavailable now, but is worth looking for.
 

I'm a huge Schnittke fan, but haven't heard this yet.  (I found a used copy awhile back, which is on my way-too-large "to listen to" pile.) 

Great that you enjoyed it.  I wish someone would stage it here, since it sounds like it would be totally wild seen in person.

--Bruce 

[Ciel_Rouge]

Ladies and Gentlemen, imagine having a brand new opera world right there in front of you, after exhausting the old one. Russian opera absorbed the immense richness of folklore, it is different and intriguing, as if you had suddenly discovered a secret passage to an uknown land of wonder. The city of Kitezh has been called the Russian Atlantis and it is this kind of delightful fantasy that one can expect.

Here is an excerpt from Kitezh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl2AlSD7wQo

And here is one of my favourites from Sadko:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8Be0Dj0TWU


Do not neglect Russian opera. It is like throwing away Mozart or Rossini

[Brahmsian]

Anyone heard Taneyev's opera Oresteia?  Just listened to the excellent overture last night!  Fantastic!

[listener]

Anyone heard Taneyev's opera Oresteia?  Just listened to the excellent overture last night!  Fantastic!

Got the vinyl but haven't heard it for a long time.  My new system does not want my turntable so I have to get my old amp back to accommodate.   
Disc details
TANEYEV, Sergei Ivanovich(1856-1915)   ORESTEIA         (1895)
LP      DGG 2709 097      3   r.t.   1979      location
AAA      Tatiana Kolomijzeva      Belorussian State Opera and Ballet Theatre Orch. & Chorus
      Viktor Tschrnobajew, Lidija Galuschkina, Anatolij Bokow, Nelli Tkatschenko, Tamara Schimko, Iwan Dubrowin,

released at the same time: Paliashveli's Absalom and Etery

[Brahmsian]

Got the vinyl but haven't heard it for a long time.  My new system does not want my turntable so I have to get my old amp back to accommodate.   
Disc details
TANEYEV, Sergei Ivanovich(1856-1915)   ORESTEIA         (1895)
LP      DGG 2709 097      3   r.t.   1979      location
AAA      Tatiana Kolomijzeva      Belorussian State Opera and Ballet Theatre Orch. & Chorus
      Viktor Tschrnobajew, Lidija Galuschkina, Anatolij Bokow, Nelli Tkatschenko, Tamara Schimko, Iwan Dubrowin,

I can't seem to find a recording of the complete opera (on CD)?  Either OOP, or never recorded on CD.

[Superhorn]

 Prokofiev's "The Fiery Angel" is without a doubt the weirdest,spookiest and most disturbing opera ever written. It's like a horrible nightmare set to music, and if you can take it, you'll never forget it.
  The music is fiercely dissonant and almost unbearably tense and harrowing. The story is about Renata, a crazed  young woman in 16th century
Germany during the inquisition and the heyday of black magic and sorcery who is obsessed with finding the imaginary playmate of her childhood known as Madiel, the angel of fire, and who is loved by but does not love the valiant wandering knight Ruprecht, who tries to help her find the fiery angel in human form by getting involved with the blackest of black magic.
  In the final scene she is condemned as a witch and sorceress after a terrfying exorcism in a nunnery,and is sentenced to be burnt at the stake.

The Gergiev/Philips and Jarvi/DG recordings and the GergievDVD  may be hard to find, but are worth looking for- if you dare !

