- The Maid of Orleans (opera)
"The Maid of Orleans" ( _ru. Орлеанская дева, "Orleanskaja deva") is an
opera in 4 acts, 6 scenes, byPyotr Tchaikovsky . It was composed during1878 –1879 to a Russianlibretto by the composer, based on several sources:Friedrich von Schiller ’s "The Maid of Orleans" as translated byVasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky ;Jules Barbier ’s "Jeanne d’Arc" ("Joan of Arc ");Auguste Mermet ’s libretto for his own opera; andHenri Wallon ’sbiography ofJoan of Arc .The opera was dedicated to conductor Eduard Nápravník.
Among Tchaikovsky's operas, this work represents the composer's closest approach to French
grand opera (albeit in the Russian language), especially with its inclusion of a ballet in Act 2.Performance history
The world premiere was given on 25 February (
13 February O.S.), 1881 at theMariinsky Theatre inSaint Petersburg conducted byEduard Nápravník .Other notable performances were given on 28 July 1882 in
Prague (the first production of a Tchaikovsky opera outside Russia); in 1899 inMoscow by thePrivate Opera Society and conducted byMikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov ; and in 1907 in Moscow by theZimin Opera conducted by Palitsīn.Roles
Instrumentation
Source: [http://www.tchaikovsky-research.net/ www.tchaikovsky-research.net]
*"Strings": Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
*"Woodwinds": Piccolo, 3 Flutes, 2 Oboes, Cor Anglais, 2 Clarinets (B-flat, A, C), 2 Bassoons
*"Brass": 4 Horns (F, D, E-flat, E), 2 Cornets (B-flat, A), 2 Trumpets (E-flat, F, E, D, A), 3 Trombones, Tuba
*"Percussion": Timpani, Triangle, Tambourine, Side Drum, Bass Drum, Tam-tam, Bell
*"Other": Harp, Organynopsis
"Time": Beginning of the
15th century "Place":
France :Introduction
Act 1
:Chorus of Maidens (No. 1):Scena & Terzetto (No. 2):Scena (No. 3):Chorus of Peasants & Scena (No. 4):Scena (No. 5):Hymn "King of the heavenly host" (No. 6):Joan's Aria "Farewell, you native hills and fields"(No. 7):Finale (No. 8):Joan's Aria & Chorus of Angels (No. 8a)
Act 2
:Entr'acte (No. 9):Chorus of Minstrels (No. 10):Gypsy Dance (No. 11a):Dance of the Pages & Dwarves (No. 11b):Dance of the Clowns & Tumblers (No. 11c):Scena & Duet (No. 12):Agnes's Arioso & Duettino (No. 13):Scena & Archbishop's Narration (No. 14):Joan's Narration (No. 15):Finale (No. 16).
Act 3
"Tableau 1" and "Tableau 2"
:Scena & Duet (No. 17):March (No. 18):Scena & Duettino (No. 19):Finale (No. 20)
Act 4
:Introduction & Scena (No. 21):Duet & Scena (No. 22):Final Scena (No. 23)
Source: [http://www.tchaikovsky-research.net/ www.tchaikovsky-research.net]
Related works
César Cui 's "The Saracen", composed in1896 -1898 , may be considered a historical sequel to this opera, at least in regard to the period and setting. It revives the characters Charles VII andAgnès Sorel , but unlike its predecessor does not include a ballet.elected recordings
*197?,
Gennady Rozhdestvensky (conductor), Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Irina Arkhipova (Joan), Vladimir Makhov (King Charles), Klavdiya Radchenko (Agnes Sorel), Vladimir Valaitis (Dunois), Sergey Yavkovchenko (Lionel), Lev Vernigora, (Archbishop), Andrey Sokolov (Raymond), Viktor Selivanov (Bertrand), Vartan Makelian (Soldier), Yevgeny Vladimirov (Thibaut) [HMV ASD 2879-82]*1993, Aleksandr Lazarev, Bolshoy Theatre Orchestra and Chorus, Nina Rautio (Joan), Oleg Kulko (King Charles), Mariya Gavrilova (Agnes Sorel), Mikhail Krutikov (Dunois), Vladimir Redkin (Lionel), Archbishop - Gleb Nikolsky (Archbishop), Raymond - Arkady Mishenkin (Raymond), Bertrand - Maksim Mikhaylov II (Bertrand), Soldier - Anatoly Babikin (Soldier), Angel - Zoya Smolyanikova (Angel), Thibaut - Vyacheslav Pochapsky (Thibaut)
*1946, Boris Khaikin, Kirow Theatre Orchestra and Chorus
References
Bibliography
*Bernandt, G.B. "Словарь опер впервые поставленных или изданных в дореволюционной России и в СССР, 1736-1959" ["Dictionary of Operas First Performed or Published in Pre-Revolutionary Russia and in the USSR, 1836-1959"] (Москва: Советский композитор, 1962), p. 215.
*"100 опер: история создания, сюжет, музыка." ["100 Operas: History of Creation, Subject, Music."] Ленинград: Издательство "Музыка," 1968, pp. 390-396.External links
* [http://www.ceo.spb.ru/libretto/classic/posle_glinki/orleanskaya_deva.zip Russian libretto in zip file for Word]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.