''The Maid of Orleans'' (russian: Орлеанская дева, Orleanskaja deva, link=no, Virgin of Orleans ) is an
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
in 4 acts, 6 scenes, by
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...
. It was composed during 1878–1879 to a Russian
libretto
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major li ...
by the composer, based on several sources:
Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friendsh ...
Vasily Zhukovsky
Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky (russian: Василий Андреевич Жуковский, Vasiliy Andreyevich Zhukovskiy; – ) was the foremost Russian poet of the 1810s and a leading figure in Russian literature in the first half of the 19t ...
;
Jules Barbier
Paul Jules Barbier (8 March 182516 January 1901) was a French poet, writer and opera librettist who often wrote in collaboration with Michel Carré. He was a noted Parisian bon vivant and man of letters.Auguste Mermet's libretto for his own 1876 opera; and Henri Wallon's biography of
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...
. Dedicated to conductor Eduard Nápravník, this work represents the composer's closest approach to French
grand opera
Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterized by large-scale casts and orchestras, and (in their original productions) lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on o ...
, albeit in the Russian language, notably with its inclusion of a ballet in act 2.
Performance history
The world premiere was given on 25 February 1881 (13 February O.S.) at the
Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...
in Saint Petersburg, conducted by Eduard Nápravník. Notable subsequent performances were given on 28 July 1882 in Prague under
Adolf Čech
Adolf Čech (born Adolf Jan Antonin Tausik; 11 December 184127 December 1903) was a Czech conductor, who premiered a number of significant works by Antonín Dvořák (the 2nd, 5th and 6th symphonies, more than any other conductor; other important ...
, the first production of any Tchaikovsky opera outside Russia; in 1899 in Moscow by the
Private Opera Society
The Private Opera (russian: Частная Опера), also known as:
*The Russian Private Opera ();
*Moscow Private Russian Opera, ();
*Mamontov's Private Russian Opera in Moscow ();
*Korotkov's Theatre (, 1885-1888);
*Vinter's Theatre (, ...
Zimin Opera
The Zimin Opera was founded by the Russian entrepreneur Sergei Zimin in Moscow, Russia in 1903.
The company staged the premieres of such operas as Rimsky-Korsakov's '' Golden Cockerel'', Gretchaninoff's ''Beatris Sister'' and Ippolitov-Ivanov ...
, conducted by Palitsīn.
Roles
Instrumentation
The opera is scored for the following forces:''The Maid of Orleans'' tchaikovsky-research.net
*''Strings'': violins I and II, violas, cellos, double Basses, harp
*''Woodwinds'': piccolo, 3 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets (B-flat, A, C), 2 bassoons
*''Brass'': 4 horns (F, D, E-flat, E), 2 cornets (B-flat, A), 2 trumpets (E-flat, F, E, D, A), 3 trombones, tuba
*''Percussion'': timpani, triangle, tambourine, side drum, bass drum, tam-tam, bell
*''Other'': organ
Synopsis
:Time: Beginning of the 15th century, in the midst of the
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...
with England
:Place: France
Act 1
:Introduction
:Chorus of Maidens (No. 1)
:Scena & terzetto (No. 2)
:Scena (No. 3)
:Chorus of peasants & scena (No. 4)
:Scena (No. 5)
:Hymn "King of the heavenly host" (No. 6)
:Joan's aria "Farewell, you native hills and fields" (No. 7)
:Finale (No. 8)
:Joan's aria & chorus of angels (No. 8a)
In the square in front of the church village girls decorate an oak and sing songs. Peasant Thibaut of Arc is annoyed by their levity at such a terrible time for the fatherland. He is concerned about the fate of his daughter, Joan who is seventeen, and wants her to marry Raymond, to protect her from danger. But Joan feels another calling. An alarm sounds announcing the fall of Paris and the siege of Orleans. In a panic, the citizens pray for salvation; inspired, Joan predicts imminent victory. The girl says goodbye to her birthplace, hearing voices of angels blessing her heroic endeavor.
Act 2
:Entr'acte (No. 9)
:Chorus of minstrels (No. 10)
:Gypsy dance (No. 11a)
:Dance of the pages & dwarves (No. 11b)
:Dance of the clowns & tumblers (No. 11c)
:Scena & duet (No. 12)
:Agnes's arioso & duettino (No. 13)
:Scena & Archbishop's narration (No. 14)
:Joan's narration (No. 15)
:Finale (No. 16)
In
Château de Chinon
Château de Chinon is a castle located on the bank of the river Vienne in Chinon, France. It was founded by Theobald I, Count of Blois. In the 11th century the castle became the property of the counts of Anjou. In 1156 Henry II of Englan ...
the king is being entertained forgetting his duty with his beloved
Agnès Sorel
Agnès Sorel (; 1422 – 9 February 1450), known by the sobriquet ''Dame de beauté'' (Lady of Beauty), was a favourite and chief mistress of King Charles VII of France, by whom she bore four daughters. She is considered the first officially r ...
