TABLEAU 1. INTRODUCTION: CHRISTMAS EVETABLEAU 2. IN SPACETABLEAU 3. BRILLIANT BALL IN THE IMPERIAL PALACETABLEAU 4. NIGHT, IN SPACE
Rimsky-Korsakoff composed, in 1895, an opera, "Christmas Eve," based on a story by Gogol.[130]It was produced at St. Petersburg December 10, 1895. Excerpts from it were afterwards made into a suite by the composer. Mr. H. E. Krehbiel has paraphrased Gogol's tale, as it has been utilized by Rimsky-Korsakoff, with a clearness and concision which could not well be bettered:
"[The story] is concerned with one of the adventures of the hero, a young, handsome, herculean, and stout-hearted blacksmith named Wakula, in an effort to win the hand of a wilful and capricious damsel named Oxana. She commands him to bring her thetscherewitschki(embroidered slippers, or little shoes) of the Empress Catherine the Great. To understand how he achieved this feat it is necessary to relate that his mother, Ssoloka, is a mistress of the magic arts, and also a buxom dame, who counts among her four lovers not only the father of the whimsical Oxana, but the devil himself. One day, the day before Christmas, her fourlovers appear at her house in such rapid succession that she is obliged to hide them in sacks, one after another, to prevent discovery of the numerous rivalry. In her haste two are put into one sack. She has just disposed of the last when Wakula comes home, and to him she gives the sacks (as containing so much coal) to carry away to various destinations. Wakula shoulders the three sacks at once and is off. After depositing two of them in the street, he discovers that he has trapped the devil in the third, and under threat of baptizement unless he consents, compels his satanic majesty to transport him instanter to St. Petersburg, and help him get the empress's slippers. Here the suite begins, and, since most of it is of the descriptive order, the rest of the tale may best be told with hints intended to identify the scenes with the music."TABLEAU I. INTRODUCTION: CHRISTMAS EVE"The scene pictures Dikanka, a village in Little Russia, on a clear, cold night (Adagio)."TABLEAU II. IN SPACE"The stars group themselves upon the clouds (Andante). The stars engage in games and dances (Ballet). Mazurka,Allegro assai.... A procession of comets (Adagio). A round dance, revolution of the constellations about the pole (Andante non troppo). A shower of meteors ( ...Allegro). Cloudsdescend and hide the stars. A wizard rides into view, seated in a kettle, which he drives with an oven-fork; after him, a rout of wizards, in pots, kettles and bowls, carrying forks, frying-pans, tongs, and pokers; witches astride of brooms. Dance of the witches. Wakula rushes by upon the devil, in the shape of a winged horse; wizards and witches skurry after him (Allegro assai, with a dactyllic figure to suggest the infernal ride). The lights of St. Petersburg are seen (Moderato)."TABLEAU III. BRILLIANT BALL IN THE IMPERIAL PALACE"(Polonaise,Allegro non troppo, alla Polacca.) The devil enters with Wakula (the dactyllic figure is resumed). Darkness comes over the scene."TABLEAU IV. NIGHT, IN SPACE"Glimpses of the setting moon are had through rifts in the clouds (Andante). Flying through the clouds, a multitude of empty pots and kettles, brooms, forks, and other kitchen utensils (Allegro). Wakula dashes past, in the opposite direction, upon his devil-horse (Allegro assai). The clouds disperse and vanish. The moon sets, and the morning star (Venus) appears (Moderato). Dawn. Kolyada, in a golden sledge, and Ovsen, on a boar with golden bristles, appear with a train of light elves who hymn them (Andante). Kolyada is anancient Slavic sun goddess. In an old ceremony she used to be represented by a maiden, clad in white robes, who was driven from house to house in the yuletide, whilekolyadki(i.e., Kolyada songs) were sung by the youths and maidens who attended her, and received gifts from the people in return for their songs. The sun rises through the frosty mists, and Dikanka becomes visible. Wakula is returned with the shoes in time for early mass. The bells of the village church are heard, and the people singing the pious Christmas canticle."
