UNDINA (TCHAIKOVSKY)

'Undina' (sometimes ''Undine'' or ''Ondine'') () is an opera in 3 acts by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The work was composed in 1869. The libretto was written by Vladimir Sollogub, and is based on Vasily Zhukovsky's translation of Friedrich de la Motte-Fouqué's ''Ondine''. Tchaikovsky destroyed score in 1873, preserving only a few numbers from the opera.

Contents

Composition history

Early performance history

Instrumentation

Roles

Discography

External links

Composition history

The opera was composed during the months of January - July, 1869. The score was destroyed by Tchaikovsky in the 1870's. Only the extracts performed in 1870 survive, but some music from the opera was subsequently re-used in other works.
The extracts that have survived are:
#Introduction
#Aria: "Streamlet, my brother" (Undina)
#Chorus: "Help, help! Our stream is raging" (Chorus)
#Duet "O happiness, O blessed moment" (Undina, Huldbrand)
#Chorus: "O hours of death" (Soloists and Chorus)

Early performance history

'Moscow Premiere (First Performance)'

★ ''Date'': March 28 [OS March 16], 1870

★ ''Place'': Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow

★ ''Conductor'': Eduard Merten
This was a concert performance of three extracts. The opera has never been performed in its entirety.
'Original Interpreters'

Role	Moscow 1870	Voice
Undina	A. Alexandrova-Kochetova	soprano
Huldbrand	Aleksandr Dodonov	tenor

Instrumentation

★ ''Strings'': Violins, Violas, Cellos, and Double Basses

★ ''Woodwinds'': Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets ( B-flat), 2 Bassoons

★ ''Brass'': 4 Horns (all F), 2 Trumpets (B-flat), 2 Trombones, Tuba

★ ''Percussion'': Timpani, Triangle, Cymbals, Bass Drum

★ ''Other'': Harp, Piano

Roles

Russian	English	Description	Voice
Ундина	Undina	Ondine	soprano
Гульбранд	Huldbrand	A knight	tenor
Гольдман	Goldmann		bass
Берта	Berthe		mezzo-soprano
Бертальда	Berthalda	Huldbrand's betrothed	mezzo-soprano
Герцог	The Duke	Berthalda's father	bass
People			chorus, silent roles

Discography

'Introduction'

★ Gauk, USSR Radio Large Symphony Orchestra
'Vocal Numbers'

★ Akulov, USSR TV and Radio Symphony Orchestra, Milashkina, Raikov

External links

★ Undina (English)