| Rasputin | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Einojuhani Rautavaara | |
 Portrait of Rasputin c. 1910 | |
| Language | Finnish |
| Premiere | |
Rasputin is a 2003 Finnish-language opera in three acts by Einojuhani Rautavaara. [1]
| Rasputin | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Einojuhani Rautavaara | |
| Portrait of Rasputin c. 1910 | |
| Language | Finnish |
| Premiere | |
Rasputin is a 2003 Finnish-language opera in three acts by Einojuhani Rautavaara. [1]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 19 September 2003 Conductor: Mikko Franck [2] |
|---|---|---|
| Grigori Rasputin | bass | Matti Salminen |
| Alexandra Feodorovna "Alix" | mezzo-soprano | Lilli Paasikivi |
| Nikolai "Niki" | baritone | Jorma Hynninen |
| Felix Yusupov | tenor | Jyrki Anttila |
| Irina Yusupova | mezzo-soprano | Riikka Rantanen |
| Dimitri Pavlovich | baritone | Gabriel Suonaven |
| Vladimir Purishkevich | bass | Jyrki Korhonen |
| Ania Vyrubova (Lady of the Court) | soprano | Ritva-Liisa Korhonen |
| Botkin (doctor) | bass | Jaakko Heitikko |
| Lazavert (doctor) | tenor | Aki Alamikkotervo |
| Iliodor (monk) | baritone | Saulli Tiilikainen |
| Hermogen (bishop) | bass | Kai Valtonen |
| Mitja Kozelskilainen (yurodivy) | tenor | Lassi Virtanen |
| Anastasia | soprano | Anna-Kristiina Kaappola |
| Maria | soprano | Helena Juntunen |
| Tatiana | mezzo-soprano | Tulja Knitila |
| Olga | mezzo/alto | Sari Aittokoski |
| Aleksei | speaking role | Anton Saares |
| The Crowd, Khlysts, Romani people, The pub crowd | ||
The Tsarevich, Alexei, has hemophilia, and the family doctors can find no solution. Tsarina Alexandra (Alix)’s lady-in-waiting, Anna, recommends for them to call upon Father Grigori Rasputin. Rasputin soothes the Tsarevich by describing his homeland of Siberia, temporarily lessening his condition. Alix believes this to be a miracle, and from that point forward his influence grows. Rasputin comforts Alix, and there are romantic implications. Then, Khlysts appear and begin to perform a ritual dance. Rasputin eventually sinks into the middle of the crowd, proclaiming that “sin redeems us”. Meanwhile, Irina is being courted by Felix Yusupov and Dmitri Pavlovich. There are numerous rumors surrounding Felix and Dmitri, claiming that they’re a homosexual couple. Irina discusses this and more with Tsar Nicolas, and he monologues about his worries as Tsar and Father. The act ends with Anna having a terrible feeling about what is going to happen.
It is Easter night. Iliodor, a hieromonk, and Mitya, a yurodivy (holy fool), preach to the people in a very fire-and-brimstone manner. The bishop Hermogen arrives and they lead a processional to the church. The doors open from the inside and Rasputin emerges, Hermogen remarking that he is “Like Satan himself”. Felix and Dmitri discuss their courting of Irina and flirt. They then conspire with Vladimir Purishkevich to kill Rasputin. They find it deeply offensive that an “uneducated peasant” has so much control over the royals and Russia in general. Felix also wants Russia to join the war against the Turks, which Rasputin vehemently opposes, knowing that it will further strain Russia. Meanwhile, Rasputin leads what is practically a sex cult, preaching that without sin there is no redemption. He has his way with a couple of the women and starts to drink. Then, multiple guests appear, among them Felix (crossdressing), Dmitri, and Vladimir. Vladimir points his gun at Rasputin’s back multiple times, but each time he evades him. Rasputin, now completely drunk, rants about ruling Russia with the tsarina, dissolving the parliament, and other delusions. The three assassins eventually flee, and Rasputin blacks out. Iliodor and Mitya discuss Rasputin’s debauchery and they read a letter that seemingly condemns him as being in a relationship with the Tsarina. One of the women from the earlier scene, Gina Guseva, appears and begs the monk to allow her to kill Rasputin, and he gives her a knife. They confront Rasputin. He admits to his sins, and they call him a devil. Guseva stabs Rasputin, and they cry “Die, Antichrist!”
