The May Night (Opera)

Opera dates
Title:	The May Night
Original title:	Майская ночь (Maiskaja notsch)
Title page of the piano reduction from 1895
Shape:	Opera in three acts
Original language:	Russian
Music:	Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Libretto :	Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Literary source:	Nikolai Gogol : May Night or Die Drowned
Premiere:	January 9th jul. / January 21, 1880 greg.
Place of premiere:	Mariinsky Theater , Saint Petersburg
Playing time:	approx. 2 ¼ hours
Place and time of the action:	a Little Russian (Ukrainian) village near Dikanka , indefinitely in the Pentecost or Russalke week.
people
Village elder ( bass ) Levko (Левко), his son ( tenor ) Ganna / Hanna (Ганна) ( mezzo-soprano ) Kalenik (Каленик) ( baritone or high bass) the scribe (tenor) the brandy burner (tenor) the sister-in-law of the village elder ( old ) Pannotschka- Russalka (Панночка), formerly the daughter of a Pan (master) or Cossack lieutenant ( soprano ) Glucke-Russalka (mezzo-soprano) Rabe-Russalka (mezzo-soprano) Stepmother Russalka (mezzo-soprano) Boys, girls, community guards, Russalken ( choir , extras, ballet)

The May Night (Russian Майская ночь , Maiskaja notsch ) is an opera in three acts by Nikolai Rimski-Korsakow (music) with its own libretto based on the story May Night or Die Drowned from the first part (1831) of the evenings in the hamlet near Dikanka by Nikolai Gogol . The premiere took place on January 9th ^jul. / January 21, 1880 ^greg. held in the Mariinsky Theater in Saint Petersburg.

action

first act

Dorfstrasse, in front of Hanna's house, further back a pond, behind it a derelict mansion; Eve

The village youth has fun with the game "Millet" (No. 1: Reigen). After everyone has parted, the young Lewko, son of the village elder, serenades his lover Hanna (No. 2: song “Sun is already sinking”). She comes out of the house. Both assure each other of their love and embrace (No. 3: Duet “You are not sleeping, overconfident girl!”). Lewko tells Hanna that his father doesn't want to know about their connection. At her request, he tells the horror story of the old mansion (No. 4: story: "It lived before times"): An old Cossack captain unsuspectingly married a wicked witch who persuaded him to cast his daughter Pannotschka away. Desperate she drowned herself in the lake and turned into a Russalka . A little later she pulled the witch into the water as well. However, since she also became Russalka, Pannotschka had to continue to fear the evil stepmother.

It's gotten late now and Lewko says goodbye to Hanna. Girls sing about the upcoming Whitsun festival (No. 5: Recitative and Whitsun song: “That, my Hanna, this is the Mähr” - “Oh! I wind wreaths”). The drunken Kalenik tries to dance a Hopak and is laughed at by the girls when he cannot find his front door and instead stumbles to the village elder's house (No. 6: Hopak scene: “Hop, hop!”). Meanwhile the latter sneaks to Hanna's house to propose to her. His son Lewko watches as he gets a rebuff from the girl (No. 7: trio: "Hanna! Hanna!"). Lewko confronts his father. He calls his friends over and everyone mocks the old lecher (No. 8: recitative and mocking song: "Hey! Boy! I said earlier, go home").

Second act

In the village elder's house; on the right a door to the chamber, on the left a door to the outside; late evening

The elder, the brandy distiller and the elder's sister-in-law talk about plans for a new distillery (No. 9. Terzett: “Tell me when does your godfather think”). The drunken Kalenik stumbles in and lies down on the stove bench, ignoring the others (No. 10th scene by the Kalenik and the burner's narration: “Look how the evil one”). Believing that he is in his own house, he scolds the elder and falls asleep. Shortly afterwards a stone flies through the window pane. When the eldest cursed the perpetrator, Brenner appeased him with a story about his mother-in-law: she once let a hungry beggar attend the family dinner. But he devoured the meal so greedily that his mother-in-law exclaimed that he should choke on the dumplings. The guest choked and died. Since then, night after night his ghost sat on the chimney and choked on his lump. From then on, the mother-in-law could no longer rest.

