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Sadko (Садко in Russian, Sadko in transliteration) is an opera seven scenes by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov to a Russian libretto by the composer with assistance from Vladimir Byelsky, Vladimir Stasov, and others. First performance: Solodovnik Theater, Moscow, 7 January, 1898.
Rimsky-Korsakov first worked on Sadko in 1867, but it was not then an opera, but rather a tone poem. Only in 1892, after he had revised this piece, did he decide to turn it into a dramatic work. Instead of traditional acts, Sadko is divided in seven tableaux, and, as that type of structure would suggest, is more loosely constructed than a traditional opera. The opera is usually performed in three or five acts, depending on how the scenes are grouped. (Three acts: 1-2, 3-4-5, 6-7. Five acts: 1, 2-3, 4-5, 6, 7.) The music is highly evocative, and Rimsky-Korsakov's famed gift of orchestration is abundantly in evidence throughout the score.
Noted arias
- Song of the Varangian Merchant
- Song of the Indian Trader
Plot
The opera tells the story of Sadko, a troubador, who leaves his wife, Lubava, and home in Novgorod and eventually returns a wealthy man. During his years of travel he amasses a fortune, weds the daughter of the King and Queen of the Ocean and has other adventures. Upon his return, the city and Lubava rejoice.
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