Зимняя сказка в ярких одеждах

General Information

Publication

In 1885, Pyotr Jurgenson published the piano score of the opera and the orchestral parts; the full score of the opera was only printed in 1898 . Aleksandra Hubert assisted Tchaikovsky with proof-reading and the piano arrangement of some numbers . The third set of proofs, it seems, were checked by Tchaikovsky alone. On 8/20 July 1885 he wrote to Sergey Taneyev: «… I am overwhelmed with proofs of the opera» .

Responding to the enquiry by Pyotr Jurgenson regarding the possibility of selling individual numbers from Vakula the Smith , Tchaikovsky replied: «Vakula the Smith should have been destroyed a long time ago. One can certainly sell individual numbers, but only a few of them remain unchanged:

• In the 2nd act—the entr’acte and 4th scene (I refer to the Vakula numbering, not that of Cherevichki).
• In the 3rd act—the entr’acte and rusalkas’ chorus.
• In the 3rd act—the Polonaise and Minuet, both dance numbers
• The duet of Oksana and Solokha («Some say he has drowned», etc).

That is it. All other numbers, including the overture, have been changed». In the same letter he told Jurgenson: «I certainly believe in the future of Cherevichki as a repertoire opera», Tchaikovsky wrote, «and in terms of music I regard it as among the best of my operas» .

The full score and vocal-piano reductions of Cherevichki were published in volumes 7 and 39 respectively of Tchaikovsky’s Complete Collected Works (1951), edited by V. D. Vasilyev.

Autographs

The following manuscripts are preserved in the Russian National Museum of Music in Moscow:

• Full score of Overture and Act I (ф. 88, No. 46a) .
• Full score of Act II (ф. 88, No. 46b) .
• Full score of Acts III and IV (ф. 88, No. 46v) .
• Full score of the additional aria for Vakula (Act III, No. 17) (ф. 88, No. 201) .
• Vocal-piano arrangement, comprising pages from the printed edition of Vakula the Smith with autograph revisions and insertions (ф. 88, No. 47) .
• Vocal-piano arrangement of Vakula the Smith, printed edition (Jurgenson, 1876), with Tchaikovsky’s annotations (ф. 88, No. 29) .
• Libretto, printed pages from Cherevichki and Vakula the Smith, with Tchaikovsky’s annotations (ф. 88, No. 48) .

The Scientific Music Library of the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory also has sets of parts for offstage band in the composer’s hand in Act III, No. 19 (No. 1659) and No. 23 (No. 1658) .

Composition

Tchaikovsky first mentioned his intention to revise Vakula the Smith on 28 April/10 May 1884, when Tchaikovsky wrote to Pyotr Jurgenson: «I will certainly revise Vakula the Smith. I am thoroughly convinced that it is worth doing. I will complete the revision this coming winter, and will attempt to have it staged in the 1885/86 season» .

The composer also told Nadezhda von Meck, Pyotr Jurgenson and Modest Tchaikovsky about the intended changes to Vakula the Smith . In a letter to Nadezhda von Meck dated 24 November/6 December, Tchaikovsky wrote: «I am rather busy in the mornings, namely I am contemplating changes which I intend to introduce to my opera Vakula the Smith. This is one of my favourite creations—but I am not blind to the fundamental shortcomings which afflict the opera and prevent it from remaining in the repertoire. I want to spend a few months removing those shortcomings, so that the opera can be staged the next season in Moscow» .

During a sojourn in Paris in the winter of 1885, Tchaikovsky, in his words, «managed here to plan all the major changes to Vakula» . In fact, he commenced working on the revision to the opera in mid/late February, while settled at Maydanovo: «I started my work on Vakula with a fervent, fiery zeal» . On 20 February/4 March 1885 Tchaikovsky reported: «I have written completely new scenes; everything that was bad I have discarded, everything that was good I have retained, simplifying unwieldy and overbearing harmonies—in a word I have done everything required to rescue the opera from the oblivion that it certainly did not deserve» . And in the same letter he wrote that in a few days he would set to work on orchestration of all the newly written sections.

On 4/16 March 1885, in a letter to his brother Modest, Tchaikovsky reported: «My work is not progressing speedily enough, but how happy it makes me! How pleased I am to think that my Vakula shall re-emerge from oblivion». And the composer asked Modest to devise a new name for the opera: «I do not want either Vakula the Smith, or Christmas Eve, or The Empress’s Shoes—it must be something else» . The opera was entitled Cherevichki: «I intend to change the title because there are other Vakula the Smiths…» . All the changes to the opera Vakula the Smith were finished by 23 March/4 April .

