The Power of the Fiend
Encyclopedia
The Power of the Fiend is an opera
in five acts by Alexander Serov
, composed during 1867-1871. The libretto
is derived from a comedy
by Alexander Ostrovsky from 1854 entitled Live Not As You Would Like To, But As God Commands. The opera was premiered posthumously on 19 April 1871 (Old Style
) at the Mariinsky Theatre
in Saint Petersburg
. Although in many ways it is more far-reaching than Serov's previous two operas, this work was not a success.
As an obsolete Russian phrase it can mean simply "Satan" or "The Devil" (indeed, the Mariinsky Theatre
renders the title of the opera in English as Satanhttp://www.mariinsky.ru/en/opera). Part of the variety in translation derives from interpreting the initial word of the title. Вражий in Russian is an adjective from the noun враг ("foe" or "enemy"; obsoletely "the Fiend" or "the Devil"). In the case of this drama the title relates to the character Yeryomka.
his prose play through the first three acts of the opera text, he declined to when the composer insisted on changing the happy ending of the play into a tragic one. Therefore, the remainder of the libretto was prepared by Pyotr Ivanovich Kalashnikov and Alexander Fyodorovich Zhokhov. If not for the delay caused by the rift with Ostrovsky, Serov might have completed the opera, but unfortunately the music of the final act was lacking at the time of his death. His wife, Valentina Serova
, composed Act 5 supposedly using her recollections of unwritten sketches that Serov had played at the piano, and the composer Nikolai Solovyov
assisted in bringing the opera to a performable state by orchestrating
some of the music for Act 1.
Despite a new edition of the opera completed by Boris Asafiev
for a Soviet performance in 1947, The Power of the Fiend still remains well outside of the repertory.
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 five acts by Alexander Serov
Alexander Serov
Alexander Nikolayevich Serov – was a Russian composer and music critic. He and his wife Valentina were the parents of painter Valentin Serov...
, composed during 1867-1871. 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...
is derived from a comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
by Alexander Ostrovsky from 1854 entitled Live Not As You Would Like To, But As God Commands. The opera was premiered posthumously on 19 April 1871 (Old Style
Old Style and New Style dates
Old Style and New Style are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January even though documents written at the time use a different start of year ; or to indicate that a date conforms to the Julian...
) at the Mariinsky Theatre
Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. The...
in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. Although in many ways it is more far-reaching than Serov's previous two operas, this work was not a success.
The opera's title
The title of the opera (taken from an appellation that Ostrovsky had applied to the fourth act of the projected libretto) has been translated in a number of ways: The Hostile Power, The Fiendish Power, The Malevolent Power, The Power of Evil, and so on.As an obsolete Russian phrase it can mean simply "Satan" or "The Devil" (indeed, the Mariinsky Theatre
Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. The...
renders the title of the opera in English as Satanhttp://www.mariinsky.ru/en/opera). Part of the variety in translation derives from interpreting the initial word of the title. Вражий in Russian is an adjective from the noun враг ("foe" or "enemy"; obsoletely "the Fiend" or "the Devil"). In the case of this drama the title relates to the character Yeryomka.
Composition history
Although Ostrovsky originally agreed to act as librettist and proceeded to versifyVerse (poetry)
A verse is formally a single line in a metrical composition, e.g. poetry. However, the word has come to represent any division or grouping of words in such a composition, which traditionally had been referred to as a stanza....
his prose play through the first three acts of the opera text, he declined to when the composer insisted on changing the happy ending of the play into a tragic one. Therefore, the remainder of the libretto was prepared by Pyotr Ivanovich Kalashnikov and Alexander Fyodorovich Zhokhov. If not for the delay caused by the rift with Ostrovsky, Serov might have completed the opera, but unfortunately the music of the final act was lacking at the time of his death. His wife, Valentina Serova
Valentina Serova (composer)
Valentina Semyonova Serova was a Russian composer of German-Jewish decent. She studied briefly at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, but left due to a conflict with Anton Rubinstein. She began to study with Alexander Serov who at that time was only known for his writings...
, composed Act 5 supposedly using her recollections of unwritten sketches that Serov had played at the piano, and the composer Nikolai Solovyov
Nicolai Soloviev
Nicolai Feopemptovich Soloviev sometimes Solovyov was a Russian music critic, composer, and teacher at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. His notable composition students include Samuel Maykapar, Mihkel Lüdig, and Artur Lemba...
assisted in bringing the opera to a performable state by orchestrating
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
some of the music for Act 1.
Despite a new edition of the opera completed by Boris Asafiev
Boris Asafiev
Boris Vladimirovich Asafyev was a Russian and Soviet composer, writer, musicologist, musical critic and one of founders of Soviet musicology.Asafyev had a strong influence on Soviet music. His compositions include ballets, operas, symphonies, concertos and chamber music...
for a Soviet performance in 1947, The Power of the Fiend still remains well outside of the repertory.
Roles
(Note: Due to gaps in information from one source to another, this section combines data from the play, the available piano-vocal score, and Bernandt, all cited in the bibliography below.)- Il'ya, a rich Moscow merchant who lives at his brother's monastery: bass
- Pyotr, Il'ya's son, [a young merchant]: baritoneBaritoneBaritone 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...
- Dasha (Dar'ya), Pyotr's wife: sopranoSopranoA 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...
- Agafon, Dasha's father, suburbanite from VladimirVladimirVladimir is a city and the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway. Population:...
: tenorTenorThe 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... - Stepanida: Dasha's mother, suburbanite from VladimirVladimirVladimir is a city and the administrative center of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway. Population:...
: mezzo-sopranoMezzo-sopranoA 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... - Afim'ya, Pyotr's aunt: mezzo-soprano
- Spiridonovna, proprietress of a coaching inn: mezzo-soprano
- Grunya, her daughter: mezzo-soprano
- Vasya, young son of a merchant: tenor
- Yeryomka, a blacksmith working at the inn: bass
- A Travelling Merchant: bass
- 2nd Merchant: tenor
- A Coachman: tenor
- A Bear-Trainer: tenor
- An Archer Woman: soprano
- An Archer
- Honey-and-Spice-Drink Seller
- Bread-Roll Seller
- Spice-Cake Seller: tenor
- Pancake Seller
- A Peasant
- 2 Revellers: tenors
- Offstage revelers; merchants, transients, coachmen, maiden-guests at Grunya's, crowd of carousing people, fife-players and bagpipers, maskers in the procession for the "sending off of Shrovetide", lads, peasants and their wives, women, men, a bear.