A Life for the Tsar (Russian: Жизнь за царя, Zhizn' za tsarya), as it is known in English, although its original name was Ivan Susanin (Russian: Иван Сусанин) is a "patriotic-heroic tragic opera" in four acts with an epilogue by Mikhail Glinka. The original Russian libretto, based on historical events, was written by Nestor Kukolnik, Georgy Fyodorovich Rozen, Vladimir Sollogub and Vasily Zhukovsky. It premiered on 29 November 1836 (OS, 9 December NS) at the Bolshoi Theatre in St. Petersburg. The historical basis of the plot involves Ivan Susanin, a patriotic hero of the early 17th century who gave his life in the expulsion of the invading Polish army for the newly elected Tsar Mikhail, the first of the Romanov dynasty, elected in 1613.
Read more about A Life For The Tsar: Influences, Roles, Performance Practice, Principal Arias and Numbers, Recordings
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