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Target: involving students in musical culture on the example of the opera N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov "The Tale of Tsar Saltan".
Tasks: accumulation of experience in the perception of works of a large genre, introducing children to works of a high artistic level, education positive attitude to highly artistic works of musical art.
Elements of fabulousness fill most of Rimsky-Korsakov's works. Rimsky-Korsakov was able with extraordinary skill to reveal magnificent fabulous pictures in orchestral sounds. The enchanting and mysterious calls of the Swan are birds, the variation of the song “In the garden, in the garden”, which Squirrel sings with a whistle, and the powerful sharply rhythmic, march-like theme of “Thirty-three heroes” - all this festive splendor set forth in the symphonic picture "Three Miracles" from "The Tale of Tsar Saltan". Under the outward quirkiness, lush and elegant fabulous pattern of the composer's works, a deep philosophical meaning is always seen.
During the classes
A conversation about the opera "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" can be conducted as follows.
You all probably know "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" by A.S. Pushkin. Remember - Tsar Saltan decided to marry and chose one of the three girls as his wife, the one who promised to give birth to a hero for the father-tsar. The sisters could not come to terms with the idea that it was not he who became queens, they did not know what to think of from envy and anger.
When Tsar Saltan left for the war, Militris gave birth to a son. The evil sisters replaced the messenger with a letter, and the king received the following news:
"The queen gave birth in the night
Not a son, not a daughter;
Not a mouse, not a frog,
And an unknown little animal.
A. further by order of the king
Queen at the same time
In a barrel with son planted,
Prayed, rolled
And they let me into Okiyan -
So ordered de Tsar Saltan.
The stars are shining in the blue sky
In the blue sea the waves are whipping;
A cloud is moving across the sky
The barrel floats on the sea.
Like a bitter widow
Cries, the queen beats in her;
And a child grows there
Not by days, but by hours.
The waves throw the barrel onto the island, and the prince knocks out the bottom, "Mother and son are now free." Here he meets the Swan, which he saves from an evil kite. In gratitude for this, the magical Swan leads Gvidon and Militrisa to the fabulous city of Lollipop. Cannon shots rumble, a solemn bell ringing, the people welcomed Prince Guidon.
But Gvidon and his mother Militris are all thinking about Tsar Saltan. The swan-bird comes to the rescue. She turns Gvidon into a bumblebee, and he goes to his father in the Tmutarakan kingdom. There, Gvidon hears how the shipbuilders who arrived to Tsar Saltan tell him about the miracles that they saw on the island, about the magical city of Ledenets, about beautiful swan princess, about a squirrel that gnaws emerald nuts with golden shells, about thirty-three heroes emerging from the depths of the sea.
Of course, as in every fairy tale, everything ended happily here. The swan-bird turned into a beautiful girl, and Gvidon married her, and Tsar Saltan, intrigued by the miracles that he was told about, decided to go to Buyan Island himself to look at them. Here he met with Queen Militrisa and his son Guidon. To celebrate, they forgave the evil sisters - the cook and the weaver. The story ended with a merry feast.
Composer Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov wrote on this fairy story opera. His associates were: S.I. Mamontov, I. Vrubel, Zabela Vrubel.
View presentation #1.
We will listen to orchestral fragments from this opera.
Before starting the conversation, the teacher gives the children to listen to "Flight of the Bumblebee .
You have probably heard this music many times. It is performed on various instruments - violin, clarinet, button accordion and xylophone. The music is buzzing, bumblebee. But it's not an annoying buzz. Remember how much joy, jubilation is in it, and why? Who remembers whom the Swan Princess turned into a bumblebee and why? That's right: Tsarevich Gvidon became a bumblebee. He was very homesick for his father - Tsar Saltan, he wanted to see his native land. When the Swan turned Gvidon into a bumblebee, the bumblebee flew after the ship, hid in a crack and swam to visit the glorious Saltan. That's why the flight of the bumblebee sounds so joyful.
And now let's listen to the whole symphonic picture. In it, the composer tells about the individual characters of the fairy tale with various orchestral colors. (Audio starts "Three Wonders").
Probably, everyone immediately understood what characters they were talking about.
Children remember that the fairy tale tells about a squirrel that gnaws golden nuts, about thirty-three heroes and the Swan Princess. They recognize all three wonders in this orchestral music.
Yes, this is "Three Miracles" - this is how Rimsky-Korsakov called the introduction to the second picture fourth act operas. This program work can be heard not only in the opera, but also in concert performance.
And now let's compare how the poet and composer, each with his own means (word and music), told us about the wonders of Buyana Island.
Miracle first.
Under the high tree
Sees the squirrel in front of everyone
Golden gnaws on a nut,
Emerald takes out
And collects the shell
Puts heaps even,
And sings with a whistle
With honesty in front of all the people:
"In the garden, in the garden."
A small, nimble, graceful squirrel, gnawing golden nuts, is characterized by light and mobile music and the folk song “Whether in the garden, in the garden”, which the composer entrusts to the piccolo flute (the highest and sonorous wind instrument) and pizzicato strings.
Miracle two:
The sea rages violently
Boil, raise a howl,
Will rush to the empty shore,
Will spill in a noisy run,
And find themselves on the shore
In scales, like heat, grief,
Thirty-three heroes.
In this marvel, the descending scale passages accompanied by the accompaniment give the impression of a roar. sea waves. Signal exclamations of trumpets and energetic chords convey the marching tread of thirty-three heroes emerging from the sea foam under the leadership of Uncle Chernomor.
Third miracle:
Overseas there is a princess,
What you can't take your eyes off:
In the daytime, the light of God eclipses,
Lights up the earth at night
The moon shines under the scythe,
And in the forehead a star burns.
The swan princess is characterized by gentle “patterned” music. Soft, measured chords go against the background of a calm upward movement of the harps. This theme is replaced by a whimsical melodic pattern of solo violins.
(Comparison of the reproduction of the painting by M. Vrubel "The Swan Princess" with musically ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov).
On the example of opera music. "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" you can do useful work with children to differentiate timbre sounds. Rimsky-Korsakov, an excellent colorist, gave a bright timbre to each image.
The teacher turns on a fragment from the symphonic picture "Three Miracles" and asks the children to say what character the music is talking about. Children usually compare poetic and musical texts and, relying on bright timbre coloring, as well as other means of expression, for the most part correctly identify each of the miracles.
Currently, the production of the opera "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" is being staged in many theaters in Russia. Your attention is given to viewing fragments from the performance of the State Musical Theater of National Art directed by Vladimir Nazarov.
View presentation #2
To consolidate the material covered, a musical crossword quiz is held.
Vertically.
1. Main character opera, the son of Tsar Saltan and Tsaritsa Militrisa?
3. (The theme of heroes from the suite "Three Miracles" sounds in the audio recording.)
4. (The theme of the princess sounds in the audio recording - the Swan from the suite "Three Miracles".) Who is depicted in this piece of music?
5. (The fragment “Flight of the bumblebee” sounds in the audio recording). Who is depicted in this piece of music?
8. Which of the characters in the opera says these words:
"Hello, red maiden, -
He says, be a queen
And give birth to a hero
Me by the end of September?10. Which of the characters in the opera says these words?
"If I were a queen, -
That is for the whole baptized world
I would prepare a feast."
Horizontally.
2. The artist who painted the painting "The Swan Princess"?
6. Poet, whose literary text lies at the heart of the opera?
7. (The theme of the squirrel from the suite "Three Miracles" sounds in the audio recording). Who is depicted in this piece of music?
9. Which of the characters in the opera says these words?
"If I were a queen, -
That would be one for the whole world
I wove canvases.
Opera in four acts (six scenes) with a prologue (introduction)
Libretto by V. I. Velsky based on the fairy tale by A. S. Pushkin. First staged in Moscow, on the stage of the Russian honera (S. I. Mamontov theatre), November 3, 1900
Actors introduction:
Tsar Saltan - bass
Younger - soprano
Middle sister - mezzo-soprano
Elder sister - soprano
Characters of the opera:
Tsar Saltan - bass
Queen Milithris (younger sister) - soprano
Weaver (middle sister) - mezzo-soprano
Cook (older sister) - soprano
Svatya Baba Babarikha - mezzo-soprano
Tsarevich Gvidon - tenor
The Swan Princess (originally the Swan-Bird) - soprano
old grandfather- tenor
Messenger - baritone
Buffoon - bass
1st sailor - tenor
2nd sailor - baritone
3rd sailor - bass
Voices of the sorcerer and spirits - choirs
Boyars, boyars, courtiers, nannies, clerks, guards, troops, shipbuilders, astrologers, runners, singers, servants and servants, dancers and dancers and people. Thirty-three sea knights with uncle Chernomor. Squirrel. Bumblebee.