Lewko and his friends gather in front of the house and sing a mocking song about the lasciviousness of the elder (No. 11. Mocking song, scene and trio: "What is it? Who is making a noise?"). He runs out, grabs the hooded leader of the boys (Lewko) and brings him into the room. When a gust of wind penetrates through the open door and extinguishes the light, Lewko breaks free and runs out into the street. In his place the sister-in-law appears at the door. Believing that it was the escaped man, the elder locks her in the chamber. A little later the clerk appears with the message that the leader of the rampaging lads has just been arrested. Confused, the elder has a lamp brought to him and opens the door to the chamber. Only now does he recognize his mistake. The sister-in-law runs into the street cursing. The eldest now wants to make an example of the fellow.

Dorfgasse with the writer's hut; next to it a timber extension; Night, moonlight

The elder, the clerk and the burner go to the clerk's hut to inspect the prisoner (No. 12. Finale: "Here? Yes. Stop!"). First they take a quick look through the crack in the door - and shrink back in horror, because they consider the inmate to be Satan himself. The elder wants to burn him and the whole house right away. In the hut, however, is the sister-in-law who was locked up by the boys when they freed Lewko. She verbally abuses the elder and his love affairs. Now the community guards bring in the drunken Kalenik. Since the latter is apparently innocent as well, the elder angrily orders his people to immediately start looking for the real criminals again.

Third act

Landscape on the lakeshore; on the right the old manor house with closed windows; bright moonlit night

Levko has fled to the lake and dreams of his loved one there (No. 13a. Ukrainian night and songs from Levko: "How quiet, how wonderful is the night"). The face of the drowned Pannotschka-Russalka appears in a window of the house and asks Levko for encores. More Russalken rise from the water and enchant Levko with their singing (No. 13b. Levko: "The mermaids rise from the pond in a shimmering row" - Russalken chorus: "We lure the young man"). They dance a dance and wind wreaths (no. 13c. Russalkenreigen: "Come up, gather yourselves, you little girls"). Pannotschka asks Levko again to play for her (No. 13d. Dances and Games of the Russalken: "Freundlicher Jüngling"). The Russalkans keep dancing until they finally throw their wreaths into the water. Pannotschka promises Levko a generous reward if he identifies her evil stepmother among the Russalkans. In the following "raven game" Levko looks the individual Russalke in the eye and can actually recognize the stepmother. The other Russalkons pounce on them and drag them into the water. As a reward for her regained freedom, Pannotschka gives Levko a letter intended to get his father to accept Hanna as his daughter-in-law (No. 13e. Duettino Pannotschka-Russalka / Levko: “Oh, how easy it is for me now”). With a final blessing, she disappears. When Lewko wakes up at sunrise, the writing is still there. Obviously he didn't just dream (No. 13f. Sunrise: “No, it wasn't a dream!”).

Back in the village, Lewko is immediately arrested by the community guards (scene 14 and Pentecost song: “Only forward!”). He gives his father the letter apparently sent by the High Commissioner, in which the latter accuses the elder of negligence and asks him to immediately consent to his son's marriage to Hanna. He should also have all the bridges on the way repaired. The elder cannot refuse such an order. His pride was restored when Levko added that the inspector had promised to dine with him on the way back. The villagers come singing Pentecost songs. Hanna is also there and learns the good news from Lewko. You want to get married the same day. Levko tells her about his encounter with the Pannotschka-Russalka and thanks his friends for their support (No. 15. Finale: “Lewko, Lewko, dearest sweetheart”). The eldest remembers his former meeting with the tsarina, and his sister-in-law scolds him again. Everyone praises the happy bride and groom.

layout

orchestra

The orchestral line-up for the opera includes the following instruments:

• Woodwinds : two flutes (including piccolo ), two oboes (first also English horn ), two clarinets , two bassoons
• Brass : four horns , two trumpets , three trombones
• Timpani , percussion : bass drum , cymbals , triangle , tambourine , snare drum , tam-tam , glockenspiel
• two harps
• piano
• Strings
• Stage music : two piccolo flutes, two small clarinets , two horns, trombone, tambourine, strings (without cello)

Music numbers

The opera contains the following musical numbers (German texts by Hans Schmidt ):