. Minstrels, pages, gypsies, clowns follow each other. The king is paralyzed by inaction. Neither the appearance of Knight Lauret, mortally wounded in the battle, nor the resignation of courageous Knight Dunois, who leaves to fight with honor ("I'm sorry! Monarch we do not have, I am not your servant any more...") can shake the king's decision to flee. The archbishop suddenly appears; courtiers and people tell the king about the rout of the British, the French victory, and the "glorious Maiden" who inspired the soldiers. Joan tells the astonished audience about the vision she had telling her to lead the fight. A vow of virginity was a condition of that victory. On the orders of king, Joan is put in command of the army.
Act 3
''Tableau 1'' and ''Tableau 2''
:Scena & duet (No. 17)
:March (No. 18)
:Scena & duettino (No. 19)
:Finale (No. 20)
Scene 1
Deep in the woods Joan fights Knight Lionel of Burgundy. He is struck, the helmet with a visor falls. Conquered by his beautiful young face, she cannot kill him. Lionel is moved by the generosity of Joan: "Rumor has it that you do not spare enemies, why mercy for me, alone?" She is shocked by her awakened feelings, remembering the vow. Lionel decides to side with the French and offers his sword to Dunois. In the heart of the recent enemy, a love for Joan grows.
Scene 2
The nation celebrates the king and Joan - the victor. Her father, however, believes that all the acts of his daughter are the devil's work and decides to save her soul, even at the cost of her life. When the king declares her savior of the fatherland, ordering an altar to be erected, the father accuses the daughter of dealing with Satan and challenges her to publicly prove her innocence: "Do your believe yourself holy and pure?" Joan does not answer, tormented by her love for Lionel. Dunois attempts to protect the heroine; frightened by a clap of thunder, the citizens, considering it a judgment from heaven, renounce her. Lionel tries to protect her, but Joan drives him away.
Act 4
:Introduction & scena (No. 21)
:Duet & scena (No. 22)
:Final scena (No. 23)
Scene 1
Joan is alone, abandoned in the remote woods. "To a mortal how dare I give the soul promised to the creator?" But when Lionel finds her, she eagerly responds to him. The happy moment is cut short as English soldiers arrive, killing Lionel and capturing Joan.
Scene 2
In the square of Rouen, a pyre is built. Joan is to be executed. The citizens filling the square sympathize with the heroine, and doubts grow about the justice of the impending execution. But Joan is tied to a pole, a fire ignited. Holding a cross, Joan cries out to God, humbly ready to die. She hears voices of angels bearing forgiveness.
Recordings
*1946,
Boris Khaykin Boris Emmanuilovich Khaikin (russian: Борис Эммануилович Хайкин; be, Барыс Эмануілавіч Хайкін; – 10 May 1978) was a Soviet and Russian conductor who was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 197 ...
(conductor), Kirov Theatre Orchestra and Chorus, Sofia Preobrazhenskaya (Joan), V. Kilchevskyi (King Charles), N. Konstantinov (Archbishop), O. Kashevarova (Agnes Sorel), V. Runovsky (Dunois), L. Solomiak (Lionel), V. Ulianov (Raymond), I. Yashugin (Thibaut), I. Shashkov (Bertrand), S. Vodsinsky (Soldier), A. Marin (Lore), M. Merzhevskaya (Angel), N. Grishanov (Minstrel)
*1971,
Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Gennady Nikolayevich Rozhdestvensky, CBE (russian: Генна́дий Никола́евич Рожде́ственский; 4 May 1931 – 16 June 2018) was a Soviet and Russian conductor.
Biography
Gennady Rozhdestvensky was born in Moscow. ...
(conductor), Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus,
Irina Arkhipova
Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova (russian: Ири́на Константи́новна Архи́пова; 2 January 1925 11 February 2010, Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian mezzo-soprano, and later contralto, opera singer. She sang leading roles fi ...
(Joan), Vladimir Makhov (King Charles), Klavdiya Radchenko (Agnes Sorel), Vladimir Valaitis (Dunois), Sergey Yavkovchenko (Lionel), Lev Vernigora, (Archbishop), Andrey Sokolov (Raymond), Viktor Selivanov (Bertrand), Vartan Makelian (Soldier), Yevgeny Vladimirov (Thibaut) MV ASD 2879-82*1993,
Alexander Lazarev
Alexander Nikolayevich Lazarev (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Ла́зарев; born 5 July 1945, Moscow, Soviet Union) is a Russian conductor. He studied at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, and later at the Moscow Conse ...
(conductor), Bolshoy Theatre Orchestra and Chorus, Nina Rautio (Joan), Oleg Kulko (King Charles), Mariya Gavrilova (Agnes Sorel), Mikhail Krutikov (Dunois), Vladimir Redkin (Lionel), Gleb Nikolsky (Archbishop), Arkady Mishenkin (Raymond), Maksim Mikhaylov II (Bertrand), Anatoly Babikin (Soldier), Zoya Smolyanikova (Angel), Vyacheslav Pochapsky (Thibaut)