The action takes place partly in the city of Tmutarakan, partly on the island of Buyan.
Introduction. Three sisters are spinning in the village room on a winter evening. The older sisters completely drove the younger one, Militrisa: bring water, and heat the oven, and milk the cow. You yourself know they boast of their beauty and dignity. “If I were a queen,” the eldest dreamed, “I myself would have prepared a feast for the whole world.” The middle sister echoes her: if she were a queen, she would have woven canvases for the whole world. The younger one says that she is a craftswoman neither to bake nor to weave; she would "give birth to a hero for the father of the king." She just said - Tsar Saltan enters the room and tells her to immediately get ready to go to the palace. Howl her queen, and the sisters will be; one is a cook, and the other is a weaver. Envy comes from older sisters; they incite the matchmaker Baba Babarikha to bring misfortune to Militrissa.
Action one. In the royal palace in Tmutarakan, Queen Militris is waiting for Saltan to return from the war. For a long time she sent a messenger to her husband with joyful news about the birth of Tsarevich Gvidon, but there is still no and no answer from Saltan. The queen does not know that the evil sisters with Babarikha changed her letter and sent a message with a messenger that
The queen gave birth in the night
Not a son, not a daughter,
Not a mouse, not a frog,
And an unknown animal.
The long-awaited messenger from Saltan arrives and brings a decree in which the king orders "both the queen and the offspring in a barrel to be thrown into the abyss of waters." With tears and lamentations, the people carry out the royal will.
Action two. For a long time the barrel floats on the blue sea. Not by the day, but by the hour, Tsarevich Gvidon is growing in it. But now the waves are throwing a barrel on deserted coast Buyana Islands. Alone on the island, Queen Militrisa and the young prince Gvidon. Suddenly the prince sees: high in the sky white swan trying to escape from the claws of a kite. Guidon shoots and kills the evil kite. The swan-bird promises the prince to repay his salvation with kindness.
Evening descends. Mother and son fall asleep, and when they wake up, they do not believe their eyes: the wonderful city of Lollipop sparkles with domes in the sun. From its gates, to the sound of bells, people are pouring down and asking Gvidon to become their prince.
Action three. Picture one. Gvidon lives well in the city of Ledenets. But at the sight of the ships that sail on the sea to Tmutarakan, evil longing wears away his heart. Gvidon would like to visit his homeland, to see his father. He comes for advice to the Swan-bird. Swan tells Gvidon to plunge into the sea three times - and the prince turns into a bumblebee.
Picture two. In the royal chambers, Saltan affectionately treats shipbuilders. They tell the king about the wondrous city of Ledenets, ruled by Prince Gvidon, about miracles: about a magical squirrel that gnaws golden nuts and sings songs, about thirty-three heroes emerging from the waves of the sea. Saltan was about to go to visit Guidop, but the evil sisters Militrisa and Babarikha do not let him in, they try to distract him with a story about a miracle that does not even exist in the city of Ledenets: about a princess who, with her beauty, "darks the light of God during the day, illuminates the earth at night." The bumblebee stings the evil aunts and Babarikha painfully and flies away.
Action four. Picture one. The prince cannot sleep: he cannot forget the story of the unknown beautiful princess. He calls the Swan-bird and asks to tell him how to find the princess. He is ready to “walk from here to distant lands on foot”, “No, why look far away? .. That princess is me!” Swan answers and turns into a beautiful princess.
Morning comes. Militris descends to the sea. She joyfully blesses Gvidon and the Swan Princess.
Picture two. Tsar Saltan comes to the island, The tsar marvels for a long time at the three miracles of the city of Lollipop. But the most wonderful miracle is that his beloved wife and son are alive and unharmed. To celebrate, Saltan forgives even the villainous sisters. The feast begins for the whole world.
Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov. Opera "The Tale of Tsar Saltan"
1899 for all of Russia was the year of Pushkin: every Russian experienced the 100th anniversary of the birth of the poet as National holiday. Poets created poems, sculptors - monuments, collections of articles and memoirs were published ... Composer Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov also responded to the anniversary by creating a cantata "The Song of Prophetic Oleg". But the cantata was not destined to become a genuine, worthy monument erected by Rimsky-Korsakov to Pushkin.
The composer has long felt the spiritual closeness of Pushkin's poetry - bright and cheerful, clear in thought and surprisingly musical in sound - his talent. He owed many of his best romances to the lyrics of Pushkin: “On the hills of Georgia”, “The flying ridge is thinning clouds”, “Rainy day is extinguished”.
Shortly before the anniversary, Rimsky-Korsakov finished an opera based on Pushkin's "little tragedy" Mozart and Salieri. However, in the winter and summer of 1899, the composer's thoughts turned to a completely different part of Pushkin's poetic heritage- to his stories. He wrote the opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan.
The composer carefully and lovingly preserved the main scenes and images of Pushkin's fairy tale - familiar and dear to everyone. He embodied them in an opera with amazing artistic power and a wealth of fantasy, he also retained the very spirit of a light fairy tale narrative in an original national style.
On November 3, 1900, the premiere of the new opera took place in Moscow. It was one of those, unfortunately, rarely befalling Rimsky-Korsakov, cases when he was pleased with the stage embodiment of his offspring. The performance was staged outstanding conductor and musician M. Ippolitov-Ivanov, the scenery was made by the most talented, unusually original artist M. Vrubel, and the performers were the leading soloists of the Mammoth Opera. Among them shone Nadezhda Ivanovna Zabela-Vrubel - a wonderful artist who, like no one else, was able to penetrate into the very depths of the unusual girlish images of Korsakov's operas - tender, touching, feminine. She was called "Korsakov's singer".
The poetic Swan Princess captivated both the composer and the audience, as the Snegurochka, Volkhova, Martha, the Tsar's bride, created by her, had previously captivated everyone.
So Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov wove one of the most beautiful and fragrant flowers into the wreath of people's love for his poet.
"The Tale of Tsar Saltan"
Slowly, gradually, the chandeliers of the large theater hall go out. Now only from the orchestra pit pours a soft mysterious light. Everyone is frozen, ready, waiting.
The heavy painted curtain that closes the stage seems somehow especially motionless - it does not tremble, does not move, as if it is also waiting.
In the musical theater there is such a moment that distinguishes this theater from all other theaters in the world - a short, very short pause before the conductor leaves.
Everyone who is now in the hall, in the orchestra, on stage, is united by one state - expectations. The audience is waiting, the musicians are waiting; behind the curtain, as if in a living picture, in those poses from which they should begin the performance, the actors froze. Another moment - and the fairy tale will begin.
It will begin even before the curtain opens, and even before the orchestra plays. Look! A man is walking down the aisle between the consoles in the orchestra pit. Do you think conductor? No, today it great storyteller. Now he will raise his magic wand and summon a good spirit - Music.
And Music will raise the curtain, spin the spinning wheels of three sisters from the Tmutarakan Saltanov kingdom, revive the evil woman Babarikha ...
Attention! Listen! It's trumpets playing. Thus begins The Tale of Tsar Saltan, an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov based on a fairy tale by Pushkin.
Three maidens by the window
Were spinning late in the evening.
Spinning wheels are spinning on the stage, and the orchestra transmits their monotonous, monotonous buzzing. Here the middle of the three sisters stopped the spinning wheel for a minute and sang a song:
“I bought a tow on Sunday...”
“And I came home and put it under the bench,”
The older sister took it. And again the spinning wheels spun, buzzed, accompanying the song of the sisters.
On the sidelines - Baba Babarikha strokes a black cat and does not stop admiring her well-fed, well-dressed older sisters:
“Do not spin through force,
There are many days ahead...
Babarikha's voice is rough, low, and she herself is a pure witch, furious, insidious, dislikes anyone - beware! Here are the envious, lazy and stupid sisters she likes. It's a pleasure to watch them boss around their little sister. She heats the stove and carries water, and the sisters crack nuts and praise each other.
It happens in life: two gossip gossips will meet on the street. Look at them - they seem to be different: one has blue eyes, the other has brown, one has two braids, tightly braided, tied with ribbons, the other is short-haired, and maybe with a ponytail. But they say almost the same thing. Their words are somehow the same, gray, uninteresting. Gossips murmur like a river, but it is impossible to listen - it's boring.
