Opera Martynov "L`ecole des femmes (School for Wives)" Comic Opera Moscow theatre "New Opera"
Running time: 1 hours 40 minutes
Schedule for Martynov "L`ecole des femmes (School for Wives)" Comic Opera 2022
Stage Director: Yuri Lubimov Music Director: Vladimir Jurowski
Orchestra: Symphony Orchestra of the "New Opera" Theatre
Premiere of this production: 19 May 2014
Music director and conductor Dmitri Jurowski Director and librettist Yuri Lyubimov Set Designer Boris Messerer Costumes Rustam Hamdamov Choirmaster Julia Senyukova Lighting Designer Sergei Skornetsky
The School for Wivesis a theatrical comedy written by the seventeenth century French playwright Moliere and considered by some critics to be one of his finest achievements. It was first staged at the Palais Royal theatre on 26 December 1662 for the brother of the King. The play depicts a character who is so intimidated by femininity that he resolves to marry his young, naпve ward and proceeds to make clumsy advances to this purpose. It raised some outcry from the public, which seems to have recognized Moliиre as a bold playwright who would not be afraid to write about controversial issues. In June 1663, the playwright cunningly responded to the uproar against this play with another piece entitled La Critique de L'Йcole des femmes, in which he provided some explanation for his unique style of comedy. A musical adaptation entitled The Amorous Flea was staged off-Broadway in 1964.
Plot
Arnolphe, the main protagonist, is a man of 42 years who has groomed the young Agnиs since the age of 4. Arnolphe supports Agnиs living in a nunnery until the age of 17, when he removes her and moves her to one of his abodes, which he keeps under the name of Monsieur de la Souche. His intention is to bring up Agnиs in such a manner that she will be too ignorant to be unfaithful to him and he becomes obsessed with avoiding this fate. To this end, he forbids the nuns who are instructing her from teaching her anything that might lead her astray. Right from the very first scene, Chrysalde warns Arnolphe of his downfall, but Arnolphe takes no heed. After Agnиs moves into Arnolphe's house, Horace arrives on the scene ahead of his father, Arnolphe's friend, Oronte. Horace immediately falls in love with Agnиs and she with him. Not realizing that Arnolphe and Monsieur de la Souche are the same person, Horace unwittingly confides all his activities with Agnиs to Arnolphe. Arnolphe then schemes to outmaneuver Horace and ensure that Agnиs will marry him. Arnolphe becomes more and more frustrated as the play goes on. Agnиs continues to meet with Horace despite Arnolphe's displeasure until, finally, a misunderstanding leads Arnolphe to believe that Agnиs has agreed to marry him and Agnиs to believe that Arnolphe has given her permission to marry Horace. When they realize the actual situation, Arnolphe forbids Agnes from seeing Horace. Horace, in his distress, comes to Arnolphe, asking for his help in rescuing Agnиs from "Monsieur de la Souche". The final act introduces a powerful irony as Oronte and Enrique arrive on the scene and announce that Horace is to marry Enrique's daughter. The daughter turns out to be Agnиs, rendering all of Arnolphe's scheming useless.
Schedule for Martynov "L`ecole des femmes (School for Wives)" Comic Opera 2022
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