# Rimsky-Korsakov



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

What do you TC operas buffs think of Rimsky's operas? Nobody seems to talk about them. I was debating whether to pick up the Gergiev box. Opinions on his recordings or others would be appreciated.


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

starthrower said:


> What do you TC operas buffs think of Rimsky's operas? Nobody seems to talk about them. I was debating whether to pick up the Gergiev box. Opinions on his recordings or others would be appreciated.


I like Rimsky's operas a lot; he had a wonderful musical imagination. I most like _Sadko_, which has the Merchants' Songs, and an impressive description of the ocean; _Snegurochka (Snow Maiden)_, full of evocations of nature and birdsong; _Koshchei the Deathless_, an autumnal fairy-tale with a glorious Wagnerian choral finale; and _The Invisible City of Kitezh_, Russia's answer to _Parsifal_, with impressive bells and choruses.

The Gergiev box is frustrating. The recordings are excellent, but there're no libretti included. (I'm thinking of buying the operas individually, just to have the text translations!)

There's a fine Soviet era film of The Tsar's Bride (cut by an hour): 



Here's Gergiev conducting _Sadko_:


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

They are a mixed bag and I would agree that Sadko is one of the better ones. The Tsar's Bride is very good too. I would look at the Gergiev recordings (and yes, it is better to get the separate sets with the librettos). I'm not that keen on The Maid of Pskov or The Snow Maiden, but I love May Night and The Tsar's Bride. There is a huge variety from opera to opera and as a whole they are some of the most imaginative works ever written. Two filmed productions from the Mariinsky appeared last year, The Golden Cockerel and The Tale of Tsar Saltan.

You should be able to find recordings of all his operas on YouTube so anybody can sample and find out for themselves.

N.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I guess I'll just watch one on YouTube. Eleven CDs is too much anyway.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I only have two, _The Tsar's Bride_ and _The Invisible City of Kitezh_. The latter is undoubtedly my favourite as it's so lavish and exotic. I do like _The Tsar's Bride_ but for me it seems somewhat mundane in comparison. Both recordings are by Gergiev as part of his excellent _Kirov_ series. Pity _The Tale of Tsar Saltan_ wasn't included, though - I know a Mravinsky/Gergiev performance has since been released on DVD but a CD equivalent would be most welcome.


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## ugen64 (Feb 7, 2019)

I saw _Snow Maiden_ in St Petersburg last summer, with Gergiev in the pit and Aida Garifullina singing the title role (I believe she came back to the Mariinsky specifically to sing this 1 performance). It's definitely an imperfect opera, the libretto is not the strongest and the production was a bit all over the place (think `2001: A Space Odyssey` but with a lot of hot pink). But its most beautiful sections were breathtaking, in a way that didn't come across in recordings (I don't think there are any good ones to begin with that are widely available). I actually went back a few days later and saw _Queen of Spades_ which is much more famous, with Gergiev again in the pit and a similarly strong cast, and it didn't move me nearly as much...

To answer your question though, there is a good Youtube video of the Paris Opera's production which starred Garifullina that is probably your best bet.


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## gellio (Nov 7, 2013)

starthrower said:


> I guess I'll just watch one on YouTube. Eleven CDs is too much anyway.


Get it. You can find librettos online pretty easily nowadays. I love Sadko, The Tsar's Bride, and the Invisible City. It's absolutely worth the price.


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