So are these fabulous sisters; listen to their music: the sisters' voices are slightly different - one has a lower voice, the other has a higher one, but their music is almost the same - short, fast melodic phrases. They are already so pleased with themselves, so happy - and they are beautiful, and smart, and craftswomen, which the world has never seen. Moreover, Babarikha agrees:
“You brides are a real treasure.
The king himself is glad to woo you ... "
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Prologue (fragment 1).
And the king is right there (it always happens in fairy tales). Can't you see him? Indeed, he is not yet on stage. But listen to the music... A completely different musical phrase. It resembles the beginning of a march. True, this march sounds a little comical; he is somehow "non-realistic", "on purpose". But that's what a fairy tale is for. In a fairy tale, kings are always spoken not very flatteringly.
The "royal" music resounded. Now, through the half-open door of the room, you can see the father-king in a crown and an expensive fur coat.
The sisters dreamed and the king is not noticed. They should be queens. One - the cook at least where, for the whole world would throw a feast with a mountain; the other is to weave a craftswoman, she would weave canvases, painted, with a pattern. Come, honest people, choose a new one for yourself. Only, of course, it is not for nothing that the tsar’s treasury needs to be replenished.
Their younger sister, Militris, listened. She stopped at the stove, lowered her grip and also decided to talk about her dreams. Militrisa's music is like an affectionate thoughtful song. It is not at all like the music of the braggart sisters. Gently, softly sounds the voice:
"If only I were a queen...
I would be for the father-king
She gave birth to a hero!
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Prologue (fragment 2).
And just like Pushkin:
"I just managed to say
The door creaked softly
And the king enters the room,
The sides of that sovereign.
Tsar Saltan stood at the door - portly, important. The music-march sounds now openly. With a majestic tread, Saltan entered the room. The sisters and Babarikha fell on their knees and were afraid to look at the king. And the tsar talks to himself, and the tsar's voice is truly royal - a low, thick bass:
"Junior's speeches all over
Love to my heart…”
"If so, then be a queen!"
Saltan says to the bewildered Militrissa.
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Prologue (fragment 3).
Saltan leaves with his young bride, but Babarikha and her sisters cannot wake up. Finally, dumbfounded, they rise from their knees. Here's one for you! How things have turned out! And the sisters chirped, bursting with envy and anger. What a shame! What will the neighbors say. The tsar did not even look at them, beauties and clever ones, but he took his younger sister, quiet and dirty, to the palace to get married.
"Create a misfortune, let the damage go,"
They ask Babarikha. The sisters' music is almost the same as at the beginning, only now it sounds meaner, faster. Fast prickly passages in the orchestra very well convey the evil, envious chatter. The authoritative voice of Babarikha stopped the raging sisters:
“Well, listen, don’t interfere!”
The music immediately becomes gloomy, ominous. Like an old feisty crow, Babarikha croaks. She's already figured it all out. Give me just a deadline. The queen will give birth to a son, send a messenger to the king. After all, “the kings are always at war, all the wife sits alone,” says Babarikha. The messenger can be made drunk and the good news replaced by the sad.
"The queen gave birth in the night
Not a son, not a daughter;
Not a mouse, not a frog,
And an unknown little animal.
The curtain came down. The prologue is over. Fanfares sound again in the orchestra - the introduction to the first act begins. Orchestral introduction. Nothing is happening on the stage now, the curtain is closed, so let's listen carefully to the music. What is she talking about?
familiar musical theme- This is the march of Tsar Saltan. We heard it in the prologue. Now it sounds solemn and militant. It seems that Babarikha's predictions are beginning to come true.
If you look at the clavier (the so-called music books of operas), you will see that each action is preceded by a Pushkin epigraph. Reading: "Introduction to the first act." And lower:
“In those days there was a war.
Tsar Saltan, saying goodbye to his wife,
Sitting on a good horse.
She punished herself
Take care of him, loving him.
So, we understood correctly: the music of the introduction is a military march.
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Introduction to the first act.
The curtain rises.
Imperial Courtyard. Militris weaves lace, she is in a rich royal dress. Next to her is Babarikha and her sisters - the Weaver and the Cook.
Somewhere in the Tsar's chamber, the nannies are lulling little Tsarevich Gvidon to sleep. Behind the scenes, an affectionate, cozy lullaby sounds. Exactly the same were sung in Russian villages. And the words are kind, affectionate:
"Sleep, our prince, sleep,
Ugom take you.
Grow up by the day
Like a dough, by the hour.
"Bye-bye, die quickly."
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Lullaby (fragment).
Militrisa is sad: a messenger has long been sent to the tsar-priest with news of the birth of her son, but there is still no answer. The queen is anxious, her heart feels unkind.
The nannies fell silent, - apparently, the prince fell asleep. And buffoons ran into the royal court - to entertain, amuse the mother queen. Look, what a fun-loving dance party they brought. And just like the nurses' lullaby, it is very similar to a Russian folk song. Wonderfully understood and felt folk music, the master of Russian musical fairy tale Rimsky-Korsakov!
Buffoons are dancing, somersaulting. Naughty people! Even here, in the palace, they were not without mischief. The old grandfather dragged himself to look at the prince. Even under Tsar Peas, grandfather Saltanov, this grandfather came here to amuse the princes with fairy tales. So they, buffoons, did not spare the old man either, they started a game with him, they build mockery, they completely teased him. Babarikha and her sisters roll with laughter. Only Militris feels sorry for the old man.
And from the palace again comes the lullaby. Sleeping prince.
Here the lullaby was replaced by another song - “Ladushki”, familiar to all of us from childhood. The prince woke up - he plays with the nannies. Only played for a short time, tired. He took it and ran out into the yard. And seven nannies run after them, groaning, clapping their hands. It is truly said that "seven nannies have a child without an eye."
They finally caught the nimble prince, brought him to the queen. People do not stop looking at the little hero. Not by the day, by the hour is growing, smart, beautiful. King, what a joy.
The long-awaited messenger has arrived. He barely stands on his feet, weaves drunk, he doesn’t know what. Babarikha and her sisters exchange glances. Here it is! Their time has come.
Duma clerks in warehouses, stumbling over every word, begin to read the royal message. And the music seems to stumble along with them, some clumsy chords in the orchestra toss and turn heavily.
"The tsar orders his boyars,
Wasting no time,
And the queen and the offspring
Secretly thrown into the abyss of waters ... "
The people were alarmed, wept, lamented Milithris, the servants and boyars were confused:
"How did you read it? Is it not nonsense?
"We rubbed our eyes,"
The clerks are justified.
It was decided to wait for the king to confirm his order, but Babarikha attacked them:
“Riot, sedition brought! The royal word is the law!
And the damned witch insisted. They rolled a barrel. She pressed her son Milithris to her, crying, complaining about her unfortunate fate. And in the music one can hear lamentation, crying.
Milithris approached the shore, turned to the wave, asking the wave not to destroy her and the prince. Waves splashed, waiting for their prey - it is not clear whether they heard the request of Militrisa or not. True, the music is calm, kind, - perhaps the waves will take pity. The orchestra rumbles dully, the voice of Militrisa bursts into plaintive weeping, and Babarikha grumbles to himself:
“Wait, a compassionate wave will listen to you.”
People feel sorry for the young queen and prince, but nothing can be done:
“They put me in a barrel with my son,
Prayed, rolled
And they let me into Okiyan -
So ordered de Tsar Saltan ... "
splashed blue waves, swept the barrel; and she swam across the sea. Following her are the lamentations and weeping of the people and the giggling of the sisters. They achieved their goal, they killed the hated sister.
Under the measured splash of the waves, the curtain fell. Lights went on in the hall. The first act is over.
Action two
"Attention! - the fanfares tell us again. “The story continues.”
"The stars are shining in the blue sky,
In the blue sea the waves are whipping;
A cloud is moving across the sky
The barrel floats on the sea.
Like a bitter widow
Cries, the queen beats in her;
And the child grows there
Not in days, but in hours ... "
Again, as before the first picture, the music tells what happened between the first and second acts.
Waves ripple. Their musical theme is an undulating (up and down) movement that is constantly repeated in the basses (such a repetition is called “ostinato” in music). Against the background of a measured and as if muffled movement, sharp notes suddenly flash lightly. One... another... a third. High and slightly vibrating, they sound somehow transparent in a special way. It turns out that sounds can also “flicker” like stars.
Waves are splashing, roaring... new musical themes are woven one after another into their inexorable, measured movement. Here is a barrel awkwardly, heavily rolling from wave to wave. The rhythm of the theme slightly does not coincide with the smooth movement of the music of the waves - this creates a feeling of awkwardness.
