SLAVONIC OPERA.[2]
Early Russian composers—Glinka—Dargomijsky—Borodin—
César-Cui—Tchaïkovsky—Polish opera—Bohemian opera
—Dvŏrák—Other European countries.
The operas of the Russians, Poles, and Bohemians, in so far as they
possess points of individual interest, do so by virtue of their natural
characteristics. It is unnecessary, therefore, to trace back the
history of Opera in these countries to its foundation, as we should
find that, in the main, it was a borrowed and foreign art, employing
only methods that had derived their origin elsewhere, generally in
Italy.
[2] Those interested in the Development of National Opera in Russia are
referred to four exhaustive papers read before the Musical Association
by Mrs. Newmarch, under this heading, and published in the volumes of
the Proceedings for 1900, 1902, 1903, 1904 respectively.
[Sidenote: =Early Russian Composers=]
Although, therefore, we find that opera in Russia was produced as
early as 1737 on the Italian model, and even in the vernacular with
some attempt at national style in 1756, these early attempts soon
gave way before the popular style of light Italian pieces, and the
work of such composers as Volkov, Titov, and Cavos may be passed over
as unimportant in the history of opera. Even the music of that much
greater musician, Anton Rubinstein, so far as his dramatic work goes,
is a negligible quantity, in so far as it is Teuton in style and
without distinction or national signification.
[Sidenote: =Glinka, 1804-57=]
The acknowledged pioneer in this school was Glinka, who wrote but one
work of lasting worth, _A Life for the Czar_. This opera, however,
laid such hold upon the Russian peoples as to have become the most
popular opera in their repertoire, and we are told that it is played
invariably for the opening night of the season both at Moscow and at
St. Petersburg. It is intensely national in subject, and although the
music shows many traces of Italian influence, which is not surprising
considering its date of production (1836), there is still much that has
its origin in national song and folk theme. Glinka afterwards wrote
and produced a still more national, but less successful, work entitled
_Ruslan and Ludmilla_.
Glinka’s one popular opera is not only important in itself; it is still
more worthy of notice as the stimulating motive which enabled a large
number of younger Russians to write works of a similar nature. It
must be conceded that to Englishmen the names of these men are hardly
anything but names; yet in their own country they mean much more to
the people than do the names of our English composers to the majority
of us in this country. Unfortunately, intense enthusiasm and natural
fervour has by no means found its way at present into English music.
The extremely intimate nature of the music of the operas written by
such men as Dargomijsky, Serov, César-Cui, Rimsky-Korsakoff, Borodin,
Tchaïkovsky, and Arensky, while making for their popularity in the
country of their production, is a factor against their performance in
England, where the folk-songs and themes introduced would be unknown
and unappreciated.
[Sidenote: =Dargomijsky, 1813-68=]
Dargomijsky, who has been claimed as the founder of modern Russian
opera, wrote two fairly well-known works, _The Water-Sprite_ and _The
Stone Guest_, the story of the latter being closely allied to that
of Mozart’s _Don Giovanni_. In his operas Dargomijsky seems to have
been more or less unconsciously working on the lines of Wagner in the
construction of his intermediary recitative sections, and his whole
method is one of greater advancement than that of Glinka. His chief
follower was Moussorgsky (1839-81), a composer much influenced also by
Wagner. The latter was also an able literary critic; his most famous
work was entitled _Judith_.
[Sidenote: =Borodin 1834-87=]
Borodin, a capable chemist as well as a skilled musician, has a name
for the composition of clever examples of chamber music. To the
operatic repertoire he contributed _Prince Igor_, a work following
Italian methods to some extent, but still possessing much that stamps
its Russian origin. It is one of the few members of its class which is
bright and cheerful in tone, with an absence of that pessimism which is
the prevalent feature of so much Russian music.
[Sidenote: =César-Cui 1835-=]
César-Cui has composed _Ratcliff_, _Angelo_, _The Flibustier_, and
five other works, the last mentioned having been produced in Paris.
Cui is still living (1909), and is well known for his able literary
articles and contributions to the Russian journals and magazines.
Rimsky-Korsakoff (born in 1844) has written several works, among them
_Pskowitjanka_ and _The May Night_. Up to the present, although some of
his orchestral music has found representation in England, we have not
yet had any opportunity of passing criticism upon his operatic flights.