In April the opera was accepted for staging in Moscow . On 22 April/4 May, the opera was considered at a management meeting in the theatre, and on 1/13–2/15 May Tchaikovsky was tidying up the libretto, «which before it goes to press I must show it to Yakov Polonsky (author of the original libretto)» . On 2/14 May, Tchaikovsky wrote that he had sent the libretto with all the additions he had made to Pyotr Jurgenson for publishing .

The revision of Vakula the Smith introduced the following major changes into the opera: the scene and duet of Vakula and Oksana (No. 6) were expanded, and the final scene of Act I (No. 7) was written anew; the Schoolteacher’s Song and the Quintet in Act II were newly composed, as were His Highness’s couplets in Act III. Besides this, the composer introduced a number of changes to the recitatives. In many recitative episodes, developed orchestral parts were replaced by a simple chordal accompaniment, which significantly simplified the orchestral texture. In the overture, one bar was added before the recapitulation, and the harmony was changed slightly .

After the new score had already been compiled, apparently during rehearsals, Tchaikovsky altered the instrumentation in Oksana’s aria, as well as the beginning of the vocal part .

At the request of Dmitry Usatov, who sang the part of Vakula, Tchaikovsky wrote an additional song for Vakula in the first scene of the third act to words by the poet Nikolay Chayev .

Movements and Duration

The titles, numbering and tempo markings are taken from the first edition of the full score, published in 1885. Act 2 is divided into two scenes. The titles of numbers in Russian (Cyrillic) are taken from the published score, with English translations added in bold type. Vocal incipits are given in the right-hand column, with transliterations below in italics.

The complete opera lasts around 180 minutes in performance.

Performances

Despite the directorate’s promise, the staging of Cherevichki did not take place in the 1885/86 season, owing to the prolonged illness of Ippolit Altani and Tchaikovsky’s reluctance to engage another, less experienced conductor. An offer by the author to conduct the opera by himself, received a sympathetic reaction in the theatre; nevertheless, due to apparent constraints of the repertoire, the premiere was rescheduled for the next season .

The first performance of Cherevichki took place on 19/31 January 1887 in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theatre, conducted by the composer himself, with the following cast: Dmitry Usatov (Vakula), Aleksandra Svyatlovskaya (Solokha), Bogomir Korsov (Devil), Ivan Matchinsky (Chub), Mariya Klimentova (Oksana), Vladimir Streletsky (Mayor), Pyotr Grigoryev (Panas), Aleksandr Dodonov (Schoolmaster), Pavel Khokhlov (His Highness), Romuald Vasilyevsky (Master of Ceremonies). Tchaikovsky also conducted the next two performances on 23 January/4 February and 27 January/8 February with the same cast, except that Aleksandra Krutikova replaced Aleksandra Svyatlovskaya as Solokha.

This was the start of Tchaikovsky’s career as a conductor. On 4/16 December 1886 he wrote to Modest Tchaikovsky: «Today an event of great significance for me has occurred. I conducted at the first orchestral rehearsal, and in such a way that (if this isn’t just boasting) surprised everyone, because everyone expected that I would disgrace myself … Now I know that I can conduct» . After the premiere, Tchaikovsky described his debut: «At the appointed time I felt semi-conscious. When the fateful moment came, I walked to the podium like an automaton. Deafening applause broke out, wreathes were handed down from the stage, and the orchestra played a flourish. At once I began to feel relaxed. I began the overture very confidently, and as time went on I became calmer and calmer… The unanimous view is that I am a talented conductor» . However, after two further performances on 9/21 and 11/23 February 1887, conducted by Ippolit Altani, the opera was withdrawn from the repertoire.

On 1/13 December 1891, Tchaikovsky conducted its overture at a charity concert in Saint Petersburg, but the first complete production of the opera in the Russian capital did not take place until 29 December 1906/11 January 1907, conducted by Eduard Nápravník, at the Mariinsky Theatre.

The Russian Opera Company staged Cherevichki (under the title The Golden Slippers) at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York on 27 May 1922. The first complete production in London only took place in 1984, although its overture had been conducted by Henry Wood at a promenade concert in the Queen’s Hall as early as 10/22 September 1899.