Tchaikovsky
www.tchaikovsky-research.net
The enchantress - vídeo
http://intoclassics.net/news/2013-05-10-32708
Prince Nikita Danilych Kurlyatev, grand vicar in Nizhny Novgorod
Vladislav SulimskyPrincess Evpraksiya Romanova, his wife
Irina MakarovaPrince Yuri, their son
Edward MartynukMamyrov old clerk
Vyacheslav PochapskyNastasya, nicknamed Qom, the owner of a coaching inn in transportation of the Oka
Svetlana KasianKudma, sorcerer
Andrey ArkhipovConductor: Alexander Lazarev
Grand Theatre
September 20, 2012José Carlos Neves Lopes
10/05/2013 12:36
I would be interested in this video but all the information on the given website is in Russian with no facility for an English translation. Is it indicating a DVD recording of this Bolshoi production? Can anyone help?
Joseph Brand
11/05/2013 20:16
I heard this opera on recordings decades ago and after I thought a promising first act the rest was a disappointment...and Tchaikovsky's inspiration simply dried out...it never took a foothold here in the west...Oniegin and The Queen of Spades are his only operas performed outside of Russia with any regularity...and of the two Oneigin is by far the better of the two....generally speaking Tchaikovsky's operas simply lack drama...compare him with any of the Verdi operas for instance...compare also his operas with his ballets to see where his greater talent lay....the ballets are by far the best written in the nineteenth century....ten operas and only two successes...not a very good average...
Albert Gasparo
16/05/2013 18:44
Sorry. Alberto but I cannot agree with you. The Queen of Spades is an operatic masterpiece and more popular than ever. It’s rarely out of the repertoire of all the great opera houses and many minor ones in Europe. Mazeppa and Iolanta have been ‘rediscovered’ in the last 40 years and have entered the international repertory. The Maid of Orleans has begun to gain a foothold in the repertory too. Being a distinctly Russian comedy Cherevicki is having a harder time, though it’s been seen more frequently in recent years. As for The Enchantress. Having seen three different stage productions I can assure you it makes very powerful theatre and Tchaikovsky’s inspiration has not deserted him. In the right hands the ending is truly awe-inspiring. It is a shame the only DVD of it is extremely poor and horribly cut.
I’ve seen all these operas live in varied productions, none in Russia, and as an opera addict (who places Verdi top of the league) I can vouch for their tremendous qualities. In fact, in over 60 years of opera-going, I can attest that two productions of Mazeppa (Bregenz/Amsterdam and Lyon/Edinburgh) count as among the greatest opera experiences I’ve ever had. Tchaikovsky is a great opera composer – unfortunately the hordes who swoon over the 1812 Overture and The Nutcracker Suite have yet to discover the vast and varied output of this 19th century master.
Joseph Brand
17/05/2013 16:46
Mr. Brand, tastes may differ.... as an example when I saw the Kirov opera under Gergiev do the Queen of Spades here at the Metropolitan Opera years ago...my conclusion after it ended was.."This is a bad piece of music"...and I was already well acquainted with this piece via recordings...and this supposedly is the composers second best opera after Oneigin...tho some musicologists such as Gerald Abraham may prefer "Cherevichki"....the fact of the matter is that the last named work has never gained a foothold here in the States....I do remember that it was once performed by the New York Opera as a curiosity about 1950.....and that is not one of our leading opera companies....there is a saying..."de gustibus non disputandum".....there is no disputing tastes...some may prefer Wagner, some Verdi, some Mozart...etc..I do not consider Queen of Spades an operatic masterpiece...Mazeppa and Iolanta may be done as a curiosity but it remains to be seen if the great opera companies of the world will enter them in their repertoire....I know all of Tchaikovsky's operas and here again I find them wanting...if I can put it in one word this failing its that Tchaikovsky lacks dramatic power regarding opera...that's my general overall impression,,,,.Tchaikovsky has always been popular here in the states even during his lifetime...but his operas barring one or two exceptions have not taken root...so Mr. Brand revel in the music you love...but as they say....there is no arguing about tastes....at this stage, and I have reached 80 music no longer plays a vital role in my life...as indeed as so many other interests.....maybe you are right...but whether rightly or wrongly only time will tell ..these are my tastes and feelings as of this day...its interesting that after a hundred years and twenty years after the composers passing some people are having a second look at his operas....have a good day...
Albert Gasparo
18/05/2013 06:12
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