Search - Serov, Oudalova, Bolshoi Theatre Orch :: Judith

Early Russian opera history

Patrick Yamada | South Central Orange County, CA USA | 02/06/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"In the US our knowledge of 19th century Russian opera generally begins with "Boris Godunov" and ends with "Evgeny Onegin". We know of Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky, but our opera memory is a bit fuzzy when it comes to Rimsky-Korsakov (arguably the best Russian opera composer of the 19th century), Glinka, Borodin, Cui, Rubinstein and Dargomyzhky. But Serov? Who's Serov?



Serov was better known in his own day as a music critic, and he had written "Judith" in 1863 long before Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov had arrived on the opera scene. The opera is based on the Apocryphal Book of Judith and tells the story of Israel's rescue from the Assyrian attackers by the heroine of the same name. Critics note the Eastern themes in the opera which point forward to Borodin's "Prince Igor" (especially the Polovtsian March) and Rimsky-Korsakov's "Sadko".



While Serov's scoring recreates the barbarism of the threatening Assyrian army, the music lacks the melodic beauty that make "Prince Igor" and better-known Russian operas so appealing. For example, you will not find anything nearly as beautiful or memorable as Borodin's "Polovtsian Dances". His admiration for Wagner shows, and the opera has a heavy feel to it. This is not an opera I listen to for enjoyment as much as to get a glimpse into the world of Russian opera between the time of Glinka (late 1830s to 1840s) and the First Nationalist School (1870s onward).



I recommend this recording for those who want to build a reference library of Russian opera, but I cannot suggest those looking for something pleasing to the ear. You will not find any toe-tapping melodies here. However, it piqued my interest to read that Mussorgsky heard the opera and derived some inspiration for his famous "Boris Godunov" from it. What would "Boris" have sounded like without "Judith"?"