Listen, another topic. Moaning, plaintive - this is Militrisa beating, crying, begging the waves for help.
The clarinet sounded. Listen carefully, friends. This is still a very small piece of the musical theme, but we can discern some new mood in it. The music is getting stronger and stronger. "Not by the day, but by the hour" Tsarevich Gvidon is growing.
The waves took pity on the queen and prince. Maybe the stars helped persuade them? They so wonderfully decorated the waves with their shimmering highlights. Who knows, maybe they felt sorry for the innocent mother and son? Anything can be, that's what a fairy tale is for.
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Introduction to the second act.
The curtain rises slowly.
Seashore on the deserted island of Buyan. There is only one oak tree on the hill. Militrisa and a handsome, stately young man are standing near a barrel with a broken bottom.
“Oh, how nice, we are free,
We have nothing more to cry…”
The high tenor sounds light and joyful. And we seem to have heard this music before. True, there she was a little different, like different words spoken by the same voice. Do you remember the clarinet singing it? Since we knew that there was no one in the barrel except for Militrisa and Gvidon, we, while still listening to the introduction, established that one of musical themes- Guidon's theme. And now we recognize familiar intonations.
The music helped us to recognize the hero without looking at the program or the clavier. This young man is Tsarevich Gvidon, who has already become quite an adult.
Mother and son are talking. The prince consoles the weeping Militris, and the music tells us all the time about the state of the mother and son. Militrisa's intonation is a singsong, sad complaint. Guidon's music is more resolute, more joyful. So he breaks the bough of an oak, pulls on a string from a lace and, with a reed instead of an arrow, goes off to look for some game for dinner.
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Milithris and Guidon (fragment 1).
“The swan is beating among the swells,
The kite rushes over her ... "
A swift passage, almost a whistle - Gvidon lowered the bowstring; the arrow rushed to the aid of the Swans. With a dull groan, ominous voices swept over the sea - these are evil spirits. The sorcerer kite dies. His vile retinue howls in impotent desperation. Dark tremolo in the bass...
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Milithris and Guidon (fragment 2).
And suddenly, softly, charmingly, the harp sang. Smooth, flowing arpeggios are accompanied by light chords - either the scream of a swan, or the speech is murmuring, affectionate. The voice of the violin shot up touchingly - and the Swan-bird appeared. It seems that it was gently and smoothly carried by the flowing waves of the harp arpeggio.
So we get acquainted with another heroine of the opera.
Now tell me, is it possible to imagine the Swan without music? How much poorer, drier her captivating image would be if the music left it.
The swan thanked her savior and, wishing the homeless a restful sleep, disappeared.
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. The Swan Princess (detail).
Sleep Guidon. Militris fell asleep in tears. Night has come. Quietly, secretly, music sounds, but very soon (after all, in fairy tales the night soon passes) it changes. The east is reddening, gradually brightening. And the music becomes brighter, more welcoming...
And suddenly we heard a muffled cry of a trumpet, then a bell ringing. Everything is louder, more solemn ... The first rays of the sun illuminate the wonderful city; grown up on the island in one short, fabulous night.
"... I see: my swan amuses me",
Awakened Guidon guesses.
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. End of act 2 (fragment 1).
The gate opens. Cannon shots rumble, bells rejoice. Residents of the Ledenets-city greet Gvidon and bring him a "prince's cap". Heralds are trumpeting, bells are ringing. Guidon and Milithris enter the city.
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. End of act 2 (fragment 2).
A curtain. Intermission.
Act Three
The waves are crashing again. Their even noise cuts through some kind of signal - it sounds like a farewell hello, gradually moving away. There is no epigraph in the clavier, and we do not know what is happening. But, obviously, we are again on Buyan Island, since we hear “sea” music.
The curtain rises.
Ah, that's it! Do you see a sailing ship in the distance? That's where the farewell signals come from. Here, at Gvidon's guest, there were just sailors. This is their ship sailing away. They are on their way to Tmutarakan, to the kingdom of Tsar Saltan.
Sad Guidon. He would like to see his father, but how to do it? Maybe Swan will help?
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. 3 action. Guidon (detail).
Gentle overflows of a harp are heard, the Swan appears.
“Hello, my beautiful prince!
Why are you as quiet as a rainy day?
Of course she would help her savior. And so Tsarevich Gvidon turns ...
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. 3 action. The Swan Princess (detail).
Familiar music, right? That's where, it turns out, this famous "Flight of the Bumblebee", which you, of course, have heard many times on the radio. Wonderfully interesting music! And on what kind of instruments it is not played! The flight of a bumblebee is loved by violinists, clarinetists, accordionists; it is played on the xylophone and even the harmonica. This music has now become an independent concert number. But only here, in the opera, you really understand all its expressiveness. It looks like a bumblebee is buzzing right in your ear. I even want to brush it off.
Guidon the bumblebee is buzzing, flying away after the ship.
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. 3 action. Flight of the Bumblebee.
The fanfares sound again, and the second scene of the third act begins.
Tsar Saltan meets shipbuilders in his Tmutarakan kingdom. Babarikha, Weaver and Cook are right there. They do not leave the king, look into his eyes, try to cheer him up. The king is sad, he misses his disappeared wife.
The ship sails. Shipmen go ashore. And here is the bumblebee. Listen, his music buzzed and died away. Hid.
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. 3 action. Meeting with guests.
The cook and the weaver seat the guests at the table. The sailors got drunk, ate and began to talk about their wanderings.
In the sea, the island was steep ... - one of them begins his story. The unhurried speech of the shipbuilder is accompanied by the splashing of waves, the measured, slow rumble of the orchestra. The shipbuilder tells about a wonderful city. The orchestra immediately responds to his story - a transparent and at the same time solemn melody, accompanied by trumpet signals. We've already heard it. This is the musical theme of the city of Lollipop. Saltan is surprised:
If only I'm alive
I'm going to marvel at the miracle.
But the villains do not sleep. They sense that the tsar must not be allowed to leave Tmutarakan.
Just think, a curiosity is a city on an island, - the Cook persuades the king. - There are real miracles in the world. - And the cook begins to tell:
Know that this is not a trifle:
Crystal house, squirrel in the house.
Again, familiar music, although we have not yet heard it in the opera. Russian song "In the garden, in the garden." Why is she here?
You, dove, wait,
Said the shipbuilder to her,
Talk about it ahead.
Over time, you will also find out why the composer used this music in the opera. Although, maybe some have already guessed?
The bumblebee theme swirls through the orchestra. “Ai!” the Cook screams. And the bumblebee had already caught a cold - he stung his aunt and was like that. Hid again.
The shipbuilder continues the story to the stung Cook about the miracle of the squirrel. It turns out that the squirrel lives in the same city. It cracks emerald nuts with golden cores and sings songs.
Now let's remember Pushkin's fairy tale. What song does the squirrel sing "honestly in front of all the people"? There are no words “In the garden, in the garden” in the opera text, but we were reminded of them by the music, which, of course, everyone knows.
Saltan marvels even more:
I will visit a wonderful island,
I'll stay at Guidon's.
This time the Weaver intervenes:
What's so amazing about that, right?
Squirrel gnaws stones ...
Interestingly, the melody of her phrase is the same song “In the garden, in the garden”, only slightly changed, as if the Weaver is mocking her sister’s story, mimicking her. Envy, as always. She, they say, the Weaver, can tell about such a miracle that no one has seen:
The sea rages violently
And on the shore from the waves of the sea
Knights will come out in droves!
The heavy tread of the knights-heroes and the sound of the "turbulent" sea are heard in the music.
This sister is also interrupted by the Shipman. And the bumblebee buzzes again. The second aunt got it. It's good that in the eyebrow, not in the eye.
For the third time, the amazed Saltan gasps. It turns out that shipbuilders also saw such a miracle on the island.
The cunning, clever Babarikha guesses that all this is “Swans stuff”.
That's just Gvidon! What kind of Guidon is this?
Well, the king was already quite ready to go to visit unknown owner miracle city. You need to dissuade him as soon as possible:
"The king will go to roam the world,
Babarikha dismisses contemptuously. -
There is absolutely nothing to do at home."
But persuasion only angers the king.
"I'm going tomorrow!"
He screams.
That's bad! And Babarikha decides to tell about a miracle known only to her. Babarikha's rough voice becomes insinuating, almost melodious:
There is a princess beyond the sea,
That you can't take your eyes off...
The theme of the beautiful princess blossoms in the orchestra. Freely, widely, the music flows like a wonderful Russian song.
