''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 libre ...

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 music, Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer Music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, whose music would make a lasting impressi ...

. The work was composed in 1869. The libretto 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 Friedrich Heinrich Karl de la Motte, Baron Fouqué (); (12 February 1777 – 23 January 1843) was a German writer of the Romantic style. Biography He was born at Brandenburg an der Havel, of a family of French Huguenot origin, as evidenced in h ...

'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 op ...

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 ...

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 (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

, 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 , ...

; Ringstetten Castle (Burg Ringstetten)

Recordings

Vocal and Orchestral Numbers *"Excerpts from the Opera ''Undine''" Tamara Milashkina (Undine), Yevgeny Raikov (Gulbrand), Moscow Radio Chorus (Konstantin Lebedev, director), Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Yevgeny Akulov, 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 Alexander Vassilievich Gauk (russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Га́ук; 30 March 1963) was a Russian/ Soviet conductor and composer. Biography Alexander Gauk was born in Odessa in 1893. He recalled his first experience as ...

. *"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 (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 Follo ...

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)