The plot of "Khovanshchina" historical events 1682 was suggested to the composer by his close friend, the famous critic Stasov. Mussorgsky began work on the opera in the summer of 1872, when Boris Godunov was not yet fully completed. He studied intensely historical materials, pondered the details of the libretto, individual musical episodes. Mussorgsky was captivated by the wealth of collected materials; musical and poetic images arose in his imagination in inextricable unity.
Beginning in 1873, Mussorgsky’s letters increasingly contain references to “Khovanshchina,” in which he wanted to combine the fidelity of the characters’ characters and dramaturgy folk scenes, for which he was already prepared by working on “Boris Godunov”. Persistently seeking the convexity of dramatic development, composing text and music, he constantly consults with Stasov, to whom he dedicated his creative work. The opera completely absorbed his thoughts and thoughts, he with good reason He said: “I live in Khovanshchina, just as I lived in Boris.”
Gradually, one after another, the numbers formed new opera. In August 1875, the composer completed the first act. However, in further work went on intermittently until last days Mussorgsky's life. On August 22, 1880, he informed Stasov that Khovanshchina was ready, “except for a small piece in the final scene of self-immolation.” A huge amount of orchestration work lay ahead, but the composer only had to less than a year life. After his death, Rimsky-Korsakov completed, edited and orchestrated the opera, and in this form it became known throughout the world. IN Soviet time Shostakovich re-orchestrated “Khovanshchina” based on the author’s clavier.
“Khovanshchina” is a folk musical drama telling about the events of the late 17th century, about the struggle between the old and new Rus', about the conspiracy of the chief of the Streltsy army, Prince Ivan Khovansky. The composer took liberties with chronology, connecting events separated by an interval of sixteen years, but this did not stop him from writing a true picture of Russian life.
Opera images
Just as in “Boris Godunov,” the action of “Khovanshchina” unfolds on two planes: on the one hand, the Khovansky princes, Golitsyn, and the schismatic leader Dosifei. On the other hand, the people: archers, schismatics. What comes to the fore here is either the hairy old man Ivan Khovansky, who knows no limits in stubbornness and self-will, or Dosifey. Dositheus is not only an Old Believer fanatic, but also a man of a big heart, in whose soul the suffering of the people resonates. Next to him is Martha the schismatic, with her deep spiritual feeling, unshakable honesty and intransigence towards lies and deception, one of Mussorgsky’s most poetic images. All of them are revealed in all the fullness of their life manifestations with that amazing truthfulness that is so characteristic of Mussorgsky.
Khovansky and Dosifey - different people. But they are united by a commitment to the “holy antiquity” and hostility to the new, which Peter’s reforms bring to Russia. Taking advantage of their influence on the archers and schismatics, they are trying to delay the march of the new. However, the “Khovanshchina” (as the Streltsy rebellion is called in the opera) finds its inglorious end; Dosifei and the schismatics loyal to him die in the burning monastery. The dawn of a new life is rising over the Russian land, symbolically embodied in the music of the famous introduction to the opera “Dawn on the Moscow River.”
Of course, the content of “Khovanshchina” is broader and more diverse than this schematic presentation. It tells about the spiritual drama of Martha, who was deceived in her love for Prince Andrei Khovansky, about the complex palace intrigues, in which Prince Golitsyn is involved, who, for all his “Westernism,” is also a supporter of the old. The most important thing is expressed by the composer in wonderful folk scenes.
They amaze with the richness and vitality of their sketches and the truth in revealing people’s characters. Here the gift of the composer-psychologist is revealed with particular force, embodying in his music the subtlest features and broad movements of the masses. Mussorgsky deeply and subtly managed to show the tragedy of a people deceived in their hopes. One of the main nodes dramatic conflict is in the second act, where at the beginning the archaic song of the schismatics is heard. They are, according to Mussorgsky, a symbol of the inert, outdated and reactionary, retreating before the rise of the new.
