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''Prince Igor'' ((ロシア語:Князь Игорь), ''Knyaz' Igor' ==Composition history== Original Composition: 1869–1887 After briefly considering Lev Mei's ''The Tsar's Bride'' as a subject (later taken up in 1898 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, his 9th opera), Borodin began looking for a new project for his first opera. Vladimir Stasov, critic and advisor to The Mighty Handful, suggested ''The Lay of Igor's Host'', a 12th-century epic prose poem, and sent Borodin a scenario for a three-act opera on 30 April 1869.〔Abraham and Lloyd-Jones (1986: p. 51).〕 Initially, Borodin found the proposition intriguing, but daunting: After collecting material from literary sources, Borodin began composition in September 1869 with initial versions of Yaroslavna's arioso and Konchakovna's cavatina, and sketched the Polovtsian Dances and March of the Polovtsy. He soon began to have doubts and ceased composing. He expressed his misgivings in a letter to his wife: "There is too little drama here, and no movement... To me, opera without drama, in the strict sense, is unnatural."〔Malkiel and Barry (1994: p. 16).〕 This began a period of about four years in which he proceeded no further on ''Prince Igor'', but began diverting materials for the opera into his other works, the Symphony No 2 in B minor (1869–76) and the collaborative opera-ballet ''Mlada'' (1872).〔 The ''Mlada'' project was soon aborted, and Borodin, like the other members of The Mighty Handful who were involved—César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov—thought about ways to recycle the music he contributed. Of the eight numbers he had composed for Act 4 of ''Mlada'', those that eventually found their way into (or back into) ''Prince Igor'' included No. 1 (Prologue: The opening C major chorus), No. 2 (material for Yaroslavna's arioso and Igor's aria), No. 3 (Prologue: The eclipse), No. 4 (Act 3: The trio), and No. 8 (Act 4: The closing chorus).〔Abraham and Lloyd-Jones (1986: p. 67).〕 Borodin returned to ''Prince Igor'' in 1874, inspired by the success of his colleagues Rimsky-Korsakov and Mussorgsky in the staging of their historical operas, ''The Maid of Pskov'' (1873) and ''Boris Godunov'' (1874). This period also marks the creation of two new characters, the deserters Skula and Yeroshka, who have much in common with the rogue monks Varlaam and Misail in ''Boris Godunov''. In his memoirs, Rimsky-Korsakov mentions an 1876 concert at which Borodin's "closing chorus" was performed, the first public performance of any music from ''Prince Igor'' identified by him: The idea of a choral epilogue in the original scenario was no doubt inspired by the example of ''A Life for the Tsar'' by Mikhail Glinka, to whose memory ''Prince Igor'' is dedicated. Borodin's primary occupation was chemistry, including research and teaching. However, he also spent much time in support of women's causes, much to the consternation of his fellow composers, who felt he should devote his time and talent to music.〔Rimsky-Korsakov (1923: p. 194)〕 In 1876, a frustrated Stasov gave up hope that Borodin would ever finish ''Prince Igor'', and offered his scenario to Rimsky-Korsakov.〔Rimsky-Korsakov (1923: p. 134)〕 Rimsky-Korsakov instead assisted Borodin in orchestrating important numbers in preparation for concert performance—for example, the ''Polovtsian Dances'' in 1879: Borodin worked on ''Prince Igor'', off and on, for almost 18 years. Posthumous Completion and Orchestration: 1887 – 1888 Borodin died suddenly in 1887, leaving ''Prince Igor'' incomplete. Rimsky-Korsakov and Stasov went to Borodin's home, collected his scores, and brought them to Rimsky-Korsakov's house. The often-repeated account that Glazunov reconstructed and orchestrated the overture from memory after hearing the composer play it at the piano is true only in part. The following statement by Glazunov himself clarifies the matter: 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Prince Igor」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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