Prokofiev: Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86


The opera Betrothal in a Monastery (The Duenna) takes a special place not only in Prokofiev's career, but also in the history of Russian Soviet music theatre. It is the first lyrical and comic opera. Richard Brinsley Sheridan's comedy fascinated Prokofiev at once. Having read the play, Prokofiev exclaimed, "This is champagne! It can make an opera à la Mozart or Rossini." The composer immediately started writing the libretto using the English original and translating it into Russian. Prokofiev's wife Mira Mendelson was an author of the rhymed verse. Prokofiev composed the music within a shortest period of time – during the summer and early autumn of 1940. The premiere of the opera was expected at the Stanislavsky Musical Theatre in summer of 1941, but World War II did not let it happen. The first performance took place as late as in November of 1946, at the Kirov Theatre in Leningrad and received acclaim of critics and audience alike. The opera performed by the soloists, choir and orchestra of the State Musical Theatre of Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko conducted by Kamil Abdullayev was recorded by Firma Melodiya in 1963 and awarded an André Messager prize of Academy of Lyric Recordings of France in 1967.

Track list

  • 1 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86: Introduction
    Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    1:44
  • 2 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act I Tableau 1 Scene 1: "No eto khimerichno!"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Eduard Bulavin, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:52
  • 3 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act I Tableau 1 Scene 2: "Nekazist, sutulovat"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Eduard Bulavin, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    4:20
  • 4 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act I Tableau 1 Scene 3: "Ruku pozhala vam""
    Nikolai Korshunov, Eduard Bulavin, Yan Kratov, Anatoly Mishchevsky, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    4:15
  • 5 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act I Tableau 1 Scene 4: "K tebe v okno glyadit luna"
    Yan Kratov, Anatoly Mishchevsky, Valentina Kaevchenko, Choir of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:41
  • 6 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act I Tableau 1 Scene 5: "Prekratite myaukane"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Choir of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:13
  • 7 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act I Tableau 1 Scene 6: Masker's Dance
    Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:38
  • 8 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act I Tableau 1 Scene 7: "Skoree zamuzh, skoree vydat"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Choir of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:30
  • 9 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act I Tableau 1 Scene 8: "Druzya, ukhodite"
    Anatoly Mishchevsky, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:19
  • 10 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 2 Scene 1: "Eto vyydet, nyanechka?"
    Tamara Yanko, Valentina Kaevchenko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    4:23
  • 11 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 2 Scene 2: "Prevoskhodno, synok"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Yan Kratov, Valentina Kaevchenko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:02
  • 12 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 2 Scene 3: "Tak-to ty leleesh moyu starost?"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Yan Kratov, Valentina Kaevchenko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:39
  • 13 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 2 Scene 4: "Otdayte, otdayte mne seychas zhe!"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Tamara Yanko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:24
  • 14 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 2 Scene 5: "Esli est u vas doch"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:03
  • 15 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 3 Scene 1: "Kupite rybu"
    Eduard Bulavin, Sergey Ilinskiy, Choir of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:17
  • 16 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 3 Scene 2: "Rozina"
    Nina Isakova, Valentina Kaevchenko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:30
  • 17 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 3 Scene 3: "Ferdinant odin na svete vsekh dorozhe"
    Nina Isakova, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:50
  • 18 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 3 Scene 4: "Esli znala by ya"
    Valentina Kaevchenko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    1:46
  • 19 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 3 Scene 5: "Boroda"
    Eduard Bulavin, Sergey Ilinskiy, Valentina Kaevchenko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    6:01
  • 20 Betrothal in a Monastery, Act II, Tableau 4, Scene 1: "Tak, tak, tak..."
    Sergey Ilinskiy, Valentina Kaevchenko, Choir of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:54
  • 21 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 4 Scene 1: "Tak, tak, tak"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Eduard Bulavin, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:14
