Aleko/Kashchey the Immortal

A“doublebill”oftwoRussianoperaticmasterpieces.LegendarybassEvgenyNesterenkostarsinthetitleroleofAleko(1892),anearlyworkofSergeiRachmaninoff(1873-1943),writtenthecomposerwasstillastudentattheMoscowConservatory.StronglyinfluencedbytheItalianverismoschool(theplotisacloserelationtothatofLeoncavallo’sPagliacci),thescoreisfullofcolorfulevocationsofGypsylifeandpassionateemotionaloutpourings.Thecastofthisexpansive1986filmversion,directedbyVictorOkuntsov,includesmembersofGypsyfolkensembles,addingtotheproduction’sstrikingauthenticity.<br/>　　Bycontrast,KashcheytheImmortal(sometimescalledKashcheytheDeathless)isverymuchamatureworkofNikolaiRimsky-Korsakov(1844-1908);itwasthecomposer’stwelfthopera,andpremieredin1902.Moreover,itsmythicsettingandmagicalstoryline(drawnfromthesameRussianfolktalethatinspiredStravinsky’sballetTheFirebird)areworldsawayfromAleko’sgrittyrealism.This1987RussianfilmversionstarsthegreatsingingactorKonstantinPluzhnikovinthetitlerole(PluzhnikovisalsotheKascheyintheacclaimedCDrecordingconductedbyValeryGergiev).DirectedbyOlegYeryshev,thefilmgoesfarbeyondwhatcouldbeachievedinastageproduction,addingclarity,depth,andspectacletothispoignantfairytale.