The Noblewoman Vera Sheloga
Encyclopedia
The Noblewoman Vera Sheloga is an opera
in one act by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote the libretto
, which he based on the drama by Lev Alexandrovich Mey
. The opera was composed in 1898 from material omitted from Rimsky-Korsakov's first opera, The Maid of Pskov
(1873).
The work was first performed in Moscow
in 1898. It was later used as a prologue to The Maid of Pskov in a 1901 performance.
on 27 December 1898 at the Solodovnikov Theater. As a one-act opera, it was first given in the US on 9 May 1922 in New York.
Vera's husband has been away on a campaign. In the meantime, she has given birth to Olga.
She confesses to her unmarried sister, Nadezhda, of having been wooed by a man who passed through earlier (the man turns out to have been Ivan the Terrible), and that the baby is not her husband's.
As this conversation ends, Vera's husband finally returns, surprised by the presence of the baby. Upon his demand to know where the baby came from, Nadezhda saves her sister by claiming to be the mother.
Source: www.operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
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...
in one act by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five.The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie, refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev , César...
. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote the 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...
, which he based on the drama by Lev Alexandrovich Mey
Lev Mey
-Biography:Mei was born on 13/25 February 1822, in Moscow. His father was a German officer who was wounded in the Battle of Borodino and died young. His mother was Russian. Mei completed his studies in Moscow in 1841 and served in the office of the Governor for 10 years. He became part of the...
. The opera was composed in 1898 from material omitted from Rimsky-Korsakov's first opera, The Maid of Pskov
The Maid of Pskov
The Maid of Pskov , is an opera in three acts and six scenes by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The libretto was written by the composer, and is based on the drama of the same name by Lev Mei. The story concerns the Tsar Ivan the Terrible and his efforts to subject the cities of Pskov and Novgorod to his...
(1873).
The work was first performed in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in 1898. It was later used as a prologue to The Maid of Pskov in a 1901 performance.
Performance history
The premiere performance took place in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
on 27 December 1898 at the Solodovnikov Theater. As a one-act opera, it was first given in the US on 9 May 1922 in New York.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast Moscow, 27 December 1898 (Conductor: Iosif Truffi) |
|---|---|---|
| Boyar Ivan Semyonovich Sheloga | basso Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C... |
Nikolay Mutin |
| Vera Dmitriyevna, his wife | 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... |
Sofiya Gladkaya |
| Nadezhda Nasonova, Vera's sister | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Yevdokiya Stefanovich |
| Prince Yuriy Ivanovich Tokmakov | 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... or bass |
Anton Bedlevich |
| Vlasyevna, Nadezhda's nurse | contralto Contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above... |
Varvara Strakhova |
Synopsis
- Place: PskovPskovPskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... - Time: 1555
Vera's husband has been away on a campaign. In the meantime, she has given birth to Olga.
She confesses to her unmarried sister, Nadezhda, of having been wooed by a man who passed through earlier (the man turns out to have been Ivan the Terrible), and that the baby is not her husband's.
As this conversation ends, Vera's husband finally returns, surprised by the presence of the baby. Upon his demand to know where the baby came from, Nadezhda saves her sister by claiming to be the mother.
Recordings
Audio Recordings (Mainly studio recordings)Source: www.operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
- 1980, Stoyan Angelov (conductor), Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stefka EvstatievaStefka EvstatievaStefka Evstatieva is a Bulgarian operatic soprano. Born in Ruse, she studied voice at the State Academy of Music in Sofia with Elena Kisselova. She began her career with the Ruse Opera where she made her debut as Amelia in Un ballo in maschera and sang there from 1971 to 1979...
(Vera Sheloga), Alexandrina Milcheva-Nonova (Nadezhda), Stefka Mineva (Vlasevna), Peter Bakardzhiev (Boyar Sheloga), Dimiter Stanchev (Prince Tokmakov) - 198?, Mark Ermler (conductor), Bolshoy Theatre Orchestra, Tamara Milashkina (Vera Sheloga), Olga Teruchnova (Nadezhda), Nina Grigorieva (Vlasevna), V. Karimov (Prince Tokmakov)