# Russian Operas not finished by someone else



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I have Boris Godunov 1869 and 1872 finished by Mussorgsky.

I looked into Prince Igor and found out that Rimsky-Korsakov finished it, which is a good thing but not what I am looking for.

I am looking to check out Russian operas that were finished by the same composer who started them.

Suggestions please.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

I highly recommend Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. It's an excellent opera, and I'm almost certain that he finished it himself.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Bettina said:


> I highly recommend Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. It's an excellent opera, and I'm almost certain that he finished it himself.


I just read the synopsis on Wikipedia. I admire Tatyana's moral values but am not so keen on the duel. Still, two mezzos, a contralto, and only one tenor (among other voices)--got to be worth buying for the vocals alone.

But after a quick look at a page on Russian Opera, I found Iolanta particularly interesting.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Florestan said:


> I just read the synopsis on Wikipedia. I admire Tatyana's moral values but am not so keen on the duel. Still, two mezzos, a contralto, and only one tenor (among other voices)--got to be worth buying for the vocals alone.
> 
> But after a quick look at a page on Russian Opera, I found Iolanta particularly interesting.


Such wonderful recordings out there, the Freni is the one to start with on CD.
For DVD, well guess whom I recommend.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

A life for the Tsar by Michail Glinka.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

*Rimsky-Korsakov* finished a slew of operas himself, and as you can imagine, they are full of some wondermelodies and orchestration:

Sadko
Khaschey the Immortal
The Maid of Pskov (and its prologue The Noblewoman Vera Sheloga)
The Snow Maiden (Snegurochka)
The Golden Cockerel (Le coq d'or)
The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya
May Night
Mlada
The Tale of Tsar Sultan
Mozart and Salieri
others ...

*Prokofiev*
Undina
The Gambler
Semyon Kotko
Love for Three Oranges
Betrothal in a Monastery
The Fiery Angel
War and Peace
others

:tiphat:

Kind regards,

George


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Oh, I remember I do have The Golden Cockerel (Le coq d'or)--with Beverly Sills too.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

*Aria of the Queen of Shemakhan: Elena Stoyanova-The Golden Cockerel (Le coq d'or)*



Florestan said:


> Oh, I remember I do have The Golden Cockerel (Le coq d'or)--with Beverly Sills too.


Better yet!

I couldn't find Sills but here is a recording on YouTube of Elena Stoyanova singing the famous aria of the Queen of Shemakhan:






Enjoy!

:tiphat:

Kind regards,

George


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

*Song of the Venetian Guest from Sadko*

I have posted this one before but it is typical of Rimsky-Korsakov's wonderful melodic capacity. Everyone knows the famous "Song of India" from Sadko, sung by the tenor, but this tune is better in my opinion, even though less memorable because it's more complex. Here it's given a good go by Serbian baritone Nikola Mijailovic. There is also a great version on YouTube by one of my favorite baritones, Pavel Lisitsian.

Anyway. Enjoy!






:tiphat:

Kind regards,

George


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I prefer this one, any day of the week!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Sloe said:


> A life for the Tsar by Michail Glinka.


Looks like that one is finished by someone else. Glinka died when it was no more than a piano-vocal score.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Florestan said:


> Looks like that one is finished by someone else. Glinka died when it was no more than a piano-vocal score.


The opera premiered in 1836 Glinka died 1857.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Sloe said:


> The opera premiered in 1836 Glinka died 1857.


Perhaps my mistake was assuming publication history off WIkipedia is the same as composition history:



> Publication history
> 
> 1857, piano-vocal score, as A Life for the Tsar, Stellovsky, St. Petersburg
> 1881, full score, as A Life for the Tsar, Stellovsky, St. Petersburg
> ...


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## Radames (Feb 27, 2013)

Taneyev's Oresteia. Grand opera. I got to see the only American performance ever at Bard a few years ago. Great stuff. 

Others have mention Rimsky's operas. The Demon by Rubinstein isn't as good.

