Rubinstein, Anton

The Demon (1871)

Duration: 150 minutes
Fantastic opera in three acts

Libretto based on a fantasy poem by Mikhail Iurievitch Lermontov (R,G)

Scoring
S,M,2A,T,Bar,2B; chorus; ballet; picc.2.2.corA.2.bcl.2-4.2.3.1-timp, perc-harp-pianino(or harp)- org-strings.
Abbreviations (PDF).

Territory
This work is available from Boosey & Hawkes for the world.

World Premiere
1/25/1875
Mariinski-Theater, St. Petersburg
Company: unknown

Roles

PRINCE GUDAL	Baritone
TAMARA, his daughter	Soprano
PRINCE OF SINODAL, Tamara's fiancé	Tenor
Tamara's Nurse	Contralto
An old servant of the Prince of Sinodal	Baritone
Messenger of the Prince of Sinodal	Tenor
THE DEMON	Baritone
ANGEL	Mezzo Soprano
ZEPHYR	Contralto

Time and Place
In Grusinia, during the time of the Tatar raids

Synopsis
The setting of the Demon is somewhere between heaven, hell and earth – just as the demon himself is a fallen angel, an inwardly torn character, a negating power and adversary of the angel at the same time. Unable to love and still be humble, he falls in love with Tamara, who is about to marry Prince Gudal’s son, and kills the bridegroom. The bride escapes to a convent and is visited by the demon, who promises to renounce evil and pictures their future as eternity and boundless power. Tamara, yielding to temptation, is killed when he kisses her. In the struggle for her soul, the angel keeps the upper hand, for "he who loves belongs to paradise". For the demon, nothing has really changed: he carries on living in eternal damnation and loses his hope in the shape of Tamara, with whom he shared his solitude, his longing for love, his thirst for knowledge and the sadness resulting from it all.

Moods
Dramatic, Romantic, Tragic

Subjects
Ethics, Mythology, Relationships, Religion

Recommended Recording
Egils Silins/Olga Alexandrova/Moscow Chamber Choir/Sofia Chamber Choir/Vladimir Fedoseyev
Schwann 365432
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