Dmitry Donskoy (opera)
Encyclopedia
Dmitry Donskoy also known as The Battle of Kulikovo was the first opera
written by Anton Rubinstein
. It was in 3 acts, with a libretto
by Count Vladimir Sollogub and Vladimir Zotov, based on a drama by Dmitry Ozerov. First performed in 1852, the opera, apart from its overture, is now lost.
, on what was ostensibly also a nationalist theme, the success of Dmitry Donskoy at the Battle of Kulikovo
(1380) against the commander of the Tartar
Blue Horde, Mamai
. However he ignored the historic elements in favour of a fairly routine operatic love story.
The overture was completed first and was performed at a concert in 1850. But Rubinstein faced trouble with the Russian censor
s, who forbade any stage presentation of Donskoy himself singing. Eventually the score was approved in 1851, and the first performance took place on 30 April 1852 at the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre
in St. Petersburg. The censors however insisted that the title be rendered as The Battle of Kulikovo. Rubinstein wrote to his mother 'This is not so terrible. The public will gradually find out what the real names are'. The composer was pleased by the reception, although he complained about the quality of the singers: nonetheless he reported that 'The success was enthusiastic!' However the opera had only four performances and does not seem to have been revived. Only the score of the overture has survived, together with one aria and some vocal parts in archives in St. Petersburg.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
written by Anton Rubinstein
Anton Rubinstein
Anton Grigorevich Rubinstein was a Russian-Jewish pianist, composer and conductor. As a pianist he was regarded as a rival of Franz Liszt, and he ranks amongst the great keyboard virtuosos...
. It was in 3 acts, with a libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Count Vladimir Sollogub and Vladimir Zotov, based on a drama by Dmitry Ozerov. First performed in 1852, the opera, apart from its overture, is now lost.
Background
Rubinstein asked for a libretto from Sollogub, who had also worked on Glinka's successful opera A Life for the TsarA Life for the Tsar
A Life for the Tsar , as it is known in English, although its original name was Ivan Susanin is a "patriotic-heroic tragic opera" in four acts with an epilogue by Mikhail Glinka. The original Russian libretto, based on historical events, was written by Nestor Kukolnik, Georgy Fyodorovich Rozen,...
, on what was ostensibly also a nationalist theme, the success of Dmitry Donskoy at the Battle of Kulikovo
Battle of Kulikovo
The Battle of Kulikovo was a battle between Tatar Mamai and Muscovy Dmitriy and portrayed by Russian historiography as a stand-off between Russians and the Golden Horde. However, the political situation at the time was much more complicated and concerned the politics of the Northeastern Rus'...
(1380) against the commander of the Tartar
Tartar
Tartar may refer to: *An alternative spelling of the name Tatars, an ethnic group in present-day Russia.* Tartars, the name of the athletic teams from 1927–1999 at Wayne State University in Detroit.*Tartar sauce*Tartar on teeth, hardened dental plaque...
Blue Horde, Mamai
Mamai
Mamai of Borjigin kin, was a powerful military commander of the Blue Horde in the 1370s which is now the Southern Ukrainian Steppes and the Crimean Peninsula....
. However he ignored the historic elements in favour of a fairly routine operatic love story.
The overture was completed first and was performed at a concert in 1850. But Rubinstein faced trouble with the Russian censor
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
s, who forbade any stage presentation of Donskoy himself singing. Eventually the score was approved in 1851, and the first performance took place on 30 April 1852 at the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre
Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre
The Saint Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre was a theatre in Saint Petersburg.- History :It was built in 1783 to Antonio Rinaldi's Neoclassical design as the Kamenny Theatre. It was rebuilt in 1802 and renamed the Bolshoi, but burned down in 1811. The building was restored in 1818, and...
in St. Petersburg. The censors however insisted that the title be rendered as The Battle of Kulikovo. Rubinstein wrote to his mother 'This is not so terrible. The public will gradually find out what the real names are'. The composer was pleased by the reception, although he complained about the quality of the singers: nonetheless he reported that 'The success was enthusiastic!' However the opera had only four performances and does not seem to have been revived. Only the score of the overture has survived, together with one aria and some vocal parts in archives in St. Petersburg.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | (Conductor: ) |
|---|---|---|
| Dmitry Donskoy | bass | Osip Petrov Osip Petrov Osip Afanasievich Petrov was a Russian operatic bass-baritone of great range and renown whose career centred on St Petersburg.He started his career by singing in a church chorus... |
| Tverskoy | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Lev Leonov |
| Ksenia | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Maria Stepanova |
| Dervish | Pavel Bulakhov | |
| Mamai | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Semen Hulak-Artemovsky Semen Hulak-Artemovsky Semen Stepanovych Hulak-Artemovsky , was a Ukrainian opera composer, singer , actor, and dramatist who lived and worked in Imperial Russia.... |