The Story and Music of Act
1, Scene 2
A ROOM IN THIE KABANOVS HOUSE
The long scene in which Kátja pours out her
heart, and reveals her innermost soul to her
friend, is one of the most musically inspired
ever written by Janáček. Its originality is
astounding, for every bar, every note, every
turn of phrase of the voice parts is stamped
with the composer's own individuality.
Sheer musical invention, the sensitive, truthful
portrayal of every shade of passion, of desire,
of fancy, of religious ecstasy in this remarkable
young woman is musically dramatized with overpowering
conviction and understanding: every shade
of thought and of mood, every action is accompanied
by an inspired musical counterpart.
The scene opens with delightful bird music,
No. 133
No 133
over a shivering E tremolo for no fewer than
fifty-four bars: a few outbursts hint at matters
of deeper import.
Kátja has been sewing and is chatting with
Varvara who, as we know from the end of the
first scene, is devoted to her.
"Do you know what came into my head just
now?" Kátja says to her. "Why can't
people fly, the way birds do? - just spread
out their wings and take to the air."
Putting her sewing aside, Kátja takes a few
leaping steps, then sighs: at one time she
was gay and lively but now, in this house,
she is depressed and sad. (A sustained G flat
major triad with a slower two-note drooping
figure on oboe and the fluttering No. 133
with its "wings clipped".)
Varvara nods in sympathy. (Kátja's story begins
[6] with a change of mood to slower, sustained
bass chords in contrast to the substantially
treble sounds of the bird music.) At home
she was like an uncaged bird. In the summer
she would rise early and bathe in the spring,
then sprinkle all the flowers with water (delicious,
fresh, spring-like motifs radiate through
the orchestra). She loved going to church
and often felt the ecstasy of Paradise. Once
she had a vision of angels floating aloft
in the golden dome of the cathedral and heard
them singing heavenly music built up to a
sensuous climax.
No 134
Other visions she had too, of golden temples
with marvellous gardens where invisible voices
would sing and cypress trees send forth their
soft, delicate fragrance.
No 135
Varvara is at first a little disturbed, and
then downright alarmed at these fantasies
of her sister-in-law, particularly when Kátja goes on to tell her of less pleasant matters
her presentiment that something terrible is
about to happen to her, that the devil himself
is whispering horrible temptations to her
(a variation of No. 133 worked up). She cannot
sleep at night any more because someone seems
to be whispering caressingly to her (sensitive
musical expression of her deep subconscious
desires), someone who wishes to embrace her
fiercely, passionately, and in the end she
gives herself to him. (A quiet amorous-laden
adagio [14] which unleashes itself in an erotic
climax.) Then she remembers that she is still
a child and can have no knowledge of such
things such "unholy "desires. (A
two-note panting erotic figure [15] which
develops into this gentle serene love motif,
denoting Kátja's secret love for Boris.)
No 136
This, however, is a language Varvara can understand,
for it will shortly be disclosed that she
is carrying on a love affair with Kudrjáš.
Glancing cautiously around to see that no
one is listening, she confesses that she is
even worse than Kátja in this respect. Thus
encouraged, Kátja confesses that she loves
another man: is it so dreadful a sin to love
someone who is not her husband? Varvara comforts
her, saying that she would never judge her,
for she, herself, has her own sins. Perhaps
when her brother is away on this journey the
two can see something of each other. "No,
no, never that! God forbid! "Kátja says
in great distress. "Why not?" asks
Varvara and in an aside wonders if her sister-in-law
is not just a bit mad.
Tikhon enters dressed ready for his journey,
followed by servants who carry in his luggage.
Kátja throws herself on her husband's neck
and passionately begs him never to leave her.
Freeing himself from this embarrassing embrace,
Tikhon says that what she asks is quite impossible:
his mother has told him that he must go to
the market in Kazan and that's the end of
the matter. "Then take me with you, darling",
she pleads and when he again repeats that
he cannot do this, she asks him if this is
because he loves her no longer. Of course
he loves her, he assures her (troika "release
"motif No. 126); nevertheless he is glad
to get away for a while, for it is anything
but pleasant to live in this oppressive house
and be bossed around all the time by his mother.
Besides, every husband wants to get away from
his wife at times!
At Tikhon's apparent callousness, Kátja begins
to weep and again pleads with her husband
not to leave her alone in this house:
No. 137
if he does, she is certain some dreadful calamity
will happen. He is still further embarrassed
when she suggests that he should demand a
solemn oath from her that under no pretext
whatsoever should she speak to any stranger,
nor see anyone, nor even think of anyone but
her husband.
No 138
In her distress she falls on her knees appealing
to him to do this one thing for her.
He raises her up, as the voice of his mother
is heard calling to him that the time has
arrived for his departure (troika theme again).
Husband and wife stand quietly gazing at one
another as Mme Kabanová enters. The carriage
is waiting: everything is ready. Turning to
her son she forces him to repeat after her
the orders he must give to his wife-how she
must conduct herself in his absence. (The
fiery, spiteful No. 132 answered by the mild
No. 139 reproof of her spineless son.)