• overture

first act

• No. 1. Round dance "Millet"
• No. 2. Song (Lewko): "Солнышко низко" ("Solnyschko nisko" - "Sun is already sinking")
• No. 3. Duet (Lewko, Hanna): "Не спишь ты, гордая дивчина!" ("Ne spisch ty, gordaja diwtschina!" - "Don't you sleep, overconfident girl!")
• No. 4. Story (Lewko): "Давно это было" ("Dawno eto bylo" - "It lived before times")
• No. 5. Recitative and Pentecost song:
  • "Вот, моя Галя, вот как рассказывают старые" ("Wot, moja Galja, wot kak rasskasywajut staryje" - "That, my Hanna, this is the marrow")
  • "Ой, завю венки на все святки" ("Oi, sawju wenki na wse svyatki" - "Oh! I wind wreaths")
• No. 6. Hopak scene (Kalenik, girl): “Гоп! Гоп! "(" Gop! Gop! "-" Hop, hop! ")
• No. 7. Trio (village elder, Lewko, Hanna): “Ганна! Ганна! "(" Ganna! Ganna! "-" Hanna! Hanna! ")
• No. 8. Recitative and mocking song: “Гей, хлопцы! Я увещевал вас итти спат "(" Gei, chlopzy! Yes uweschtschewal what itti late "-" Hey! Boy! I said earlier, go home ")

Second act, first picture

• No. 9. Terzett (village elder, sister-in-law, brandy distiller): "Внутренность хаты Головы" ("Wnutrennost chaty Golowy" - "Says when does godfather think you")
• No. 10. Scene of the kalenik and story of the burner: "Ишь, как растянул дорогу" ("Isch, kak rastjanul dorogu" - "Look how the evil way")
• No. 11. Mocking song, scene and trio (village elder, sister-in-law, brandy distiller): "Какой там дьявол?" ("Kakoi tam djawol?" - "What is it? Who is making the noise?")

Second act, second picture

• No. 12. Finale: “Здесь? Да! Стой. "(" Sdes? Da! Stoi. "-" Here? Yes. Stop! ")

Third act

• No. 13. Scene of the Russalkeks
  • a) Ukrainian night and songs from Levkos: "Как тихо, как прохладно тут!" ("Kak ticho, kak prochladno tut!" - "How quiet, how wonderful is the night")
  • b) Choir of the Russalke:
    • "Я вижу, русалки на берег" ("Yes wischu, russalki na bereg" - "The mermaids rise from the pond in a shimmering row")
    • "Заманивать молодца пеньем" ("Samaniwat molodza penjem" - "We lure the young man")
  • c) Russalkenreigen: "Собирайтесь, девицы" ("Sobiraites, dewizy" - "Up, gather, you maidens")
  • d) Dances and games of the Russalke: "Молодец милый, найди мне ее" ("Molodez milyj, naidi mne eje" - "Friendly youth")
  • e) Duettino (Pannotschka-Russalka, Lewko): "О, как легко мне теперь" ("O, kak legko mne teper" - "O how easy it is for me now")
  • f) Sunrise (Lewko): “Нет, нет! Я не спал "(" Net, net! Ja ne spal "-" No, it wasn't a dream! ")
• No. 14. Scene and Whitsun song (village elder, scribe, brandy distiller, etc.): "Не бойтесь!" ("Ne boites!" - "Only forward!")
• No. 15. Finale: "Левко, Левко, милый ты мой!" ("Lewko, Lewko, mily ty moi!" - "Lewko, Lewko, dearest sweetheart")

music

With this opera Rimsky-Korsakov turned away from the prevailing historical themes at the time. The plot of the opera corresponds to that of Gogol's story, but is timed for the night until sunrise at Pentecost. In the original it was only a spring night. In doing so, he referred to the fact that remnants of the pagan rites remained alive in Christian celebrations. Rimsky-Korsakov repeatedly took up the theme of the encounter between a mythical being and an artistically inclined person in later works. It corresponds to his "idea of ​​the artist's mission as a mediator between the sensual and supersensible world and of the power of the select people of prehistoric times to help intervene in cosmic events" (Nikolai van Gilse van der Pals). In the libretto, the linguistic peculiarities of the Ukrainian idiom given by Gogol are retained.

