Russlan and Ludmilla Overture
Mikhail Ivanovich GLINKA (1804-1857)
Glinka’s opera Russlan and Ludmilla is based on a charming and satirical fairy tale by Alexander Pushkin. He completed the score in April, 1842 after working on it sporadically for six years. Its music is drawn largely from Russian folk music. Many misfortunes befell the work’s premiere, which took place on December 9, 1842. The show was hissed at by the audience, and the critics gave it bad reviews. During Glinka’s lifetime, and for years afterward, audiences did not appreciate the work.
The plot of the fairy tales revolves around Ludmilla. She is the daughter of Svietosar, the prince of Kiev. She has three suitors, of whom Russlan is her favourite, but when she is abducted by the evil dwarf Tchernomor. Svietosar promises her hand to whoever can rescue her. Russlan wins a magic sword on the battlefield, which he eventually uses to defeat Tchernomor, but Ludmilla has been placed in a deep sleep and cannot be wakened. Only when the kind wizard Finn provides Russlan with a magic ring is he able to revive Ludmilla and win her hand. The overture, which is based on music from the opera’s final celebration scene, is an audience favourite with its flashy writing and unrelenting rhythmic drive.