No 139
She must always respect Mme Kabanová, must
honour her as she would her own mother, nor
must she idle the whole day away nor stare
out of the window and, above all, must keep
her eyes from looking at other men.
Even the weak hag-ridden Tikhon finds sufficient
spirit to rebel at this last insult to his
wife. His mother turns aside for a moment
to allow husband and wife a final word together.
The servants return, then the despotic but
pious Mme Kabanová tells them all to sit closely
together for a moment-a Russian custom (the
troika motif combined with the fatalistic
No. 124). She then gives her blessing to her
son (not before commanding him, in a voice
overladen with irritation, to bow right down
to her feet). When she tells him to say good-bye
to his wife, Kátja again throws herself passionately
on Tikhon's neck only to be told by the jealous
old woman "Shame on you, girl! Is he
your lover? "(angrily repeated trumpet
notes).
Brother and sister kiss one another-Tikhon
bows to his mother who, at this point in the
play, but not the opera, remarks tartly that
long farewells make useless tears.
Tikhon goes out followed by the women.
Relation of the Play
to the Opera: Act I
Janáček opens his second scene with the self-revelations
of Kátja, thus making the first real impact
of her personality stronger than it otherwise
would have been if it had come at the end
of the first scene, where we were still shocked
by those two powerful and thoroughly unpleasant
characters, Dikoy and Mme Kabanová.
The first three acts and the last two acts
of the play run concurrently, so that Ostrovsky's
divisions are mainly arbitrary. His first
act ends after Kátja and Varvara have exchanged
confidences and where he introduces a nasty
old lady with a stick followed by two lackeys
in three-cornered hats (reminding us somewhat
of a similar character in Pushkin's The Queen
of Spades) who, seeing the two young women
together, suggests that they are perhaps waiting
for lovers: if so, they should know where
their beauty will finally lead them-and she
points meaningfully to the Volga. Her evil
prophecy frightens the already troubled Kátja,
who becomes terrified when distant rumblings
of thunder herald a storm.
Varvara expresses surprise that her friend
should be so upset about a mere storm. Kátja replies with this revealing speech: "Everyone
must be afraid. It is not so dreadful that
you may be killed as that death may come suddenly
and find you just as you are, with all your
sins and all your evil thoughts. I am not
afraid to die, but when I think that I shall
appear suddenly before God just as I am here
with you after this conversation, that is
what is so dreadful. What thoughts are in
my mind! Such a sin! It is terrible to speak
of it. "At this moment a thunderclap
is heard and Kátja runs in terror to the house.
Thus, by the end of his first act, Ostrovsky
has already prepared us for the effects of
a thunderstorm on a mind riddled with religious
superstitious beliefs and for her suicide
in the Volga.
At the beginning of the play, Kátja refers
to an incident in her childhood: someone at
home had scolded her so, in the evening, she
climbed into a boat and set herself adrift
on the Volga where she was found next morning
seven miles downstream-an abortive attempt
at suicide by drowning. This is confirmed
when a few minutes later she says to Varvara
that if life should become too wearisome for
her she will jump out of the window and throw
herself into the river.
In the play we hear much more about Dikoy
and how the merchant class behave to one another
and to their dependants. Dikoy pays no wages
to the peasants and, when the Provost complains,
he says to him: "Listen, your Honour,
it is not worth your Honour's time to discuss
such trifles. I employ many peasants. Now
look at it this way-if I pay them a kopek
short every time, I save thousands and that's
all right with me. "The merchants are
always having lawsuits among themselves, lawsuits
which drag on for years: at which the lawyers
rub their hands in glee saying: "A tale
is soon told but a case goes on for ever!"
(Shades of Gregor v. Prus?)
We learn that Boris is kept penniless by his
uncle, who whenever anyone asks him for money,
makes this stock but clever and unanswerable
reply: "How do you know what I am thinking
about? You cannot read my mind. Perhaps I'll
take a fancy to give you 5,000 roubles",
but of course, adds Kudrjáš dryly, not once
in Dikoy's life had he ever taken such a fancy.
The Kudrjáš of the play makes himself out
to be a tough character: if there were some
other bold lads around he would meet Dikoy
in a dark lane one night and teach him a little
lesson, after which his boss would sing in
another key. If only Dikoy's daughters were
a little older, he could get his own back
on him that way.
Janáček eliminates from the opening scene
of his opera Kuligin, a tradesman who has
a burning ambition to discover the secret
of perpetual motion and another tradesman,
Sapken, giving some of their lines to Kudrjáš.