[offbeat]

Somebody lent me this dvd and its totally weird. Its a sort of musical/opera meant to show the trials and tribulations of the average russian-Shostakovich's score is immediately recognizable as his style and think its supposed to be a russian version of the Hollywood  musicals of the fifties. Not something i would buy but anything by DSCH is worthy of attention i think

[offbeat]

Prokofiev's "The Fiery Angel" is without a doubt the weirdest,spookiest and most disturbing opera ever written. It's like a horrible nightmare set to music, and if you can take it, you'll never forget it.
  The music is fiercely dissonant and almost unbearably tense and harrowing. The story is about Renata, a crazed  young woman in 16th century
Germany during the inquisition and the heyday of black magic and sorcery who is obsessed with finding the imaginary playmate of her childhood known as Madiel, the angel of fire, and who is loved by but does not love the valiant wandering knight Ruprecht, who tries to help her find the fiery angel in human form by getting involved with the blackest of black magic.
  In the final scene she is condemned as a witch and sorceress after a terrfying exorcism in a nunnery,and is sentenced to be burnt at the stake.

The Gergiev/Philips and Jarvi/DG recordings and the GergievDVD  may be hard to find, but are worth looking for- if you dare !

tks for yr interesting info re the Fiery Angel - ive often wondered about this opera and sounds similar in a way to Bergs two operas ?? anyway am tempted now to investigate - not sure if im correct but did he quote the Fiery Angel in his third symphony ...?

[listener]

tks for yr interesting info re the Fiery Angel - ive often wondered about this opera and sounds similar in a way to Bergs two operas ?? anyway am tempted now to investigate - not sure if im correct but did he quote the Fiery Angel in his third symphony ...?

Yes, lots.   I was lucky to spot the DVD at a good price before hearing the Prok. 3rd live, and did enjoy the concert more from having been acquainted with the "themes".

Penderecki's Devils of Loudon and Schrecker's Die Gezeichniten are also up there  in the "not to take mother to" category, along with Hindemith's Sancta Susanna.   The Schrecker features a transvestite dwarf, the Hindemith and Penderecki  have mad/demon-possessed nun(s).

[Wendell_E]

The Gergiev/Philips and Jarvi/DG recordings and the GergievDVD [of Prokofiev's "The Fiery Angel"]  may be hard to find, but are worth looking for- if you dare !

Definitely.  When I recently had to replace my DVD player, I got an all-regions on mainly so I could finally see the DVD, which has never been released as a region 1 disc.

not sure if im correct but did he quote the Fiery Angel in his third symphony ...?

More than just quote.  The whole symphony is based on material from the opera.

[Superhorn]

  I'd like to hear Paliashvili's Absalom and Eteri,too. Technically,it's not a Russian opera, because it's written in the composer  Paliashvili's native Georgian,
a language which has no more similarity to Russian than Arabic.
Georgian was also the native language of Stalin, whose real last name was Dzhugashvili .  Geogian is an ancient indigeinous language of the Caucasus and even has its own strange looking squiggly alphabet.
 

[listener]

  I'd like to hear Paliashvili's Absalom and Eteri,too. Technically,it's not a Russian opera, because it's written in the composer  Paliashvili's native Georgian,...

I saw the LP set at  a local b&m a couple of days ago   http://www.sikorasclassical.com/
  This is the only record shop I have ever seen mentioned in a Michelin Green Guide!

[OzRadio]

Can anyone recommend available Eugene Origen sets? I'd prefer sung in Russian and a libretto, but I believe librettos can be found on amazon for just a couple dollars.

[Drasko]

Can anyone recommend available Eugene Origen sets? I'd prefer sung in Russian and a libretto, but I believe librettos can be found on amazon for just a couple dollars.

Hvorostovsky/Bychkov (available, in Russian, has a libretto)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tchaikovsky-Evgeny-Onegin-Dmitri-Hvorostovsky/dp/B000BDIY2C
http://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-Eugene-Onegin-Pyotr-Ilyich/dp/B000BDIY2C

[Scarpia]

This is wonderful, but out of print.   

[Drasko]

This is wonderful, but out of print.   

Depends where you are:
http://www.amazon.de/Rimski-Korssakoff-Nikolai-Coq-goldene-Hahn/dp/B0001MDNYM

[Wanderer]

Hvorostovsky/Bychkov

Seconded.

Also, these:

Allen/Levine
Mattei/Barenboim
Hvorostovsky/Gergiev