If you ask random people about what operas Tchaikovsky wrote, many will call you "Eugene Onegin", perhaps they will even give something to drink from there. Some will remember "The Queen of Spades" ("Three cards, three cards !!"), and perhaps the opera "Chereshchiki" (the author himself conducted, and therefore was remembered).
In total, the composer Tchaikovsky wrote ten operas. Some, of course, are not widely known, but a good half of this score constantly pleases and excites the public of all countries of the world.
Here are all 10 operas by Tchaikovsky:
1. "Voevoda" - opera based on the play by A.N. Ostrovsky (1868)
2. "Ondine" - according to the book by F. Motta-Fouquet and Undine (1869)
3. "Oprichnik" - based on the story I.I. Lazhechnikova (1872)
4. "Eugene Onegin" - according to the novel of the same name in verses by A.S. Pushkin (1878)
5. "The Maid of Orleans" - according to various sources of the story about Joan of Arc (1879)
6. "Mazepa" - according to A.S. Pushkin "Poltava" (1883)
7. "Cherevichki" - opera based on the story N.V. Gogol "The Night Before Christmas" (1885)
8. "The Sorceress" - written after the tragedy of the same name by I.V. Shpazhinsky (1887)
9. "The Queen of Spades" - according to the story of A.S. Pushkin's The Queen of Spades (1890)
10. "Iolanthe" - according to the drama of H. Hertz "Daughter of King Rene" (1891)
My first opera "Voivode" Tchaikovsky himself admitted that he was unsuccessful: she seemed to him unbuilt and sweet in Italian. Russian hawks were filled with Italian roulades. The staging was not resumed.
The following two operas - "Undine" and "Oprichnik". "Ondine" was rejected by the Council of Imperial Theaters - and never was put on the stage, although it has some very successful melodies, marking a departure from the foreign canons.
"The Oprichnik" is the first of Tchaikovsky's original operas, in which there appear arrangements of Russian melodies. She was a success, staged by various opera groups, including foreign ones.
For one of his operas, Tchaikovsky took the plot of "Nights before Christmas" by N.V. Gogol. This opera was originally titled "The Blacksmith Vakula", but was later renamed and became Cheaters.
The story is this: here appear Shinkarka the witch Solokh, the beautiful Oksana, Vakula the blacksmith in love with her. Vakula succeeds in saddling the Devil and forcing him to fly to the tsarina, behind the skewers for her beloved. Oksana mourns the missing blacksmith - and then he appears in the square, throws a gift at her feet. "Don't, don't, I'm without them!" - An in love girl answers.
The music of the work was processed several times, with each new version becoming more distinctive, the pass numbers went down. This is the only opera to conduct which the composer himself undertook.
And what are the most famous operas?
And yet, when we talk about what operas Tchaikovsky wrote, first of all come to mind "Eugene Onegin", "Queen of Spades" and "Iolanta". In the same list, you can add and “Thorns” with “Mazepa”.
"Eugene Onegin" - an opera whose libretto does not need a detailed retelling. The success of the opera was awesome! She remains to this day in the repertoire of absolutely all (!) Opera houses.
"Queen of Spades" also written by the work of the same name by A.S. Pushkin. In love with Lisa Hermann (Pushkin he Hermann) friends tell the story of three winning cards, which are known to her guardian, Countess.
Lisa wants to meet with Herman and assigns him a date in the house of the old Countess. He sneaks into the house, trying to find out the secret of the magic cards, but the old countess dies with fear (later, he will be revealed to the ghost that this is a “three, seven, ace”).
Liza, having learned that her beloved is a murderer, rushes into the water in despair. And Herman, having won two games, in the third instead of the ace sees the peak lady and the ghost of the Countess. He goes crazy and stabs himself, remembering in the last moments of life the bright image of Lisa.
Balada Tomsky from the opera The Queen of Spades
The composer’s last opera was a real hymn to life. "Iolanta". Queen Iolanthe is unaware of her blindness, she is not told about it. But the Moorish doctor says that if she wants to see very much, healing is possible.
The knight Vaudemon, who accidentally entered the castle, is explained to the beautiful woman in love and asks for a red rose as a keepsake. Iolanthe tears off white - it becomes clear to him that she is blind ... Vaudemont sings a real hymn to the light, the sun, and life. An enraged king appears, the girl's father ...
Fearing for the life of a knight whom she managed to love, Iolanthe expresses a passionate desire to see his sight. A miracle happened: the princess sees! King Rene blesses his daughter's marriage with Vodemont, all together praise the sun and light.
Monologue of the doctor Ibn Hakia from “Iolanta”
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