Fekluša is called a pilgrim in the list of
characters and it would appear that the pious
Mme Kabanová allows her to live as a somewhat
privileged person among her household. When
the servant Gláša takes her to task for quarrelling
with the other pilgrims (who, in her opinion,
are no better than beggar-women) Fekluša replies
that whereas ordinary people are tempted by
only one devil, pilgrims have as many as six
or even twelve trying to conquer them. The
Devil hates the pilgrims because they lead
such upright lives. She herself has only one
sin, gluttony, and the good God sends her
food according to her weakness. As a pilgrim
she has wandered far over the face of the
earth and seen the cruelty and harshness of
the Turks and the Persians: here in Russia,
living comfortably under the patronage of
the rich merchants, she is happy and contented.
It is perhaps unfortunate that Janáček cut
out the second dialogue between the two young
women, for here Kátja confesses that it is
Dikoy's nephew, Boris, whom she loves. Varvara
replies that she knows this and has indeed
already spoken to Boris about Kátja . Kátja says that she cannot get Boris out of her
mind: no matter what she thinks about he stands
before her eyes. Varvara has a plan: while
her brother is away they will both sleep in
the summer-house in the garden and-with a
laugh-she hints that developments may follow.
The Story of Act II
SCENE I
The opening scene of the opera, Act II, follows
immediately on the previous scene in both
opera and play.
After Tikhon has left for Kazan, Mme Kabanová
severely reprimands Kátja for not properly
lamenting his departure. It would appear to
be the custom in this part of Russia that
on such an occasion, a loving wife should
"wail for an hour and a half lying on
the porch ". As Mme Kabanová had only
a moment earlier criticized her daughter-in-law
for her public display of affection to her
husband, she is not only inconsistent, but
has gone out of her way to still further affront
Kátja . It is clear that this scene is the
rightful conclusion to Janáček's Act I and,
by dividing it into two parts, he has endangered
the continuity and confused the notifications:
the wife's lamentations are expected at the
point of departure and not hours or days later.
Mme Kabanová retires to her room to say her
prayers. Varvara enters and stands before
the looking-glass adjusting a scarf over her
head. The two young women are to sleep in
the summer-house: although her mother has
locked the gate at the foot of the garden
and hidden the key, Varvara has found it and
substituted another key. If she sees Boris
she will tell him to come to the gate. She
gives the key to Kátja who is frightened and
thrusts it away from her. Varvara moves quickly
away leaving the key with Kátja whose first
reaction is to throw it into the river. When,
however, she hears the voice of her terrible
mother-in-law coming from another room, she
hides it in her pocket. What harm can there
be in just seeing Boris, she asks herself:
perhaps even having a word with him. She knows
the danger is great but, live or die, she
must see him. Oh, that night would come!
The remainder of the scene consists of a curious
conversation between Mme Kabanová and Dikoy.
He begs Mme Kabanová to speak harshly to him,
for a scolding from one who is his equal is
good for his soul. The merchant is not as
tough a character as he would like to believe.
There has been another of these terrible family
rows which always arise when someone asks
him for money. Mme Kabanová, by far the stronger
character of the two, coolly tells him that
he is a bully only because no one has the
courage to stand up to him. Dikoy protests:
once when a peasant asked him for money that
he owed him, he cursed and abused the peasant,
almost thrashing him: then in a sudden fit
of remorse he begged forgiveness, even went
down on his knees to the peasant. Mme Kabanová
is embarrassed at this degrading display of
weakness. She tells him to control himself:
he should have better manners.
SCENE 2
A ravine overgrown
with bushes beyond and below the fence and
wicket-gate of the Kabanová's garden: a path
leads down from the gate: it is night. Kudrjáš
comes in carelessly with a balalaika slung
over his shoulder. Finding that he has arrived
before Varvara, he seats himself on a stone
and, strumming on his balalaika, sings a Cossack
song. Norman Tucker is responsible for the
brilliant English translation of the opera
used at the Sadler's Wells performances. Here
are the words of this quasi-Cossack folksong:
One day early by the river
walked a lovely maiden,
Came a young and handsome suitor with rich
presents laden,
Furlined shoes and silken kerchiefs for
a maiden's pleasure,
Rings of gold and blood-red rubies worth
a rich man's treasure,
"Take the
gifts your true love brings you", vainly
he besought her. She gazed only at her image
mirrored in the water,
Take your rings and take
your rubies, riches cannot buy me,
I will rise tomorrow early, to the fields
will hie me,
I will pick sweet-scented violets, thyme
and purple clover,
I will make a posy with them for my own
true lover.
Between the
two verses, Kudrjáš looks around for Varvara.
But it is Boris and not Varvara who arrives,
and a very hesitant and frightened Boris at
that, surprised to find his friend Kudrjáš
here. Some girl stopped him in the street
and told him to come here behind the Kabanovs's
garden where the path is. Kudrjáš is well
aware that Boris has fallen in love with the
young Mme Kabanová and once again warns his
friend that no good can come of it. Boris
replies that he cannot help loving her.
Varvara is heard singing by the gate and Kudrjáš
joins in her song. She goes up to Boris telling
him not to be impatient-Kátja will be here
presently. She suggests to Kudrjáš that they
might stroll by the river and with their arms
around one another the young and care-free
lovers depart.
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