«THE CHRONICLES OF ALEXANDER NEVSKY»

The Chronicles of Alexander Nevsky is an opera-cantata dedicated to the 800th anniversary of one of the most revered Russian saints. It was written in 2021 on the commission of the International Music Festival in Yaroslavl under the artistic direction of Yuri Bashmet.

It is the third time that the opera’s composer Alexander Tchaikovsky turns to Russian history. The two previous large-scale opuses of this emerging trilogy, The Tale of Igor’s Campaign and The Tale of Boris and Gleb, have also premiered at Yuri Bashmet’s festivals. The Chronicles of Alexander Nevsky tells Alexander’s life story life from taking his princely vows in Pereslavl (1225) to his departure to Saray-Batu for his edict for princedom (1263). Alexander Nevsky appears in the opera as a young man, a hero of the Neva and Peipus battles, a husband and father, and Grand Duke of Vladimir. This production is, however, not a hagiography or a historical account but a story about a living man who loved, fought, made mistakes, and gained victories.

According to the composer, he drew inspiration for the opera from Alexander Nevsky’s little-known biographic facts.

“I consider Prokofiev’s cantata Alexander Nevsky a masterpiece, which is why I initially refused to compose about Alexander Nevsky. I wished to avoid any clash with Prokofiev, as it meant confronting a titan. Yet later, when the script had been written, it turned out that many events of Alexander Nevsky’s life are little known. This is where I found the lacunas that allowed me to write music that did not overlap with Prokofiev,” says Alexander Tchaikovsky.

The Chronicles of Alexander Nevsky involves the Novaya Rossiya State Symphony Orchestra headed by maestro Yuri Bashmet, three choral ensembles, singers, and dramatic actors.