Khovanshchina

Like Mussorgsky's earlier Boris Godunov, The Khovansky Affair deals with an episode in Russian history, first brought to the composer's attention by his friend Vladimir Stasov. In this case, it concerns the rebellion of Prince Ivan Khovansky, the Old Believers, and the Streltsy, against Peter the Great, who was attempting to institute Westernizing reforms to the country. Ultimately, Peter succeeded, the rebellion was crushed and (in the opera, at least) Khovansky's followers committed mass suicide.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov completed, revised, and scored Khovanshchina in 1881–1882. Because of the heavy cuts and "recomposition" at Rimsky-Korsakov's hand, Dmitri Shostakovich revised the opera in 1959 based on Mussorgsky's vocal score, and it is this version that is usually performed today.

In 1913 Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel made their own arrangement to Diaghilev's request. However, Chaliapin refused to sing the part of Dosifei in other orchestration than Rimsky-Korsakov's, therefore they put up a strange mixture of orchestrations which did not go well. Finally their orchestration was forgotten, except for Stravinsky's finale, which is still in use.

Although the setting of the opera is the Moscow Uprising of 1682, its main themes are the struggle between progressive and reactionary political factions during the minority of Tsar Peter the Great, and the passing of old Muscovy before Peter's westernizing reforms. The opera was unfinished and unperformed when the composer died in 1881. It received its first performance in the Rimsky-Korsakov edition in 1886.

While not as well known as Boris Godunov, this opera is, in some ways, more accessible. The pace of the action is slow, but there is more in the way of traditional vocal lines as compared to the earlier opera's use of a more speech-like style. The plot of Khovanshchina is difficult to follow, but the story is grittier and the characters are more believable. There are also some fiery set-pieces, in particular the "Dance of the Persian Slaves" and the spectacular mass suicide of the Old Believers in the final scene.

Performance history

The St. Petersburg and world premiere took place on 21 February (9 February O.S.), 1886 using the Rimsky-Korsakov version. Also in St. Petersburg on 27 October 1893 the opera was presented by artists of the Russian Opera Society.

The Russian Private Opera presented the Moscow premiere at the Solodovnikov Theater on 12 November 1897 conducted by Michele Esposito, with scene designs by Konstantin Korovin, Apollinary Vasnetsov, and Sergey Malyutin. There were 1910 and 1911 productions in the two cities, the first by the Zimin Opera in Moscow and conducted by Palitsīn scenes by Matorin, while the second was at St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre and conducted by Albert Coates.

That same year it was presented in London at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and, finally, in 1931, in New York.

The Shostakovitch version was first presented on 25 November 1960 at the Kirov Theater, conducted by Sergey Yeltsin, in an edition by Pavel Lamm, with set design by Fedorovsky.

Khovanshchina has appeared on stage at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City for 32 performances (through 1999) since its first performance there in 1950, in a production (sung in English) that featured Rise Stevens and Jerome Hines, although excerpts were performed by the Met as early as 1919. Of that number, 27 performances have been staged since 1985 in the noteworthy production by August Everding and Ming Cho Lee. Performances of Khovanshchina by visiting Russian companies have also appeared at the Met. More recently, it was performed by Welsh National Opera in both Wales and England as well as at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich under Kent Nagano in 2007.

While Khovanshchina is not seen on stage often, especially in the West, it has been recorded several times.

Roles

Instrumentation

Synopsis

Place: Moscow

Background and Theme: The principal theme of Khovanshchina is stated outright in the choral number "Akh, ty Rodnaya, Matushka Russ" ("Oh poor Motherland"), which laments that Russia is bleeding and dying not because of a foreign enemy, but because of fragmentation within. Something like a three-way civil war is in progress. Tsar Peter is modernizing, and two powerful forces are resisting his changes: the Streltsy and the Old Believers. The Streltsy are decommissioned elite soldiers/guards ("Streltsy" literally means "shooters", just like "musketeers"), past their prime and on indefinite furlough. They are fanatically loyal to Prince Ivan Khovansky. The Old Believers are Russian Orthodox Christians who have left the state-sponsored church because it went along with Tsar Peter's changes. Their leader is Dosifey. Fortunately for Tsar Peter, these two factions despise each other, as the Streltsy are rowdy degenerates and the Old Believers are pious ascetics. Each of the three principal basses in the opera believes himself to represent the "true" Russia against her internal enemies: Prince Ivan Khovansky by noble birth and military prowess, Dosefei by religion, and Shaklovity by supporting Tsar Peter.