In the second act we also hear Shaklovity’s aria “The Archer’s Nest Sleeps,” which sounds like a heartfelt meditation on the fate of the homeland. Criticisms have been expressed many times about the fact that the composer put it into the mouth of Shaklovity, a far from positive person involved in various dark intrigues. But be that as it may, the aria occupies one of central places in the musical dramaturgy of opera. A sad premonition of impending disaster grows in the final scene of Streletskaya Sloboda, where the mournful melody of the chorus “Dad, Dad, come out to us” appears. From here the composer leads to the denouement of the tragedy - the death of Prince Khovansky himself and the end of his violent army: the archers march along Red Square to the place of execution.
In this scene, as well as in the finale of the opera (the self-immolation of schismatics), Mussorgsky reaches the heights of his tragic art, reviving the pages of the distant past in all their life reality and in the fidelity of the transfer of every character trait, every experience.
Mussorgsky introduced several authentic folk songs into the score of the opera - “The Baby Was Coming”, “Near the River in the Meadow”, “Sitting Late in the Evening”, “The Swan is Swimming”. They further emphasize the Russian flavor of the music, which corresponds to the plot and images of the opera. There are many recitative and declamatory episodes in it, but they are invariably melodically rich. Melodiousness was the composer’s conscious goal: “By working on human speech,” he wrote to Stasov, “I have reached... the embodiment of recitative in melody... I would like to call this a meaningful, justified melody.” Indeed, the freely flowing melody becomes the main means of dramatic characterization in Khovanshchina. This also applies to instrumental episodes, among which are remarkable “Dawn on the Moscow River,” with its almost visible imagery, and “Dance of the Persians,” with its languidly sultry slow theme, which is then replaced by a whirlwind dance. “Dance of the Persians” is one of the best oriental pages of Russian classical music.
Like “Boris Godunov,” “Khovanshchina” is a deeply tragic work, telling about difficult times which brought untold suffering to the people. In both operas, protest against the forces of social oppression comes to the fore. Before Mussorgsky, no composer had created operas that explored this theme with such powerful force. He planned to return to her again - in the third opera, dedicated to Pugachev uprising. Thus, his plan covered more than a century and a half of Russian history: troubled years the reign of Boris Godunov, the struggle between old and new in the era of Peter the Great and spontaneous peasant movement, which shook the foundations of the noble monarchy. Such a plan itself testifies to the extraordinary breadth of the composer’s creative horizons.
In one of his letters, Mussorgsky wrote that he was possessed by one thought: “to tell people a new word of friendship and love, direct and across the entire width of Russian meadows, with truth.” sound word a modest musician, but a fighter for the right thought of art.” He said this word in his brilliant works, one of the first places among which is occupied by the folk musical drama “Khovanshchina”.
Modest Mussorgsky "Khovanshchina"(folk musical drama)
Libretto by Modest Mussorgsky
Historical basis of the plot
Khovanshchina- events of 1682, a short period of omnipotence in Moscow of Prince Ivan Khovansky, appointed by Princess Sophia after Streltsy riot head of the Streltsy order. Khovansky was extremely popular; the archers even called him “father.” The summer of 1682 was marked by the activation of the Old Believers, who hoped, with the help of Khovansky, to overcome the official church, supported by Sophia, and return Rus' to the “old faith.” The culmination was a dispute about faith in the Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin (July 5, 1682), which boiled down to mutual accusations of heresy and ignorance between the parties. However, the Old Believers, having left the Kremlin, publicly announced their complete victory on Red Square. This story finally separated Sophia from her nominee Khovansky. Didn't pass three months, how the ruler found a way to deal with the leader of the archers: on September 17, 1682, Ivan Khovansky and his son Andrei were arrested by Sophia’s supporters and executed without trial on the same day. Fyodor Shaklovity was appointed the new head of the Streltsy order.
Only seven years later power passed from the hands of Princess Sophia to the hands of Peter. On August 7, 1689, Sophia ordered Shaklovity to equip more archers in the Kremlin, as if to accompany her to the Donskoy Monastery on a pilgrimage. A rumor spread that in fact the Streltsy regiments were preparing to march on Preobrazhenskoye in order to beat all of Peter’s supporters. Having received news of this, Peter and a small retinue took refuge in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. On August 8, “amusing” regiments with artillery arrived here. A few days later, Peter ordered all other regiments located in Moscow to go to Trinity. Most of troops obeyed the legitimate king. Princess Sophia, who had lost her power, was soon imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent, and her favorite, Prince Vasily Golitsyn, was sent into exile. Fyodor Shaklovity was executed.