The two main acts are dominated by the dances and songs of the villagers, in which Rimsky-Korsakov processed Ukrainian folk music. The choirs are partly alternating chants as in the respective templates. Here the composer was concerned not only with a representation of peasant and Christian rituals, but also with the “rediscovery of their originally pagan occasions and meanings” ( Sigrid Neef ). He took the melodies of eight songs from a collection of Ukrainian folk songs published by Alexander Rubets in 1872. The round dance (No. 1) contains themes from the collections of Rubets, Mili Balakirew and von Rimski-Korsakow himself. The song Levkos sung to the bandura (No. 2) and the Whitsun song of the girls are also based on pieces from Rubets' collection . No. 5) in the first, two themes of the trio (No. 9) and the writer's report of the arrest of the leader (in No. 11) in the second and the Pentecost song in the third act (No. 14). Rimsky-Korsakov combined typical elements of Russian folk music in his music (Sigrid Neef calls here "lower voice polyphony, melodic linearity, diatonic, simultaneity of major and minor, variant technique") with compositional techniques of art music. However, according to Neef, the instrumental techniques used such as "clattering the tambourine, horn tunes, expressive string melodies, harp arpeggios" create an "inappropriate salon atmosphere".

The realistic middle act forms a socially critical antipole full of comedy to the popular framework acts, in which individual instruments are assigned commenting roles. The Hopak scene of the drunken Kalenik leads from the traditional to the realistic. In the third act both are brought together. The respective musical motifs are given further meanings through their new context.

The music is in a lyrical fairytale tone. When it came to the instrumentation, Rimsky-Korsakov oriented himself towards the transparency of Mikhail Glinka's music , who was also a model for the integration of folk music.

The head motif of the opera is strikingly similar to the beginning of Weber's opera Oberon . It also appears in a particularly concise form at the beginning of the third act. In the mocking song of the first finale, Rimsky-Korsakov portrays Levkos' energetic bandura playing with the orchestra.

The characters are each assigned their own musical characteristics. Hanna and her surroundings are characterized by a solo violin, the Pannotscha-Russalka by two harps, Levko by a bandura (as a plucked instrument related to the Russalka harps), Kalenik by the Hopak, the speeches of the village rulers ironically by a bassoon. A horn denotes the forest and solitude. A special horn motif can be heard at the beginning of the opera and pervades it until the end. It also appears vowel in the love songs Hannas and Lewkos. It is also assigned to the Pannotschka-Russalka and disappears with her. All that remains are remnants that the couple can hear from a distance during the sunrise.

Musical motifs (selection)

A detailed explanation of the motifs used in the opera can be found in Nikolai van Gilse van der Pals ' book NA Rimsky-Korssakow. Opera and sketch about life and work, from which the following examples are also taken.

• Lewkos Lied in F sharp major (No. 2): is played around by lute-like chords and figurations:
  
  
• The Girls' Pentecost Song (No. 5):
  
  
• The motif of the Pannotschka-Russalka within the introduction to the third act over a chromatically descending bass line:
  
  
• The Mixolydian Whitsun Song Choir in the third act (No. 14):
  
  

Work history

Fyodor Stravinsky as village elder

Nikolai Rimski-Korsakow had the idea for this opera in 1872 when he and his fiancé and bride Nadeschda Nikolajewna Purgold read the story May Night or Die Drowned from the first part (1831) of the evenings in the hamlet near Dikanka by Nikolai Gogols . However, it was only carried out in 1878/1879 after intensive studies of Ukrainian folk music and the composition of his first opera Pskowitjanka (1873) and its prologue Bojarynja Vera Scheloga (1877/1878). Rimsky-Korsakov wrote in his memoirs that his wife had repeatedly urged him to set this material to music. He dedicated the opera to her in memory of reading Gogol together and the day of his wedding promise.

Second title page of the piano reduction from 1895

Rimsky-Korsakov put together the libretto himself, largely taking over Gogol's specifications for the sequence of the musical numbers. It was the first “of a whole series of fantastic operas in which the worship of the sun and the sun gods is expressed, either directly if, as in ' Snow Maiden ' or in ' Mlada ', the content of pagan times in Russia comes from, or indirectly reflective, if the material, as in the 'May Night' or the 'Night before Christmas', is borrowed from the later Christian era, ”wrote Rimsky-Korsakov in his chronicle of my musical life . He did not compose the music in the order of the scenes. According to his chronicle , he had ideas of the melody of the mocking song about the village elder (No. 8) and the beginning of the Hopak scene (No. 6) as early as 1877, but other parts of the first picture such as Lewko's song (No. 2) or he only composed his duet with Hanna (No. 3) later. The orchestral introduction to the third act and the Russian scene (No. 13) were written in the spring of 1878.

