Stanislav Trofimov

The Tsar's Bride - an opera in four acts by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov based on the drama by Lev Mey. This is a play about love - passionate, hot, searing and even burning everything around him. About the Russian soul, in the depths of which will always be a place for cleanliness, poetry, sacrifice and charity. At the same time, it is a play about the terrible years in the history of Russia, when the government was in a complete chaos, and the man became a helpless toy in its hands.

Jerusalem mourns its defeat, which places its fate in the hands of Nabucco, King of Babylon. Ismaël warns them that Nabucco is approaching the Temple. He remains alone with Ferena, the daughter of the Babylonian king, who has been taken hostage by the Hebrews, and confesses his love for her. However, Ferena's sister, Abigaille, also loves Ismael. In this new production, Arnaud Bernard sets the plot in the aesthetic context of the Italian Risorgimento. When it premiered at La Scala in Milan in 1842, Nabucco was an immediate triumph. In an Italy then in the throes of nationalist movements, the audience immediately identified with the Hebrews held captive in Babylon. The chorus of slaves, "Va, pensiero," thus became one of the most famous arias in the history of opera.

The opera is based on the Biblical tale of Samson and Delilah found in Chapter 16 of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament. It is the only opera by Saint-Saëns that is regularly performed. The second act love scene in Delilah's tent is one of the set pieces that define French opera. Two of Delilah's arias are particularly well known: "Printemps qui commence" and "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix", the latter of which is one of the most popular recital pieces in the mezzo-soprano/contralto repertoire. Staged by greek director Yannis Kokkos and conducted by Valery Gergiev on May 25th, 2016 at the Mariinsky Theatre.