Drama and music
IN real events The Khovanshchina of 1682, 10-year-old Tsar Peter did not take any part. However, Mussorgsky wanted to show the transfer of power from the hands of Princess Sophia to the hands of Peter. Therefore, the libretto of his opera bizarrely mixes the events of 1682 and 1689. Mussorgsky shows forces hostile to Peter: the archers, led by Prince Khovansky; Prince Golitsyn, Sophia's favorite; Old Believers led by Dosifei (real Abbot Dosifei (d. 1690)). If Prince Khovansky, indulging the archers in everything, strives for royal power, then the Sagittarius themselves are shown as a dark mass used in the interests of others. Old Believers are presented as courageous people, going to self-immolation for the sake of faith.
A huge role in the development of action belongs to the people - even in to a greater extent than in "Boris Godunov". The choirs are very diverse. No less vividly embodied individual images: arrogant and autocratic Khovansky; the crafty and narcissistic Golitsyn; the majestic Dositheus; strong, impetuous, passionate, ready for heroism Martha; restless and weak Andrei Khovansky; patriotically minded and capable of anything for the sake of saving Rus', Shaklovity; the cheerful and reckless young archer Kuzka; a cowardly and selfish clerk.
The most famous of the music of “Khovanshchina” are: the introduction (“Dawn on the Moscow River”); the scene of Martha's fortune telling from Act 2 (“Secret powers, great powers”); Shaklovity’s aria from Act 3 (“The Streltsy Nest is Sleeping”); intermission to the 4th act (“Golitsyn’s Train”); “Dances of the Persians” from Act 4.
History of creation and orchestration options
Khovanshchina was conceived by Mussorgsky in 1872. He wrote it (with interruptions) until the very last days of his life, but never completed it. The music of the 2nd act remained unfinished (the manuscript ends at the words of Shaklovity “And he ordered to find...”) and the 5th act. Some of the autographs have been lost, including Martha's Love Funeral Service, of which Mussorgsky was especially proud. Most of the music that was recorded by the composer as a clavier was not orchestrated. In Mussorgsky's orchestration, only the Streltsy chorus "Rise up, good fellows" (3rd act) and Martha's Song have been preserved.
The entire opera was orchestrated for the first time by Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov, who preferred to call his work not orchestration, but arrangement. Based on his own professional convictions and taking into account the demands of the time, he significantly shortened the opera, added the necessary connections, and changed Mussorgsky’s voice and harmony. Rimsky-Korsakov's score was published in 1883.
In 1958, Dmitry Shostakovich made a new orchestration based on the original score published by P. Lamm (1932). It was this option that was used in the film-opera “Khovanshchina” (1959, director Vera Stroeva, screenwriter and composer D. D. Shostakovich). In 1960, the opera in this version was staged in Leningrad at the Kirov (Mariinsky) Theater. Shostakovich's score was published in 1963.
His own version of the final chorus (in the scene of the self-immolation of schismatics) was written by I. F. Stravinsky, who together with M. Ravel prepared new edition opera for production in 1913 in Paris by S. Diaghilev's troupe. This edition used Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestration, and the work of Stravinsky and Ravel consisted of restoration (in some cases reconstruction) and orchestration of fragments not included in Rimsky-Korsakov's edition.
First productions
The opera was not performed during Mussorgsky's lifetime.
First productions :
1. in St. Petersburg: through the Musical and Dramatic Circle of Amateurs, in the I. A. Kononov Hall, February 9, 1886, conducted by E. Yu. Goldstein.
3. in Moscow: Russian private opera by S. I. Mamontov, in the premises of the G. G. Solodovnikov Theater, November 12, 1897. Conductor E. D. Esposito, Dosifey - F. I. Chaliapin, artists A. M. Vasnetsov, K. A. Korovin and S. V. Malyutin.
