Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Rimsky-Korsakov's Christmas Eve

Andrew McGregor introduces a concert performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's Christmas Eve, recorded in the Philharmonie, Berlin, last December, and conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.

With Christmas Eve around the corner, this evening's Opera on 3 is set in the Ukrainian village of Dikanka with Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Christmas Eve'.
A snowstorm has hit the village, where the blacksmith, Wakula, is unhappily in love with Oksana. She'll only marry him if he gets her the Tsarina's golden shoes. The villagers are singing kolyadkas, Ukrainian Christmas Carols, but Wakula is in not in the mood for singing. In desperation, he turns to the devil to fly him to the capital to get the shoes for Oksana. Will this be enough to win her hand?
Tom Service presents this concert performance recorded last year at the Philharmonie, Berlin, in conversation with Rosamund Bartlett. The cast is led by Mikhail Vekua as the blacksmith and Sofia Fomina as Oksana, with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, George Enescu Philharmonic Chorus, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.

Vakula the smith ..... Mikhail Vekua (tenor)
Chubb, an elderly Cossack ..... Dmitry Ulyanov (bass)
Oksana ..... Sofia Fomina (soprano)
Solokha ..... Ksenia Dudnikova (mezzo-soprano)
Tsaritsa ..... Marina Prudenskaja (mezzo-soprano)
Golova, the mayor ..... Sergei Leiferkus (baritone)
Devil ..... Alexander Fedorov (tenor)
Patsyuk/Panas ..... Milan Siljanov (bass-baritone)
Sexton Ossip ..... Vsevolod Grivnov (tenor)
Woman with a violet nose ..... Nadine Weissmann (alto)
Woman with an ordinary nose ..... Josefine Mindus (soprano)

George Enescu Philharmonic Chorus
Iosif Ion Prunner, chorus master
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Vladimir Jurowski, conductor

3 hours, 29 minutes

Last on

Sat 23 Dec 2023 18:30

Music Played

  • Nicolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov

    Christmas Eve - Act 1

    Singer: Dmitry Ulyanov. Singer: Sofia Fomina. Singer: Ksenia Dudnikova. Singer: Marina Prudenskaya. Singer: Sergei Petrovich Leiferkus. Singer: Alexander Fedorov. Singer: Milan Siljanov. Singer: Vsevolod Grivnov. Singer: Nadine Weissmann. Singer: Josefine Mindus. Choir: George Enescu Philharmonic Chorus. Orchestra: Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.
  • Nicolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov

    Christmas Eve - Act 2

    Singer: Dmitry Ulyanov. Singer: Sofia Fomina. Singer: Ksenia Dudnikova. Singer: Marina Prudenskaya. Singer: Sergei Petrovich Leiferkus. Singer: Alexander Fedorov. Singer: Milan Siljanov. Singer: Vsevolod Grivnov. Singer: Nadine Weissmann. Singer: Josefine Mindus. Choir: George Enescu Philharmonic Chorus. Orchestra: Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.
  • Nicolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov

    Christmas Eve - Act 3

    Singer: Dmitry Ulyanov. Singer: Sofia Fomina. Singer: Ksenia Dudnikova. Singer: Marina Prudenskaya. Singer: Sergei Petrovich Leiferkus. Singer: Alexander Fedorov. Singer: Milan Siljanov. Singer: Vsevolod Grivnov. Singer: Nadine Weissmann. Singer: Josefine Mindus. Choir: George Enescu Philharmonic Chorus. Orchestra: Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.
  • Nicolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov

    Christmas Eve - Act 4

    Singer: Dmitry Ulyanov. Singer: Sofia Fomina. Singer: Ksenia Dudnikova. Singer: Marina Prudenskaya. Singer: Sergei Petrovich Leiferkus. Singer: Alexander Fedorov. Singer: Milan Siljanov. Singer: Vsevolod Grivnov. Singer: Nadine Weissmann. Singer: Josefine Mindus. Choir: George Enescu Philharmonic Chorus. Orchestra: Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.
  • Maurice Ravel

    Piano Trio

    Ensemble: Mithras Trio.
  • Astor Piazzolla

    Le Grand Tango

    Performer: Santiago Ca帽贸n-Valencia. Performer: Ryan Corbett.

Broadcast

  • Sat 23 Dec 2023 18:30