- Undina (Tchaikovsky)
"Undina" (sometimes "Undine" or "Ondine") ( _ru. Ундина) is anopera in 3 acts byPyotr Tchaikovsky . The work was composed in1869 . Thelibretto was written byVladimir Sollogub , and is based onVasily Zhukovsky 's translation ofFriedrich de la Motte-Fouqué 's "Ondine".The opera was composed during the months of January to July, 1869, but Tchaikovsky destroyed score in 1873, preserving only a few numbers from the opera. The opera has never been performed in its entirety.
The only extracts which survive are (i) The introduction; (ii) Undina's aria "Waterfall, my uncle, streamlet, my brother"; (iii)the chorus "Help, help! Our stream is raging"; (iv) Undina and Huldbrand's duet "O happiness, O blessed moment"; (v) and the chorus with soloists' "O hours of death".
At least three of these pieces - the aria, the duet, and the final chorus - were performed at the Moscow premiere at the
Bolshoi Theatre inMoscow on 28 March 1870.Some music from the opera was subsequently re-used in Tchaikovsky's other works:
*The bridal procession of Act 3 was adapted for the Andantino marziale of his "Symphony No. 2" (1872).
*The introduction was used unchanged as the introduction to hisincidental music to Ostrovsky's "Snow Maiden" (1873).
*Undina's aria was somewhat altered and put to use as the first song of Lel in "Snow Maiden".
*The duet was recycled as the duet (No. 13-V) of Siegfried and Odette in Act 2 of "Swan Lake " (1875-1876). The vocal parts were replaced by solo cello and violin.Roles
Instrumentation
Source: [http://www.tchaikovsky-research.net/ www.tchaikovsky-research.net]
*"Strings": Violins, Violas, Cellos, and Double Basses
*"Woodwinds": Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets ( B-flat), 2 Bassoons
*"Brass": 4 Horns (all F), 2 Trumpets (B-flat), 2 Trombones, Tuba
*"Percussion": Timpani, Triangle, Cymbals, Bass Drum
*"Other": Harp, Pianoynopsis
"Time": The
15th century "Place":
Germany , near theDanube ; Ringstetten Castle (Burg Ringstetten)Discography
Introduction
*Gauk, USSR Radio Large Symphony Orchestra
Vocal Numbers
*Akulov, USSR TV and Radio Symphony Orchestra, Milashkina, Raikov
External links
* [http://tchaikovsky-research.org/en/Works/th002.html Undina (English)]
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