In the last decade and a half of his life Rimsky-Korsakov turned his
attention almost exclusively to the field of opera, producing almost a
dozen. While Wagner had been one of the original inspirations for this
interest, by the time Rimsky came to write
The Tsar’s Bride he had
eschewed Wagner for a simpler, more Italianate, style. Here this is applied
to a historical tale by Mey dealing with a true episode: the death, a short
time after marriage to Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible), of the real Marfa
Sobakin. Ivan’s influence hangs over the entire opera although he never
utters a word and is usually represented by his dreaded
Oprichniki
or secret police. The tension between the dramatic events and Rimsky’s
simple style creates a sense of unease and foreboding rare in the composer’s
works.
After the well-known overture to
The Tsar’s Bride we find
ourselves in the home of the prominent
Oprichnik Grigori Gryaznoy.
In the aria ‘The Beauty’s on my Mind” he laments his love for Marfa Sobakin,
who is engaged to the nobleman Ivan Lykov. To distract himself Gryaznoy
throws a party, the guests including Ivan as well as the even more important
Oprichnik Grigori Malyuta. The latter asks for a song from
Gryaznoy’s mistress Lyubasha who sings the haunting “Hurry up dear mother”.
As the guests are leaving Gryaznoy asks Bomelius, the Tsar’s physician, for
a potion to make Marfa love him. Bomelius agrees but is overheard by
Lyubasha, leading to a major confrontation and Gryaznoy’s final rejection of
Lyubasha. She is now ready to do anything to get him back. At the start of
Act 2 the Tsar announces that he will pick a new bride from among the most
beautiful young maidens, which includes Marfa and her best friend Dunyasha.
Marfa is only interested in telling Dunyasha about her long-standing love
for Ivan (“How calming this evening is”). In the mean time Lyubasha is
lurking outside Marfa’s house and the sight of Marfa only strengthens her
resolve to get rid of her rival. She goes to the house of Bomelius and
obtains a poison that she will substitute for Gryaznoy’s love potion.
In Act 3 all are preparing for the wedding of Marfa and Ivan when Sobakin
confides to Ivan that Marfa and Dunyasha are among the maidens to be
examined by the Tsar. Dunyasha’s mother returns from the bridal pageant and
is sure that her daughter will be chosen as Tsarina. The party continues and
Gryaznoy, who is to be Ivan’s best man, pours the potion into Marfa’s glass.
Soon after Malyuta arrives with the news that the Tsar has chosen Marfa for
his bride. In Act 4 Marfa has become ill after learning she will be Czarina
(and because of the potion), and under torture Ivan has confessed to
poisoning her and been executed. This news drives Marfa mad and in her
delirium she mistakes Gryaznoy for Ivan (“Ivan Sergeyevich, do you want to
go the garden”). Gryaznoy confesses that he gave the potion to Marfa and
caused the death of Ivan. Lyubasha appears and explains her substitution of
the poison for the love potion and is killed by Gryaznoy, who begs the dying
Marfa for forgiveness.
Although the action of
The Tsar’s Bride is set in the late
16
th century this production is staged in the present day. This
is nothing unusual. What is distinctive is that much of this takes place in
a combined broadcast studio/CGI center. This enables director and designer
Dmitri Tcherniakov to suggest the sense of constantly being observed or
spied upon typical of a repressive society such as that presided over by
Ivan the Terrible. It also makes us feel that the Tsar himself is present
even when he is not. In addition, the image of the Tsar is contently seen on
screens - in the broadcast studio and on television, reminiscent of the
“cult of personality” used by various Russian rulers of the last 400
years.
Unfortunately, Tcherniakov’s direction is not as interesting as his stage
setting and effects. The chorus and soloists are frequently blocked in
awkward places or unrealistic ways. These interfere with both the action and
our viewing of it. This combines with rather poor camera placement further
distancing the viewer from the action.
Barenboim’s treatment of the score is clean and transparent, just right
for Rimsky’s “Italianate” opera. Occasionally he misses on the overall
pacing of the music but this does not last long. He ably accentuates the
contrast between the simple emotions of Marfa, Ivan and their relatives and
the brutal machinations of Ivan the Terrible and his Oprichniki. The
orchestra takes full advantage of the clarity of the score, especially the
woodwinds, so important in Rimsky’s operas. They also supply the requisite
Russian folk flavour and deliver
drama when required. Barenboim has
already recorded
Eugene Onegin (
see link) and Prokofiev’s
The
Gambler (
see link). His sweep and orchestral control in these
works and
The Tsar’s Bride lead us to hope he will record more of
the Russian operatic oeuvre.
In the role of Marfa Olga Peretyatko is suitably innocent in “How calming
this evening is” and especially convincing in the quartet in scene 3. Her
voice is not quite powerful enough in much of Act 3 but she puts more into
the final act and as she slowly dies in Act 4 she is very moving. Pavel
Cernoch, as Ivan, is less convincing. His voice is rather colourless and his
characterization lacks force. Johannes Martin Kränzle is impressive
dramatically although his voice is sometimes harsh in the first act, but
everything comes together for him in the last act. Though she does not have
a big part Anna Tomowa-Sintow as Dunyasha’s mother is affecting as always. I
have left Anita Rachvelishvili for last because the role of Lyubasha is
perhaps as central as that of Marfa. Ms. Rachvelishvili meets the challenge
both vocally and dramatically, ranging from pathetic to almost demented to
despairing, and adjusting her vocal style accordingly.
There are two alternatives to this DVD. One is a film version (about
two-thirds of the actual opera) from 1965, directed by Vladimir Gorikker and
conducted by Svetlanov, with the Bolshoi Opera. The other is a filming of
the full opera, again from the Bolshoi, from 1983, conducted by Yuri
Simonov. Each of these may appeal to certain listeners. However, for those
looking for an up-to-date and complete version of
The Tsar’s Bride,
this is the only set currently available.
William Kreindler