Summary opera by M. Mussorgsky "Khovanshchina"
The action takes place in 1682.
Act one
Moscow. Red Square at dawn. The morning blast is heard. The archer Kuzka is sleeping near a stone pillar, with his comrades around him. Boyar Shaklovity enters and dictates to the clerk an anonymous denunciation addressed to Tsars Ivan and Peter (both of them are young and are under the tutelage of their sister, Princess Sophia): Prince Ivan Khovansky, the head of the Streltsy, is inciting a rebellion and has planned, with the help of schismatics, to place his son on the throne Andrey. The people and archers greet Ivan Khovansky (“ To the white swan the path is spacious." The prince addresses the people: his duty is to protect the young kings from the rebellious boyars. Emma, a girl from a German settlement, appears on the stage, pursued by Andrei (duet “Let me in, let me in, leave me!”). Marfa comes to Emma’s aid, she reproaches the prince for leaving her, he tries to stab her with a knife, but she, in turn, also raises the knife (terzetto “So, so, prince!”). Martha prophesies to him that this is not the death he should die. Andrei contemptuously calls her possessed. Ivan Khovansky, struck by Emma's beauty, orders the girl to be taken to his chambers. But Andrei is ready to kill her rather than give in to his father. Dositheus, the leader of the schismatics, stops Andrei in time. He calls on the Orthodox to fight for the true faith (with the choir “God, take away”).
Act two
Prince Golitsyn's office. Late evening. Golitsyn reads love letter from Princess Sophia. He is tormented by anxiety. Martha enters disguised as a fortune teller. She predicts Golitsyn that disgrace, exile and poverty await him (“Secret Forces”). The prince orders her to be drowned, but Marfa hears everything and disappears in time. Suddenly Ivan Khovansky appears. The princes argue about politics, blaming each other (duet “And we are without a report, prince: that’s how”). Dositheus interrupts their argument (terzetto “Princes, subdue your anger”). At the back of the stage, schismatics pass, chanting victory over the heretics. Marfa runs in: Golitsyn’s servant wanted to drown her, but Peter’s men came to her aid. The princes are amazed that the king's troops are so close. Shaklovity announces to them that their conspiracy has been discovered, Peter called him “Khovanshchina” and “ordered to find him.”
Act three
Streletskaya settlement in Zamoskvorechye. Martha remembers her unhappy love and predicts that she and Andrei will die together, in flames (“The Baby Was Coming Out”). Dositheus consoles her (duet “Oh, my killer whale”). Shaklovity mourns the fate of Rus' (“The Streltsy Nest Sleeps”). The sound of a fight can be heard from the settlement. Suddenly a clerk runs in: Peter’s troops are beating the archers. Kuzka suggests calling Ivan Khovansky for help (“Dad, Dad, come out to us”). But the prince orders the archers to go home and wait for the verdict.
Act four
Chambers of Ivan Khovansky. The prince sits at the table, and the girls entertain him with songs (“Near the river, on the meadow”, “About the haiduchka”). Varsonofyev, sent by Golitsyn, warns Ivan that his life is in danger. The prince is outraged. After some time, Shaklovity brings an order from Princess Sophia, who calls him to the court. The prince orders them to bring formal clothes and demands that the girls sing in his honor (“The swan floats, floats”). Having barely reached the threshold, he falls screaming, struck by the killer.
The opera takes place in Moscow in 1682. At the beginning of the opera, the boyar informs Peter about an incident that recently occurred in the city: the chief of the Streltsy, Ivan Khovansky, is aiming for the throne of Peter, and he wants to put his son on the throne. He is not satisfied with the new order of Peter's laws, which, in his opinion, will lead to devastation and disorder.
Next, the author describes the honoring of Ivan Khovansky by other archers for such a decisive and bold step. In parallel appears love line: Andrey falls in love with Emma, but the most interesting thing is that his father also has an uneasy feeling for the girl from the German settlement. A brawl occurs, but as a result of the arrival of Dosifei, the head of the schismatics, everything is resolved quite favorably.