[Sidenote: =Tchaïkovsky 1840-93=]
The name of Tchaïkovsky is well enough known in the concert rooms of
England, and, indeed, of the world. Of all Russian composers his is
the name to conjure with, and although one cannot pass unrestrictedly
favourable criticism upon all that he composed, we undoubtedly owe to
him a very great deal that is surpassingly rich, beautiful, and likely
to endure. His genius, however, did not shine at its brightest in the
theatre, and although, like the Bohemian Dvŏrák, he was attracted
again and again to the stage, his work has not met with such universal
success as it has done in other spheres.
In England only one opera of his, _Eugene Oniegin_, has been produced;
but several more fine works proceeded from his fertile pen, some of
them still very popular in their own country. The chief are _The
Oprichnik_ (1872), _Eugene Oniegin_, _Joan of Arc_ (1880), _Mazeppa_
(1883), and _The Enchantress_ (1887). Tchaïkovsky attempted many
styles, but his individuality was always apparent, sometimes with
good results and sometimes not. When the subject of the opera was in
accordance with the general trend of his thought, the result was a
felicitous one, but he holds a lower place as a writer of opera than is
his possession as a creator of symphony, song, and tone poem.
[Sidenote: =Polish Opera=]
The sister country of Poland has at present made little claim to
achievement in the opera house: the national dances, the polonaise,
valse, mazourka, etc., have been utilized by Glinka very effectively,
but the only record of Polish opera to hand is the work of the great
pianist, Paderewski, whose _Manru_ has recently come to light. Its
music is described as German rather than Polish, and it is not likely
to found a new school of composition.
[Sidenote: =Bohemian Opera=]
Of more interest is the national opera of Bohemia, with its
headquarters at Prague. Among its earlier composers we find the names
of Tomaschek, Nepravnik, and Fibich. More important than these is
Smetana (1824-84), who settled in Prague in 1866, at a time when
national freedom of thought and language was gaining position in
Bohemia. Smetana took advantage of the enthusiasm with which everything
national was greeted, and by his incorporation of the folk-songs of the
people into his operas, introduced to his country a new form of opera
which at once took root and flourished there. The melodies he chose
were dear to the hearts of the people; moreover, they were simply and
yet effectively treated, with due knowledge of and consideration for
stage-effect; consequently Smetana’s operas are in Bohemia looked upon
as the realization of a national ideal. We know little of them in this
country, save that the overture to the _Bartered Bride_ is a popular
item in the repertoire of our orchestral societies; but he wrote many
other works, such as _Dalibor_, _Der Kuss_, and _Libusa_.
[Sidenote: =Dvŏrák, 1841-1904=]
His pupil and follower, Dvŏrák, whose name as a composer of symphonies
and chamber music is an exalted one also wrote much for the stage;
indeed, just before his death a new opera by him, _Armida_, was
produced in Prague. But his success, although so great and well
deserved in other fields, is not comparable with that of Smetana, nor
has he ever in the same way touched the hearts of the people. Other
works by him are _King and Collier_ (1874), _Wanda_ (1876), _Der Bauer
ein Schelm_ (1877), _Demetrius_ (1882), and _Rusalka_ (1901). His
operatic essays are unknown in this country, nor are any works of other
Bohemian composers offered for our pleasure in England so far as the
theatre is concerned. There is, however, a promising young group of
composers working at Prague, of whose doings we may some day hear more
than at present.
[Sidenote: =Other European Countries=]
It may here be convenient to glance at the conditions that govern
opera in some of the other European countries, which give evidence of
a certain amount of activity; this has, in the main, confined itself
up to the present within its own borders. The Scandinavian composers,
such as Gade, Grieg, Sinding, etc., whose names are world known in
other fields, have nothing to show us in respect of opera. The opera
houses of Christiania and Copenhagen are active and busy, but they
produce little indigenous opera, nor does the fame of that little
travel very far. The Spaniards and Portuguese also have no claim to
fame as composers of opera, the name of Arrieta, we take it, being
little known, although he is the most famous of Spanish musicians so
far as dramatic writing is concerned. Interest in the opera of these
countries is the work of the specialist, rather than of the general
writer; and we now turn to the conditions of opera as they obtain
to-day in England and in the sister countries of Germany, France, and
Italy.