Summary Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The Maid of Orleans
ORLEAN VIRGIN
Opera in three acts (six scenes)
Libretto by PI Tchaikovsky on Schiller and Zhukovsky with a reduction of many poems
Characters:
Charles VII, King Archbishop Dunois, French Knight Lionel, the Burgundian knight Thibault d’Arc, Father John Raymond, her fiancé Bertrand, peasant Warrior John of Arc Agnesea Sorel The voice of the solo in the choir of angels | Tenor Bass Baritone Baritone Bass Tenor Bass Bass Soprano Soprano Soprano |
Cavaliers and ladies of the court, French and English soldiers, knights, monks, gypsies and gypsies, pages, buffoons, dwarfs, minstrels, hangmen, people.
Location – France.
Time: the
HISTORY OF CREATION
The glorious feat of the heroine of the French people, Joanna (Joan) d ‘Arc, as a plot for the opera, interested Tchaikovsky in 1878. Such interest did not arise by chance.
Romantic drama Schiller “The Maid of Orleans”, for the first time with great success set in Leipzig in 1831, enjoyed, thanks to the translation of Zhukovsky (1817-1821), a great popularity in the progressive circles of Russia. This popularity grew even more in the years of the social upsurge of the 70s-80s. But Schiller’s play was at that time banned from the stage performance. Nevertheless, the great Russian tragic actress MN Ermolova often read at the evenings organized by student youth, monologues from the “Orleans Maidens.” The image of the heroine girl, selflessly imbued with the idea of liberating the homeland, ignited the hearts of the democratic audience. However, Yermolova managed to put the Schiller tragedy on the stage of the Moscow Maly Theater only in 1884, three years after the premiere of Tchaikovsky’s opera on the same
The patriotic content of the tragedy first of all drew the composer’s attention to it: the peasants and knights of France, animated by personal courage and the ardent appeal of a peasant girl, defeated the English in the so-called Hundred Years War. The decisive battle took place in Orleans; hence the name Jeanne – the Maid of Orleans. Slandered, she is being burned at the stake by the sentence of the Catholic court (executed on May 30, 1431).
There was, however, another reason that prompted Tchaikovsky to turn to the Schiller play. After the lyrical scenes of “Eugene Onegin” he wanted to create a theatrical work of a more monumental plan, where the lyrics would be combined with the scenic-decorative manner of writing. The tragedy of Schiller provided grateful material in this respect. In addition, the composer could take advantage of the excellent text of Zhukovsky’s translation.
At the end of 1878, Tchaikovsky began to realize his plan, while composing a libretto and composing music. In January 1879 he wrote: “I am very satisfied with my musical work. As for the literary side, that is, the libretto… it’s hard to tell how tired I am before I lose a few lines! I get up in complete despair because the rhyme is not given, or a certain number of feet do not come out, that I’m surprised that at this moment this or that person should speak. ” Tchaikovsky set himself a difficult task: he not only shortened or partially supplemented the text of the Schiller-Zhukovsky drama, but also, after reading some historical studies, and using J. Barbier’s play “Joan of Arc”, introduced a number of new plot-scenic motivations,
Despite these difficulties, the opera in sketches was completed by the end of February, and the score – in August 1879. Total work on such a monumental composition took Tchaikovsky only nine months. The piano was published in 1880. Later, the composer made some changes to it.
Contrary to censorship, the “Orleans Maiden” was staged at the Mariinsky Theater on February 13 (25), 1881. A year and a half later, its premiere took place in Prague. In the life of Tchaikovsky, however, she was not put often. Only in Soviet times came to her full recognition.
MUSIC
“The Maid of Orleans” – one of the most monumental operatic works of Tchaikovsky. Written in a broad decorative manner with the use of large choral masses and unfolded ensembles, it is at the same time marked by the lyric-psychological depth characteristic of the composer’s work. Against the backdrop of the choral massifs, the image of the main heroine, truthfully depicted in the variety of spiritual conflicts inherent in her, is prominently highlighted. This image dominates the whole opera: its development determines the deployment of scenic action in the musical drama of the work.
In accordance with such a plan, the music of the orchestral introduction (introductions) is designed to convey the main features of the character of John: her simple shepherd look, passionate ecstasy with a dream, heroic dedication.
Pastoral choir of girls opens the first act. In the thibs of Thibaut, Raymond and Johanna, a psychological conflict is maturing, which is interrupted by a large choral scene of people’s turmoil, where Bertrand’s excited story stands out. John draws all with his prayer “King of the highest powers, you are our cover, our hope!” The choir picks up the hymnal melody, in which the strength and power of the people is embodied. Left alone, after making a decision, she pours out the feeling of sorrow that gripped her in the aria “Forgive you, hills, fields native”. The intonations of this confession, touching their spontaneity, are mournfully concentrated, but in the lyrics the heroic features are already clearly breaking through. They are fully approved in the conclusion of the act, after the choir of angels, performed by women’s voices, in the passionate monologue of John “You, the host of angels of heaven.”
In the orchestral introduction to the second act, the theme of the anthem develops. Contrast it served as an intermediate scene, characterizing the environment of the king. Stylized in the French spirit, the choir of the minstrels is replaced by the incendiary dance of the Gypsies, and the dance of the pages and dwarfs (first in the character of the minuet, then – animated) – grotesque dance buffoons and buffoons. The duet of Karl and Dunois ends with a courageous oath, while the duet of Agnes with Karl is marked by effeminate features. The dramaturgical center of the act is a mass stage, expressing the summit of the celebration of the Orleans maiden. The release of John is preceded by a marching theme. Her story “Father, my name is John” is lyrically penetrating and at the same time heroic; here the theme of the choir of angels from the previous act is being subjected to musical processing. Final – an expanded ensemble with a choir:
A brief orchestral introduction to the first picture of the third act paints the battle. On this tense background, the initial episodes of the meeting between Joanna and Lionel take place. The whole picture is full of dramatic conflict, marking a turning point in the fate of John. Ultimate expressiveness reaches the music in words “Ah, why the warrior sword I gave my staff”.
The next picture of the third act is based on a dynamic juxtaposition of the initial triumphant march and chorus of the glorification of the warrior-maiden by the rebuke of Thibaut. This is the culmination of the drama, embodied in the sound of the great choral masses. Especially impressive is the final septet with the chorus, which opens with the words Thibault “Answer me”. In the wavy, all-time aspiring movement of the melody, the content of this tremendous, huge in its size scene reveals itself: its participants, struck by the silence of John, turn their gaze to the heavens,
In the first picture of the fourth act, other aspects of the image of the Orleans virgin are revealed more fully. Here, in a duet with Lionel, she appears as a warmly loving woman. Lyrically enthusiastic music sounds on the words “Oh wonderful, sweet dream.” The passion is transmitted in the orchestral episode, which precedes the duet.
The unity of the gloomy funeral mood permeates the final scene of the last act (the second picture). An ominous mourning march is held, steadily increasing, in the orchestra. Against this background – cries of soldiers, mournful cries of the people. As if the flames of the flame are imprinted in the orchestral sound when a fire flares up on the stage. At the same time, the singing of angels, the funeral of the monks, the curses of the soldiers, and the passionate appeals to the heavens of John are heard.
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