Bumblebee, of course, is right there again. The orchestra took off. The commotion, the screams, everyone is trying to catch the bumblebee. But try and say it! King in anger
All bumblebees from now on
Do not let into the royal court!
So Babarikha did not finish telling about the beautiful princess.
Act four and last
It can be seen that for the last time we hear the fanfares and the splashing of the waves off the coast of Buyan Island. Silent night music. The pensive Gvidon wanders along the shore. The orchestra reveals to us his thoughts - we hear a small piece of the theme of the princess. That's what Guidon dreams about. And his voice is so dreamy, and the melody is beautiful, poetic. Still not seeing the princess, Gvidon fell in love with her.
Swan, Swan! Can't wait!
Well, of course, how difficult it is, so now to the Swans - help!
Listen, enjoy for the last time the music of the Swans, while she is talking with Guidon. We won't hear from her again. And not only because the opera is coming to an end...
Guidon tells Swans about the princess. And how did he know everything? Babarikha, after all, didn’t finish it ... Well, that’s what a fairy tale is for. Maybe the rest he came up with while dreaming. The theme of the princess passes through the melody.
But what is it, do you hear? Guidon persuades, begs Lebed, even began to get angry, but she seemed not to listen to him. Their voices now sound together. Only Gvidon's intonations are angry, and Lebed...
What happened to the Swan? Completely different music. Human-warm, feminine notes are heard in her melody. As if for the first time she saw Gvidon - not a boy in front of her, not like a child, the heart of her savior beats. Miracle toys stopped amusing him ... And the Swan says to him:
Yes! there is such a girl.
But the wife is not a mitten:
You can't shake off a white pen
Yes, you can’t shut your belt.
Enough, but is it the Swan? Previously, Gvidon's every desire was immediately, jokingly, fulfilled, but here he advises not to rush, to think. Isn't he willing or able to help? Let at least then show the way to the princess.
I am ready with a passionate soul
For the beautiful princess
And walk away from here,
At least for distant lands.
And the familiar melody of the Swans has completely changed; we hardly distinguish the former intonations in it.
No, why look far...
...After all, this princess is me!
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. 3 action. Guidon, the Swan Princess.
Complete darkness, the music is stormy, impetuous ... and immediately bright, dazzling light. Before Gvidon and before us stands the princess: the moon is under her scythe, and her face is so beautiful that not only the light of the star burning in her forehead fades before such beauty, but even the light of the sun is unable to argue with her. Music sounds joyful and happy. The voices of Gvidon and Lebed merge in a broad Russian song.
Swan fulfilled Guidon's last wish, and by this she saved herself from evil spells. They can’t talk enough, lovers can’t stop admiring each other.
And in the city of Ledenets they are surprised.
That the red sun has risen so early today ...
Queen Militris woke up and goes with her hay girls to the sea to wash. Gvidon saw Militrisa, took his betrothed by the hand, and led her to ask for a blessing from her mother.
Thus began this last day in our fairy tale. As you can see, it began in a fabulous way: even the morning came earlier than usual.
The curtain came down. Is it the end? No, the end is still far away. And not for the last time, it turns out, fanfare sounded.
Let's open the clavier. Look, the last picture has both an epigraph and an orchestral introduction! The epigraph this time is not exactly according to Pushkin.
However, almost exactly, only three stories are combined into one. Three stories about three miracles.
You probably already guessed that in the introduction to the picture we will hear the music of all three miracles, also combined into one musical story. This is the largest orchestral introduction in the opera. Huge colorful painting. All three miracles appear before us in full splendor. The orchestra draws in detail each of the wonders. Familiar musical themes-images sound full-blooded and juicy here.
The last picture of the last action
The Tmutarakan king insisted on his own. Gvidon, standing on the tower of the candy kremlin, saw his father's fleet through a telescope. Below, in the crowd of courtiers, Milithris is worried. waited have a bright day mother and son. Now you need to quickly run to dress up, prepare a meeting for Saltan. Bells ring, trumpets sound, troops line up. Cannon shots rumble, and the fleet comes ashore.
Wow! How many familiar people did Saltan bring with him! Here is the Cook with the Weaver, and Babarikha the Witch with them. And the messenger got along, and even the old grandfather. Skomorokhov and those were taken away by Saltan: what if the prince does not have enough of his own?
Guidon is cunning. He himself went out to meet him, and left his mother in the upper room. Saltan has never seen him, but he will immediately recognize his wife. And the questions that he asks his father are also not simple, but with a trick, as if Gvidon does not know anything:
Are you widowed or married
How many children did you raise?
There is someone to take power,
Support father's glory?
Saltan does not feel a dirty trick. He told Guidon everything. How he loved his wife, how she promised to bear him a son, and how later, when he returned, he did not find a young wife. Tsar Saltan got excited. He irritated his soul so much that he wept bitterly on Gvidon's chest.
Well, what are you laughing at, friends? The man is crying, are you laughing? However, what can you do, the music is too funny. Prince Gvidon consoles the weeping Saltan, and Babarikh with the Cook and the Weaver pull up:
What's wrong with you, and shame and disgrace!
Saltan wiped his tears and wished to see three miracles.
The trumpeters are trumpeting, and Belka appears in front of the delighted, astonished Saltan...
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Interlude. Squirrel.
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Interlude. Bogatyrs.
Bogatyrs…
I didn’t have time to admire them, and then - a new miracle: such a beauty comes out of the tower that the king, and behind him and the whole people, closed their eyes with their hands, as if from the sun ...
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Interlude. Princess Swan.
But miracles are not enough for Saltan. Since the beautiful princess has magic power let him perform the last miracle. Let him revive Queen Milithris.
Look at the tower, Tsar Saltan!
The swan points to the porch of the tower, and there is the living Militris. Babarikha, picking up the hem, flees from sin; she will not disappear anywhere, and the Cook and the Weaver have nowhere to go. So they floundered at the king's feet: forgive me, father-king.
Without your cunning trick
Our fairy tale would not be,
The Swan Princess tells them.
They forgave the Cook and the Weaver and sat down to feast, as is always done in fairy tales. They brought a glass to the Old Grandfather, and he drank the glass and said a saying:
Here I come back home
We boast of:
I was at the feast
I drank honey-beer.
The honey was nice
Only does not go into the mouth
Everything is flowing.
And the people sang a saying in unison:
Hearing: Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Final, chorus.
Tired, friends? How much we listened today, how much we talked. But far from everything I told you about the opera. Apparently, we still have to visit the opera house.
Text by Galina Levasheva
Presentation
Included:
1. Presentation, ppsx;
2. Sounds of music:
Rimsky-Korsakov. The Tale of Tsar Saltan:
Prologue (fragments), mp3;
Introduction to act 1, mp3;
Lullaby, mp3;
Introduction to act 2, mp3;
Militrisa and Gvidon (fragments), mp3;
The Swan Princess (fragment), mp3;
Ending 2 acts (fragments), mp3;
3 action:
Guidon (fragment), mp3;
Princess Swan (fragment), mp3;
Flight of the Bumblebee, mp3;
Meeting guests (fragment), mp3;
Gvidon. Princess Swan, mp3;
Interlude:
Belka, mp3;
Heroes, mp3;
Princess Swan, mp3;
Finale, chorus, mp3;
3. Accompanying article, docx.
The work used reproductions of paintings by Palekh.
Three sisters are spinning in the village room on a winter evening. The older sisters completely drove the younger one, Militris: bring water, and heat the oven, and milk the cow. You yourself know they boast of their beauty and dignity. “If I were a queen,” the eldest dreamed, “then I myself would prepare a feast for the whole world.” The middle sister echoes her: if she were a queen, she would weave canvases for the whole world. The younger one says that she is not a craftswoman either to bake or to weave; she would "give birth to a hero for the father of the king." She just said - Tsar Saltan enters the room and tells her to immediately get ready to go to the palace. To be her queen, and the sisters will be: one - a cook, and the other - a weaver. Envy comes from older sisters; they incite the matchmaker Baba Babarikha to bring misfortune to Militrissa.
Act one
In the royal palace in Tmutarakan, Queen Militris is waiting for the return of Saltan from the war. For a long time she sent a messenger to her husband with joyful news about the birth of Tsarevich Gvidon, but there is still no and no answer from Saltan. The queen does not know that the evil sisters with Babarikha changed her letter and sent a message with a messenger that "the queen gave birth in the night not to a son, not to a daughter, not a mouse, not a frog, but an unknown little animal." The long-awaited messenger from Saltan arrives and brings a decree in which the king orders "both the queen and the offspring in a barrel to be thrown into the abyss of waters." With tears and lamentations, the people carry out the royal will.
