Taneyev Oresteia

 Opera no 43

Taneyev The Oresteia

After a couple of shorter Russian operas back to something on a much larger scale. This was a hugely impressive piece, perhaps the most impressive in this series of Russian operas. It is full scale work full of big set pieces, lyrical passages and real excitement. Indeed at times the number of climaxes piling up one after another became a bit overwhelming. The music style was eclectic. It was obviously Russian but there were plenty of sections which were clearly related to French and Italian models and some Wagnerian overtones. There was even a passage near the beginning that heard cold I would have identified as Elgar!

The end of the opera was particularly exciting - a big choral climax which rang in the ears long after it was over. Altogether this was a memorable experience and one which makes me eager to hear more of Taneyev’s music - unfortunately this was his only opera.

This is the last in this short series of Russian operas. It has been fascinating. We know so little of the 19th century Russian operatic repertory - basically Boris and Eugene Onegin - that almost everything else comes as a surprise. It also shows that the work of the lesser known composers is capable of vying with the major figures - in fact the only real disappointment in this group was the Tchaikovsky.

The next phase in this project will be very different - I will be exploring some of the very earliest operas - a repertoire which is almost completely unknown to me.