The premiere took place on January 9th ^jul. / January 21, 1880 ^greg. under the direction of Eduard Nápravník in the Mariinsky Theater in Saint Petersburg. It sang Fyodor Stravinsky (village elder), Pyotr Andreyevich Lodij (Levko), Marija Aleksandrovna Slawina-Medem (Hanna), Ivan Melnikov (Kalenik), Vladimir Soboliev (Schreiber), end (distillers), Anna Aleksandrovna Bischurina (sister) and Feodosia Welinskaja (Pannotschka-Russalka). This opera had little success compared with Rimsky-Korsakov's later operas. As possible reasons for this, Sigrid Neef named the "episodic plot without large dramatic action and without an actual main character, probably also a partial imbalance of the music". After the premiere, Fyodor Stravinsky's performance was particularly praised. Rimsky-Korsakov himself noted that the performance was a "considerable success" and that some numbers were repeated. The classically trained dancers, however, did not perform the ballet to his satisfaction. He found it "clunky and tasteless". The set of the third act had previously been used in another opera. Rimsky-Korsakov complained in his chronicle that this act was subsequently considered a failure, although he himself considered it to be "musically the strongest". The third act was shortened in subsequent productions.

Title page of the German libretto translation by Hans Schmidt , 1895

Other productions were:

• 1892: Moscow - Ensemble by Ippolit Prjanischnikow - without piano; with success with the audience.
• 1894: Saint Petersburg, Mikhailovsky Theater - Mariinsky Theater Ensemble; with Fyodor Stravinsky (elder)
• 1896: Prague - first performance outside of Russia.
• 1898: Moscow, Solodownikow Theater - Ensemble of the private opera of Savva Mamontov ; Conductor: Sergei Rachmaninov ; with Fyodor Chaliapin (elder), Nadeschda Sabela (Pannotschka), Tatjana Ljubatowitsch (Hanna); first musically successful performance.
• 1900: Frankfurt am Main - German premiere; German version by August Bernhard or Hans Schmidt ; only three unsuccessful performances.
• 1914: London, Theater Royal Drury Lane - guest performance of the Ballets Russes under Sergei Diaghilew ; Conductor: Lew Steinberg; with Alexandr Beljanin (elder), Dmitri Smirnow (Levko), Jelisaweta Petrenko (Hanna), Marie Brian (Pannotschka); in Russian language; triumphant success.
• 1928: Moscow, studio theater (Dimitrov Theater) - production: Konstantin Stanislawski and Wladimir Alexejew; with Marija Goldina (Hanna).
• 1931: Oxford, Opera Club - with Nell Moody.
• 1959: Cardiff - Director: John Moody; Conductor: Warwick Braithwaite ; with Harold Blackburn, Duncan Robertson, Iona Jones, Heather Harper .
• 1959: Zurich - director: Karl Heinz Krahl, conductor: Nello Santi ; with Manfred Jungwirth , Hermann Winkler , Hilde Michel, Mary Davenport.
• 1986: Moscow, Nemirowitsch-Danschenko-Musiktheater - production: Ioachim Scharojew, conductor: Wladimir Koschuchar; with Leonid Simnenko, Vyacheslav Tarashchenko, Julija Abakumowskaja , Lyubow Kasarnowskaja ;
• 2008: Moscow, Nemirowitsch-Danchenko-Musiktheater - staging: Alexander Titel, conductor: Felix Korobow; with Leonid Simnenko (elder).
• 2009: Monte Carlo (Monaco) - Conductor: Dimitri Jurowski; Orchestra of the Teatro Carlo Felice .
• 2011: Oper Bonn - Conductor: Robin Engelen; Beethoven Orchestra Bonn .
• 2016: London , Ambika P3 - Conductor: Gareth Hancock; Royal Academy of Music Students.

