Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolay - The Tale of Tsar Saltanan opera in 4 acts with a prologue

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Firma Melodiya presents a recording of one of Rimsky-Korsakov's brightest fairy-tale operaThe Tale of Tsar Saltan.
The opera was composed in 1898-1899 jointly with librettist Vladimir Belsky on the threshold of Alexander Pushkin's centenary. It was premiered in 1900 at Mamontov's private opera. Full of kind humour and genuine folk song and dance themes, the music of the opera signifies a peculiar milestone in Rimsky-Korsakov's career and all Russian music in general. What we have before us is a distinctive anticipation of the art nouveau period interpreted in a Russian national style with its admiration for fairy-tale old days, a luxuriant ornament of the symphonic palette, delicate and colourful finds (in this respect, the symphonic picture Three Wonders and picturesque introductions to the second, third and fourth acts are especially notable). The set for the premiere was painted by Mikhail Vrubel not for nothing (his image of Princess Swan is classic). Afterwards, the world of the opera was remarkably illustrated by Ivan Bilibin. This recording of The Tale of Tsar Saltan was realized by the USSR Bolshoi Theatre when its musical and performing forces were in their prime. A star-studded cast of performers, including coloratura soprano Galina Oleynichenko, soprano Evgenia Smolenskaya, bass Ivan Petrov, tenor Vladimir Ivanovsky and others, are lead by Vasily Nebolsin, an outstanding master of interpretation of Russian classical operas.