''Undina'' (sometimes ''Undine'' or ''Ondine'') (russian: Ундина ) 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 three acts 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 ...

. The work was composed in 1869. The

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 ...

was written by Vladimir Sollogub, and is based on

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 ...

's translation of Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué's '' Ondine''.

History

The opera was composed during the months of January to July, 1869, but Tchaikovsky destroyed the score in 1873, preserving only a few numbers from the opera. The opera has never been performed in its entirety. The only extracts that survive are: #Introduction #Aria: ''"Waterfall, my uncle, streamlet, my brother"'' (Undina) #Chorus: ''"Help, help! Our stream is raging"'' #Duet: ''"O happiness, O blessed moment"'' (Undina, Huldbrand) #Chorus: ''"O hours of death"'' (soloists, chorus) At least three of these pieces - the aria, the duet, and the final chorus - were performed at the Moscow premiere at the

Bolshoi Theatre The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and ope ...

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

on 28 March 1870. Some music from the opera was subsequently re-used in Tchaikovsky's other works: *The bridal procession of Act 3 was adapted for the Andantino marziale of his Symphony No. 2 "Little Russian" (1872). *The introduction was used unchanged as the introduction to his

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as t ...

to Ostrovsky's ''The Snow Maiden'' (1873). *Undina's aria was somewhat altered and put to use as the first song of Lel in ''The Snow Maiden''. *The duet was recycled as the duet (No. 13-V) of Siegfried and Odette in Act 2 of ''

Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...

'' (1875–1876). The vocal parts were replaced by solo cello and violin.

Roles

Instrumentation

Source
Tchaikovsky Research
*''Strings'': Violins, Violas, Cellos, and Double Basses *''Woodwinds'': Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets ( B-flat), 2 Bassoons *''Brass'': 4 Horns (all F), 2 Trumpets (B-flat), 2 Trombones, Tuba *''Percussion'': Timpani, Triangle, Cymbals, Bass Drum *''Other'': Harp, Piano

Setting

''Time'': The 15th century ''Place'':

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

, near the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

; Ringstetten Castle (Burg Ringstetten)

Recordings

Vocal and Orchestral Numbers *"Excerpts from the Opera ''Undine''"

Tamara Milashkina Tamara Andreyevna Milashkina (born 13 September 1934) is a Russian lyric and dramatic soprano. Born in Astrakhan, she studied with , and became a member of the Bolshoi Opera in 1958, where she remained one of the leading sopranos until 1989. Th ...

(Undine), Yevgeny Raikov (Gulbrand), Moscow Radio Chorus (Konstantin Lebedev, director), Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra,

Yevgeny Akulov Yevgeny Akulov, first name often spelled Yevgeni or Evgeni, (russian: Евгений Акулов) was a Soviet conductor. He was noted for his conducting of the opera ''The Golden Cockerel ''The Golden Cockerel'' ( rus, Золотой пету ...

, conductor. Melodiya / ABC Westminster Gold WGS 8300, 1975. LP. Features three selections from ''Undina'': Act I: Undine's Song; Act I: Finale; Act III: Duet of Undine and Gulbrand. *"''Undine'': fragments from the unfinished opera" Tamara Milashkina (Undine), Yevgeny Raikov (Gulbrand), Moscow Radio Chorus, Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Yevgeny Akulov. Melodiya, 1988. CD. A CD reissue of the above LP, subsequently re-released by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (Petaluma, CA) in 1989. It features the same three selections as in the 1975 issue, plus the Introduction (Ouverture), with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexander Gauk. *"Vodopad moy dyadya" from ''Undina'', On ''Guilty Pleasures''.

Renée Fleming Renée Lynn Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is an American soprano, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Fleming has been nominated for ...

, soprano,

Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, ...

, Sebastian Lang-Lessing, conductor. London/Decca B0019033-02, 2013. CD. *''Undina'': surviving fragments.

Anna Aglatova Anna Khristoforovna Aglatova (russian: Анна Христофоровна Аглатова, born as russian: Анна Хачатуровна Асриян; born 4 March 1982 in Kislovodsk) is a Russian soprano singer. Career Aglatova was born i ...

(Undina), Aleksey Tataritsev (Gulbrand),

Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra The Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra is a Russian classical music radio orchestra established in 1930. It was founded as the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, and served as the official symphony for the Soviet All-Union Radio network. History Followi ...

and Chorus of the Popov Academy of Choral Arts,

Vladimir Fedoseyev Vladimir Ivanovich Fedoseyev ( rus, Владимир Иванович Федосе́ев, p=, links=no; born 5 August 1932, in Leningrad, Soviet Union) is a Soviet and Russian conductor, accordionist, teacher. People's Artist of the USSR (1980). ...

, conductor. Publishe
YouTube
23 November 2015. Concert performance of all five surviving numbers, including the previously unrecorded ''Bridal March'', recorded 13 November 2015 at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in

, with Mikhail Fillipov reciting extracts from Zhukovsky's story.

References

External links

*
Tchaikovsky Research
{{DEFAULTSORT:Undina (Tchaikovsky) Operas by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Russian-language operas 1869 operas Operas Operas based on plays Lost operas Operas set in Germany Works based on Undine (novella)