Recordings

• 1912–1922 - excerpts.
  Russian Singers of the Past. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov performed by his contemporaries. Volume 1. Russian Disc 1996. RD 15 032 (1 CD).
  • Song of Levko (1st act). Dmitry Smirnov (1912).
  • Duet Hanna and Lewko (1st act). Vera Petrovna-Swanzewa and Vasily Damajew (1922).
  • Song of derision about the chief (1st act). Vasily Damayev and Chorus (1911).
  • Song of Levko (3rd act). Dmitri Smirnov (1909).
  • Duettino Pannotschka and Levko (3rd act). Jelena Katylskaja and Vasili Damajew (1914).
• 1946 - Nikolai Golovanov (conductor), Orchestra and Choir of Moscow Radio.
  Sergej Krassowsky (village elder), Pjotr ​​Maljutenkow (Levko), Marija Maksakowa (Hanna), Daniil Demlanow (Kalenik), Georgij Abramow (clerk), Sergej Strelzow (brandy burner), Jelisaveta Antonowa (sister-in-law), Jelisaveta Tschotumschka (Russian Federation) Georgina Pavlova (mother hen-Russalka), Seta Doluchanowa (raven-Russalka), Lyudmilla Chananina (stepmother-Russalka).
  Studio shot.
  Cantus Classics / Melodiya / Dante 2005 LYS 090-91 (2 CDs); Cantus Classics. Historical audio documents. CACD 5.00735 F (2 CDs).
• 1948 - Vasily Nebolsin (conductor), orchestra and choir of the Bolshoi Theater Moscow.
  Sergej Krassowski (village elder), Sergej Lemeschow (Levko), Wera Borissenkow (Hanna), Pavel Volovov (Kalenik), Vsevolod Tjutjunnik (brandy burner), Irina Maslennikowa (Pannotschka-Russalka).
  Studio shot.
  Aprelewski sawod (USSR) No. 021132-021161 (15 shellac records 78 rpm); Vanguard VRS 6006-8 (3 LPs); Melodiya 05404 (3 LPs).
• 1952 - Sergej Lemeschow (tenor).
  Recitative and aria by Levko (3rd act).
  Scenes and Arias from Operas. Tenor Sergei Lemcshev. Perfect Yedang entertainment company. YCC-0112 (1 CD).
• 1950s - Gika Zdravkovitch (conductor), Belgrade Philharmonic.
  Nicolai Gedda : Song of Levko (1st act).
  EMI - Electrola. 1C 063-28070.
• 1974 - Vladimir Fedoseyev (conductor), Moscow Radio Orchestra and Choir.
  Alexej Kriwtschenija (village elder), Konstantin Lisowski (Levko), Lyudmilla Sapegina (Hanna), Iwan Burdin (Kalenik), Gennadij Troitski (clerk), Jurij Jelnikow (brandy burner), Anna Matjuschina (sister-in-law), Olga Pastushenkow (Pannotschka), Tamara Antipowa (mother hen-Russalka), Nina Derbina (Rabe-Russalka), Ludschija Raschkowez (stepmother-Russalka).
  Studio shot.
  First publication Melodiya C 04587-92 (3LPs); DG 2709 063/2740 1 (3 LPs); Relief CR 991044 (2 CDs).
• September 25, 1994 - Alexander Lazarev (conductor), orchestra and choir of WDR Cologne.
  Wladimir Matorin (village elder), Wladimir Bogatschow (Levko), Tatjana Erastowa (Hanna), Michail Krutikow (Kalenik), Maxim Michailow (clerk), Wladimir Kudryashov (brandy burner), Galina Borissowa (sister-in-law), Jelena Brillowa-Russa-Russa (Pannotschka), Andrea Weigt (Glucke-Russalka), Maria Zedelius (Rabe-Russalka), Gabriele Henkel (stepmother-Russalka), Hans Wyprächtiger (narrator).
  Live, in concert from Cologne.
  Capriccio 10792-3 (2 CDs).
• November 1994 - Andrei Chistyakov (conductor), orchestra and choir of the State Academic Zvezhnikov Ensemble.
  Vyacheslav Pochapski (village elder), Vitaly Tarashchenkov (Levko), Natalija Erasova (Hanna), Nikolai Retschetnijak (Kalenik), Pjotr ​​Gluboki (clerk), Alexander Archipow (brandy burner), Jelena Okolyschewa (sister-in-law), Marina Lapka-Russka.
  Studio shot.
  Le Chant du Monde / Harmonia mundi france HMF 288 103.04 (2 CDs).
• May 19, 2001 - Wladimir Jurowski (conductor), Stefano Vizioli (production), orchestra and choir of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna .
  Maxim Michailow (village elder), Sergej Kunajew (Levko), Agata Bjenkowska (Hanna), Filippo Morace (Kalenik), Alexander Teijga (clerk), Vyacheslav Voijnarowsky (brandy burner), Sofija Aksenova (sister-in-law), Swetlana Wassiljewka (Russaotschewka (Russaotschewka) Ermonela Jaho (Glucke-Russalka), Elena Belfiore (Rabe-Russalka), Monica Minarelli (stepmother-Russalka).
  House of Opera 804 (2 CDs).
  Live from Bologna.
• March 9, 2008 - Felix Korobov (conductor), Alexander Titel (staging), Vladimir Arefiev (stage and costumes), orchestra, choir, soloists, dancers and actors of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich Danchenko Music Theater in Moscow.
  Dmitry Ulyanov (village elder), Oleg Polpudin (Levko), Natalia Vladimirskaya (Hanna), Anatoly Loshak (Kalenik), Roman Ulybin (clerk), Vyacheslav Voynarovsky (brandy burner), Irina Chistyakova (sister-in-law), Vareria Zaytseva-Russalka (Pannotschka).
  Video; live from Moscow.
  VAI - Video Artists International (Mono, 4: 3 NTSC).

