''Zaporozhets za Dunayem'' ( uk, Запорожець за Дунаєм, translated as ''A Zaporozhian (

Cossack The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...

) Beyond 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 ...

'', also referred to as ''Cossacks in Exile'') is a

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a n ...

with spoken dialogue in three acts with music and

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 Semen Hulak-Artemovsky (1813–1873) about Cossacks of

Danubian Sich The Danubian Sich ( uk, Задунайська Сiч, translit=Zadunaiska Sich) was an organization of the part of former Zaporozhian Cossacks who settled in the territory of the Ottoman Empire (the Danube Delta, hence the name) after their pre ...

. The orchestration has subsequently been rewritten by composers such as Reinhold Glière and

Heorhiy Maiboroda Heorhiy Ilarionovych Maiboroda, sometimes transcribed in English as Georgiy or Heorhy Maiboroda or Mayboroda (Ukrainian: Георгій Іларіонович Майборода; , in Pelekhivshchyna khutir, Kremenchuk County, Poltava Governorate, ...

. This is one of the best-known Ukrainian comic operas depicting national themes. It was premiered with a Russian libretto on , in

St Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

(at the time the capital of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

). However, it is now normally performed in a Ukrainian translation.

Composition history

According to contemporary accounts, Hulak-Artemovsky based the libretto on a story by the historian

Mykola Kostomarov Mykola Ivanovych Kostomarov or Nikolai Ivanovich Kostomarov (russian: Никола́й Ива́нович Костома́ров, ; uk, Микола Іванович Костомаров, ; May 16, 1817, vil. Yurasovka, Voronezh Governorate, R ...

. The composer wrote nearly all of libretto, although some poetic phrasings are attributed to his good friend, the journalist V. Sykevych. The story depicts the events following the destruction of the island fortress of

Zaporizhian Sich The Zaporozhian Sich ( ua, Запорозька Січ, ; also uk, Вольностi Вiйська Запорозького Низового, ; Free lands of the Zaporozhian Host the Lower) was a semi-autonomous polity and proto-state of C ...

, the historic stronghold of the Ukrainian

s on the

Dnieper River } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine an ...

. Although historically this destruction was ordered by the Russian Empress

Catherine II , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

in 1775, for unknown reasons the composer chose to set the action in 1772. To tell the story of the freedom-loving

Zaporozhian Cossacks The Zaporozhian Cossacks, Zaporozhian Cossack Army, Zaporozhian Host, (, or uk, Військо Запорізьке, translit=Viisko Zaporizke, translit-std=ungegn, label=none) or simply Zaporozhians ( uk, Запорожці, translit=Zaporoz ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...

, who had fought against the Russian Empire, Hulak-Artemovsky deliberately set the story in Turkish lands with the Cossacks fighting for the

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...

. This change of locale helped the work get past the

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...

's censors, who normally banned stories about Ukrainian Cossacks. The orchestral score was completed in the autumn of 1862 by Konstantin Lyadov, (father of

Anatoly Lyadov Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov (russian: Анато́лий Константи́нович Ля́дов; ) was a Russian composer, teacher, and conductor (music), conductor. Biography Lyadov was born in 1855 in Saint Petersburg, St. Petersbur ...

), who developed it under the guidance of Hulak-Artemovsky. Hulak-Artemovsky had composed the original piano score and written the libretto (in Russian), no later than 12 July of that year (as the earliest known manuscript bears that date). The libretto and score were first published in 1866 in St Petersburg, by the firm of F. Stelovsky. In 1902, the Ukrainian composer

Oleksandr Horily Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

wrote the

aria In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...

''Prylyn', prylyn'' ( uk, Пpилинь, пpилинь – "Come, come"), when arranging the comic opera for

Mykola Sadovsky Mykola ( uk, Мико́ла, Mykóla, ) is a Slavic variant, more specifically a Ukrainian variant, of the masculine name " Nicholas", meaning "victory of the people". It may refer to: People *Mykola Arkas (1853–1909), Ukrainian composer, wri ...