Action two
For a long time the barrel floats on the blue sea. Not by the day, but by the hour, Tsarevich Gvidon is growing in it. But now the waves are throwing a barrel onto the deserted coast of Buyana Island. Alone on the island, Queen Militrisa and the young prince Gvidon. Suddenly the prince sees: high in the sky, a white Swan is trying to escape from the claws of a kite. Guidon shoots and kills the evil kite. The swan promises the prince to repay his salvation with kindness. Evening descends. Mother and son fall asleep, and when they wake up, they do not believe their eyes: the wonderful city of Ledenets sparkles with domes in the sun. From its gates, to the sound of bells, people are pouring down and asking Gvidon to become their prince.
Act Three
Picture one. Gvidon lives well in the city of Ledenets. But at the sight of the ships that are sailing on the sea to Tmutarakan, an evil longing wears away his heart. Gvidon would like to visit his homeland, to see his father. He comes for advice to the Swan-bird. Swan tells Gvidon to plunge into the sea three times - and the prince turns into a bumblebee.
Picture two. In the royal chambers, Saltan affectionately treats shipbuilders. They tell the king about the wondrous city of Ledenets, ruled by Prince Gvidon, about miracles: about a magical squirrel that gnaws golden nuts and sings songs, about thirty-three heroes emerging from the waves of the sea. Saltan was about to go to visit Gvidon, but the evil sisters Militrisa and Babarikha do not let him in, they try to distract him with a story about a miracle that does not even exist in the city of Ledenets: about the princess, who with her beauty "darks the light of God during the day, illuminates the earth at night." The bumblebee stings the evil aunts and Babarikha painfully and flies away.
act four
Picture one. The prince cannot forget the story of the unknown beautiful princess. He calls the Swan-bird and asks to tell him how to find the princess. He is ready "to go on foot from here to distant lands." "No, why look far? .. That princess is me!" - Swan answers and turns into a beautiful princess. Militris descends to the sea. She joyfully blesses Guidon and the Swan Princess.
Picture two. Tsar Saltan comes to the island. The king wonders for a long time at the three miracles of the city of Candy. But the most wonderful miracle is that his beloved wife and son are alive and unharmed. To celebrate, Saltan forgives even the villainous sisters. The feast begins for the whole world.
Show summary
Most famous operas peace. original name, author and short description.
The Tale of Tsar Saltan, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov
Opera in four acts with a prologue; libretto by V. I. Belsky based on the tale of the same name by A. S. Pushkin.
First production: Moscow, 1900.
Characters:
Tsar Saltan (bass), younger sister (Tsaritsa Militris) (soprano), middle sister (Weaver) (mezzo-soprano), older sister (Cook) (soprano), Baba Babarikha (mezzo-soprano), Tsarevich Gvidon (tenor) , Princess Swan (at the beginning of the Swan-bird) (soprano), old grandfather (tenor), messenger (baritone), buffoon (bass), first sailor (tenor), second sailor (baritone), third sailor (bass). Voices of sorcerers and spirits, boyars, boyars, courtiers, nannies, clerks, guards, troops, shipbuilders, astrologers, runners, singers, servants and servants, dancers and dancers, people, thirty-three sea knights with uncle Chernomor, squirrel, bumblebee.
The action takes place partly in the city of Tmutarakan, partly on the island of Buyan.
Prologue.
Winter evening. Village light. Three sisters are spinning. The elder and middle sisters are not too zealous, encouraged by Baba Babarikha: “Do not strand through force, because there are many days ahead.” However, the younger sister - Militrice - is not allowed to sit idly by. The older sisters boast to each other about their stature and beauty and dream about what each of them would do if she suddenly became a queen.
At the door of the room, the tsar stopped, passing by with a retinue of boyars. He listens to the conversation of the sisters. The elder one promises to make a feast for the whole world, the Middle one promises to weave cloths, Militrisa promises to give birth to a hero for the father-king. The king enters the room. The stunned sisters and Babarikha fall to their knees. The king tells everyone to follow him to the palace in order to become: Militrisa - the queen, and her sisters - the Cook and the Weaver.
The sisters are annoyed and ask Babarikha to help them take revenge on Militris. Babarikha proposes a plan: when the tsar leaves for war, and the tsarina gives birth to a son, they will send the tsar a letter instead of good news: “The tsarina gave birth in the night to either a son or a daughter. Not a mouse, not a frog, but an unknown little animal. The sisters approve the plan and celebrate victory in advance.
Action one.
The royal court in Tmutarakan. Militris is sad. Near her are Babarikha and Skomorokh, servants, and guards at the gate. The Cook enters with a tray of food. Old grandfather appears and asks to let him go to the prince, he wants to amuse the child with fairy tales. The Weaver comes to show off the intricate carpet she has woven. The king woke up. The nannies sing to him a cheerful children's song "Ladushki". The royal court is filled with people. Everyone admires the prince, the choir performs toasts in honor of him and the queen.
Pushing the crowd aside, a drunken messenger tumbles in with a letter from the tsar. He complains to the queen about how badly he was received by Tsar Saltan, and talks about the "hospitable grandmother" who fed him his fill and made him drunk. The clerks read the royal letter: "The tsar orders his boyars, without wasting time, to throw both the queen and the offspring in a barrel into the abyss of waters." Everyone is confused. Militris is in despair. The sisters and Babarikha rejoice angrily. Tsarevich Gvidon is brought in. The queen embraces him sad song pouring out your grief.
They roll out a huge barrel. To the weeping and lamentations of the people, the queen and her son are walled up in a barrel and escorted to the shore. The crying of the crowd merges with the noise of the oncoming waves.
Action two.
The coast of Buyana island. The orchestra paints a majestic picture of the water element. On the crest of the wave, a barrel appears and then disappears. Gradually, the sea calms down, throws the barrel ashore, and Militrisa and the matured prince come out of it. They rejoice at the salvation, but the queen is concerned: after all, "the island is empty and wild." Gvidon reassures his mother and gets down to business - he makes a bow and arrow. Suddenly there is a noise of struggle and a groan: it is on the sea "a swan beats among the swells, a kite rushes over it." Guidon takes aim and fires an arrow from his bow.
It got dark. The astonished queen and prince see a swan-bird emerging from the sea. With gratitude, she turns to her savior Gvidon, promises to “repay him with kindness” and reveals her secret: “You didn’t save the swan, you left the girl alive. You didn't kill a kite, you shot a sorcerer." The swan-bird advises not to grieve, but to go to bed. Militrisa and Gvidon decide to follow the advice. Mother sings to her son lullaby. Both fall asleep.
Dawn is coming. From the morning fog, the fabulous city of Ledenets looms. The queen and prince wake up, admire the vision, and Gvidon guesses: “I see - my Swan amuses me!”. A jubilant people comes out of the gates of the city, thanks Gvidon for getting rid of the evil sorcerer and asks to reign in glorious city Lollipop.
Action three. Picture one.
The coast of Buyana island. A ship is visible in the distance, carrying guest shipbuilders to Tmutarakan. Guidon looks after them longingly. He complains to the Swan-bird that he is bored with all the wonders of the island, but he wants to see his father, so much so that he himself remains invisible. The swan-bird agrees to fulfill his request and tells the prince to plunge into the sea three times in order to turn into a bumblebee.
Picture two.
The royal court in Tmutarakan. Tsar Saltan sits on the throne, he is sad. Near him is the Cook, the Weaver, the Babarikha. A ship comes to shore. Trade guests are invited to the king, seated at a table laden with dishes, treated. In gratitude for the treat, the guests begin stories about the miracles they saw in the world: the transformation of a deserted island into the beautiful city of Ledenets, in which live a squirrel that can gnaw golden nuts and sing songs, and thirty-three heroes.
The cook and the weaver try to divert the king's attention with other stories, and the bumblebee is angry with them for this and stings each on the eyebrow. Tsar Saltan has a growing desire to visit the wonderful island. Then Babarikha starts a story about the most amazing of miracles: about the beautiful princess, who, with her beauty, “overshadows the light of God during the day, illuminates the earth at night.” Here the Bumblebee stings Babarikha in the very eye. She's screaming. A general commotion begins, the Bumblebee is caught, but he flies away safely.
Action four. Picture one.
The coast of Buyana island. Evening. Gvidon dreams of a beautiful princess. He calls the Swan-bird, confesses his love for the princess and asks her to find her. The swan does not immediately fulfill his request: she doubts his feelings. But Gvidon insists, he is ready to follow his beloved "even far away." And finally the Swan says: “Why so far? Know that your fate is close, because this princess is me. In the thickened darkness, the Swan Princess appears in the dazzling brilliance of her beauty.
