| Operas by Sergei Rachmaninoff |
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The Miserly Knight, also The Covetous Knight, (Russian: "Skupój rýtsar") is a Russian opera in one act with music by Sergei Rachmaninoff, with the libretto based on Alexander Pushkin's homonymous drama.
It contains roles for five male singers, but no females.
The composer decided essentially to set the Pushkin text as written, and had Feodor Chaliapin in mind for the role of the Baron.
However, Chaliapin withdrew from the production over artistic differences.
The first performance was on January 24 1906 at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow,
with the composer himself conducting, in a double-bill performance with another Rachmaninoff opera written contemporaneously, Francesca e Paolo.
Productions of the opera have been rare.
In addition, the characterization of the moneylender, who is identified in the story as being Jewish, has been criticized as anti-Semitic.
[
| Role | Voice | Premiere Cast 24 January 1906 conductor: Sergei Rachmaninoff |
|---|---|---|
| Baron (i.e., the knight of the opera's title) | baritone | Georges Baklanoff |
| Albert (Albyer), his son | tenor | |
| Ivan, servant (sluga) | bass | |
| Moneylender (Torgovyets) | tenor | |
| Duke (Gyertsog) | baritone |
The opera falls into three scenes. The setting is medieval England.
Alberto is a young knight who devotes himself to jousting and courtly pleasures.
He is now deeply in debt as a result.
His father, a very wealthy but equally frugal baron, refuses to support his son's lifestyle.
Alberto's ability to maneuvre in society is now limited.
He tries to obtain a loan from outside his family.
A money-lender denies Alberto a loan, but instead offers Alberto poison, to allow Alberto to murder his father.
Alberto is appalled at such a suggestion.
Alberto resolves then to go to the Duke to make his appeal.
The Baron descends to his cellars, exultant now because he has accumulated enough gold to fill his sixth and final storage chest, and gloats before them.
However, the Baronrealizes that if he died soon, his son Alberto could then claim the fortune and fritter it away on his sensual pleasures.
Alberto has appealed to the Duke for help in obtaining money from his father the Baron.
Alberto hides, as the Duca summons the Barone to a meeting.
The Duca asks the Barone to support his son ALBERTO, but the Baron accuses Alberto of wanting to steal from him.
Alberto then angrily reveals his presence and accuses his own father of lying.
The Barone challenges his own son Alberto to a duel.
Alberto accepts.
The duke rebukes the father, and banishes the son from his court.
However, stressed by this confrontation, the
baron collapses fatally.
As the Baron dies, his last request is not for
his son, but the keys to his chests of gold.
Recordings
Audio- Melodiya Records SRBL 4121 as The Covetous Knight: Lev Kuznetsov, Ivan Budrin. Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra; Gennady Rozhdestvensky, conductor. 2 LPs, with Isle of the Dead, by the U.S.S.R. Symphony Orchestra with Yevgeny Svetlanov, conductor.
- Deutsche Grammophon 453 454-2: Anatoly Kocherga, Sergei Aleksashkin, Sergei Larin; Gothenburg Opera Chorus; Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra; Neeme Järvi, conductor
- Chandos 10264: Mikhail Guzhov, Vsevolod Grivnov, Andrei Baturkin, Borislav Molchanov, Vitaly Efanov; Russian State Symphony Orchestra; Valeri Polyansky, conductor
- Opus Arte OA 0909: Sergei Leiferkus, Richard Berkeley-Steele, Maxim Mikhailov, Vyacheslav Voynarovsky, Albert Schagidullin, Matilda Leyser; London Philharmonic Orchestra; Vladimir Jurowski, conductor
[edit] References
- ^ Geoffrey Norris, "Bold reunion of the old companions ". Telegraph, 19 March 2002.
- ^ Geoffrey Norris, "Rachmaninov's last bastion". Telegraph, 21 June 2004
- ^ Steve Griffiths, Review of vocal scores of Rachmaninoff's Francesca da Rimini and The Miserly Knight. Musical Times, 136(1825), 148 (1995).
- ^ Andrew Clements, "The Miserly Knight/Gianni Schicchi". The Guardian, 3 July 2004.
- ^ Anthony Holden, "Even the corpse is fantastic". The Observer, 4 July 2004.
- ^ Tim Ashley, "Glyndebourne double bill" (review of Prom 55, 2004). The Guardian, 28 August 2004.
[edit] External links
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