Act 1

Shaklovity, a Boyar and agent for Tsar Peter, dictates a letter to the Tsar, warning of a rebellion planned by Prince Ivan Khovansky (captain of the Streltsy Guards) and the Old Believers. He conceals himself as Prince Ivan arrives. Prince Ivan promises an adoring crowd that he will defend the "young Tsars", by whom he means Tsar Peter's conservative rivals within the royal family. He and the crowd exit. Prince Andrey, Ivan's son, chases in Emma, a German girl, intending to assault her. Marfa, an Old Believer, interferes. Andrey threatens to kill Emma, but Prince Ivan returns, and decides to capture Emma himself. The ensuing quarrel between father and son is interrupted by the arrival of Dosifey, the leader of the Old Believers. Dosifey reproves everyone for being so quarrelsome and un-Christian. Marfa leaves with Emma.

Act 2

Golitsin, a nervous progressive nobleman, hires Marfa to tell his fortune in secret. She predicts that he will fall from power. After she leaves, Golitsin orders his servants to kill her. Prince Ivan Khovansky disrespects Golitsin by entering without waiting to be announced, and complains loudly that Golitsin has been interfering with his friends in the nobility. A quarrel ensues, each making insulting remarks about the other's military campaigns, but Dosifey enters and draws their attention away from their argument by criticising both of them—Golitsin for his modern views, and Prince Ivan for letting the Streltsy get drunk and run around making trouble all the time. Marfa, who has been saved by the Tsar's guards, reappears, followed by Shaklovity, who menacingly announces that the Tsar has been warned of the planned rebellion, and has issued orders to arrest the Princes Khovansky. At this unlikely moment, the curtain falls.

Act 3

Marfa is overheard singing of her love, by Susanna, a fellow Old Believer. Susanna scolds Marfa until Dosifey appears and drives Susanna away. Marfa admits to Dosifey that she loves Andrey Khovansky (the one she restrained from assaulting Emma). Dosifey tells her to pray for relief. They exit and Shaklovity, who until now had been presented as a purely threatening character, sings a haunting prayer for troubled Russia's protection from the Streltsy (he refers to them as "mercenaries") and from the rebellious powers they obey. Hearing them coming he exits; some of the Streltsy enter and sing a drinking chorus. The scribe arrives and informs them that Hungarian troops are invading, and that Tsar Peter's bodyguard fought with the foreigners against the Streltsy—Russian soldiers and foreign soldiers killing other Russian soldiers together. Ivan Khovanski enters and begs their forgiveness for the defeat.

Act 4

Prince Ivan Khovansky is warned by a servant of Golitsin that he is in danger, but he ignores the warning and watches his servant girls dance. Shaklovity enters and kills him, scornfully imitating the servants' song.

Scene 2: Moscow. The square before the Cathedral of Vasiliy the Blessed

Golitsyn is led into exile. Dosifey mourns the conspirators' downfall and the success of Tsar Peter. Marfa offers sanctuary to Andrey with the Old Believers. The Streltsy are led to their execution. Peter, through an agent, intervenes to pardon them (which is not in agreement with historical fact).

Act 5

Dosifey and his followers prepare to immolate themselves. As Dosifey, Marfa, Andrey, and the Old Believers perish in the flames of a burning chapel, Peter's soldiers arrive in a vain attempt to capture them.

Principal arias and numbers

Recordings

Rimsky-Korsakov Version 1882

Shostakovich Version 1959

Videotaped performance

Public Media, Inc. has published a performance on video conducted by Claudio Abbado, with Nicolai Ghiaurov, Anatoly Kocherga, Paata Burchuladze, and Heinz Zednik. ISBN 0-7800-0051-X

References

External links

Category:Operas by Modest Mussorgsky Category:Russian-language operas Category:Musical compositions completed by others Category:Unfinished operas Category:1886 operas Category:Operas Category:Operas set in Russia