Prince Igor - Critical Analysis

Critical Analysis

Prince Igor is a staple of Russian Opera, but has not travelled well abroad. One obvious reason is the Russian language, although translation into Italian was once a solution.

Another explanation for the failure to gain acceptance is its lack of unity resulting from its unfinished state. Despite the skill and efforts of editors Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov, the opera is still episodic and dramatically static, a problem of which the composer himself was aware when he embarked on composition (see quote above in "Composition History"). This is partly a consequence of Borodin's failure to complete a libretto before beginning composition of the music—the same problem that plagued his comrade Mussorgsky in the composition of Khovanshchina. Both composers wrote their librettos piece by piece while composing the music, both lost sight of the overall narrative thread of their operas, and both wound up with pages and pages of music that needed to be sacrificed to assemble a cohesive whole. Also, both died before finishing their operas, leaving the task of completion, editing, and orchestration to Rimsky-Korsakov.

It is a pity that Prince Igor is not performed more often, as it has a colorful setting, marvellous moments of drama and characterization, and music of sumptuous beauty. It does not, however, have a well-constructed or tightly integrated plot. "The chief appeal of Prince Igor lies in the quality of its individual numbers rather than its whole shape or ability to involve an audience in the narrative."