Next we observe the scene in which Prince Golitsyn is. He is worried about something; the day before, Martha, introducing herself as a fortune teller, prophesied trouble. He doesn’t want to believe it and orders the girl to be drowned, but thanks to circumstances, she manages to escape. After something terrible happens, the conspirators learn that all the tricks and plans have long been known to the king and reprisals should be expected.
Khovansky hid on the estate, believing that he would be absolutely safe there. His belief that there was nothing to worry about was not justified. Khovansky comes to him, ostensibly to give an invitation, but as soon as he leaves, he is struck by a dagger.
Peter also kills Prince Golitsyn. Only Andrei Khovansky remains alive. Taking pity on him, Peter ordered the young man to be pardoned.
The next scene shows a clearing in a forest. Dosifei asks to be burned at the stake for his actions, he blames himself for the deaths of his comrades, and he also understands the inevitability and collapse of all plans. In addition, he encourages everyone to follow his example. Peter's soldiers enter the clearing and see everything engulfed in flames.
This opera very realistically showed the inevitability of changing the tsar’s way of life. All those who opposed Peter's reforms suffered death. Initially, it was clear that Peter’s reforms would not bear fruit, but it was not worth risking human life for his ideas.
Picture or drawing Mussorgsky - Khovanshchina
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He became interested in 1870, and two years later V. Stasov advised him to make them the basis of an opera. This is how the idea of the work, called “Khovanshchina,” was born. Unlike, this opera did not have a literary source - the composer, when creating the libretto himself, relied only on documents of the era and historical research.
The plot of the opera “Khovanshchina” combines events that historical reality lasted for seven years: two Streltsy riots, the second of which was led by Prince Ivan Khovansky in alliance with the Old Believers, and the rise of Peter I to power. Along with the real ones historical figures the opera features fictional characters (for example, Marfa), there are also deviations from historical facts: historical Ivan Khovansky was executed along with his son - in the opera he dies at the hands of a murderer in his estate, and his son commits self-immolation along with the schismatics.
The musical style of the opera “Khovanshchina” is most clearly characterized by the words of M. P. Mussorgsky himself: “By working on human speech, I reached the point of embodying recitative in melody... I would like to call this a meaningful/justified melody.” In the opera, many song melodies close to Russian musical folklore are quoted by the composer and genuine folk melodies (Martha’s song “The Little One Came Out”, the schismatic hymn “Enemy of Men”), but the recitatives are also based on the same intonations. According to B. Asafiev, “Mussorgsky’s music must be sung, absolutely sung, in Russian in a sing-song voice, and in Russian in a ‘talker’, so that the feeling of singing does not disappear.”
As in Boris Godunov, the chorus plays a colossal role in the opera Khovanshchina. The choral scenes show not some abstract “people”, but a multitude social groups: Streltsy and Streltsy wives, Moscow people, schismatics. Their musical characteristics, which are as different as the “portraits” of the characters: elastic rhythms in the spirit of dance and soldier songs among the Streltsy, lamenting intonations among the Streltsy wives, features of ancient Russian chants among the schismatics. The characteristics of the characters are also associated with these “collective” musical spheres: Dosifei and the schismatics, Ivan Khovansky and the archers.
The characters in the opera “Khovanshchina” are mostly negative; only two appear truly charming actors: Dositheus and, in particular, the schismatic Martha are the only significant female image in the opera (the girl Emma from a German settlement, who appears in passing, plays a supporting role). To modern man Martha’s behavior may seem selfish - she leads to the death of an unfaithful lover, but from the perspective of her faith (Old Believers), everything looks completely different: having abandoned Martha for the sake of the “Luther” Emma, Andrei not only betrays the woman, he falls away from the true faith, and only “in fire and flame" he can find the salvation of his soul (not to mention the fact that self-immolation saves him from a more terrible fate) - Martha saves Andrei despite the fact that he broke her heart, her love is not vengeful, but sacrificial. This image is depicted by the composer with great warmth; her musical speech contains many beautiful cantilena melodies.
