Cherevichki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cherevichki |
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| by Tchaikovsky | |
Tchaikovsky in 1888
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| Native title | Russian: Черевички |
| Librettist | Yakov Polonsky |
| Language | Russian |
| Premiere | 31 January 1887: Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow |
Cherevichki (Russian: Черевички , Ukrainian: Черевички, Cherevichki, Čerevički, The Slippers; alternative renderings are The Little Shoes, The Tsarina's Slippers, The Empress's Slippers, The Golden Slippers, The Little Slippers, Les caprices d'Oxane, and Gli stivaletti) is a comic-fantastic opera in 4 acts, 8 scenes, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It was composed in 1885 in Maidanovo, Russia. The libretto was written by Yakov Polonsky, and is based on the story "Christmas Eve", part of the 1832 collection Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka, by Nikolai Gogol. The opera is a revision of Tchaikovsky's earlier opera Vakula the Smith. The work was first performed in 1887 in Moscow.
Contents
Composition history
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The opera was composed between February and April 1885 at Maidanovo. Both Vakula the Smith and Cherevichki were set to Polonsky's libretto, which was originally intended for Alexander Serov, but had remained unused on account of his death. Additions and revisions for this second version were made by the composer and Nikolay Chayev.
The main thematic material of the second version of the opera is the same as in Vakula the Smith. The alterations were caused by a wish to help the opera "out of the river of oblivion" (letter by Tchaikovsky of 4 March 1885). The editing primarily simplified some elements of musical texture. The lyric sphere of the opera was deepened by the introduction of a new aria inserted for Vakula: Slyshit li devitsa serdtse tvoe... (Who knows, my girl, if your heart can feel my pain...). But the addition of the song of the School Teacher and the verses of His Highness enrich the genre part of the opera. Tchaikovsky also changed the cast of the chorus scenes, as in No. 13 (Kolyadka).
Performance history
The premiere was given on 31 January 1887 [OS January 19] at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow conducted by Tchaikovsky (it was his debut as a conductor) with stage direction by A. I. Bartsal and scenic design by K. F. Valts. During the 20th century the opera was performed very rarely, revived almost exclusively within Russia and the USSR. It received its Polish premiere in the Baltic Opera House in Gdańsk on 28 June 1952. Wexford Festival Opera presented five performances of a new production in October 1993. It was shown in the United Kingdom for the first time at Garsington Opera on 26 June 2004, and then at The Royal Opera House Covent Garden on 20 November 2009 (one of the later performances was broadcast).
Roles
| English | Voice type | Premiere cast 31 January [OS January 19] 1887 (Conductor: Composer) |
|---|---|---|
| Vakula, a smith | tenor | Dmitri Usatov |
| Solokha, Vakula's mother, a witch | mezzo-soprano | A. V. Svyatlovskaya |
| Chub, an elderly Cossack | bass | Ivan Matchinsky |
| Oksana, Chub's daughter | soprano | Maria Klimentova-Muromtseva |
| A devil from Hell, a fantastic character | bass | Bogomir Korsov |
| Schoolmaster | tenor | Aleksandr Dodonov |
| Pan Golova, Chub's crony | bass | V. S. Streletsky |
| Panas, Chub's crony | tenor | P. N. Grigoryev |
| His Highness | bass | Pavel Khokhlov |
| Master of Ceremonies | bass | R. V. Vasilyevsky |
| Attendant | tenor | |
| Old Cossack | bass | |
| Wood Goblin | bass | |
| chorus, silent roles (Lads, lasses, elders, gusli-players, rusalki, wood-sprites, echo, spirits, court ladies and gentlemen, Zaporozhtsy) | ||
Instrumentation
Source: Tchaikovsky Research
- Strings: Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
- Woodwinds: Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets (B-flat and A), 2 Bassoons
- Brass: 4 Horns (all F), 2 Trumpets (F and E), 3 Trombones, Tuba
- Percussion: Timpani, Triangle, Tambourine, Cymbals, Bass Drum,
- Other: Harp
- On/Offstage: Wind Band (off)
Some numbers were also arranged for voices with piano or for piano duet (4 hands) by Tchaikovsky in 1885.
Structure
Act 1
Scene 2
Act 2
Scene 2
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Act 3
Scene 2
Scene 3
Act 4
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Related works
- Tchaikovsky: The opera Vakula the Smith (1874)
- Rimsky-Korsakov: The opera Christmas Eve (1895)
Rimsky-Korsakov's Christmas Eve, Tchaikovsky's Vakula the Smith, and its revision, Cherevichki, are all based on the same story by Gogol.
Recordings
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1948 Bolshoy Theatre
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2000 Cagliari Lyric Theatre
- 1948, Aleksandr Melik-Pashayev, Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra and Chorus, G. Nelepp (Vakula), E. Antonova (Solokha), Al. Ivanov (Devil), M. Mikhailov (Chub), E. Kruglikova (Oksana), S. Krasnovsky (Village-head), F. Godovkin (Panas), A. Peregudov (Deacon), An. Ivanov (His Highness), O. Insarova (Yekaterina II), I. Ionov (Master of ceremonies), V. Shvetsov (Sentry), I. Sipaev (Zaporozhian Cossack), M. Skazin (Forest Sprite)
- 1973, Fedoseyev/Fomina/Simonova/Lisovsky/Krivchenia/Klenov (Melodiya)
- 2000, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Cagliari Lyric Theater Orchestra and Chorus, Fabio Bonavita, Pavel Cernoch, Ekaterina Morosova, Vladimir Ognovenko, Vladimir Okenko, Grigory Osipov, Valeri Popov, Valentin Prolat, Albert Schagidullin, Ludmila Semciuk, Barseg Tumanyan, Frantisek Zahradnicek
- 2004, Howarth/Duprels/McCafferty/Dwyer/Zimnenko/Earle (Garsington label)
- 2009, Polianichko/Guryakova/Diadkova/Grivnov/Matorin/Mikhailov (Royal Opera House staging; DVD, Opus Arte label)
- An Orchestral Suite entitled "Les Caprices d'Oxane" was arranged from the opera by Constantine Saradjeff (1877-1954) and recorded in 1953 by the Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor Anatole Fistoulari, for the Parlophone label. The title used on the LP was "The Slippers" but when reissued on the Guild CD label in 2014 it became "The Tsarina's Slippers."
See also
In Spanish: Cherevichki para niños