Rasputin is recovering in the hospital. He is surrounded by women. When night falls, he freaks out and believes he is being once again tempted by Satan. He sings once again about how “Lovely sin” must take place before repentance, in a kind of fever dream. Felix is with Irina and inquires about her feelings in a feverish blur of emotions. She says she is with him now and forever, which he is elated by. He then tells her that he plans to kill Rasputin, and she needs to be the bait. She does not want any part of this and leaves. Felix then collapses from ecstasy. In a dream, or perhaps a nightmare, he sees Rasputin, who with his eyes paralyzes him. We see the Tsar, his family, and the doctors again. They are still unable to do anything about Alexei so Alix calls upon Rasputin again. He soothes Alexei into a slumber, and then he manipulates Alix into accepting bribes from various politicians. Alix has a beautiful monologue about the darkening future. Felix, Dmitri, and Vladimir are preparing to kill Rasputin. They poison cookies and wine and prepare the gun. Rasputin arrives and asks about Irina’s whereabouts. Felix says she is entertaining and offers him the cookies. Rasputin refuses. He offers him the wine. This time he accepts, but is seemingly unaffected by the poison. Felix eventually shoots Rasputin. The assassins remark that they have saved Russia, but Felix isn’t so sure. He goes to check on the body and sure enough, Rasputin awakes, grabbing on to him and trying to escape. Vladimir shoots multiple times, eventually killing him. Alix has a premonition of the Romanovs’ fate, with Rasputin condemning them and telling them to flee.
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was a Russian mystic and faith healer. He is best known for having befriended the imperial family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, through whom he gained considerable influence in the final years of the Russian Empire.
Alexandra Feodorovna, Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine at birth, was the last Empress of Russia as the consort of Emperor Nicholas II from their marriage on 26 November [O.S. 14 November] 1894 until his forced abdication on 15 March [O.S. 2 March] 1917. A favourite granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, she was, like her grandmother, one of the most famous royal carriers of hemophilia and bore a hemophiliac heir, Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia. Her reputation for encouraging her husband's resistance to the surrender of autocratic authority and her known faith in the Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin severely damaged her popularity and that of the Romanov monarchy in its final years. She and her immediate family were all murdered while in Bolshevik captivity in 1918, during the Russian Revolution. In 2000, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized her as Saint Alexandra the Passion Bearer.
Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia was the second daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last monarch of Russia, and of Tsarina Alexandra. She was born at Peterhof Palace, near Saint Petersburg.
Prince Felix Felixovich Yusupov, Count Sumarokov-Elston was a Russian aristocrat from the House of Yusupov who is best known for participating in the assassination of Grigori Rasputin and for marrying Princess Irina Alexandrovna, a niece of Emperor Nicholas II.
Einojuhani Rautavaara was a Finnish composer of classical music. Among the most notable Finnish composers since Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), Rautavaara wrote a great number of works spanning various styles. These include eight symphonies, nine operas and fifteen concertos, as well as numerous vocal and chamber works. Having written early works using 12-tone serial techniques, his later music may be described as neo-romantic and mystical. His major works include his first piano concerto (1969), Cantus Arcticus (1972) and his seventh symphony, Angel of Light (1994).
Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia was a son of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, a grandson of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and a first cousin of Tsar Nicholas II, Marie of Edinburgh, King George II of Greece, King Alexander of Greece, King Paul of Greece, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova was a lady-in-waiting in the late Russian Empire, the best friend and confidante of Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna.