's theatrical troupe. The aria essentially extended the vocal range of the character Oksana, who had previously been played by

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middl ...

s; this aria is intended for a

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880& ...

. After 1898, the original role of Prokop Teren ( uk, Пpoкoп Tepeн), a rival of Andriy for the affections of Oksana, was eliminated (although in Moscow, the role was performed up until 1915).

Roles

{, class="wikitable" border="1" !, Role !, Voice type !, Premiere cast
26 April 1863 , - , Ivan Karas, ''a Zaporozhian Cossack, aged 45–50'' ,

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, Semen Hulak-Artemovsky , - , Odarka, ''aged 35, wife of Karas'' ,

, , - , Andriy, ''a young Zaporozhian Cossack'' ,

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

, - , Oksana, ''an orphan maiden, raised by Karas and Odarka'' , , soprano (originally

) ,

Darya Leonova Daria or Darya (russian: Дарья) is a traditional Russian female name, also used in some other predominantly Eastern Orthodox countries in Europe. Origin Saint Daria of Rome is a venerated martyr of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthod ...

, - , The Sultan, ''aged 30'' ,

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the ...

, , - , Selikh-Aha, ''a Turkish lord '' , tenor , , - , Ibrahim-Ali, ''an

Imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, serve ...

'' , bass , , - , Hasan, ''a servant'' , , , -

Synopsis

The story is based on a historical event: when the

was overwhelmed by the Russian army, the Zaporizhian Cossacks and their families headed across the

River to the apparently safe haven of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...

(this area is now part of

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

) and established the Danube Sich (see Zaporozhian Host: Russian rule). The comedy arises from the efforts made by a Cossack clan to adjust to their new home, and from the eccentric behaviour of an amorous Turkish

. The plot revolves around a chance encounter between Ivan Karas, an old

Dnieper } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine an ...

Cossack and the Turkish Sultan travelling incognito, resulting in permission for all the "Cossacks beyond the Danube" to resettle on

Imperial Russia The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. The ...

n land, back in

Noted arias

* Transliterated title: ''Prylyn', prylyn'', uk, Пpилинь, пpилинь – "Come, come" – Act 1 (Oksana) * Transliterated title: ''Vidkilya tse ty usiavsa'', uk, Вiдкiля цe ти узявca – "Where did you come from?" – Act 1 (Odarka and Karas'). * Transliterated title: ''Chorna khmara za dibrovy'', uk, Чорна xмapa з-за дiбpoви --"Black Clouds Behind the Grove" – Act 2 (Oksana and Andriy) * – "O Lord of Heaven and Earth" – (Chorus)

Recordings

''Zaporozhets za Dunayem'' (''A Cossack Beyond the Danube'') *Ivan Karas: Sergei Yaroshenko, bass; Odarka: Natalia Moiseyeva; Andrei: Stepan Fitysch; Oksana: Lidiya Zabiliasta; The Sultan: Mykola Koval; Imam: Ivan Tcherney; Selih-Aga: Yuri Khomych *Chorus and Orch of the National Opera of Ukraine/Ivan Hamkalo. *Recorded in May 2009 at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ukraine, Kiev. 1hr 48'

Film

''Zaporozhets Za Dunayem'' also known as ''Cossacks Beyond the Danube'' 1938-Ukraine/USSR-Costume Adventure/Film-Opera Produced in Ukraine by a home-grown production staff, this comic opera was released in English-speaking countries as ''Cossacks Beyond the Danube''. Distributor:

Amkino Nicola Napoli, was the President of Artkino Pictures, Inc., the primary distributor of Soviet films in the United States, Canada, Central America and South America from 1940 to 1982. Napoli was a double agent Soviet Spy for the United States. In 19 ...

; Running Time: 73 Minutes; Starring: Stepan Shkurat; Directed by: Ivan Kavaleridze Russian-language operas Ukrainian-language operas 1863 operas Operas Operas by Semen Hulak-Artemovsky Operas set in Ukraine Ukrainian works adapted into films