  • 22 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 4 Scene 2: "Moya krasavitsa"
    Eduard Bulavin, Tamara Yanko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:37
  • 23 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 4 Scene 3: "Kogda vokrug zelenoy devochki"
    Eduard Bulavin, Tamara Yanko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    4:33
  • 24 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act II Tableau 4 Scene 4: "Nu chto?"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Eduard Bulavin, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:05
  • 25 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act III Tableau 5 Scene 1: "Akh, vremya"
    Sergey Ilinskiy, Valentina Kaevchenko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:28
  • 26 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act III Tableau 5 Scene 2: "Nu, vkhodite zhe"
    Eduard Bulavin, Anatoly Mishchevsky, Sergey Ilinskiy, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:11
  • 27 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act III Tableau 5 Scene 3: "Vzglyanut tikhonko"
    Eduard Bulavin, Sergey Ilinskiy, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:54
  • 28 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act III Tableau 5 Scene 4: "Ne khorosho podglyadyvat"
    Sergey Ilinskiy, Anatoly Mishchevsky, Eduard Bulavin, Valentina Kaevchenko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:39
  • 29 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act III Tableau 5 Scene 5: "Kak svetlo na dushe!"
    Sergey Ilinskiy, Eduard Bulavin, Valentina Kaevchenko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:11
  • 30 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act III Tableau 6 Scene 1: "Da ostanovis zhe ty"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:22
  • 31 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act III Tableau 6 Scene 2: "Pochtitelnyy privet senoru"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Sergey Ilinskiy, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:44
  • 32 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act III Tableau 6 Scene 3: "Proshu vas"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:46
  • 33 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act III Tableau 6 Scene 4: "Lopets!"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    1:42
  • 34 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act III Tableau 7 Scene 1: "I vot ya monakhinya"
    Nina Isakova, Anatoly Mishchevsky, Valentina Kaevchenko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    7:11
  • 35 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act III Tableau 7 Scene 2: "Ushli, veselye"
    Nina Isakova, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    4:02
  • 36 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act III Tableau 7 Scene 3: "Kak budto zdes"
    Nina Isakova, Yan Kratov, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    3:35
  • 37 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act IV Tableau 8 Scene 1: "Butylka - solntse nashey zhizni"
    Leonid Boldin, Sergey Ilinskiy, Choir of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:23
  • 38 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act IV Tableau 8 Scene 2: "Za krasavitsu monashku"
    Leonid Boldin, Sergey Ilinskiy, Ivan Petrov, Choir of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:42
  • 39 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act IV Tableau 8 Scene 3: "Nesut vino!"
    Sergey Ilinskiy, Leonid Boldin, Ivan Petrov, Anatoly Mishchevsky, Eduard Bulavin, Choir of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    5:16
  • 40 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act IV Tableau 8 Scene 4: "Beregis, Antonio!"
    Nina Isakova, Yan Kratov, Eduard Bulavin, Anatoly Mishchevsky, Ivan Petrov, Leonid Boldin, Valentina Kaevchenko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:50
  • 41 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act IV Tableau 8 Scene 5: "Pryamo k delu teper"
    Nina Isakova, Anatoly Mishchevsky, Leonid Boldin, Yan Kratov, Ivan Petrov, Sergey Ilinskiy, Choir of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    1:59
  • 42 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act IV Tableau 9 Scene 1: "Ya nichego ne ponimayu"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    1:22
  • 43 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act IV Tableau 9 Scene 2: "Aga, vot Mendoza"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Eduard Bulavin, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    1:56
  • 44 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act IV Tableau 9 Scene 3: "A eto chto?"
    Nikolai Korshunov, Anatoly Mishchevsky, Eduard Bulavin, Tamara Yanko, Valentina Kaevchenko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:50
  • 45 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act IV Tableau 9 Scene 4: "Synok!"
    Nina Isakova, Nikolai Korshunov, Yan Kratov, Eduard Bulavin, Tamara Yanko, Valentina Kaevchenko, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    2:51
  • 46 Betrothal in a Monastery, Op. 86, Act IV Tableau 9 Scene 5: "Dazhe nekiy plyus"
    Nina Isakova, Nikolai Korshunov, Anatoly Mishchevsky, Yan Kratov, Valentina Kaevchenko, Choir of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre, Kemal Abdullayev: Orchestra of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre (Sergei Prokofiev - Richard Sheridan)
    5:25
  • Total time: 02:28:09