Opera Libretti
The first opera written in Russian was Цефал и Прокрис (Tsefal i Prokris – Cephalus and Prokris, libretto by Alexander Sumarokov) by Italian composer Francesco Araja serving to the Russian Court. The opera was staged at St. Petersburg on March 7, 1755.
The second opera set to a Russian text was Альцеста (Altsesta – Alceste, 1758, libretto by Alexander Sumarokov) by German composer Hermann Raupach (1728-1778) also serving to the Russian Court.
Read more about this topic: Alexander Sumarokov
Famous quotes containing the word opera:
“I have witnessed, and greatly enjoyed, the first act of everything which Wagner created, but the effect on me has always been so powerful that one act was quite sufficient; whenever I have witnessed two acts I have gone away physically exhausted; and whenever I have ventured an entire opera the result has been the next thing to suicide.”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)