Princess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia was the only daughter and eldest child of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia. She was the first grandchild of Tsar Alexander III and the only biological niece of Tsar Nicholas II. Irina was married to the wealthiest man in Imperial Russia, Prince Felix Felixovich Yusupov. Her husband was one of the men who in 1916 murdered Grigori Rasputin, "holy healer" to Irina's hemophiliac cousin, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich.
Vladimir Mitrofanovich Purishkevich was a Russian politician and right-wing extremist known for his monarchist, ultra-nationalist, antisemitic and anticommunist views. He helped lead the paramilitary Black Hundreds during the Russian Revolution of 1905. He later served in the State Duma, where he gained a reputation for courting of public controversy. Together with Felix Yusupov and Dmitri Pavlovich he took part in the assassination of Grigori Rasputin in late 1916.
Khioniya Kuzminichna Guseva was a Russian townswoman (meshchanka) of Syzran who attempted to kill Grigori Rasputin in 1914.
Rasputin the Mad Monk is a 1966 Hammer horror film directed by Don Sharp and starring Christopher Lee as Grigori Rasputin, the Russian peasant-mystic who gained great influence with the Tsars prior to the Russian Revolution. It also features Barbara Shelley, Francis Matthews, Suzan Farmer, Richard Pasco, Dinsdale Landen and Renée Asherson. The story is largely fictionalized, although some of the events leading up to Rasputin's assassination are very loosely based on Prince Yusupov's account of the story. For legal reasons, the character of Yusupov was replaced by Ivan (Matthews).
Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny is a 1996 biographical historical drama television film which chronicles the last four years (1912–16) of Grigori Rasputin's stint as a healer to Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia; the heir apparent to the Russian throne as well as the only son of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna; who suffered from hemophilia. The film is narrated in the first person by Alexei.
Mikko Franck is a Finnish conductor and violinist.
Sergei Michailovich Trufanov was a lapsed hieromonk, a charismatic preacher, an enfant terrible of the Russian Orthodox church, panslavist, and actor.
Maria Rasputin was the daughter of Grigori Rasputin and his wife Praskovya Fyodorovna Dubrovina. She wrote three memoirs about her father, dealing with Tsar Nicholas II and Tsaritsa Alexandra Feodorovna, the attack by Khionia Guseva, and his 1916 murder. The third one, The Man Behind the Myth, was published in 1977 in association with Patte Barham. In her three memoirs, the veracity of which have been questioned, she painted an almost saintly picture of her father, insisting that most of the negative stories were based on slander and the misinterpretation of facts by his enemies.
Lilli Katriina Paasikivi-Ilves is the artistic director of the Finnish National Opera since 2013 and a mezzo-soprano.
The Palace of the Yusupovs on the Moika, known as the Moika Palace or Yusupov Palace, is a former residence of the Russian noble House of Yusupov in St. Petersburg, Russia, now a museum. The building was the site of Grigori Rasputin's murder in the early morning of December 17, 1916. Sometimes called the Moika Palace to tell it apart from other palaces of the same family in Saint Petersburg, though it is not the only palace on this river in the city.
I Killed Rasputin is a 1967 Italo-Franco biographical film directed by Robert Hossein. Gert Fröbe stars as the main subject, Grigori Rasputin. It is based on the work Lost Splendor by Felix Yusupov, a nobleman and participant in the murder of Rasputin. The script was approved by Yusupov and he also agreed to appear in the film. In the introductory interview of the film, Yusupov demonstrated that his loathing for Rasputin remained undiminished. Filming began at the Billancourt Studios in Paris in December 1966. The film opened the 1967 Cannes Film Festival and later that year was released theatrically in France on 3 May.
Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia was the eldest child of the last Russian emperor, Nicholas II, and of his wife Alexandra.
Grigory R. is a Russian television eight-episode historical drama short series focusing on Grigory Rasputin, created by Ilya Tilkin and Eduard Volodarsky, directed by Andrei Malyukov.
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