[ Bel Air Classiques Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc ]
Release Date: Friday 28 May 2021
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Snegurochka (Snowmaiden), the daughter of Spring and Winter, dreams of a life amongst the humans; but the bitter Sun, looking for revenge, plans to use the fire of love to make her melt away... The Snow Maiden, Rimsky-Korsakovs third opera, draws its focus from playwright Alexander Ostrovskys eponymous play, itself inspired from National folk tales. This literary work was quite unexpected, given that Ostrovsky was better known for his political satires rather than his interest in fairy tales. But the composer found a clever way to spin this paradox, and applied himself in turn to reconcile traditional singing with a creative orchestration, bringing together heritage and modernity. Stage director Dmitri Tcherniakov, a highly regarded specialist in Russian opera, humanizes this marvellous and cruel coming-of-age tale, under the surface of which innocent eroticism and bitter jealousy boil furiously. He also uses this production to draw a parallel between this paradoxical work and the contradictions of modern-time Russia, by transposing the action into an intriguing backward-looking community which, and quite unlike Snowmaiden, does not seem to be quite ready to face the unknown yet.
"Tatarnikov is sensitive to the score's brilliant colours and vividly imagined textures, drawing on the fine playing of the Paris Opera Orchestra and the enthusiastic engagement - both vocal and dramatic - of the chorus." BBC Music Five Stars
"This faded Rimsky-Korsakov gem regains all its sparkle here: it has been researched, staged, sung and filmed with true love and commitment." Gramophone
"The entire cast shows rare ensemble involvement-notably Aida Garifullina, vocally exquisite in the title role, the Ukrainian tenor Maxim Paster a subtle Tsar Berendey, and Elena Manistina a commanding Spring Beauty…Do try it out." Opera