DVD + Blu-Ray:
Rimsky-Korsakov: The Snow Maiden

Dmitri Tcherniakov's spectacular take on a Russian masterpiece, filmed at the Paris Opera with Aida Garifullina in the title-role.

Snegurochka (Snowmaiden), the daughter of Spring and Winter, dreams of a life amongst the humans; but thebitter Sun, looking for revenge, plans to use the fire oflove to make her melt away…

The Snow Maiden, Rimsky-Korsakov’s third opera, draws its focus from playwright Alexander Ostrovsky’s eponymous play, itself inspired from National folk tales. This literary work was quite unexpected, given that Ostrovsky was better known for his political satires rather than his interest in fairy tales. But the composer found a clever way to spin this paradox, and applied himself in turn to reconcile traditional singing with a creative orchestration, bringing together heritage and modernity.

Stage director Dmitri Tcherniakov, a highly regarded specialist in Russian opera, humanizes this marvellous and cruel coming-of-age tale, under the surface of which innocent eroticism and bitter jealousy boil furiously. He also uses this production to draw a parallel between this paradoxical work and the contradictions of modern-time Russia, by transposing the action into an intriguing backward-looking community which, and quite unlike Snowmaiden, does not seem to be quite ready to face the unknown yet…

English title The Snow Maiden
Original title Снегурочка
Genre Opera
Recording location Opéra national de Paris
Recording date 04/2017
TV Director Andy Sommer
Duration 194 min.
Video format NTSC, 16/9, Color (DVD)
Video format Full HD, 16/9, Color (Blu-ray)
Audio format PCM 2.0 & Dolby Digital 5.1 (DVD)
Audio format PCM 2.0 & DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 (Blu-ray)
Composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Conductor Mikhail Tatarnikov
Orchestra / Band Orchestre et Choeurs de l'Opéra national de Paris
Stage Director Dmitri Tcherniakov
Soloist Aida Garifullina (Snowmaiden)
Soloist Yuriy Mynenko (Lel)
Soloist Martina Serafin (Kupava)
Soloist Maxim Paster (Tsar Berendey)
Soloist Thomas Johannes Mayer (Mizguir)
Distribution DVD Bel Air Classiques / Naxos Distribution