FULL L’amour des trois oranges St.Petersburg 2022 Roman Shirokikh, Sergei Semishkur, Olga Baranenko

Information on the Performance

• Work Title: L'amour des trois oranges aka The Love for Three Oranges   
• Composer: Prokofiev Sergei  
• Libretto: Sergei Prokofiev, Mira Mendelson after the tale by Carlo Gozzi    Libretto Text, Libretto Index
• Venue & Opera Company: Mariinsky Theatre, St.Petersburg, Russia  
• Recorded: October 15, 2022
• Type: Staged Opera Live
• Singers: Roman Shirokikh, Sergei Semishkur, Olga Baranenko, Andrei Serov, Yaroslav Petryanik, Ilya Bannik
• Conductor: Valery Gergiev  
• Orchestra: The Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra  
• Chorus: The Mariinsky Theatre Chorus  
• Chorus Master: Konstantin Rylov  
• Choreographer: Ilya Ustyantsev  
• Stage Director: Alexander Petrov   
• Stage Designer: Vyacheslav Okunev  
• Costume Designer: Vyacheslav Okunev  
• Lighting Designer: Valentin Bakoyan  

Information about the Recording

• Date Published: 2023  
• Format: Streaming
• Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
• Subtitles: nosubs  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE

Quote from Wikipedia:
The Love for Three Oranges, Op. 33, also known by its French language title L’amour des trois oranges (Russian: Любовь к трём апельсинам, Lyubov’ k tryom apel’sinam), is a satirical opera by Sergei Prokofiev. Its French libretto was based on the Italian play L’amore delle tre melarance by Carlo Gozzi. The opera premiered at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, on 30 December 1921.

Synopsis
Prologue
Advocates of Tragedy, Comedy, Lyric Drama, and Farce argue for their favourite form before the curtain goes up for a play. The Ridicules (Cranks) round them up and tell them they are to witness “The Love for Three Oranges”.

Act 1
The King of Clubs and his adviser Pantalone lament the sickness of the Prince, brought on by an indulgence in tragic poetry. Doctors inform the King that his son’s hypochondria can only be cured with laughter, so Pantalone summons the jester Truffaldino to arrange a grand entertainment, together with the (secretly inimical) prime minister, Leandro.

The magician Tchelio, who supports the King, and the witch Fata Morgana, who supports Leandro and Clarice (niece of the King, lover of Leandro), play cards to see who will be successful. Tchelio loses three times in succession to Fata Morgana, who brandishes the King of Spades, alias of Leandro.

Leandro and Clarice plot to kill the Prince so that Clarice can succeed to the throne. The supporters of Tragedy are delighted at this turn of events. The servant Smeraldina reveals that she is also in the service of Fata Morgana, who will support Leandro.

Act 2
All efforts to make the Prince laugh fail, despite the urgings of the supporters of Comedy, until Fata Morgana is knocked over by Truffaldino and falls down, revealing her underclothes—the Prince laughs, as do all the others except for Leandro and Clarice. Fata Morgana curses him: henceforth, he will be obsessed by a “love for three oranges”. At once, the Prince and Truffaldino march off to seek them.

Act 3
Tchelio tells the Prince and Truffaldino where the three oranges are, but warns them that they must have water available when the oranges are opened. He also gives Truffaldino a magic ribbon with which to seduce the giant (female) Cook (a bass voice) who guards the oranges in the palace of the witch Creonte.

They are blown to the palace with the aid of winds created by the demon Farfarello, who has been summoned by Tchelio. Using the ribbon to distract the Cook, they grab the oranges and carry them into the surrounding desert.

While the Prince sleeps, Truffaldino opens two of the oranges. Fairy princesses emerge but quickly die of thirst. The Ridicules give the Prince water to save the third princess, Ninette. The Prince and Ninette fall in love. Several soldiers conveniently appear, and the Prince orders them to bury the two dead princesses. He leaves to seek clothing for Ninette so he can take her home to marry her, but, while he is gone, Fata Morgana transforms Ninette into a giant rat and substitutes Smeraldina in disguise.

Act 4
Everyone returns to the King’s palace, where the Prince is now forced to prepare to marry Smeraldina. Tchelio and Fata Morgana meet, each accusing the other of cheating, but the Ridicules intervene and spirit the witch away, leaving the field clear for Tchelio. While Leandro and the Master of Ceremonies see that the palace is prepared for the wedding, Tchelio restores Ninette to her natural form. The plotters are sentenced to die but Fata Morgana helps them escape through a trapdoor, and the opera ends with everyone praising the Prince and his bride.

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