"[The story] is concerned with one of the adventures of the hero, a young, handsome, herculean, and stout-hearted blacksmith named Wakula, in an effort to win the hand of a wilful and capricious damsel named Oxana. She commands him to bring her thetscherewitschki(embroidered slippers, or little shoes) of the Empress Catherine the Great. To understand how he achieved this feat it is necessary to relate that his mother, Ssoloka, is a mistress of the magic arts, and also a buxom dame, who counts among her four lovers not only the father of the whimsical Oxana, but the devil himself. One day, the day before Christmas, her fourlovers appear at her house in such rapid succession that she is obliged to hide them in sacks, one after another, to prevent discovery of the numerous rivalry. In her haste two are put into one sack. She has just disposed of the last when Wakula comes home, and to him she gives the sacks (as containing so much coal) to carry away to various destinations. Wakula shoulders the three sacks at once and is off. After depositing two of them in the street, he discovers that he has trapped the devil in the third, and under threat of baptizement unless he consents, compels his satanic majesty to transport him instanter to St. Petersburg, and help him get the empress's slippers. Here the suite begins, and, since most of it is of the descriptive order, the rest of the tale may best be told with hints intended to identify the scenes with the music."
TABLEAU I. INTRODUCTION: CHRISTMAS EVE
"The scene pictures Dikanka, a village in Little Russia, on a clear, cold night (Adagio)."
TABLEAU II. IN SPACE
"The stars group themselves upon the clouds (Andante). The stars engage in games and dances (Ballet). Mazurka,Allegro assai.... A procession of comets (Adagio). A round dance, revolution of the constellations about the pole (Andante non troppo). A shower of meteors ( ...Allegro). Cloudsdescend and hide the stars. A wizard rides into view, seated in a kettle, which he drives with an oven-fork; after him, a rout of wizards, in pots, kettles and bowls, carrying forks, frying-pans, tongs, and pokers; witches astride of brooms. Dance of the witches. Wakula rushes by upon the devil, in the shape of a winged horse; wizards and witches skurry after him (Allegro assai, with a dactyllic figure to suggest the infernal ride). The lights of St. Petersburg are seen (Moderato)."
TABLEAU III. BRILLIANT BALL IN THE IMPERIAL PALACE
"(Polonaise,Allegro non troppo, alla Polacca.) The devil enters with Wakula (the dactyllic figure is resumed). Darkness comes over the scene."
TABLEAU IV. NIGHT, IN SPACE
"Glimpses of the setting moon are had through rifts in the clouds (Andante). Flying through the clouds, a multitude of empty pots and kettles, brooms, forks, and other kitchen utensils (Allegro). Wakula dashes past, in the opposite direction, upon his devil-horse (Allegro assai). The clouds disperse and vanish. The moon sets, and the morning star (Venus) appears (Moderato). Dawn. Kolyada, in a golden sledge, and Ovsen, on a boar with golden bristles, appear with a train of light elves who hymn them (Andante). Kolyada is anancient Slavic sun goddess. In an old ceremony she used to be represented by a maiden, clad in white robes, who was driven from house to house in the yuletide, whilekolyadki(i.e., Kolyada songs) were sung by the youths and maidens who attended her, and received gifts from the people in return for their songs. The sun rises through the frosty mists, and Dikanka becomes visible. Wakula is returned with the shoes in time for early mass. The bells of the village church are heard, and the people singing the pious Christmas canticle."
