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Khovanshchina: National Music Drama in Five Acts (complete): Serious Opera, Orchestra Accompaniment, Bass Chorus Part

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Khovanshchina: National Music Drama in Five Acts (complete) Cover Image
Khovanshchina: National Music Drama in Five Acts (complete): Serious Opera, Orchestra Accompaniment, Bass Chorus Part

Khovanshchina: National Music Drama in Five Acts (complete): Serious Opera, Orchestra Accompaniment, Bass Chorus Part

By Modest Mussorgsky, ed./arr. by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov/ Russian and French libretto by the composer based on historical sources.

Item: 36-A460196
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Description
Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881) began working on the 'national music drama' KHOVANSHCHINA (THE KHOVANSKY AFFAIR) in 1872 and up through 1880, although the piano score remained barely unfinished at the time of his death. Writing the libretto himself based on historical sources, Mussorgsky's opera in five acts relates the 1682 rebellion of Prince Ivan Khovansky and the Old Believers against the regent Sofia Alekseyevna and the two young joint Tsars Peter the Great and Ivan V. As the work was almost wholly in piano score format when the composer died, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov undertook to complete, revise, and orchestrate the opera between 1881 and 1882. The world premiere of the Rimsky-Korsakov orchestration took place in St. Petersburg on February 21, 1886, presented by artists of the Russian Opera Society. Instrumentation: 2+Picc(d.Fl3).2(2nd d.EH).2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(3-4): Hp.Pno: Str (4-4-3-3-3 in set): Vocal Soli (13 roles SSATTTTBBBBBB): Mixed Chorus: Banda (4Tpt.3Tbn.Glock).

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Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Opera Library
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
UPC: 0
SKU: 36-A460196
Instrumentation: 2+Picc(d.Fl3).2(2nd d.EH).2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(3-4): Hp.Pno: Str (4-4-3-3-3 in set): Vocal Soli (13 roles SSATTTTBBBBBB): Mixed Chorus: Banda (4Tpt.3Tbn.Glock)

More about this title

About the Composer: Modest Mussorgsky

Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881) was a Russian composer whose dramatic instinct and gift for orchestral color fundamentally shaped the sound of Russian opera. Self-taught and fiercely independent, he resisted academic conventions in favor of writing music rooted in Russian folk idioms, historical narrative, and raw emotional truth. His works, including Pictures at an Exhibition and Boris Godunov, prioritized authentic dramatic expression over technical polish, establishing him as a pioneer of musical nationalism.

Mussorgsky's final years were consumed by Khovanshchina, a sprawling five-act opera he conceived as a 'national music drama' rather than a conventional libretto-driven work. He wrote the text himself, drawing from Russian history, and composed the music with characteristic freedom and innovation. The opera remained incomplete at his death in 1881, leaving the orchestration unfinished. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, a younger colleague, completed and orchestrated the work between 1881 and 1882, making its 1886 premiere possible.

Why we love this

Khovanshchina demands everything from a chorus. The bass chorus part sits at the dramatic center of this opera, given weighty music that reflects the historical stakes of the 1682 rebellion and the Old Believers' spiritual conviction. Working with this score teaches singers to inhabit a role that isn't soloistic but absolutely foundational to the work's power.

What to expect

The music carries the weight of Russian history and spiritual conviction. Mussorgsky's harmonic language feels archaic and modal, evoking the Old Believers' faith and defiance, while the orchestration (orchestrated by Rimsky-Korsakov) wraps the chorus in rich instrumental color. Moments of unison strength alternate with intricate part-writing that rewards ensemble precision with emotional impact.

Who it's for

This bass chorus part is for opera choruses and companies committed to mounting the complete opera or extended excerpts from Mussorgsky's score. It serves singers with intermediate to advanced choral experience who are ready to engage with a historically rich, harmonically sophisticated work and the Russian text it requires.

How to get the most out of it

  • Study the historical context alongside the score. Understanding the conflict between the Old Believers and the state powers transforms rhythmic and harmonic choices from abstract into spiritually charged.
  • Balance the harmonic language carefully. Mussorgsky's use of modal writing, parallel harmony, and Russian folk idioms creates color that can blur if section blend and intonation aren't precise; rehearse with attention to how chord quality shifts across ensemble.
  • Shape the text with intention. Russian Orthodox sensibility and the formality of historical language require different diction and energy than Italian or French operatic traditions; work with a Russian-speaking coach if available.
  • Follow Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestration for cues about phrasing. The orchestral accompaniment often articulates musical ideas the chorus supports; rehearsals with orchestra will clarify where the bass chorus leads and where it answers.

How to use it

Khovanshchina works as a complete opera production or as a multi-concert narrative spanning a season, allowing audiences to experience it episodically rather than in a single evening. Alternatively, program individual scenes or acts alongside other Russian opera excerpts to create a focused exploration of Russian musical drama and national identity.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading Russian text and approximating historically informed diction for the Old Believers' characters
  • Singing modal and chromatic harmony in ensemble contexts
  • Balancing choral blend with projection of specific dramatic and spiritual character
  • Coordinating with orchestral cues and understanding operatic ensemble dramaturgy
  • Sustaining long-form dramatic narrative across acts in a non-soprano-centric role

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