SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Rimsky-Korsakov: Snegurochka (The Snow Maiden) : (concert performance) Soloists, Chorus of the Mariinsky Theater, Valery Gergiev (conductor), Kirov Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, 2.12.2007 (BH)

Rimsky-Korsakov: Snegurochka (The Snow Maiden) (1881)

Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden: Anastasia Kalagina
Lel: Ekatarina Semenchuk
Kupava: Tatiana Pavlovskaya
Spring: Olga Savova
Bobilikha: Nadezhda Vasilieva
Wood-Sprite: Vasily Gorshko
Young man: Maria Matveeva
Berendei: Evgeny Akimov
Mizgir: Alexander Gergalov
Frost: Alexi Tanovitski
Bobil: Andrei Popov
Bermyata: Vadim Kravets
First Herald: Sergei Skorokhodov
Second Herald: Alexander Nikitin


A friend next to me said with a wicked grin, “This is the only opera I can think of in which at the end, the title character melts.”  Once again, Valery Gergiev proved that he is virtually unmatched in his tireless advocacy for many Russian operas that are virtually unknown in the United States.  Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Snegurochka (The Snow Maiden) was last performed at the Metropolitan Opera on April 16, 1923 (and in French), and based on this spectacularly life-affirming performance by Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra, it could be counted as a minor crime that this dazzling score has been unheard for so many years.

Inspired by the flood of nature during a summer vacation in Stelyovo, Rimsky-Korsakov penned his fairy tale at a time when Alexander Ostrovsky’s play (on which the libretto is based) was not popular.  Perhaps audiences found it hard to identify with characters like “Frost” and “Spring,” or the sun god Yarilo, who intends to cause their daughter, Snegurochka, to fall in love.  This is not as desirable as it might appear, since as love warms her, she will be destroyed.  She must remain frozen to stay alive.  (Full details of the plot are too complicated to mention here.)

Nevertheless, this cast will probably not be bettered here any time soon.  As the title character, Anastasia Kalagina’s bright sound exuded radiance, and easily navigated the role’s occasional Rossini-like fireworks.  In contrast, Andrei Popov used earthy tone to color the drunken Bobil.  Raven-haired Ekatarina Semenchuk (in a dramatic black-and-gray dress) had terrific focus as Lel, especially near the beginning of Act I in what resembles a mournful folk song.  As Kupava, Tatiana Pavlovskaya’s agile voice skipped through the overflowing syllables of a song expressing happiness with Snegurochka, reaching a climax as she dreams of Mizgir, sturdily portrayed by Alexander Gergalov.  This turned out to be just a preview of her charismatic scenes with Gergalov in Act IV.

As Berendei, Evgeny Akimov was as winning as he had been in the Glinka the previous night, soaring magnificently with Pavlovskaya in their substantial duet in Act II.  In a taxing role, Akimov seemed to have energy to spare in this almost four-hour opera.  And in the key roles of Spring and Frost, Olga Savova and Alexi Tanovitski appeared both at the beginning and at the end with vibrant vocal work and haunting characterization.

This glitteringly orchestrated score has many pleasures, and if as someone suggested, staging it might be difficult (I’m not sure I agree), in concert it works magnificently.  Once again, the Mariinsky Chorus, totally alert, was breathtaking in its huge climaxes, and eager to show that volume isn’t the only tool they possess: soft moments had me leaning forward in my chair.  The members of the Kirov Orchestra pushed forward during a very long afternoon, unearthing the composer’s keen gift for finding color after color.  Many times characters are introduced with heartbreaking solo turns from the orchestra, such as the cello and violin which accompany Berendei as he sings of “the mighty wonders of nature.”  The audience response clearly indicated that it realized the afternoon was something special, and Gergiev, who regularly tosses off encores, must have known that in this case, none were needed.


Bruce Hodges