Morning comes. The song is coming. This is Queen Milithris going to the sea, accompanied by servants. Gvidon and the Princess ask her to give her consent to the marriage. Militris blesses the children.
Picture two.
The orchestral introduction tells about the city of Ledenets and its wonders: a squirrel, heroes, the Swan Princess. On the island of Buyan, they are waiting for the arrival of Saltan. A bell rings. The ship comes to the pier. The retinue of the king comes ashore, followed by Saltan, accompanied by the Cook, the Weaver, and Babarikha. Guidon greets the noble guest, seats him on the throne next to him and offers to admire the miracles. At the sign of the prince, heralds trumpet, announcing the appearance of a crystal house with a wonderful squirrel, and then - the knights with uncle Chernomor, and, finally, the Swan Princess comes out of the tower.
Everyone is delighted and covers their eyes with their hands, blinded by her beauty. Saltan is excited. He asks the Swan sorceress to show him Queen Militris. "Look at the tower!" Swan answers. The queen appears on the porch. The duet of Saltan and Militris is joyful and excited. The king asks about his son. Guidon comes forward: "It's me!" The cook and the weaver fall at the feet of Tsar Saltan, begging for forgiveness. Babarikha runs away in fear. But in joy, the king forgives everyone.
The origins of the concept of the opera based on Pushkin's "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" (1831) not exactly established. There is reason to believe that this idea was given to Rimsky-Korsakov by V. V. Stasov. The development of the script began in the winter of 1898-1899. It was supposed to finish the opera by the centenary of Pushkin's birth (in 1899). In the spring of 1899, the composer began composing music. By autumn, the opera was written, and in January of the following year, work on the score was completed. The premiere of "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" took place on October 21 (November 2), 1900, on the stage of the Moscow private opera - the Solodovnikov Theater Association. "Saltan" refers to the composer's favorite fairy tale genre, but among similar works it occupies a landmark position. Behind the external unpretentiousness of the plot lies a significant meaning.
Solar, full lung humor, this opera recreates the charming features of Pushkin's cheerful fairy tale. However, in the conditions of Russian reality late XIX century, a new shade was introduced into the Tale of Tsar Saltan. The soft humor that colors this work acquires in the depiction of the stupid, unlucky tsar and his court environment the character of undisguised irony, which anticipates the sharply satirical orientation of Rimsky-Korsakov's subsequent fairy-tale operas Kashchei the Immortal and The Golden Cockerel.
"The Tale of Tsar Saltan" is one of the most solar products opera literature. Her music, illuminated by cloudless joy and mild humor, flows easily and naturally. It recreates the naive simplicity and freshness folk art. The music is full of melodic turns and intricate rhythms. folk songs and dance. A significant role in the opera is played by symphonic episodes in which the principles of programming are consistently applied. These episodes are organically included in stage action, complement it.
A celebratory fanfare cry is repeated throughout the opera; it appears at the beginning of each picture as a call: “Listen! Look! The show starts!" He also opens the introduction of the opera, which takes the place of the overture. The song of the older and middle sisters, sustained in folk spirit. In the ensuing conversation, Babarikha's grouchy remarks and the sisters' fractional patter are answered by the broad lyrical melody of Militrisa. A rudely pompous march and resolute vocal phrases outline the image of a wayward king.
The first act is preceded by a marching orchestral introduction, which is preceded by an epigraph from Pushkin's fairy tale:
At that time there was a war.
Tsar Saltan, saying goodbye to his wife,
Sitting on a good horse,
She punished herself
Save it, love it.
The action begins with a calm lullaby based on an authentic folk melody; throughout the act, it is repeated several times, conveying the leisurely measured course of life. The humor of folk jokes is imbued with a playful dialogue between Skomorokh and Old Grandfather. The appearance of the prince is accompanied by the melody of the children's folk song "Ladushki". The first half of the act ends with a welcoming chorus of the people. Its second half is a free alternation of solo and choral episodes, among which Militrisa's plaintive arioso "The girls are seated" stands out. The act ends with a mournful lament from the choir.
The orchestral introduction to the second act, which depicts a picture of the sea, conveys the content of the poetic epigraph prefaced to it:
The stars are shining in the blue sky
In the blue sea the waves are whipping;
A cloud is moving across the sky
The barrel floats on the sea.
Like a bitter widow
Cries, the queen beats in her;
And a child grows there
Not by days, but by hours.
In the scene that opens the second act, the mournful lamentations of Milithris are set off by the lively remarks of the prince. Arioso Swans "You, prince, my savior" combines a lyrically charming song melody with flexible, moving melodic turns. The second half of the act is a developed scene, full of joyful excitement.
A short orchestral introduction to the third act depicts seascape. In the center of the first picture is the duet of Guidon and Swans, ending with the symphonic episode "Flight of the Bumblebee".
In the second picture there is a lot of movement, ensemble episodes, the music is permeated with lively ditty melodies and rhythms. The final scene of the turmoil, where the warlike melody of Saltan's march appears at the words "All bumblebees from now on do not let into the royal court," is marked by genuine comedy.
The central episode of the first picture of the fourth act is a duet; the excited, passionate speeches of Gvidon are answered by the calm, affectionate phrases of the Swans. The scene of the transfiguration is accompanied by a short orchestral intermezzo, in which the melody of the Swan Princess sounds jubilantly solemnly, close to the tune of the folk song “I was at a feast”. The same melody underlies the enthusiastic love duet of Gvidon and Swans.
The last scene of the opera is preceded by a large symphonic introduction "Three Miracles", the content of which is revealed in a poetic epigraph (according to Pushkin):
An island in the sea lies
The city stands on the island
With golden-domed churches,
With towers and gardens.
Life in the city is not bad.
Here are the three miracles:
There is a squirrel there, that at all
Golden gnaws on a nut,
Emerald takes out
And collects the shell
Heaps equal puts
And sings with a whistle
With honesty in front of all the people -
"In the garden, in the garden."
And the second wonder in the city:
The sea rages violently
Boil, raise a howl,
Will rush to the empty shore,
Will spill in a noisy run,
And stay on the beach
In scales, like the heat of grief,
Thirty-three heroes.
Third: there is a princess there,
What you can't take your eyes off:
In the daytime, the light of God eclipses,
Illuminates the earth at night;
The moon shines under the scythe,
And in the forehead a star burns.
I was there; honey, drinking beer -
And his mustache just wet.
In the symphonic introduction, the bell theme of the city of Ledenets, the elegantly orchestrated melody of the folk song “In the garden, in the garden”, a courageous march characterizing the sea knights, and the charming tunes of the princess Swan replace each other, separated by festive fanfares; they all intertwine into an enchantingly sparkling sound pattern. The music of the introduction is filled with energy, light and unbridled jubilation, which dominate the last scene of the opera. A joyful welcome chorus kicks into action. pass again musical characteristics wonders of the city of Candy, this time with the participation of the choir and soloists. The love duet of Militrisa and Saltan conveys a feeling of completeness of happiness. The choral conclusion of the picture is permeated with fervent ditty rhythms, lively choruses; on top of the rush at the choir and all actors the melody of a fanfare cry resounds jubilantly.
IN opera Rimsky-Korsakov in recent years, two lines are clearly traced. One, begun by The Snow Maiden, is presented by a number of fantastic operas; these are "The Tale of Tsar Saltan", "Kashchei the Immortal" and "The Golden Cockerel". The second is formed by lyrical-psychological dramas coming from The Tsar's Bride, Servilia and Pan Voyevoda. "The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh" occupies a special position. If we consider the operas in chronological order, a motley string is formed.
Written after "The Tsar's Bride" "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" is a light and bright score that demonstrates the virtuosity of instrumental writing. The libretto based on Pushkin's fairy tale was written by Belsky, who after Sadko became the composer's constant literary assistant. The development of the plot in the opera corresponds to a fairy tale familiar to everyone from childhood.
The libretto has only the most minor changes compared to Pushkin's text: the queen is given the name Militris, the kingdom of Saltan is called Tmutarakan, the wonderful city on the island of Buyan is Ledenets; Old grandfather and Skomorokh are introduced into the number of characters.
The plot in the opera unfolds over the course of the introduction and four acts (six scenes).
