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Alexander Porfir'yevich Borodin. Opera in a prologue and four acts. Unfinished at the composer's death in 1887 and completed by Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov.
Libretto by the composer, after a scenario by Vladimir Vasil'yevich Stasov. First performance at the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, on 4th November 1890.
CHARACTERS :
Igor Svyatoslavich, Prince of Seversk baritone
Yaroslavna, his second wife soprano
Vladimir Igorevich, Prince Igor's son by his first marriage tenor
Vladimir Yaroslavich, Prince Galitzky, brother of Princess Yaroslavna high bass
Khan Konchak, a Polovtsian leader bass
Khan Gzak, a Polovtsian leader silent rôle
Konchakovna, daughter of Khan Konchak contralto
Ovlur, a baptized Polovtsian tenor
Skula, a gudok-player bass
Yeroshka, a gudok-player tenor
Yaroslavna's Nurse soprano
Polovtsian Maiden soprano
In Putivl' Prince Galitzky rules in place of Prince Igor, who has marched out against the Polovtsians. While the deserters Skula and Yeroshka sing the praises of Galitzky, urging the deposing of Igor, Princess Yaroslavna laments her husband's departure. Prince Igor and his son are captured by Khan Konchak, and Vladimir falls in love with the Khan's daughter Konchakovna. Prince Igor is offered freedom and an alliance and is entertained as an honoured guest. Khan Gzak is also victorious against the Russians. Igor himself escapes, but Vladimir remains behind, accepted as a husband for Konchakovna. The opera ends with the return of Prince Igor to his own city, welcomed by Princess Yaroslavna, and, with less certainty, by the duplicitous Skula and Yeroshka, who spread the good news of their prince's return.
Various versions of Prince Igor have been made, since the first completion of the work by Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov cut a large part of what Borodin had already written. Best known of everything in the score are the exotic Polovtsian Dances, which entertain the captive Russian prince and his son, and the overture, reconstructed from memory, it was alleged, by Glazunov.
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