The opera “Khovanshchina” is a mysterious work; it poses questions for which there is still no clear answer. For example, why does the composer put into the mouth of the insidious Shaklovity a soulful aria (“The Streltsy’s Nest is Sleeping…”), filled with anxiety and sadness about the fate of Rus'? What is this - a subtle psychological touch that reminds you that you cannot judge a person by their first impression? Or maybe the author himself “takes the floor” - long before the advent of cinema with its “voice-over”?
The orchestral introduction “Dawn on the Moscow River” seems even more mysterious. The traditional interpretation connects it with the emergence of a new, powerful Russia, which will be created by Peter’s reforms... But it is unlikely that M. P. Mussorgsky had this in mind: he assessed the activities of Peter I by no means enthusiastically, and in the opera the theme of “Dawn” with the image of Peter and the Peter’s men It was not he who tied, but . Their real musical characteristic is a “mechanical” military march, in which there is nothing human. So who does the composer place his hopes on, and with which of the opera’s images is “Dawn” connected? The fact of the matter is that none of the musical characteristics (neither personal nor “group”) are related to the theme of “Dawn.” So maybe “Dawn on the Moscow River” is hope against all odds?
Working on the opera “Khovanshchina” until his death, M. P. Mussorgsky never completed it. After the death of the composer, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov finished the opera in 1883, but it was not so easy to achieve the production of an opera with such a defiant political plot. Only three years later, the opera was staged in St. Petersburg by the Musical and Dramatic Club of Amateurs. But genuine stage birth The opera “Khovanshchina” premiered at the Moscow Private Opera in 1897, with Dosifei in the role.
Musical seasons
FIRST ACTION
The morning after Streltsy rebellion
Moscow fell silent after the Streltsy riot, during which a lot of blood was shed.
Denunciation
Shaklovity dictates a denunciation to the clerk, in which he names the Khovansky father and son as the instigators of the troubles.
Lists on a pole
The clerk reads to newcomers carved on a pillar are the names of those killed and exiled as a result of the rebellion.
"The big one is coming!"
Prince Ivan Khovansky, commander of the archers, appears. He leads his troops on a detour around Moscow.
Andrey and Emma
Ivan Khovansky's son Andrei is pursuing a resident he likes German settlement Emma. The girl is protected by Marfa, the former lover of Andrei Khovansky.
"Why are you freaking out?..
"
Ivan Khovansky returns. Seeing the beautiful German woman, he orders the archers to take her to him. Andrey does not want to give up the girl to his father. The fight, ready to begin, is stopped by the leader of the schismatics, Dosifei. He calls to forget the strife and unite in the face of impending disaster.
SECOND ACT
Divination
Martha, invited to Prince Golitsyn, predicts imminent disgrace and exile for the all-powerful favorite of Princess Sophia. The frightened Golitsyn gives the order to drown Marfa in the Swamp.
Conspiracy of Princes
Prince Ivan Khovansky comes to Golitsyn. Next appears Dositheus, in the worldly past Prince Myshetsky. Each of the princes claims power, and they are unable to agree on joint actions. Returning Martha says that she was saved by Peter’s soldiers. Shaklovity brings frightening news: young king Peter received a denunciation against the Khovanskys.
INTERMISSION
ACT THIRD
"Terrible torture, my love..."
The schismatic Susanna reproaches Martha for giving in to sinful temptation. Martha is protected by Dositheus.
"The archer's nest is sleeping..."
Shaklovity, who came to Streletskaya Sloboda, dreams of a strong hand that will save Rus' from its enemies.
"Dad, dad, come to us..."
The archers are waking up. The clerk brings them the news that Peter’s troops are not far away.
Sagittarius calls Ivan Khovansky to listen to his order. But Khovansky refuses to lead the archers into battle and orders them to go home.
ACT FOUR
Massacre
Ivan Khovansky’s soul is restless, although he feels safe in own home. Khovansky brushes off the warning that Prince Golitsyn’s minion conveys to him, and falls victim to the killers sent by Shaklovit. The disgraced Prince Golitsyn is taken into exile. The archers, who have already laid their heads on the block, are pardoned by Tsar Peter.
ACT FIFTH
Skeet
Dositheos calls schismatics to martyrdom.
Having gathered together, they commit self-immolation.
Show summary