Rimsky-Korsakov: The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh

Opera 8

Rimsky-Korsakov: The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh

Soloists

Kirov Opera 

Valery Gergiev

I'm gradually getting to know the Rimsky-Korsakov operas. In my project last year I was very impressed with The Maid of Pskov https://andrew365newpieces.blogspot.com/2025/03/rimsky-korsakov-maid-of-pskov.html and I enjoyed this opera even more. It has all of the ingredients you expect from Russian opera of this period. Big ceremonial scenes, dramatic choruses, ritual, impressive bass roles and folk-music inspired passages. The Invisible City is sometimes considered to be Rimsky's Parsifal because of the ritual and especially the evocation of the bells - here they represent the lost city. There was some astonishing orchestration here to evoke the sound of the bells, showing Rimsky to be one of the most innovate orchestrators of the late 19th century.  There are also constant reminders that The Firebird was just round the corner. The more you hear of Rimsky's music the more Stravinsky's debt to his teacher becomes more apparent. 

Perhaps the one think lacking in this piece is a really outstanding melody. Rimsky's melodic writing is quite cautious - this is not one of those operas where you go away humming a big tune which stays as an ear worm. But there is so much else in this score that this doesn't really matter. It is compelling music from start to finish.