In the introduction (the chamber of the three sisters), the king takes Militris as his wife; the first action takes place in the royal court in Tmutarakan, where a messenger arrives with a false sentence of Saltan, which is committed against the queen and prince; the second act and the first picture of the third - on the island of Buyan, from where Gvidon, turned into a bumblebee by the Swan, flies to visit his father - Saltan; the second picture of the third act in the Tmutarakan kingdom, where Saltan, unaware of the presence of his son, learns from the shipbuilders about miracles on Buyan Island; both pictures of the fourth act are in Guidon's principality: there the Swan Princess endows the young prince with magical gifts and a happy denouement occurs.
The opera begins with inviting fanfare, as if inviting to watch the performance; they are repeated before each picture. This emphasizes the "non-realism" of everything that happens on the stage. "The reception is peculiar and suitable for a fairy tale" - according to Rimsky-Korsakov. In addition, the deliberate musical repetition echoes the textual returns of Pushkin's fairy tale: "The wind is walking on the sea and the boat is urging", "The wind is making a merry noise, the ship is running merrily" and others. The naive artless songs introduced by the composer into the opera also set off the “toylike” nature of the plot: the touching lullaby of the nannies rocking little Gvidon to sleep, and “Ladushki” in the first act; the playful “In the garden, in the garden”, which accompanies the appearance of the squirrel, is in the last picture.
Finally, the symphonic interlude "Three Miracles" is a whole small overture inside the opera, telling about all the events last picture. Following the inviting fanfare, the joyfully sonorous and intricate theme of the city of Lollipop sounds, in which three miracles happen: first, the piccolo flute “whistles” the melody of a squirrel (“Whether in the garden, in the garden”). She is “pushed aside” by fanfare, inviting to admire the next miracle: against the background of a formidable, at first distant, then ever-increasing roar of an invariably repeating bass motive, the ponderous loud theme of the procession of thirty-three heroes arises; as if moving away, she subsides, and the fanfares herald the appearance of the Swans. The melody with whimsical breaks, capricious ups and downs gradually “warms up” and pours out into a wide cantilena, drawing magical transformation V beautiful Princess. Pictures of living, changeable nature, so dearly loved by the composer, are richly represented in the opera score. This is the light music of the splashing sea (introduction to both scenes of the third act), the picturesque sound painting of dawn with the gradually emerging outlines of the fabulous Candy (second act), the poetic sketch of the night landscape, which opens the first scene of the fourth act. The opera contains many pages of sound-visual music, among which the Flight of the Bumblebee stands out, a brilliant scherzo of the perpetuum mobile type, naturally woven into the course of dramatic action.
Most of the characters in the opera are presented in a humorous way: Saltan with his toy belligerence and clumsy grief for his wife, who was killed by him, the ingenuous Gvidon with deliberate primitive expressions, the Militrisa sisters with Babarikha, plotting intrigues to the queen, the mild-mannered Old Grandfather. Against this background, the lyricism of Milithris and especially deep poetry stand out. central image opera - The Swan Princess. Its two sides - fantastic and real - are embodied in contrasting types of melody: the first is based on motifs, mainly of an instrumental nature, the second - on folk song intonations. The Swan Princess continues the string of charmingly feminine magical images beloved by the composer.
When the premiere of The Tale of Tsar Saltan was being prepared again at the Private Opera with the participation of Zabela (The Swan Princess) and Sekar-Rozhansky (Prince Gvidon), Rimsky-Korsakov was already thinking about the next opera, the composition of which he devoted the summer of 1901 to. The composer wrote The Tale of Tsar Saltan with enthusiasm, but at the same time realizing that in this opera he “never rose to the height of the last picture of The Tsar’s Bride”, which, along with The Snow Maiden, he attributed to his best compositions. Therefore, the search for a new plot was directed away from the fairy-tale theme.
100 years of "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov
On November 3 (October 21), 1900, the premiere of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Tale of Tsar Saltan took place in Moscow at the Association of Russian Private Opera.
It was a difficult period in the mammoth enterprise. Although Savva Ivanovich was already acquitted by the court ( we are talking about the scandalous “Mamontov Case”, in which the highest financial circles headed by S. Yu. Witte were involved, and where the philanthropist-entrepreneur became a victim of financial and political intrigues) and was released in July, there was not a trace left of the former power. Thanks to the efforts of a number of enthusiastic artists who donated their modest savings to the theatre's box office, Mamontov's opera was transformed into a Partnership. The situation was extremely difficult. At the beginning of 1899, F. Chaliapin, director P. Melnikov, K. Korovin (who later, during the prosecution of Mamontov, generally did not behave very correctly towards him, destroyed all correspondence) went to the imperial stage. Many friends turned away from Savva Ivanovich.
But there were also acquisitions. Relations with M. Vrubel became closer and friendlier. The quarrel connected with the participation in the "Snegurochka" of his wife N. Zabela has sunk into the past (Mamontov did not want to give preference to her alone, he "moved" other singers as well). It was Vrubel who became the artist of all the productions of 1900 - early 1901 (Asya by Ippolitov-Ivanov, Tchaikovsky's The Enchantress, Cui's William Ratcliff, Wagner's Tannhäuser). However, a mental illness soon interrupted this fruitful cooperation. But the artist, still full of energy, devotes all his talent to the scenery for "Saltan", which aroused the delight of his contemporaries (especially everyone was shocked by the scene of the appearance of the dazzlingly bright city of Ledenets from the sea waves).
Nadezhda Zabela recalled this period as the happiest in her life, and her "Swan Princess" (following the artist's painting of the same name) became one of the symbols of that era. Even now, for many of us, this image from childhood is one of the most vivid artistic impressions.
The main roles were involved (except for Zabela) famous singers A. Sekar-Rozhansky, E. Tsvetkova and others. Director M. Lentovsky created a bright fairy world folk fair action. The composer actively participated in the production process. For example, at his insistence, the bumblebee and the squirrel were portrayed by children (and not mechanical dolls, as the director assumed). Special mention should be made of the musical merits of the production, where essential role along with the author, conductor M. Ippolitov-Ivanov played, who managed to reveal the wonderful pictorial finds and poetic charm of orchestral episodes of Rimsky-Korsakov's music (introduction to the 2nd act "Stars Shine in the Blue Sea", symphonic picture "Three Miracles", "Flight of the Bumblebee" and etc.). The composer himself was very pleased with the work of the theater (which, despite his strictness and exactingness, known to all, can be regarded as a significant achievement of the Partnership).
The Tale of Tsar Saltan is the last of Rimsky-Korsakov's relatively "serene" fairy tale operas. Other times came, and subsequent works of this genre (which accompanied the composer throughout his creative life) were already more satirical than folk-fiction ("Kashchei the Immortal", "The Golden Cockerel").
Let us briefly trace the staging fate of the work. In 1902, the opera was staged at the St. Petersburg Conservatory (entreprise U. Guidi, conductor V. Zeleny), in 1906 Opera House Zimina (conductor Ippolitov-Ivanov). It was only in 1913 that the work "reached" the imperial theaters and was performed in Moscow (the Bolshoi Theatre, conductor E. Cooper, the part of Saltan was sung by G. Pirogov, the Swan Princess by E. Stepanova). In 1915, the opera was staged at the Mariinsky Theater (conductor A. Coates, the role of Gvidon was performed by the outstanding tenor I. Ershov). In Soviet times, the opera was also repeatedly staged in Leningrad (1937), Riga (1947), Moscow (1959), Kuibyshev (1959), Frunze (1964) and other cities of the Soviet Union.
Among the latest productions was the premiere in 1997 at the Moscow Musical Theater named after K. S. Stanislavsky and V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko (directed by A. Titel, who had previously staged this opera in Sverdlovsk).
Opera was often addressed and foreign theaters. Among the productions were performances in Barcelona (1924), Brussels (1926), Buenos Aires (1927), Aachen (1928), Milan (1929), Sofia (1933). Of particular note is the production of 1929 in Paris (The Theater of the Champs Elysees), carried out by the Russian private opera in Paris". This entreprise was organized by the outstanding singer M. Kuznetsova (together with the famous entrepreneur A. Tsereteli, in whose private troupe her opera debut as Margarita in Faust took place in 1904) with the money of her then husband A. Massenet, nephew outstanding composer. The premiere was performed by conductor E. Cooper and director N. Evreinov (later he turned to this opera again in 1935 in Prague). In the same year, the performance (together with other productions, among which were Prince Igor, Sadko, The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia, The Snow Maiden) was shown with great success on tour in Madrid, Barcelona, Munich , Milan, cities South America. IN post-war years the opera was staged in Cologne, Dresden and other European cities. In 1988 it was staged at Milan's La Scala, in the mid-1990s at the Comische Opera in Berlin (directed by G. Kupfer), where it is still part of the theater's repertoire to this day.
