The Devil in Love (opera)

The Devil in Love (French: Le Diable amoureux; Russian: Влюблённый дьявол – Vlyublyonny dyavol) is an opera in three acts by the Russian composer Alexander Vustin (born 1943). The Russian libretto was written by Vladimir Khachaturov after the novel The Devil in Love by Jacques Cazotte (1772).

History of creation

This is probably the most important composition of Alexander Vustin. He worked on this opera for around 15 years (1975-1989). Despite his efforts, the opera still was not performed. However, the composer used the same or similar musical material in dozens of his compositions written during the same period, most of which are available and can be heard, for example, at the Classical Archives website.

Scoring

• Singers: 2 Sopranos,Mezzo soprano, 2 Altos, 2 Tenors , 2 Baritones , 2 Basses; chorus (small); dancers
• Orchestra: 2 flutes (II = piccolo), 5 clarinets (II = bass clarinet, III = alt saxophone, IV = tenor saxophone, V=bass saxophone) , trumpet, trombone, percussion (7 players: Percussion 1: wood blocks / temple blocks; Percussion 2: cymbals / gongs / tam-tams; Percussion 3:tom-toms / drums; Percussion 4-7: tubular bells / vibraphone /marimba / castanets / 5 tartafruge / whip (instrument) /hammer/ guiro / ratchet / washboard / 2 maracas / rattle / hi-hat / flexatone / tambourine / tamburo (side drum) / cassa (bass drum) / pedal timpani / flauto a culisse / large siren / ruggitso del leone) piano ( = celesta / harpsichord / electro organ / synthesizer) 12 violins, 1 double-bass

Bibliography

«Ex oriente...III» Eight Composers from the former USSR: Philip Gershkovich, Boris Tishchenko, Leonid Grabovsky, Alexander Knaifel, Vladislav Shoot, Alexander Vustin, Alexander Raskatov, Sergei Pavlenko Edited by Valeria Tsenova. English edition (studia slavica musicologica, Bd. 31), 206 pp., music illus., ISBN 3-928864-92-0

External links

• About the opera Boosey & Hawkes
• Vustin’s works from Boosey & Hawkes
• Page at Classical Archives