Easiness and quickness of composing the opera were the evidence of not only Rimsky-Korsakov’s keenness on Ostrovsky’s fairy tale subject but of his maturity as composer. The opera was completed in clavier within two months and a half! The sensitive composer could catch the main idea – The Snow Maiden was not cold and heartless, without any feeling of love but she was longing to love, to be near the people, feel and experience as most of them. The author of the fairy tale A.N. Ostrovsky admired the opera. Both musicians who performed The Snow Maiden and audience fell in love with the opera at once; it won the composer’s heart as well.
The Snow Maiden (a spring fairy tale), opera in 4 acts with the prologue
Libretto by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov based on the like-named play by A.N. Ostrovsky
Characters and performers in the prologue:
Characters and performers in the opera:
Tsar Berendei – Alexander Fedin, tenor
Bermyata, the confidant of the tsar, a boyar – Boris Morozov, bass
Spring beauty – Nina Terentieva, mezzo-soprano
Snow maiden – Irina Zhurina, soprano
Bobyl Bakula – Alexander Arkhipov, tenor
Bobylikha, his wife – Raisa Kotova, mezzo-soprano
Lel, a shepherd – Tatiana Erastova, mezzo-soprano
Kupava, a young girl, a daughter of a wealthy settler – Lyudmila Sergienko, soprano
Mizgir, a merchant guest from Berendey settlement – Igor Morozov, baritone
First heralds – Konstantin Baskov, Yuri Markelov, tenors
Second heralds – Nikolay Nizienko, Stanislav Suleimanov, bass
Tsar’a boy – Sasha Karpikov
Wood goblin – Oleg Biktimirov, tenor
Chorus, Children Chorus and Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre
Chief Choir Master – Stanislav Lykov
Choir Master – Igor Agafonnikov
Conductor – Alexander Lazarev
