Opera Scotland

Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov Suggest updates

Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov

Born Tikhvin, 18 March 1844.

Died St Petersburg, 21 June 1908.

Russian composer.

For most of the century since his death, Rimsky's own operatic output has been largely ignored, at least in the west. Instead, we have tended to concentrate attention on the work he did in rescuing the output of his alcoholic friend Musorgsky, and in particular the wonderful opera Boris Godunov. Nowadays audiences can accept Musorgsky's work either unedited, or in versions that impose less of the editor's own personality. Even if that work has now been consigned to history, Rimsky deserves our gratitude. But it is only recently that his own operas have been given proper attention in Scotland. David Pountney's riotously colourful staging of The Golden Cockerel must still evoke blissful memories for anyone lucky enough to have seen it, and since then we have enjoyed visits from the Bolshoi and Kirov companies, each bringing unknown masterworks. Tsar Saltan has been done in London (by the Mariinsky) and Kashchey at the 2012 Buxton Festival. The Snow Maiden has been done in Scotland, but only by Glasgow Grand a long time ago - Opera North's 2017 staging at least came as close as Newcastle. Time is passing, and we really need to see more of these enjoyable pieces.

Operas performed in Scotland are shown in bold:-

01   The Maid of Pskov - Pskovityanka (St Petersburg 1873, rev 1895) (cpsr)                              

02   May Night - Mayskaya noch’ (St Petersburg 1880) (cpsr)

03   The Snow Maiden - Snegurochka (St Petersburg 1882) (cpsr)                                              

04   Mlada (St Petersburg 1892) (Gedeonov & Krilov)                                                          

05   Christmas Eve - Noch’  pered Rozhdestvom (St Petersburg 1895) (cpsr)

06   Sadko (Moscow 1898) (cpsr & Bel'sky)                                                                            

07   Mozart and Salieri - Mozart i Sal’yeri (Moscow 1898) (Pushkin)                                          

08   Lady Vera Sheloga - Boyarinya Vera Sheloga (Moscow 1898) (cpsr)

09   The Tsar's Bride - Tsarskaya nevesta (Moscow 1899) (cpsr & Tyumenev)                           

10   The Tale of Tsar Saltan - Skazka o Tsare Saltane (Moscow 1900) (Bel'sky)

11   Kashchey the Immortal - Kashchei bessmertnyi (Moscow 1902) (cpsr)                             

12   The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh (St Petersburg 1907) (Bel'sky)                         

13   The Golden Cockerel - Zolotoi petushok (Moscow 1909) (Bel'sky)