Composer

:

Modest Mussorgsky

Genre

:

Opera

Style

:

Opera

Compose Date

:

1913

First Performance

:

Jun 5, 1913

Average_duration

:

4:55

Khovanshchina is an opera composed by Modest Mussorgsky in 1880, but it was left unfinished at the time of his death. The opera was later completed by Rimsky-Korsakov and premiered in 1886. The plot of the opera is set in 17th century Russia and revolves around the political and religious conflicts between the Old Believers and the reformist Tsar Peter the Great. The opera is divided into five acts and features a large cast of characters, including Prince Ivan Khovansky, his son Andrei, the Old Believer Dosifei, and the Tsar's representative, Shaklovity. The first act introduces the characters and sets the stage for the conflict between the Old Believers and the Tsar's supporters. The second act focuses on the love triangle between Andrei, the Tsar's daughter Sofia, and the Streltsy leader, Golitsin. The third act is the most famous and features the "Dance of the Persian Slaves," a colorful and exotic ballet sequence. The fourth act sees the Old Believers preparing for a rebellion against the Tsar, while the fifth act depicts the violent aftermath of the rebellion and the tragic fates of the main characters. Khovanshchina is known for its grand and sweeping music, which features lush orchestration and powerful choral writing. Mussorgsky's use of Russian folk melodies and rhythms gives the opera a distinctly nationalistic flavor. The opera also features several memorable arias and ensembles, including Dosifei's "Ave Maria" and the final chorus, "Glory to the Tsar." In 1913, French composers Maurice Ravel and Igor Stravinsky collaborated on a new version of Khovanshchina, which they called "The Coronation of Boris." This version featured significant changes to the original score, including the addition of new music and the rearrangement of existing material. The premiere of "The Coronation of Boris" was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to establish Mussorgsky's reputation as one of Russia's greatest composers.

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