FOOTNOTES:[121]Some authorities give May 22d.[122]"Gusli": an instrument peculiar to the Russian people. "Originally it had a small, flat sounding-box, with a maple-wood cover, and strung with seven strings."[123]The translation is by Mr. Philip Hale.[124]El Kaaba (or, more properly, Al, or Ul Kaaba), the sacred shrine of the Islamites at Mecca, is said by tradition to have been created by God out of cloud and mist at the beginning of the world. Adam gave it a more substantial form, building it of stones and rock. It was rebuilt by Noah after the flood; destroyed in war, and erected again by Ishmael and Abraham. It was built in its present form by Moslem caliphs in the eighth century. Before the days of Mohammed it was the shrine of some six hundred idols, among which were six examples of supreme poetic eloquence. It was to these that Antar's poem was added.[125]The desert that lies to the east of Damascus.[126]The gazelle figures with curious persistence in Arabic poetry, especially as a symbol, even as a standard, of feminine grace and beauty.[127]Translated by Mr. P. H. Goepp.[128]Without opus number.[129]This was the group of iconoclastic and restless young composers who, at St. Petersburg, set forth, under the banner of "nationalism," to open new paths for Russian music, and by whom Tschaikowsky was cast into outer darkness as being too "eclectic," too little "national," in his art.[130]Nicolas Gogol (1809-1852), a prolific and popular Russian novelist. Tschaikowsky compared him with Dickens: "He [Dickens] has the same inimitable and innate humor, and the same masterly power of depicting an entire character in a few strokes. But he has not Gogol's depth."
FOOTNOTES:
FOOTNOTES:
[121]Some authorities give May 22d.
[121]Some authorities give May 22d.
[122]"Gusli": an instrument peculiar to the Russian people. "Originally it had a small, flat sounding-box, with a maple-wood cover, and strung with seven strings."
[122]"Gusli": an instrument peculiar to the Russian people. "Originally it had a small, flat sounding-box, with a maple-wood cover, and strung with seven strings."
[123]The translation is by Mr. Philip Hale.
[123]The translation is by Mr. Philip Hale.
[124]El Kaaba (or, more properly, Al, or Ul Kaaba), the sacred shrine of the Islamites at Mecca, is said by tradition to have been created by God out of cloud and mist at the beginning of the world. Adam gave it a more substantial form, building it of stones and rock. It was rebuilt by Noah after the flood; destroyed in war, and erected again by Ishmael and Abraham. It was built in its present form by Moslem caliphs in the eighth century. Before the days of Mohammed it was the shrine of some six hundred idols, among which were six examples of supreme poetic eloquence. It was to these that Antar's poem was added.
[124]El Kaaba (or, more properly, Al, or Ul Kaaba), the sacred shrine of the Islamites at Mecca, is said by tradition to have been created by God out of cloud and mist at the beginning of the world. Adam gave it a more substantial form, building it of stones and rock. It was rebuilt by Noah after the flood; destroyed in war, and erected again by Ishmael and Abraham. It was built in its present form by Moslem caliphs in the eighth century. Before the days of Mohammed it was the shrine of some six hundred idols, among which were six examples of supreme poetic eloquence. It was to these that Antar's poem was added.
[125]The desert that lies to the east of Damascus.
[125]The desert that lies to the east of Damascus.
[126]The gazelle figures with curious persistence in Arabic poetry, especially as a symbol, even as a standard, of feminine grace and beauty.
[126]The gazelle figures with curious persistence in Arabic poetry, especially as a symbol, even as a standard, of feminine grace and beauty.
[127]Translated by Mr. P. H. Goepp.
[127]Translated by Mr. P. H. Goepp.
[128]Without opus number.
[128]Without opus number.
[129]This was the group of iconoclastic and restless young composers who, at St. Petersburg, set forth, under the banner of "nationalism," to open new paths for Russian music, and by whom Tschaikowsky was cast into outer darkness as being too "eclectic," too little "national," in his art.
[129]This was the group of iconoclastic and restless young composers who, at St. Petersburg, set forth, under the banner of "nationalism," to open new paths for Russian music, and by whom Tschaikowsky was cast into outer darkness as being too "eclectic," too little "national," in his art.
[130]Nicolas Gogol (1809-1852), a prolific and popular Russian novelist. Tschaikowsky compared him with Dickens: "He [Dickens] has the same inimitable and innate humor, and the same masterly power of depicting an entire character in a few strokes. But he has not Gogol's depth."
[130]Nicolas Gogol (1809-1852), a prolific and popular Russian novelist. Tschaikowsky compared him with Dickens: "He [Dickens] has the same inimitable and innate humor, and the same masterly power of depicting an entire character in a few strokes. But he has not Gogol's depth."