And of course Rachmaninoff has 3 operas: Aleko ,The Miserly Knight and Francesca da Rimini.

The Rake's Progress by Stravinsky. He wrote others but they are more like opera-ballet or opera-cantata.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

Igor is fantastic. You should not dismiss it. The Shostakovich version of Khovanshchina (the Gergiev recording) is marvelous. But these aren't what you've asked for. 

I love Rimsky-Korsakov's The Tsar's Bride, Sadko and The Invisible City......

Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth is great. 

Love Prokofiev too. 

There are a lot of them.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

Pique Dame is fabulous too.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

So far none of the other Russian composers' operas I have checked out are Godunov D). So, I think maybe you have a good point to check out the Gergiev Shostakovich version of Khovanshchina.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Florestan said:


> So far none of the other Russian composers' operas I have checked out are Godunov D). So, I think maybe you have a good point to check out the Gergiev Shostakovich version of Khovanshchina.


Nope, not that one either. But I did a quick search and found an interesting one that does not sound like it would be much fun on sound recording but in DVD would be a blast so I ordered a DVD of Prokofiev's _Betrothal in a Monastery_, starring Netrebko!


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

Florestan said:


> Nope, not that one either. But I did a quick search and found an interesting one that does not sound like it would be much fun on sound recording but in DVD would be a blast so I ordered a DVD of Prokofiev's _Betrothal in a Monastery_, starring Netrebko!


You should definitely get the Gergiev Khovanshchina. I love it. It's wonderful. Prokofiev is interesting. He's just on the cusp of being too modern for me. I love Semyon Kotko and War & Peace. Betrothal is interesting. Please share your thoughts. From day one, I have always called in "Brothel in a Monastery" LOL - I can't shake it.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

Definitely check out Shostakovich's _Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk_. The Rostropovich recording is great. He is also on the cusp of being too modern for me, but this opera is crazy and great.

Despite early success on popular and official levels, Lady Macbeth became the vehicle for a general denunciation of Shostakovich's music by the Communist Party in early 1936: after being condemned in an anonymous article (sometimes attributed to Joseph Stalin) in Pravda, it was famously banned in the Soviet Union for almost thirty years. Many people in fact know about the opera due to its place in the history of censorship.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I will look further into Mussorgsky operas, but sadly they were unfinished.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Well, I could not resist this one for $5.90 in VG condition. I can hardly wait. Here are sound clips.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

That was my first recording and I loved it. I think it is the Shostakovich orchestration. I have since lost it. Where did you find it for that price? I love the Gergiev recording.

Yes, he never finished it, but the Shostakovich orchestration is wonderful.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

gellio said:


> That was my first recording and I loved it. I think it is the Shostakovich orchestration. I have since lost it. *Where did you find it for that price?* I love the Gergiev recording.
> 
> Yes, he never finished it, but the Shostakovich orchestration is wonderful.


check your private mail box here at TC!


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

Sloe said:


> A life for the Tsar by Michail Glinka.


I second this. I just got A Life for the Tsar and literally listened to it over and over again yesterday. It's fantastic. The finale of ACT III is amazing. I had to listen to it six times in a row before I went to bed last week. Fantastic choral work and that music. Instantly one of my favorite Russian operas.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

Florestan said:


> Perhaps my mistake was assuming publication history off WIkipedia is the same as composition history:


Florestan, publication history is not reflective of performance history. The opera was given its premiere performance on 27 November 1836 in Saint Petersburg.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Florestan said:


> I just read the synopsis on Wikipedia. I admire Tatyana's moral values but am not so keen on the duel. Still, two mezzos, a contralto, and only one tenor (among other voices)--got to be worth buying for the vocals alone.
> 
> But after a quick look at a page on Russian Opera, I found Iolanta particularly interesting.


Iolanta is the sweetest Opera I've ever seen. Eugene Onegin is great music.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Also check out Ruslan i Lyudmila by Glinka. Here is an excerpt from Netrebko's 1995 performance. It's actually the only performance of hers that I truly liked:


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