THE FIERY ANGEL (Prokofiev) St.Petersburg 1993 Sergei Leiferkus, Galina Gorchakova, Vladimir Galouzine

THE FIERY ANGEL by Sergei Prokofiev
Kirov Opera at the Mariinsky Theatre, St.Petersburg, Russia
1993

CAST

Sergei Leiferkus – Ruprecht
Galina Gorchakova – Renata
Konstantin Pluzhnikov – Mephistopheles
Sergei Alexashkin Faust
Vladimir Galouzine – Agrippa Nettesheim

Gennady Bezzubenkov – Neighbour
Yevgeny Boitsov – Jakob Glock
Mikhail Chernozhukov – Neighbour
Larissa Diadkova – Fortuneteller
Yevgeny Fedotov – Host
Tatiana Filimonova – Young Nun
Andrei Karabanov – Neighbour
Mikhail Kit – Porter
Tatiana Kravtsova – Young Nun
Yuri Laptev – Mathais
Valery Lebed – Doctor
Olga Markova-Mikhailenko – Mother Superior
Vladimir Ognovenko – Inquisitor
Evgenia Perlasova-Verkovich – Hostess
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Conductor: Valery Gergiev
St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra
St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre Chorus

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Stage Director: David Freeman
Stage Designer: David Roger
Costume Designer:
Lighting Designer: Vlademir Lukasevitch, Steve Whitson
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The Fiery Angel (Russian: Огненный ангел, romanized: Ognenny angel), Op. 37, is an opera by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. The opera was composed between 1919 and 1927. It was premiered posthumously in 1955 in Venice, in Italian. The work was not presented to Russian audiences until the 1990s, most notably by the Mariinsky Theatre, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Prokofiev’s The Fiery Angel is based on a novel of the same name by Valery Bryusov. Prokofiev was more intrigued by the “orgies” (here, indulgence of passion) presented in the novel rather than the story ideas The novel was inspired by Bryusov’s own experiences with Nina Petrovskaya, and was considered one of the beginnings of the Russian Symbolist movement known as Vesy, or “The Scales”. Petrovskaya was the mistress of Andrey Bely. In their time together, Petrovskaya also came to know Bryusov in 1904, which sparked concerns for Bely. There was an anticipated brawl on a remote road in Moscow, but a mutual friend of Bryusov and Bely prevented the fight. Petrovskaya, Bely, and Bryusov inspired Prokofiev’s characters in his opera, making the novel the prime source of inspiration for the work. The novel was also the basis for the libretto of Prokofiev’s opera, which the composer himself wrote with the help of Demchinsky.

Synopsis
The opera was originally composed of three acts and eleven scenes but was eventually reorganized into five acts and seven scenes.

Act 1
Renata, a young woman searching for a missing love, resides at an inn. Ruprecht, a knight errant, meets Renata at the inn. She tells him that, since her childhood, she has been in love with an angel. This angel, Madiel, encouraged her to do good deeds, and at the age of seventeen she finally asked for his physical love. The angel, in response, glowed in fury, but agreed to return in human form. After Madiel’s promise, Renata had met Count Heinrich von Otterheim. Convinced that this was her angel returned to Earth, Renata immediately gave herself to him. One year later, Otterheim left. In denial, Renata begs Ruprecht to help her search for Otterheim.[6]

Act 2
As the two search for Otterheim, Ruprecht soon falls in love with Renata, although she does not share the feeling. They decide to resort to sorcery to find Otterheim, and a spell is cast. Three knocks are then heard at the door. Renata assumes the spell has worked and nearly goes insane at the thought of Otterheim returning. But nobody is there. Ruprecht and Renata seek out the powerful sorcerer Agrippa von Nettesheim. Once in his lair, they are met with his refusal to help; his concerns lie with the power of the Inquisition.

Act 3
Ruprecht learns that Renata has finally found Count Heinrich von Otterheim, who has rejected her. She begs to be avenged, learning that he was never her angel. Ruprecht attempts to exact revenge for Renata by dueling with Otterheim. The duel is one-sided, as Otterheim easily overcomes Ruprecht and injures him.

Act 4
Ruprecht and Renata have moved in together, but Renata now insists on joining a convent to better herself and for her soul’s sake. There is a comic relief, involving Faust and Mephistopheles at a tavern. (This tavern scene, used to break up the dark sarcastic nature of the opera, is sometimes left out.)

Act 5
Renata is in the convent, where the leaders accuse her of demonic possession. As an attempt to heal Renata ensues, all Hell essentially breaks loose (both on stage and in the orchestra) as the other nuns are also possessed. She is condemned by the Inquisitor to be burned at the stake.

Quoted from Wikipedia