Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Difference between revisions
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=== The Maid of Orleans === | === The Maid of Orleans === | ||
'''''The Maid of Orleans''''' (Орлеанская дева), in 4 acts and 6 scenes, is Tchaikovsky's sixth completed opera, based on the historical legend of [[w:Joan of Arc|Joan of Arc]]. It was composed between December 1878 and March 1879, and orchestrated between April and August 1879, with revisions in December 1880, and September-October 1882. | '''''The Maid of Orleans''''' (Орлеанская дева), in 4 acts and 6 scenes, is Tchaikovsky's sixth completed opera, based on the historical legend of [[w:Joan of Arc|Joan of Arc]]. It was composed between December 1878 and March 1879, and orchestrated between April and August 1879, with revisions in December 1880, and September-October 1882. | ||
==== Libretto ==== | |||
The opera's libretto was compiled by Tchaikovsky, after [[tchaikovsky:Friedrich Schiller|Friedrich Schiller]]'s tragedy ''Die Jungfrau von Orleans'' (1801) in a Russian translation by [[tchaikovsky:Vasily Zhukovsky|Vasily Zhukovsky]], with additional material from Auguste Mermet's opera ''Jeanne d'Arc'' and Jules Barbier's drama of the same name <ref name="note1"/>. | |||
During the summer of 1878 Tchaikovsky began to look for a subject for a new opera. | |||
"Here I'm writing the ''Introduzione e Fuga''. Both of them will go to make up a ''suite'', which I want to do now in order to take a long break from symphonic music, and set about an opera. What shall it be? ''[[tchaikovsky:Romeo and Juliet (projected opera)|Romeo]]'' or ''[[tchaikovsky:Les Caprices de Marianne|Les Caprices de Marianne]]''?", Tchaikovsky wrote in the summer of 1878 <ref name="note2"/>. | |||
Many of the composer's statements dating from the summer and autumn of 1878 indicate his desire to find a plot for an opera that could inspire him. Ultimately a subject was found. On 21 November/3 December 1878 <ref name="note3"/>, Tchaikovsky writes to [[tchaikovsky:Nadezhda von Meck|Nadezhda von Meck]]: "I am attracted by a new operatic subject, namely:''The Maid of Orleans'' by [[tchaikovsky:Schiller|Schiller]] [...] The idea of writing an opera based on this story came to me in [[tchaikovsky:Kamenka|Kamenka]] while I was leafing through [[tchaikovsky:Zhukovsky|Zhukovsky]], who has translated [[tchaikovsky:Schiller|Schiller]]'s ''The Maid of Orleans''. It has wonderful potential for music [...] I was pondering the subject before my last visit to [[tchaikovsky:Saint Petersburg|Saint Petersburg]], but now I am seriously interested" <ref name="note4"/>. | |||
Intending to write the libretto himself, Tchaikovsky embarked on studying the story. The composer did not restrict himself to [[tchaikovsky:Schiller|Schiller]]'s drama only: he sought to incorporate a variety of historical and artistic sources <ref name="note5"/>. On 6/18 December 1878 he told [[tchaikovsky:Nadezhda von Meck|Nadezhda von Meck]]: "For the moment I have only [[tchaikovsky:Schiller|Schiller]]'s drama translated by [[tchaikovsky:Zhukovsky|Zhukovsky]]. Obviously the opera text cannot be based strictly on [[tchaikovsky:Schiller|Schiller]]'s scenario. There are too many characters, too many minor episodes. It requires a reworking, not just an abridgement..." <ref name="note6"/>. "I want to burrow in catalogues and obtain a small collection of books on '' Jeanne d'Arc''" <ref name="note7"/> . "I'm thinking a very great deal about the libretto and can't yet make a definite plan. There's much that pleases me in [[tchaikovsky:Schiller|Schiller]], but I must admit I'm disturbed by his disdain for historical accuracy" <ref name="note8"/>. | |||
==== Movements and Duration ==== | ==== Movements and Duration ==== | ||