Summary Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov. May Night
MAYA NIGHT
Opera in three acts (four scenes)
Libretto by NA Rimsky-Korsakov
Characters:
Head Levko, his son The sister-in-law of the Head Ganna Clerk Distiller Kalenik | Bass Tenor Mezzo soprano Mezzo soprano Bass Tenor Bass | ||
Pannochka Cutie Raven Stepmother | } | Mermaids | Soprano Mezzo soprano Soprano Mezzo soprano |
Parables, girls, tenths, drowned mermaids.
The action takes place in Little Russia, near Dikanka, on the Troitskaya or Rusal week.
Time: the beginning of the XIX century.
PLOT
Cheerful songs sound in the May evening on the street of the Ukrainian
Head, Pisar and Vinokur are stealthily approaching the bureaucratic hut and in turn look into the keyhole. They are filled with superstitious fear: they see the Savior again. The head decides not to regret the good and burn the house together with Satan in the female image. Only Pisar dared to open the door. At his request, the prisoner crossed herself, and after the stream of abuse and reproaches came crashing down on her head, no one doubted that they really did not have a devil, but her sister-in-law.
And Levko, leaving a cheerful gang of guys, went down to the lake. All his thoughts are addressed to the beloved. He sings about her affectionate, soulful song. And, as if attracted by the sound of music, Pannochka appeared in the window of a dilapidated house, and along the lake shore the mermaids played roundels. They started the game in crow, and Levko, at the request of Pannochka, pointed to the witch. With triumphant cries, the mermaids carried her to the bottom, and the grateful Pannochka, giving the Cossack a note for her father, disappeared. Parubok woke up with a note in his hand. The approaching Head, Pisar, Vinokur and the Tit (village guard) recognized Levko as the instigator of yesterday’s stir and rushed to knit him. But, to the surprise of those present, Levko passed a note to his father, in which he was instructed by the commissioner’s arm to marry his son on Gunn. Joyful met lovers; now nothing prevents their happiness.
MUSIC
Despite the simplicity of the plot and the relatively modest size, “May Night” attracts a variety of musical content. Along with the lyrical scenes in it are comedy and household scenes and fantastic episodes, paintings of folk rites, framed and against which the action unfolds. The music of the opera has a predominantly lyrical character, its basis is played by numerous melodies, easily remembered melodies, among which many folk songs.
Overture, built on the musical themes of the opera, begins with poetic horns; music is gradually animated, leading to a fast, temperamental code.
The first act is opened with a round dance “Millet” (folk words and melody), based on the roll of two choirs. Levko’s flexible song, which melts with pleasure, “The sun is low, the evening is near” is full of enthusiastic, warm feelings. Following her lyric duet “Oh, do not be afraid, red kalinochka” grows into a big stage; Hanna’s singing phrases are accompanied by capricious and dreamy remarks of the solo violin in the orchestra; the final episode of the scene – Levko’s story “It’s been a long time”, in which recitative-arias phrases alternate freely. Farewell of Ganna and Levko sounds on the background of the sad trinity song of the girls “Sequence of Wreaths” (words and folk music). The subsequent comic scene with the drunk Kalenik contrasts with her, the music of which is sustained in the rhythm of the hopak. In the tercet (Ganna, Levko, Head) expressive melodies of Hanne are set off by the pleading patter of the Head. The act ends with Levko’s long-distance song and the couple’s “The Bats, have you heard?”
In the second act – two pictures, full of comedy situations. In the first picture, Vinokur’s mysteriously insinuating story “In the evening, as it is remembered, not later this one” and the successive song of the pairing (the music from the first act) are singled out. The picture is comic three-part fugetta (Head, Pisar, Vinokur) “Let everyone know what power means”; its pompous importance is emphasized by the accompaniment of a piccolo flute and a snare drum.
At the beginning of the second picture, the comic fugato “Satan, this is Satan himself!” Attracts attention, conveying the numbness and fear of the Head, Writer and Vinokur. Juicy humor is painted choking, fractional patter of the Sister-in-Law.
The third act splits into two large contrasting scenes – fantastic and everyday. The orchestral introduction (the music of the overture) depicts a poetic picture of a southern night full of mysterious, obscure sounds. Arioso Levko “How quiet, how cool here” and his song “Sleep, my beauty” imbued with a serene, dreamy mood. Full of admiration, Levko’s song “Oh, you, month”, close to the Ukrainian folk tunes, is interrupted by the charming lyrical phrases of Pannochka, accompanied by light, like a whiff of “breeze, transparent passages of harps.” A chorus of mermaids “Lured by singing” and the freshness of the melody melody. The light, transparent color is a round-iron song of the mermaids “Gather, maidens, gather, red,” related to folk gaming songs. The scene of the game in the crow is based on motifs reminiscent of ancient pagan spells. The fantastic part of the act ends with a gentle lyrical duet of Pannochka and Levko “Oh, how easy it is for me now, how gratifying” and the orchestral picture of the sunrise (music of the beginning of the act). With the fragile, poetic music of the fantastic episodes, the coarse comic recitations of the Head, Writer and Vinokur are contrastingly prominent. The end of the recitative scene comes against the background of the russal ritual song of the female chorus “Gunpowder, gunpowder on the road”, which is replaced by the song of the male choir “Holy week, green Christmas-trees” of a fast, decisive nature; then both of the tunes, polyphony merging, sound simultaneously. The jubilant, excited duet of Ganna and Levko and the solemn grand choir finish the opera.
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