Running time: 220 min


Schedule for Peter Tchaikovsky "Mazepa" 2022

Conductor: Tugan Sokhiev
Tenor: Maxim Paster
Tenor: Marat Gali (Galiakhmetov)
Bass: Valery Gilmanov
Soprano: Yelena Zelenskaya
Bass: Vladimir Komovich
Bass: Alexander Markeyev
Tenor: Ivan Maximeyko
Bass: Denis Makarov
Bass: Alexander Borodin
Tenor: Konstantin Artemiev

Composer: Peter Tchaikovsky

Opera company: Bolshoi Opera
Orchestra: Bolshoi Theatre Symphony Orchestra

Opera in 1 acts

Performed in German with Russian subtitles.

Kochubey’s farmstead near Poltava. His daughter, beautiful Maria comes to the garden and with her heart trembling listens to the voices heard from the house. They receive an important guest there – an omnipotent getman Mazepa. Hiding from parents she fell in love with him. She feels that her love to the old man will bring her death but she can’t stand her passion.
Kochubey is outraged by the old man’s pretensions. The quarrel begins. At the peak of the clash Mazepa suggests Maria to decide herself whether she wants to be with him or with her father. Maria chooses the grey-haired getman and leaves her house.
Kochubey’s true friends have gathered together in his house. Lubov, Iskra and Andrew share his sorrow. Kochubey has decided: he has understood Mazepa‘s plans of betrayal. The mean ambitious man thought of seizing Ukraine from Russia and giving it to another country. It is necessary to warn Tzar Peter about this treacherous plan. Kochubey’s friends support him. Andrew who hates Mazepa greatly wants to bring denunciation to Moscow himself.
A cell in Mazepa’s castle. Tzar Peter hasn’t believed Kochubey’s denunciation and handed Kochubey and Iskra over to Mazepa. There is the last night before execution. Kochubey parts with his wife Lubov. He is ready to die rather then to subdue to the traitor.
Mazepa’s room. He is tormented by contraversary feelings – his love to Maria and his thirst for revenge to Kochubey. But love of power predominates. Mazepa orders Orlik to execute Kochubey and Iskra at dawn. Troubled Maria comes. It seems to her that she means nothing to getman now. Mazepa tries to persuade her that he loves her and soothing her reveals her ambitious plan.
In the outburst of excited worship Maria imagines getman a Ukraine’s tzar. She is blinded with her love to Mazepa. Getman asks her carefully: “Say, whether husband or father is dearer to you?» She answers “You are the most dear for me”. Maria is ready to sacrifice everything for Mazepa.
Suddenly Lubov appears Maria’s mother. She asks her daughter to rescue Kochubey from execution. Maria doesn’t believe in her words. So Lubov tells her about the arranged massacre. Shocked by these Maria hurries up to the place of execution.
Lubov and Maria run to the square but they can’t stop the action – the execution is already over. Maria becomes mad.
The ruined Kochubey’s farmstead. A battle is getting over somewhere in distance. The Swedes are defeated. Mazepa and Orlik who have led the enemy to Ukraine escape from the battlefield.
During the battle Andrew searched for getman but in vain. And suddenly Mazepa and Orlik tired with a long ride appear near the house. Andrew bares his sword and rushes to Mazepa; the latter wounds him mortally. Maria obsessed with grief comes from the wood. Shocked Mazepa tries to soothe her. But Maria doesn’t recognize him. She hates this strange and horrible man. Orlik reminds of the near chase and Mazepa again runs away. Maria bends to wounded Andrew but also doesn’t recognize him. The kozak dies listening to the lullaby of mad Maria.

At King Herod’s palace, the young captain Narraboth admires the beautiful princess Salome, who sits at the banquet table with her stepfather, Herod, and his court. A page warns Narraboth that something terrible might happen if he continues to stare at the princess, but Narraboth won’t listen. The voice of Jochanaan is heard from the cistern, where he is kept prisoner, proclaiming the coming of the Messiah, and two soldiers comment on the prophet’s kindness and Herod’s fear of him.

Suddenly Salome appears, disgusted with Herod’s advances toward her and bored by his guests. Jochanaan’s voice is heard again, cursing the sinful life of Salome’s mother, Herodias. Salome asks about the prophet. The soldiers refuse to allow her to speak with him, but Narraboth, unable to resist her, orders that Jochanaan be brought forth from the cistern. At first terrified by the sight of the holy man, Salome quickly becomes fascinated by his appearance, begging him to let her touch his hair, then his skin, and finally his lips. Jochanaan forcefully rejects her. Narraboth, who can’t bear Salome’s desire for another man, stabs himself. Salome, not noticing him and beside herself with excitement, continues to beg for Jochanaan’s kiss. The prophet tells her to save herself by seeking Christ and retreats into the cistern, cursing Salome.

Herod appears from the palace, looking for the princess and commenting on the strange look of the moon. When he slips in Narraboth’s blood, he suddenly panics and has hallucinations. Herodias angrily dismisses his fantasies and asks him to go back inside with her, but Herod’s attentions are now focused on Salome. He offers her food and wine, but she rejects his advances. From the cistern, Jochanaan resumes his tirades against Herodias, who demands that Herod turn the prophet over to the Jews. Herod refuses, maintaining that Jochanaan is a holy man and has seen God. His words spark an argument among the Jews concerning the true nature of God, and two Nazarenes talk about the miracles of Jesus. As Jochanaan continues to accuse her, Herodias demands that he be silenced.

Herod asks Salome to dance for him. She refuses, but when he promises to give her anything she wants, she agrees once she has made him swear to keep his word. Ignoring her mother’s pleas not to, Salome dances seductively, removing her clothes. The delighted king wants to know what reward she would like, and she innocently asks for the head of Jochanaan on a silver platter. Horrified, the king refuses, while Herodias laughs approvingly at Salome’s choice. Herod offers other rewards, but Salome insists and reminds Herod of his oath. The king finally gives in. As the executioner descends into the cistern, the princess anxiously and impatiently awaits her prize. When the prophet’s head is brought to her, she passionately addresses Jochanaan as if he were still alive and finally kisses his lips. The terrified Herod, outraged and disgusted at Salome’s behavior, orders the soldiers to kill her.