literature

• Nikolai van Gilse van der Pals : NA Rimsky-Korssakow. Opera and sketch about life and work. Georg Olms Verlag, Hildesheim / New York 1977 (reprint of the Paris-Leipzig 1929 edition), ISBN 3-487-06427-8 , pp. 73–98.
• Sigrid Neef : The operas of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (= Musik Konkret 18 ). Verlag Ernst Kuhn, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-936637-13-7 , pp. 31-48.

Web links

Commons : May Night (Opera)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• May Night : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
• Hans Schmidt : The May Eight: Opera in three acts. German translation of the libretto. Digitized from the Library of Congress
• Libretto (Russian, KOI-8) and libretto (Russian, transliteration) as full text at OperaGlass
• Discography for May Night at Operadis

Remarks

1. ↑ The Pannotschka-Russalka is sometimes incorrectly referred to in translations as the "mermaid queen".
2. ↑ The incorrectly used term “ mermaid ” has been replaced by the correct term “ Russalka ” as far as possible . The two terms have different meanings and come from different cultures. Cf. Sigrid Neef : The operas of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (= Musik Konkret 18 ). Verlag Ernst Kuhn, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-936637-13-7 , p. 37.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q} Sigrid Neef : The operas of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (= Musik Konkret 18 ). Verlag Ernst Kuhn, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-936637-13-7 , pp. 31-48.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o} Sigrid Neef : Maiskaja notsch. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater . Volume 5: Works. Piccinni - Spontini. Piper, Munich / Zurich 1994, ISBN 3-492-02415-7 , pp. 257-259.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d} information on works from Verlag Schott Music , accessed on June 5, 2020.
4. ↑ Piano reduction by the composer from 1895.
5. ^ ^{A b c d e} Nikolai van Gilse van der Pals : NA Rimsky-Korssakow. Opera and sketch about life and work. Georg Olms Verlag, Hildesheim / New York 1977 (reprint of the Paris-Leipzig 1929 edition), ISBN 3-487-06427-8 , pp. 73–98.
6. ↑ ^{a b} Wulf Konold : The May Night (Majskaja notsch). In: Rudolf Kloiber , Wulf Konold, Robert Maschka: Handbuch der Oper. 9th, expanded, revised edition 2002. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag / Bärenreiter, ISBN 3-423-32526-7 , pp. 613–615.
7. ↑ ^{a b c d} Richard Taruskin :  May Night [Mayskaya noch ']. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
8. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Sigrid Neef : Handbook of Russian and Soviet Opera. Henschelverlag Art and Society, Bärenreiter 1989. ISBN 3-7618-0925-5 , pp. 407-411.
9. ↑ May Night. In: Amanda Holden (Ed.): The Viking Opera Guide. Viking, London / New York 1993, ISBN 0-670-81292-7 , pp. 865-866.
10. ^ Josif Filippowitsch Kunin: Nikolai Andrejewitsch Rimski-Korsakow. Translated by Dieter Lehmann. Verlag Neue Musik, Berlin 1981 (Original: Verlag “musyka”, Moscow 1979), pp. 50–55.
11. ↑ January 21, 1880: "The May Night". In: L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia .
12. ↑ Alexej Parin: Long time no see. In: Opernwelt , May 2008, p. 36.
13. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Nikolaj Rimsky-Korsakov. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all complete opera recordings (= Zeno.org . Volume 20). Directmedia, Berlin 2005.
14. ↑ Gilles Delatronchette: DVD review from 2008 on tutti-magazine.fr, accessed on June 5, 2020.